Running Head: OMG IT’S GMO 1
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OMG IT’S GMO
OMG it’s GMO
Research Paper
April 13, 2016
Outline
Thesis: While GM seeds do have some benefits to agricultural production, there are many
adverse effects that indicate genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are harmful.
Because of these harmful effects GMO’s should be banned.
I. GMO is a type of organism whose genetic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering.
A. Genetically modified Crops are also known as genetically-engineered foods.
B. Genetically modified (GM) seeds, over the last few decades, have replaced a large quantity of conventional crops.
C. GMO’s are formed by splicing genes of different organisms to create a revised organism.
II. The history of genetically modified organisms dates back thousands of years.
A. There are many types of GMO crops.
B. The development of GM seeds has allowed crops to grow more efficiently, surviving without challenges from weeds, insects or drought.
III. There are many pros to farmers growing GM Crops.
A. Farmers require fewer inputs into the production of GM Crops.
1. They do not need as much fertilizer or insecticide.
2. They are cheaper and easier to maintain.
B. Farmers do not have to use very much fertilizer on the crops.
C. They have a lower risk to crop failure making them more resistant to extreme weather.
IV. There are many cons to farmers growing GM Crops.
A. There are many ways GMO’s are harmful to farmland and the ecosystem.
B. There are many short-term effects of GM Crops.
1. With the acceptance of the use of GM seeds the GMO corporations required a contractual agreement to buy new seed each year.
2. GM crops have been found to have a deadly amount of toxicity in them.
C. There are many long-term effects of GM Crops.
1. Over time the weeds will be come more resistant to the herbicide.
2. When insect repellant seeds are used they can harm all types of insects, including beneficial pollinators.
3. GM crops could potentially over work the soil and require more water and fertilizer to survive.
V. The benefits, higher yield and fewer inputs, are not worth the hard work farmers would be required to do.
A. GM crops could be toxic to humans, they can harm beneficial insects, and weeds can become immune to the herbicide in the crops.
B. The benefits, higher yield and fewer inputs, are not worth the hard work farmers would be required to do.
C. GM crops have too many negative impacts and harmful effects, demonstrating that they need to be banned.
Abstract
Genetically modified (GM) crops involve altering the genetic material of plants and animals. Governments have taken actions for and against GMOs (genetically modified organisms), often with very little information to guide them. In the hope of fostering more reasoned discussion, this paper will provide some background about the process of genetically modified organisms and the following examples will discuss the process of genetic modification, its potential benefits, ...
