Dear Mr. President,

The use of GMOs has become a controversial topic in the United States. A GMO is a genetically modified organism, which is used in the majority of American foods. On one hand, some argue that GMOs can solve the problem of hunger in the United States and provide a more reliable food source. According to this view, modified foods are seen as helpful and are great to have in the American food system. My personal view is that use of GMOs should be banned in America. Although they are supposedly a good solution to hunger and more reliable than organic foods, GMOs are harmful to the human body, banned in most countries, and proven ineffective in the battle against hunger. What this country needs from you is a total ban on GMOs.

First off, GMOs are toxic to the human body. The modified DNA of the organism can cause cancers and is detrimental to the human health. Studies show “how genetically modified (GM) food can leave material behind inside us, possibly causing long-term problems” (Responsibletechnology.org). With this being, we are putting harmful food into our bodies, that can have potentially life threatening effects, which the government and biotech proponents claim to be safe: “The scientific consensus is that GMO foods are safe,” but the truth is “that the IAASTD Global Report, co-sponsored by the WHO (World Health Organization) and six other world organizations, says GMOs have NOT been proven safe” (GMOfreeusa.org). This exemplifies that large food corporations are selling us toxic food, and when they should be warning about their dangers, they instead lie about their safety. So, we buy toxic food containing GMOs without even realizing it. The major health concerns that modified foods bring should be an immediate sign that they should never be used. The negative health effects of GMOs are a reason why we need you to put a ban on modified foods.

Secondly, most countries do not allow the production and distribution of modified food products in their countries. Countries such as Russia, Switzerland, China, and France have partial or total bans on GMOs. Because of the “dangers and risks posed by genetically engineered organisms, many governments have instituted total or partial bans on their cultivation, importation, and field-testing”(Thenation.com). We already know about the health risks that GMOs possess, that is why many countries have put bans on them. They do not allow GMOs because they are a concern to human health and the environment; their toxicity proves harmful to non-target organisms around the crop (Onegreenplanet.org). Meanwhile, the United States openly promotes them through advertisements and sales, and continuously lies about their safety. Many countries have banned the production and distribution of GMOs for the betterment of their country and I believe that we must do the same.

Finally, we do not need GMOs to alleviate the hunger problem in our country. Many proponents of modified foods will say that GMOs are beneficial to the solving of the hunger problem in America. When in fact, we do not need GMOs to fight this dilemma. It is proven that these modified seeds “were outperformed by traditional “agro-ecological” farming practices”(Naturalsociety.com), And “a team of 900 scientists have found that GMO crops are actually not effective at fighting world hunger”(Naturalsociety.com). The government and biotech companies push the production of GMOs to convince that they are a solution to hunger, when in fact we do not need modified foods to alleviate this problem. The only reason that these companies and farmers claim that GMOs are safe is so they can sell their products. As our president, you need to place a ban on all genetically modified organisms in the United States, as they prove to not have any significant effect on the battle against hunger.

In conclusion, GMOs are a major problem in our country. They are more harmful than helpful as they are detrimental human the health and are unnecessary in fighting hunger. Most countries have banned GMOs because of the dangers can have, what we need is a president who will do the same and I am counting on you to do that.

-KM