Dear Future President,

So far in our society, we have had so many debates on the morality of our actions, as technology steadily becomes more advanced. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is an example of new technology that we had initially pegged as dangerous and immoral. I believe they should become a more practical technology all over the world. Developing GMOs and applying them to food for the benefit of our health is a very important solution to many hunger problems all around the world This makes this a global problem. Third world countries, who rely on agriculture heavily, are most affected by this issue because they are not technologically advanced enough to have a steady food source. The implementation of GMOs into America’s labs can be passed on to other countries, affected by hurricanes and earthquakes, for example. Reinforced food, that can withstand harsh climates, would be revolutionary to people all over the world. The only thing holding GMOs back is the lack of knowledge about them and the ethical argument against them. America is also heavily affected by this problem because we can be a huge contributor to this revolution to end world hunger. Also, with the growing popularity of fast food and food becoming more unhealthy in America, healthy GMOs can be a solution to obesity and heart disease in America. This issue matters to me because food is a big part of my life. With the introduction of GMOs to the food sources in America, it affects the food I eat. I try to eat as healthy as I can, especially because I am an athlete. I would like to know that what food I put in my body is safe for me. So this issue should be looked into by the next president because it could solve many food problems around the world.

First, I think the GMOs issue should be recognized because there is no proven health risk to genetically modified foods. Without GMOs, the world would have to use pesticides instead to keep bugs off their crops, which as we all know, contaminate more than just the insects, such as the water sources, among other things. An article on the benefits of GMOs explains, “Activists continue to mount vocal and tenacious opposition to genetically engineered foods, despite almost 20 years of demonstrated, significant benefits, including reduced use of chemical pesticides (and thus less chemical runoff into waterways), greater use of farming practices that prevent soil erosion, higher profits for farmers, and less fungal contamination.” Based on this information, GMOs are not only beneficial to the nutrition of the food we eat, but also the protection and reliability of our food. Many people are consumed by the stereotype that unnatural additions to food are unhealthy for humans, but in this case, there are no dangerous side effects to these modifications, especially if they are researched more and are perfected to make food safer. This makes this issue important to address in government with our next president.

Next, I think the GMOs issue should be enacted upon by our next president because they help create a surplus of food, even in harsh conditions. Natural challenges in agriculture, such as flooding, hurricanes, and earthquakes, hurt the amount of food one area is able to grow, affecting the residents of that area. Especially in places that rely on agriculture, this new technology can help with this problem. An article on GMOs states, “Take flooding, for instance. No one knows for certain how much flooding will increase as the planet warms, but scientists believe it will become more frequent and last longer in places such as Southeast Asia, where it already causes around $1 billion in annual damage to rice crops.” This means that GMOs are not only safe but are easier to grow and will help third world countries keep a steady supply of food, therefore helping to solve the world's hunger problem. Many people would be blinded by this fact, that genetically modified organisms can have a significantly big impact on that global problem, because of the dangers and complications they think come with modifying food. It would be very beneficial for America to be on the front lines of that movement. GMOs, through these facts, prove to be an important issue that should be taken seriously in government when our new president gets elected.

Lastly, I think GMOs should be addressed as an important issue in the government today because they can also give health benefits to everyone around the world. People argue that this advancement in technology are not ethically good for America and are dangerous because we should not be tinkering with the environment. This makes people think that they are unhealthy and dangerous for us. But, with genetic engineering, the point is to make the food more nutritional for the human body, as well as animals, if modified accordingly. With GMOs, food can be modified to have more vitamins that humans need everyday that most of us might not get, as well as taking out things in food that we get too much of on a daily basis, such as cholesterol. A few nutritional benefits are stated in an article that explains, “In addition, some GM crops provide nutritional benefits. For example, certain GM crops produce more nutritious oils (i.e. high oleic soybean oils), which can help people replace solid fat in their diets, potentially reducing saturated fat intake. Another example includes stearidonic acid (SDA)-containing soybeans, that produce healthful long chain omega-3 fatty acids like EPA.” This overall makes food healthier, which is already a big problem in the United States in itself. We struggle with obesity in the United States, and it is very hard to find anything not filled with preservatives or fake sugar in grocery stores, not to mention how expensive it can be if you do find food like that. GMOs can also be, in addition to hunger problems, a solution to common health problems in America. People are against GMOs because they are not natural and we do not know the effects currently of making modifications to crops. However, we have been changing the environmental plane of Earth ever since the Agricultural Revolution in BCE years. GMOs are just the next step in the movement to make food more abundant and reliable for everyone around the world. Therefore, this makes this new technology a crucial issue to address for our new president.

In conclusion, I believe the next president should take action in funding more experiments on GMOs for the benefit of America and beyond. The next president should choose to act on this issue and work to start extending research to GMOs. I hope to see changes in the view of GMOs to a more exciting and accepting attitude, as they can only help people everywhere. I hope to see the integration of them into food everywhere, even in my town. I want to see hunger starting to be resolved, obesity starting to diminish, and crop failures less common. Hopefully, America could be the lead country to start the next agricultural revolution.

Sincerely,

Ryan W

Citations:

Britannica School - High. "Genetically Modified Foods Are Safe To Eat." Michigan Electronic Library. N.p., 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2016. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&dviSelectedPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lom_accessmich&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010259242&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=>.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context. "Genetically Modified Crops Can Increase Productivity to End World Hunger." (n.d.): n. pag. Michigan Electronic Library. Web. 18 Oct. 2016. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=true&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&dviSelectedPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lom_accessmich&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010138298&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=true>.

InfoTrac Student Edition. "Genetically Modified Foods Have Numerous Benefits and No Known Risks." Michigan Electronic Library. N.p., 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2016. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=true&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&dviSelectedPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lom_accessmich&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010138297&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=true>.