Genetically Modified Corn
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Biotechnology has leaped into the forefront as this century's most significant and controversial science, while hundreds of millions of Americans consume genetically modified food every day. The two most popular reasons for GM's existence are pharming and food (Fleeson). Many possible benefits, such as a serious decrease in world hunger, could come from GM products. However, environmental activists, organic farmers, and others consider GM foods to be a questionable technology which attracts unsuspected consumers by big corporations seeking to control the world's food supply. Nonetheless, the larger world cannot afford to turn its back on the vast potentials that GM foods offer (Appell). Ultimately, the "questions of control and predictability lie at the heart of the controversy over genetically modified crops" (Schapiro).
First of all, the issues of pharming must be considered. Companies and researchers say that GM crops could make drugs more accessible and cheaper. However, critics, including grocery manufacturers and environmentalists, warn that the technology is being rushed without adequate direction (Fleeson). Are people sure that they want to use a drug that hasn't been studied extensively or whose long-term effects are uncertain?..