Frankenfoods

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The next lecture was by Timothy P Leslie. He talked about “Frankenfoods” or GMO. GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. In this presentation, he hoped to disprove the notion that GMO are harmful for human consumption. Since its introduction, GMOs have been labeled as Frankenfood. This negative word causes us to feel like it’s harmful for us, and it invokes fear. The word was first used in a letter to the editor of the New York Times in 1992. An English professor from Massachusetts commented on the issue of whether or not GMO should be regulated by the federal government. He wrote, “If they want to sell us Frankenfood, perhaps it’s time to gather the villagers, light some torches and head to the castle.” Leslie says that the moniker …show more content…
In a poll that questioned the safety of GMO crops, 88% of scientists believed it was safe, while only 37% of the general population voted for GMO crops. That’s a 51-percentage gap. Leslie briefly covers the benefits of GMOs. He talked about being able to create insulin for diabetics like his father thanks to GMO advancement. He also talked about how it has stopped insects and various diseases from destroying crops. He claimed that this disease resistance saved the papaya industry. GMO improves storage and nutritional capabilities as well. The most intriguing part of this lecture for me was the when he talked about Golden Rice. I never heard of Golden Rice before this. It’s rice that has beta-carotene in it, which is an important source of Vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency affects millions of people globally and causes million of deaths per year. It can also cause blindness. Rice is a staple crop for about 50% of people on Earth, so just one bowl of this golden rice can provide the daily recommended amount of Vitamin A. In 2009, a group of activists destroyed an entire research plot of golden rice. This blind hatred is unacceptable, Leslie explained, and can even be called a crime against humanity. I had no idea this happened. After the lecture, I started researching more about GMO, so I could gather more information on it. I enjoyed this lecture, and Leslie succeeded in swaying my opinion to his side on this controversial
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