Have you ever heard or seen the letters GMC all together, all in caps, in all of their infamous or famous (depends on what side you’re arguing) glory? Have you ever seen what looks like housewives and single moms waving brightly colored sign around yelling “Label GMCs!” at the stoplight? Well, so have I. So, I decided to take a look at GMCs (genetically modified crops) and see what the big deal about labeling them was.

So what exactly is a GMC? It sounded a little intimidating to me at first but it’s not too complicated to understand. In a nutshell, GMCs are where companies like Monsanto take the seeds of crops like corn and tomatoes and inject DNA into the seed so that it grows up and isn’t affected by weed killer, bug killer, any virus, has super strength against drought, heat, etc. and enhanced nutrition. (GM Crops…) That means it’s supposed to be healthier than natural food! That all sounds great doesn’t it?!

Well, maybe not so much. Studies have shown than mixing DNA from animals into the plants can cause new allergies and diseases in the human body. They can also have ecological damage as the weed killer tolerance could cross over into weeds and then we’d use even more weed killer trying to get rid of the weeds. And where does all that herbicide go? Well it seeps into the ground right into your water supply! (What are…)Yay! These are all proven disadvantages but there’s also “evidence” against GMCs that say the GMCs cause cancer and genetic mutations. (Ten Disadvantages…)

But based on my research, these theories are false. According to Monsanto, “The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Council for Science, the French Food Agency, The British Medical Association, the American Medical Association, The American Dietetic Association and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences have all declared biotech foods safe for human and animal consumption”. (Commonly Asked…) Sorry but that sounds a little more credible than a blog that lists cons about GMCs without any citations. Moreover, Forbes Magazine discusses a badly done study of whether GMCs cause cancer in rats. The study claims that they do, but a more thorough analysis of the research reveals that a) Americans (who eat higher levels of GM foods than Europeans) do not have higher cancer rates than Europeans, b), the rats were tested in the “experiment” were “a special laboratory strain that is highly prone to cancer”, and c) there was no dosage control, the “rats fed the highest levels of GM corn lived longer than the rats fed the lowest level!” (Salzberg, Steven) So the allegations that GM crops are bad for us may very well be completely false. We can’t deny that genetically modified crops create more food at a faster rate without needing as many resources and it’s healthier for you.  I mean, in a world where 4 people are born every second and only two die; and the Earth’s resources are running out, GM crops are the most practical and helpful approach. At least in my opinion. (Birth & Death Rates)

Honestly, the real argument isn’t even over if there should be genetically modified crops or not. Since 80% of the all food in America has something genetically modified in it, we are way past that point. There are bad sides and good sides to GMCs and by labeling the food to say GMC on the packets, gives the public the choice to choose for themselves. So, the problem is whether or not to label GMCs. America has no law that requires genetically modified crops to label their food. So you could be eating something that has DNA from a fish in it and there would be nothing on the package to indicate it.  64 countries around the world require genetically engineered foods to be labeled. So, I don’t really have anything to say in defense of the U.S not labeling them. I will say this though, GET IT TOGETHER AND LABEL THE GMCS ALREADY!

Honestly, I fully support the labeling of GMCs. The FDA has not proven GMCs to be dangerous to health and no legitimate long term tests have been done to prove otherwise, (the key word there is legitimate), which is why the FDA refuses to label GMCs. If they aren’t proven to be dangerous, they don’t have to be labeled. (Crops) Hmm, I don’t like the sound of that. Even if the GMCs aren’t dangerous, it is important to know what is in my food. I do not oppose GM foods but I would like to know whether the corn I am eating was grown naturally or not.

Sure, your offspring might become genetically mutated if you eat GMCs while you’re pregnant, but if that bothers you, then labeling GMCs will give you a choice on what to eat. So why won’t America label them?  Some blame the FDA, some blame the companies that make GMCs and some are really confused (like me) but adamant on taking sides they don’t fully understand (not like me).

GM crops are important and obviously a lot of people care about them. But do those who abhor GMCs even know what they’re talking about? Are companies like Monsanto and Syngenta lying to us? Well, I guess only time will tell. Until then, those single moms and housewives will fight to the death about labeling GMOs. Which leads me to my main question: Why won’t American label genetically modified crops? Is it because the companies will lose profits? Or is it because they truly do not feel as if it is necessary? I have no problem with GM crops but I fully support the labeling of GM foods just so that I know what I’m eating. However, we’re just gonna have to wait and see what the big shots in politics decide for us.

"Birth & Death Rates | Ecology Global Network." Ecology Global Network. Ecology Communication Group, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2014.
"Commonly Asked Questions About the Food Safety of GMOs." Monsanto. Monsanto, n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2014.

Crops, Jane Fyksen. "GMO Food Label Legislation: FDA, Not States, Would Decide." Agri-View. N.p., 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 04 Sept. 2014

"GM Crops: Top Ten Facts and Figures." Open Knowledge. Allianz, 2 June 2014. Web. 04 Sept. 2014.
Salzberg, Steven. "Does Genetically Modified Corn Cause Cancer? A Flawed Study Fails to Convince." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.

"Ten Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Food." HubPages. Mode Social, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.

"What Are the Pros and Cons of Genetically Engineered Food?" WiseGEEK. Conjecture             Corporation, n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2014.