Royal University of Cambodia

Institute of Foreign Language

Department of English

Group Assignment

Essay Writing:

Topic:

“Growers and sellers of genetically modified foods have failed to

Subject: Global Studies 201

Instructor: Vutha Cedy

Class: A 2.3

Group 4: Sakal Vimeanchanthida

Sok Kanika

Vannak Kongkea Votey

Vin Sithorng

San Piseth

Academic Year: 2021-2022

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Royal University of Phnom Penh Global Studies 201
Institute of Foreign Languages Academic Year: 2021-2022
Department of English

“Growers and sellers of genetically modified foods have failed to effectively

Genetically Modified Organism is an animal, plant, or microbe whose DNA has been

modified using genetic engineering processes (National Geographic Society, 2019). The first

GMO product was created in 1994, and it has been appearing in supermarkets worldwide.

Although it is acknowledged to be a great choice to help food supply, it is still not fully accepted

by majority consumers. Therefore, it is clear that growers and sellers of genetically modified

food have really failed to educate consumers about the benefits of Genetically Modified

Organism (GMOs), and the idea is supported by three reasons.

The first reason that proves the failure of GMOs sellers and growers is the noticeable

number of concerns from consumers regarding genetically modified foods. Even though

Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) has existed since the 1990s and has been developing

throughout the years with more advanced technology, people are still frightened of this idea.

They believe that GMO foods affect their health negatively due to the use of many chemicals.

According to a survey operated by the Pew Research Center, in 2016, 39% of U.S adults think

that GMO foods are bad for their health, and surprisingly, in 2019, the number even increased to

51%. This result shows the severe default of GMO promoters. Besides, the main reason for the

concerns is people's limited knowledge about biotechnology. Many consumers still have fragile

scientific comprehension, so they cannot understand the concept of GM foods, and that makes

them scared to consume those foods. By the same research center, 43% of people with scientific

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understanding oppose GMOs. In contrast, only 20% of people with better knowledge disagree

with GMOs. In addition, the GMO industry is under doubt, mistrust and attack partly of its own

making, partly for historical reasons. For instance, the food and agriculture industry had a bad

track record of taking the flavor, texture and ripeness out of fruits and vegetables. There are also

bad records of some food and agriculture industries on the use of insecticides and weed killers

that may affect human health even though some GMO such as BT in corn is intended to

eliminate the need for some of the spraying.

Another reason that growers and sellers of genetically modified foods have failed to

effectively educate consumers about the benefits of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is

because they do not promote the product enough. This leads to limited understanding,

misconceptions, and even unfamiliarity with GMO food products, and consumers' knowledge of

GMOs is low. There is not much official GMO-related information from the professional

scientists or government on the internet and television news, so it makes consumers not familiar

with GMO. Many consumers report that they receive information about GMO food products

from the media, internet, and other news sources. These sources may be less reliable than

scientific experts whom consumers trust more to present the facts.

Lastly, GMO foods carry some health risks. Because of this reason, all the consumers

doubt the quality of GMO foods and refuse to buy them. GMO foods are designed to be healthier

and cheaper to produce, but genetic modification is not without consequences. GMOs may cause

allergic reactions because they contain DNA from other organisms; they can cause allergic

reactions in people who wouldn’t normally be allergic to the food. Moreover, GMOs may

increase antibiotic resistance. GMOs often contain an additional gene that makes the modified

cells resistant to antibiotics to kill off any plant cells that didn't successfully take in the new

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DNA. These genes may be absorbed into harmful bacteria found in sewers or your gut that can

cause serious illnesses like staph infections. Not all experts agree on this concern, however,

argue that this type of gene transfer is very unlikely and there is little risk to humans. This could

result in the grower and seller having failed to guarantee the quality of GMO foods.

In conclusion, growers and sellers of genetically modified foods have failed to educate

consumers about the benefits of GMOs because of the availability of consumers’ concerns about

GMO foods, lack of promotion, and health risks from GMOs. Thus, GMO producers should try

harder to expand the understanding and quality of GMO foods so that the foods will be more

trustworthy for consumers.

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 References:

1. Barrell, A. (2019, February 27). Pros and cons of GMO foods: Health and environment.
Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324576#cons
2. Berezniak, M. (2019, December 21). Why Are People Afraid of GMOs. Explore Biotech.
https://explorebiotech.com/why-afraid-of-gmo/
3. National Geographic Society. (2019, July 22). Genetically Modified Organisms. National
Geographic Society; National Geographic.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/genetically-modified-organisms/
4. Nutrition, C. for F. S. and A. (2022). Science and History of GMOs and Other Food
Modification Processes. FDA.
https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/science-and-history-gmos-and-
other-food-modification-processes#:~:text=1994%3A%20The%20first%20GMO
%20produce
5. NW, 1615 L. S., Suite 800Washington, & Inquiries, D. 20036USA202-419-4300 | M.-8.-
8. | F.-4.-4. | M. (2020, March 18). About half of U.S. adults are wary of health effects of
genetically modified foods, but many also see advantages. Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/18/about-half-of-u-s-adults-are-wary-of-
health-effects-of-genetically-modified-foods-but-many-also-see-advantages/
6. Wunderlich, S., & Gatto, K. A. (2015). Consumer Perception of Genetically Modified
Organisms and Sources of Information. Advances in Nutrition, 6(6), 842–851.
https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.008870