Genetically Modified Organisms in Hawaii

Hawaii Fruit Farm

Hawaii is known for the world-class beaches, with lovely sand, dependable sun, refreshing and famous trade-winds, year-around temperate climate, tepid waters, excellent snorkeling, and beguiling sunsets. Yet Hawaii is focused on protecting the soil and the farms and properties that are not yet contaminated with G.M.O. Genetically Modified Organisms have become a very controversial topic in todays society. For many it is unclear whether there is a health risk related to GMO’s or not. Many people in Hawaii feel that their food should be all natural and not modified to be produced more rapidly. GMO’s are assumed to cause a lot of problems when we eat them. Causing things like food allergies, cancer, and other health issues.

Most of American farms produce GMO products like corn, soy, and a variety of other food. An example of why GMOs were created and used is after an outbreak of Papaya ringspot virus in the mid-’90s, only the Rainbow, endowed with a gene from the virus itself that effectively gave it immunity, had saved the crop, they told him. They then used this knowledge to genetically modify papayas to prevent another virus from breaking out and threatening the crops. For many citizens in Hawaii they value the way the food is grown locally and they support their farmers differently then how we do here. This makes them harder to convince that GMOs are safe and important.

In most of America GMOs are considered more normal they’re in the grocery store and in restaurants we eat them quite often. Some of us probably without a second thought or maybe completely unaware that we even are. They have created laws that you must label products that contain any GMOs because as citizens we do earn the right to know. Just like everything else we buy gets labeled with the ingredients most now have warnings about GMOs or have “Now GMO Free” printed across the front.

In my opinion I believe that GMOs are no worse then the pesticides we currently use on our food. I don’t believe they are cancer filled or even causing allergies I think people hear so many things from the tabloids that they can’t decipher facts from fiction. GMOs are a relatively new thing for us and I do believe we need to be careful and monitor what we use and how it affects us. As far as banning GMO’s goes I am against it because it has the potential to help end starvation by producing larger amounts of crops with less chance of widespread virus outbreaks. I do understand Hawaii’s want to not have GMO’s used on their land because their state varies largely from the rest of America. I think eventually GMOs will become the normal in the years to come due to the way our world is rapidly progressing to become more effectively productive.

One thought on “Genetically Modified Organisms in Hawaii

  1. Alexis Stoebner

    I like your take on GMOs. You stated some really great facts and even backed it up with the example of the Papaya! Good use of your information, and I love your concluding paragraph!!

    Reply

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