The Future Of Food: GMos

Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the workshop, students will be able to:

  • Explain what genetically modified organisms are

  • Analyze the pros and cons of developing and planting genetically modified crops

  • Discuss how GMOs affect personal and environmental health

Essential Questions:

  • What is a GMO?

  • How can GMOs be beneficial in a changing climate?

  • What are the drawbacks of GMOs?

Explore our resources

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Standards Alignments

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Vocabulary

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Additional Resources

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GMO Activity

Listen to a podcast and have a class discussion about the pros and cons of using GMOs.

Infographic

Learn more about GMOs with this infographic.

Lesson Reflection

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Background Information

Genetically modified organisms

GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, are plants or animals that have been changed with DNA from different species to give them certain traits. It's like giving plants superpowers! GMOs are used to allow plants to grow faster, survive in harsh conditions, and even resist pests. The use of genetically modified crops is very common in our global food system. In fact, there is a good chance you eat GMOs everyday. Many GMO crops are used to make ingredients that Americans eat such as cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, or granulated sugar. A few fresh fruit and vegetables are available in GMO varieties, including potatoes, summer squash, apples, papayas, and pink pineapples. Although GMOs are in a lot of the foods we eat, most of the GMO crops grown in the United States are used for animal food.

fighting climate change

When it comes to fighting climate change, GMOs can help in a few ways. Scientists can create GMO crops that can survive in harsh conditions. This is important because as the Earth's climate changes, some areas are becoming too hot, too dry, or too wet for traditional crops to grow. GMOs can be designed to withstand these new conditions, or allow the crop to quickly adapt to changing conditions. This ensures we still have enough food as weather and climate become less predictable. GMO crops can also be engineered to grow bigger or faster. That means farmers can grow more food on less land, which is great because it leaves more land for a growing population as demand for housing increases. Some GMOs are designed to fight off pests or resist diseases, which means farmers might not have to use as many chemical pesticides or fertilizers. These chemicals can contribute to climate change when they're manufactured and used. 

friend or foe

While GMOs have a lot of potential to help fight climate change, it's important that scientists and farmers use them responsibly. There are still lots of questions about their long-term effects on our health and on the environment. By design, genetically modified seeds require pesticides and herbicides. While some manufacturers have claimed the pesticide use would decrease over time, it's only increased, according to a 2012 study. Some GMO crops actually are designed to tolerate more pesticides, by being designed to be resistant to the herbicide Roundup. GMO crops and their companion pesticides and herbicides wreak havoc on the environment including polluting air, water, and soil. Monsanto's  Roundup is basically an antibiotic. It can destroy soil quality and thus impair the plant's nutritional value as well. Cross-pollination between GMO and non-GMO crops is common as well and can contaminate natural plant varieties in the wild.