Genetic engineering was an amazing accomplishment for mankind in the 20^th century.  Fruits and vegetables could now be grown where they would otherwise perish and wither, food could be grown a lot faster and in large quantities.  It was something extraordinary that would allow the human population to expand like never before, or so we thought.   After many years of research, it has been proven that genetically modified food has killed thousands and sickened millions of people at one point or another.  CSA.com (GM Foods: Harmful or Helpful, Deborah B. Whitman) and Greenpeace.org (Say no to GE, Nov. 11, 2008) both report the dangers of GM food.  As vulnerable human beings we do not perceive the difference in GM foods or the present dangers that they pose to us biologically.  However, we do now realize that genetic engineering is affecting the global economy.  Genetically Modified food has not only created a severe human health risk, but has also contributed to environmental hazards and economic concerns.

When it comes to GM food the health risk possibilities are endless.  The most primitive health issues with this widely used resource are allergies.  When foods like peanuts are genetically modified a gene is introduced to the plant's DNA.  The newly implanted gene may not show a visible change in the nuts.  Some people decide whether they want to eat certain peanuts based on the traits they show.  Unfortunately, regardless of whether the modification is visible or not the consumers may have an allergic reaction. Perhaps if the foreign gene had not been implanted into the peanuts the consumer would not have had an allergic reaction. 

Robert Ornstein tells us in "Mind Real" that as human beings we only perceive one-trillionth of the information our brain processes (Ornstein, Robert. MindReal. Cambridge, Ma: Malor Books, 2008.)  That is why we cannot tell the difference between organically grown food and GM food.  Therefore, people continue eating food that slowly kills them or harms them without truly having first-hand knowledge of it.  It is a lot like the example of the frog being cooked to death gradually without even realizing it.  Just like we are not built to see the radiation around us we are not built to taste the extra gene that was spliced into a certain food even if it is slowly killing us. This is extremely important subject because according to Wrongdiagnosis.com, over 100 people die every year due to allergies to modified foods. The symptoms can range from mild unpleasantness to sudden death.  Sadly enough, the majority of those people are really children 6 to 12 years of age (NIAID. Allergy Statistics: NIAID. 2002.  WrongDiagnosis 2002. http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/artic/allergy_statistics_niaid.htm.) The harsh truth is that none of that matters to big corporations like Monsanto and is sometimes even disregarded by government agencies like the FDA.  According to Intimemagazine.com "the FDA approved the sale of Monsanto's controversial GE recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) -- injected into dairy cows to force them to produce more milk" (Cummins, Ronnie. Increased Caner Risk: January 24, 2008. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9902.cfm.) The FDA deliberately took this action after being warned by professional scientists that the hormone magnifies ones possibilities of being burdened with breast, prostate, or colon cancer by up to 500% or more.  Numerous studies have shown that humans with high levels of "Insulin-like Growth Factor", which is a product of consuming milk from cows treated with the hormone rBGH, were a lot more susceptible to cancer than those who did not consume it.  It is obviously all about the money when the FDA approves such a horrible GE procedure that gets thousands of people sick yearly even after the United States Congressional watchdog agency, the GAO, had asked them not to.  A couple of years later Canadian government scientist released Monsanto/FDA documents that confirmed that there had been significant damage to rats fed dosages of the same hormone rBGH.  Many of the lab-rats had developed cancerous cysts in the thyroid and prostate.  Canada and Most of Europe have since banned the use rBGH, and yet the U.S remains injecting 4-5% of all US dairy cows with rBGH. 

Another uprising concern with GM food is that it allows for Monopolies to thrive.  Monsanto is the largest and most intense agrichemical company in the world.  They are currently responsible for 90% of all genetically modified food in the world.  They have also patented the genetically engineered seed so that no other company can either use it or sell it.  This places the global economy in grave danger because the Monsanto giants are putting farmers in third world countries out of business.  There is no way that any third world country can stay alive in the market without giving into their global domination.  They travel to these countries and buy off their lands or force their product onto them for a great cut of the income.  If Monsanto were to shut down for any reason (which they probably won't any time soon) the entire world would be heavily impacted and survival would be extremely difficult. 

One of the most common procedures in genetic engineering is taking the gene that codes for natural pesticides in some plants that use it as a method for survival and inserting it into the DNA of crops like corn to protect it against certain insects.  The problem with this is that other insects like Monarch butterfly caterpillars feed off the milkweed plants that often contain pollen from the corn plants that were modified to kill insects. This in turn spikes the mortality rate of the population of butterflies.  When you take a step back and look at the big picture, it's easy to see that we have created a cycle of death.  If this continues species after species of insects will perish and become extinct.  This is obviously an environmental hazard because insects are part of our circle of life.  When caterpillars are allowed to grow they obviously grow to become beautiful butterflies.  However, their importance is beyond their mesmerizing beauty.  Butterflies like many other insects help pollinate our crops and wild plants, guaranteeing the production of seeds and fruits required for the continued survival of plants and animals, including humans.

Although we cannot mentally perceive the dangers of genetically modified food when we eat them they exist.  We are placing our health and the health of future generations in jeopardy by continuing to invest into GM food and by allowing companies like Monsanto to thrive. Thousands of people will become sick, the environment will slowly degrade, and the global economy will be at the mercy of one solemn company all because of genetic engineering.