Hayle Clark

Environmental Seminars

April 29, 2015

Environmental Impacts of GMO’s

Gerry Berkowitz

            Gerry Berkowitz got his PhD in 1983 from Brandeis University majoring in plant physiology. He is teaching at the University of Connecticut in the department of plant sciences. He is part of the New Jersey chapter of NOFA as the president. Gerry Berkowitz has come to our class today to talk to use about GMO’s. He is talking about the issues the public has with the environmental factors of GMO’s. The big problem that people have with GMO’s is that the health food industries don’t label their food products.

            One of the main things about production of GMO foods is that they would be able to make more food for less cost and feed the world. Some of the major companies would like their consumers to think that they are producing more food, but the truth is that people are not getting more food at all. In America we already have enough food production. A big reason why people use GMO foods is because it is saving them money, and it is not for the need of food. People have come away from the market place and have come to super markets where it is easier to buy food.

            Another issue that is dealing with the subject GMO’s is the biotech companies put the GMO’s on their seeds. Some of the companies that produce GMO food have genes that they own so they can use it on all of the food they produce. These issues make many people mad because it crosses a sensitive line from innovation to human rights. This is because people believe that the GMO’s that are used in foods should be label on the food they make so people have the choose to eat the food or not. This is the only way that people have a choice on what they want to consume because they will have a choice. Educating people about GMO’s really shows people what goes into the food they eat and how bad this can be for you.