The Current State of GMOs in America: What the Public Should Know

The goal of this paper is to clarify the risks and benefits of GE (genetic engineering) crops and foods to consumers. Some consumers still have questions about the safety of GE foods. There are other issues about the environmental and economic impacts of widely-grown GE crops. Further, there are different viewpoints about whether or not labeling of GE foods should be mandatory. This paper seeks to address those questions, with each section focused on one of the above aspects of GE. We will investigate the evidence regarding the health and safety of GE foods in the next section. The third section will address the environmental impacts surrounding the farming of GE crops, as well as the economic benefits and costs of GE. Recent controversies surrounding labeling and the associated consequences will be discussed in the fourth section. Finally, recommendations will be made for consumers on how to make educated decisions about purchasing GE foods. Knowledge of GE will help us to be better informed about the impact of our food dollars, and make choices that are more aligned with our consumer interests.Master of Public Healt