Category Archives: Topics for Discussion

Issues and Controversies, Topics for Discussion

Number of GMO Crops

Leave a comment

There are about ten main crops that are genetically modified, that are grown and available in the United States, according to Time Magazine.  These crops are corn, soybeans, potatoes, papaya, cotton, squash, canola, alfalfa, apples, and sugar beets. All of these crops have been deregulated and approved for production by the USDA, FDA, and in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency.  Corn and soybeans are the most highly produced GMO crops, with thirty three different species of genetically modified corn and twenty different species of genetically modified soybeans. GMO corn is used for many different applications. Mostly the corn is used to feed livestock, however it is also used in processed foods in the form of cornstarch and high fructose corn syrup.  A smaller amount of this corn is used for bio-fuel production. The soybeans are also used mostly for feed, but a large percentage is used for vegetable oil. About sixty percent of vegetable oil is soybean oil. Soybeans are also used in processed foods such as candy.

Source:

Johnson, David, and Siobhan O’Connor. “Genetically Modified Foods: What Is Grown and Eaten in the U.S.” Time, Time, 30 Apr. 2015, time.com/3840073/gmo-food-charts/.

Issues and Controversies, Production Agriculture, technology, Topics for Discussion

The Only 10 GM Crops Grown

Leave a comment

Genetically modified crops is a very highly opinionated topic for almost all consumers and producers. Some people are strongly pulled in either direction, with very few who fall in the middle as far as anti-GM or in support of GM crops. While some of these consumers are educated on what a GMO actually is and what crops are actually genetically modified, others are not educated and can easily fall victim to false information and advertising tricks.

There are in fact only 10 genetically modified crops grown and they are: cotton, soybeans, corn, squash, papaya, alfalfa, sugar beets, canola, potatoes, and apples. An uneducated consumer would probably disagree with the previous statement, but there are actually only 10 genetically modified crops. So when a customer goes into a grocery store and buys GMO free bananas, GMO free bread, and GMO free rice, although it is free of genetic modification, there was never a chance for it to be genetically modified because GM bananas, wheat, and rice are not a thing. This concept is heavily used for marketing tactics for many products. The misconception and lack of education on what is actually genetically modified  and what is not, will continue to be the basis of many problems in the food & fiber industry.

Issues and Controversies, Topics for Discussion

Genetically Modified Crops in America

Leave a comment

According to the USDA, America grows and uses genetically modified varieties of corn, upland cotton, soybeans, alfalfa, canola, and sugar beets. These crops have been modified to be resistant to disease, pesticides, bad weather and other factors. Genetically modified crops are utilized to maximize yield and be as successful as possible in an environment full of challenges. Genetically modified crops were commercially introduced to the United States in 1996, and this agricultural advancement has grown since that time. Companies like Monsanto have developed and distributed genetically modified seeds for agricultural use. Many trusted research organizations have published articles on the environmental, economic, and social impact of genetically modified crops in America. GMO crops allow desirable traits of crops to be introduced and incorporated into the genetics of crops being grown. Research has been performed  to test the food safety of GMO crops. There is a push to grow genetically modified crops for energy, food security, and environmental improvement purposes. Genetically modified crops continue to develop and the genetic changes made to these crops are beneficial to American agriculture.

Sites referenced:

https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/biotechnology/

https://www.nap.edu/read/12804/chapter/1#vii

https://monsanto.com/innovations/biotech-gmos/

Agriculture in the News, Topics for Discussion

Dan’s GMO Assignment

Link Leave a comment

The controversy over Genetically Modified Organisms has become a common discussion among just about everyone in the world today. With this wide discussion there has been many false accusations toward this technology, especially around human consumption. One reason these accusations have become widespread is because people believe that every crop farmers produce are genetically modified, which is again false.  According to bestfoodfacts.org (approved by Dr. Kevin Folta) there is currently only 10 crops that are approved for production in the United States. These 10 crops include: corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, papaya, squash, arctic apples, and innate potatoes. The three most used in the United States are corn, soybeans, and cotton because of the great demand for these commodities.

The demand for these commodities is one of the biggest reasons that GMOs were invented and with the demand ever growing they will continue to emerge. However people must understand the science behind these products and all the research that is done before a crop is approved because farmers really are trying to produce what’s best for the consumer because in fact farmers are consuming these products as well. This is what brings up the topic of agvocacy because in order for the misconceptions of GMOs to clear up there has to be a push to clarify them with scientific facts, which is something I believe is going to become bigger in bigger in everyday life.

Source: https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/what-foods-are-gmo/

Issues and Controversies, Topics for Discussion

GMO Crop List

Leave a comment

Yesterday Dan Severson the New Castle County Extension Agent came in and talked to us about livestock production in Delaware. He left us with an assignment to find a list of all the GMO crops in the united states. According to GMOanswers.com these are the commercially available crops in the United States: alfalfa, apples, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash, and sugar beets. Take a look at this website there is a lot of information about why each crop has been modified and disproves many myths and misconceptions about GMO’s.

Agriculture in the News, Issues and Controversies, Topics for Discussion

Mark Lynas and GMO’s

Leave a comment

In the beginning of the video Mark Lynas went before the Oxford Farming Conference in January, 2013 to apologize for his association with anti-GMO movements. He originally believed that GMO’s were harmful and only helped companies make more money. Therefore he started a campaign, that later became very successful, to ban GMO’s in Europe, India, Africa and in Asia. However, once Mr. Lynas took the time to actually learn the science behind GMO’s he realized that they were beneficial and as he mentioned not harmful, as there are no documented cases. He learned that with the growing rate of today’s society there would never be enough land to use for agricultural purposes to feed everyone. This is where GMO’s come in by allowing the farmer to use them, it increases the yield of products on the same amount of land previously used. I support the use of GMO’s in agriculture today.

Agriculture in the News, Issues and Controversies, Topics for Discussion

GMO

Leave a comment

Mark Lynas helped find an anti-GMO campaign back in 1995. He felt that GMO’s would act as pollution and led to too much technological power because we were “mixing species.” There was also a stigma of ‘mad scientist’ when referring to scientists interested in gene splicing was also being used towards science interested in GMO crops. Lynas is known for a dramatic change in beliefs. Know for a strong stance against GMOs to actively promoting and educating the public about GMOs and their benefits. Lynas helped lead a anti-GMO campaign that was led nations in Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world to ban GMOs. He later then admitted that this was a major mistake. He did not understand the science behind creating GMOs and its effects on crops and humans. His campaign was ran off of fears not backed by science. Lynas now believes that GMOs is the answer to feed a estimated population of 9.5 billion in 2050 on the same amount of land we used today. GMO crops benefit farmers, consumers, and the ecosystem. GMO crops are effective and can produce higher yields of produce on less land that is typically needed for high yields. GMOs can reduce or eliminate crop susceptibility to disease, pests and environmental conditions.

Moral of Mark Lynas : due diligence – consider all sides before making a decision, make decisions off of information and not fears.

My view on GMOs is a positive one. GMOs provide many benefits to people and the ecosystem. GMOs allow crops to grow with less water and fertilizer application. This results in in less pollution of waterways from fertilizer runoff. Farmers also get an increased yield on the same amount of acres. This allows forest lands to be protected and not used for food production. GMOs allow for a lower cost of production and this can be helpful in developing countries which would allow them to be self sustainable.

Agriculture in the News, Issues and Controversies, Topics for Discussion

Mark Lynas – GMO

Leave a comment

Mark Lynas helped find an anti-GMO campaign back in 1995. He felt that GMO’s would act as pollution and led to too much technological power because we were “mixing species.” There was also a stigma of ‘mad scientist’ when referring to scientists interested in gene splicing was also being used towards science interested in GMO crops. Lynas is known for a dramatic change in beliefs. Know for a strong stance against GMOs to actively promoting and educating the public about GMOs and their benefits. Lynas helped lead a anti-GMO campaign that was led nations in Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world to ban GMOs. He later then admitted that this was a major mistake. He did not understand the science behind creating GMOs and its effects on crops and humans. His campaign was ran off of fears not backed by science. Lynas now believes that GMOs is the answer to feed a estimated population of 9.5 billion in 2050 on the same amount of land we used today. GMO crops benefit farmers, consumers, and the ecosystem. GMO crops are effective and can produce higher yields of produce on less land that is typically needed for high yields. GMOs can reduce or eliminate crop susceptibility to disease, pests and environmental conditions.

Moral of Mark Lynas : due diligence – consider all sides before making a decision, make decisions off of information and not fears.

My view on GMOs is a positive one. GMOs provide many benefits to people and the ecosystem. GMOs allow crops to grow with less water and fertilizer application. This results in in less pollution of waterways from fertilizer runoff. Farmers also get an increased yield on the same amount of acres. This allows forest lands to be protected and not used for food production. GMOs allow for a lower cost of production and this can be helpful in developing countries which would allow them to be self sustainable.

Ag Business, Agriculture in the News, Issues and Controversies, Production Agriculture, Topics for Discussion

Mark Lynas and GMO’S

Leave a comment

The misconception of genetics and the important role they play in everyones life is huge. In Mark Lynas’s video I had the chance to view both sides of the argument “are GMO’s bad” which helps me understand the reason people tend to have different opinions. Mark was originally against genetically modified organisms because he did not know the actual science about them at first. But once Mark learned how important this technology is he quickly changed views. With the world growing at a rapid place Mark realized that there would be no way to feed everyone if farmers were not growing GMO crops, which was truly the reason Mark changed sides.

As a 4th generation farm boy I understand the importance of this technology and 100% support the use of GMO’s. I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but lets be honest there isn’t any proof that GMO’s are harmful to humans and as a matter of fact their good for us because their supporting our ever growing population. I thought Mark’s video was a good video to kind of open my eyes to other ideas but also teach me that people do not like GMO’s because they are ignorant to the subject and just need to be taught the facts just like Mark had to.

Issues and Controversies, Production Agriculture, Topics for Discussion

Mark Lynas on Genetic Modification

Leave a comment

Mark Lynas, an environmental expert, gave a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference in 2013 on the topic of genetic modification of crops. Upon initial development and implementation of genetic modification in the 1990’s Lynas began to advocate against the technology. As time progressed, Lynas continued to push against GMO development. A critic of Lynas’s writing on the topic of GMO’s prompted him to research the subject and learn more about the scientific aspects of it. Lynas discovered the purpose and importance of the use of genetic modification to support food growth in a challenging environment. Crop producers must face the challenge of limited water, climate change, insects, weeds, fungus, and a variety of other factors that inhibit the success of a crop growing operation. Genetic modification allows crops to be more successful despite these factors. GMO crop fields do not require as many pesticides and are more successful in hot and dry environments. In order to face the expanding world population, producers must identify challenges and adapt to them by working with genetic modification technology. GMO crops also aid in protecting the environment by producing more product with less land and reducing the amount of pesticides that have to be used on the land. Lynas also acknowledged the methodology of organic crop farming by commenting on how this method has been a health safety issue in the past and how some of the organic methodology is useful in some instances. GMO crops have not been scientifically proven to cause health safety concerns and this technology is the key to providing for the growing world population.

Based on this speech and what I have learned so far, I am at a crossroads between the support and rejection of genetically modified crops. I understand the reasons why individuals support GMOs, they allow producers to be successful with a long list of challenges to growing crops in today’s environment. At the same time, I also acknowledge the concerns of individuals who are not in support of GMOs. I plan on learning more about this technology before taking a side on this issue.

Issues and Controversies, Topics for Discussion

Mark Lyans Video

Leave a comment

Mark Lyans help found the anti-GMO champaign back in 1995. He believed that GMOS would increase the use of chemicals, that they only benefited the big companies, that they robbed farmers of their seed, and that it was dangerous. However, as he wrote his books, he changed his mind. As he travelled around the world writing about climate change, he wanted scientific data to back up his research. So he learned how to read scientific journals and informed the world about climate change. However, he had some back lash from people who didn’t believe him to which he said “I have science to back this up”. A couple books later, someone finally called Mark out on his hypo-criticism saying something along the lines of “You call yourself an environmentalist as you lecture about climate change but you don’t agree with the use of GMOs.”

So, Mark did some research and found out that everything he believed before was untrue. It turns out that GMOs actually decrease the use of pesticides because they are modified to be able to fend for themselves, GMOs are beneficial to the companies and to farmers, that GMOs may or may not rob seed but the seed farmers are already getting does that anyway so it doesn’t make a difference, and that GMOs are actually safer than mutagenesis. Mark also found that there has never been an incident where GMOs hurt someone, however many people have gotten sick from organic foods.

Mark realized that without GMOs, there would be no way to feed our growing population without wasting all of our resources and, being an environmentalist, that is against his morals. GMOs help conserve land and water while still producing high yields and without have to cut down more trees. They also reduce runoff of chemicals because less have to be applied.

For all of the reasons that Mark mentioned in his video about why he changed his mind about GMOs are the same reasons why I have been a fan of GMOs since I was a kid. We cannot feed the world by 2050 on just organic. Organic is a niche that has greta benefits but it is not sustainable. We need to be able to have GMOs and organics live together peacefully or else, quite frankly, a lot of people will die whether it be from malnutrition and disease or from depleting our resources. I try to talk to nonbelievers about GMOs in the hopes that they will see that we need GMOs around. You can eat whatever you want, but you need to realize that your way of living can’t be for everyone.

Ag Business, Agriculture Careers, Issues and Controversies, Production Agriculture, Topics for Discussion

James Adkins Discusses Irrigation Systems with University of Delaware Students

Leave a comment

James Adkins visited the University of Delaware to give an overview of Irrigation systems used across the world. His guest lecture filled the students in on important features and systems of irrigation. It was interesting to  learn some old and foreign ways of the process, with the addition of modern technology used in the United States. Tripods and related technology is currently what many farmers use. It is not the most efficient  when it come to water run-off, and it does a good job at getting the land watered. Another method involves drip pipes. These pipes can be installed into the land and waters the soil when needed. As Dr. Isaacs let on, this option is very time consuming and labor-intensive, so it can be a burden for farms with larger acreage. The next things to hit the scene included GPS and Drone technology. In our lifetime,  James Adkins predicts almost everything “irrigation” will be automated. Yet another intriguing guest lecture, and another avenue for CANR students to look for employment.

Ag Business, Production Agriculture, Topics for Discussion

Agriculture Giants with Ed Kee

Leave a comment

Wednesday, September 26th, Ed Kee spoke to AGRI130 students about agriculture in Iowa and California and why they are considered agricultural giants. In Iowa, 85% of the land mass is used for agricultural purposes.  To put in perspective how much land that is, Iowa tills about 30.5 million acres while Delaware tills about 490,000 acres. That amount of land specifically used for agricultural purposes in Iowa is crazy! In addition Iowa is the number one producer in corn, soybean, hog and egg production. Therefore it makes sense that 92% of Iowa’s cash flow comes from the above products plus beef production. A big reason why Iowa is able to produce so much is because of how fertile the land is and how plentiful the rainfall is. On the other side there is California that receives less rainfall than average. However, due to the insufficient rainfall (only 10 inches a year, except on the coast) there is a lack of humidity that makes growing vegetables an easy task and helps decrease disease in crops. This state is a agricultural giant because they rank number one in numerous vegetables (i.e tomatoes), nuts and fruits. The new technology farmers now use to better irrigate their fields is amazing in regards to how much more efficient the process is and the resulting increase in crops per acre. 

Overall, Ed Kee’s lecture was extremely informative about how much the U.S. relies on the agriculture industry in both Iowa and California. If one were to fall there would be major ripple effects throughout the industry nationwide and possibly worldwide. 

Ag Literacy & Social Media, Topics for Discussion

Social Media And How It Can Affect You

Leave a comment

In today’s society social media is imbedded into everything that is done. From someone taking a selfie to businesses posting about new products, almost everyone is using some type of social media. With businesses shifting to having a bigger, more defined media presence, you yourself need to also be aware of the content you are posting. Michele Walfred spoke to the AGRI130 class on Wednesday, September 12th to talk all about this issue. 

Take a look on your social media page(s). What do your postings say about you? This is your brand. One in five applicants disqualify themselves from a job because of irresponsible posting. What you post shows the employer who you are. It is important to keep anything that uses your real name appropriate. Something I found interesting was when Michele talked about having two accounts. One would be for personal use and not linked to your name, while the one with your name acts as a professional account that prospective employers will look at. 

Overall, it is critical in today’s society that you watch what you are posting. One post could be the difference in you getting your dream job and you being passed over for it.