Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are a fairly new and important part of agriculture, having slowly developed since the early 1950s. The process of gene alteration in plants is a highly involved one. In a certain sense, farmers have been doing this for years by picking and crossbreeding only those plants that produce more fruit or are more resilient to cold weather conditions. However, this type of modification is a hit-or-miss situation; the farmers won’t always end up with the characteristics that they want.

My confusions about GMOs were cleared up after I hit the library and found some information. GMOs are generally considered to be beneficial by both the science and production standpoints. The seeds or fruit of a genetically modified crop are larger in size, which means that they are better from the producer’s standpoint, which means that more of the world’s grain needs are being met. In terms of the corn plant, the fruit would be the kernels, or the seeds of the plant. So take the best piece of sweet corn you’ve ever had and multiply it by three and that is what a GMO is like. A GMO takes a certain organism and isolates the good genes and replaces the bad with another organism’s good genes.

Scientists and the producer both may be thrilled by GMOs, but, on the other hand, the consumer is still not comfortable with this idea. After taking a look at public opinion polls one can see that it is the older generations who are not comfortable with this type of manipulation of genes. Conversely, the younger generations are much more at ease with GMOs.

The idea that we can do gene therapy of a sort on our crops makes the older farmer squirm in his red flannel shirt and blue overalls. When using the phrase “gene therapy,” ideas of knowing whether or not babies will be mentally handicapped before birth are conjured up. People do not like the idea of “playing God” through science. Understandably so, considering who they are messing with.

I came upon some interesting facts about some earlier advances in history. There were riots in the streets of London when the smallpox vaccine was invented, milk pasteurization was once seen as an unthinkable practice and the invention of the refrigerator was a great cause of concern among people. These advances in modern science were essential to the progress of the modern world. However, they were not well received by the public. People don’t like change, especially those who are attached to their old ways. And it is difficult to advance scientifically without the support of the public; thus GMOs are finding it difficult to fit in to the face paced world that is agriculture.

By accepting GMOs, the world is in for an advancement which will revolutionize the agriculture industry. I would venture to guess that GMOs might be the only thing that will keep some of the larger farmers here in the United States. One might wonder why the larger farmer would want to leave.

Taking a look at Brazil and other South American countries, it is clear that the opportunity to grow crops down there is promising. This is mostly due to the lack of regulations by the government and the abundance of labor. Automatically the thought comes up that it would be better for America’s small farmers for the larger farmers to leave. However, this is not the case.

If the large farmer leaves, the crops that they produce will compete with the small farmer’s crops and the small farmer will lose. GMOs are an answer to this dilemma. By creating highly efficient crops, it is much more possible for the small farmer to keep up. The South American situation is a ways off from being a major issue. However, the issue of GMO acceptance is not. GMOs would create a much more economical approach for the farmer as well as the consumer. GMOs are the answer in a quickly changing agriculture world.

Danelle Zellmer is a sophomore in public service administration in agriculture from Atlantic.