Many people are into the organic foods craze. People say that organic foods are healthier, that they are much better for you when in reality, they are not. Organic foods come at a much higher price and can put a strain on a families budget. Do these organic foods outweigh the benefits of regular foods?

Over the past few years, genetically modified foods have received negative attention and criticism because of perceived and speculated negative health effects. This has been completely disproven. Foods that use genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) have many more benefits than their organic competitors.

When producing organic foods if takes twice as many resources to produce the same amount of food. By using GMOs, scientists are able to create more food at a cheaper cost. Farmers are able to produce more food using less land and pesticides. GMOs can overcome certain diseases and pests that can impact how much and the quality of products produced. The population is growing rapidly, and by using GMOs there will be enough food for everyone in the years to come.

Of course, many people are afraid that be using GMOs, we are harming the environment. The truth is the exact opposite. By using GMOs farmers do not have to use harmful sprays to keep the pests and diseases away from their fields. Clearly, the farmers that use the GMOs are protecting the environment. In addition, consumers are afraid that GMOs are harmful to many animals. While tests for this are still going on, there is very strong research to prove that the use of GMOs does not harm animals.

For over 20 years, people and animals have been consuming GMOs and they have had no harm to their health (Thompson). Many people are afraid to eat foods that have been produced using GMOs. The GMOs are not actually in the food that you eat, it is just a different way to control the factors that limit production such as weeds and diseases. Before any GMO products are approved they go through numerous tests to make sure that they are safe for consumers to eat. There is no need to be afraid to eat something just because it uses GMOs. Clearly, everything that lines the shelves of your local grocery store has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe to eat. Many people are afraid to eat GMOs because they are afraid they can cause life-threatening diseases. In the twenty plus years that GMOs have been used in farming, not a single person has had a disease that was caused by GMOs. Over 900 studies have been done within the last 20 years to prove that genetically modified organisms have no impacts on a person’s health and well-being.

By using GMOs, the quality of our food can increase as well. Scientists, with the help of researchers, are able to create seeds to grow plants that are able to add more vitamins into your food to keep you healthier, and even help your immune system to fight diseases. The GMOs can add protein into your food. Organic foods have none of these things. Organic foods are even less nutritious than foods that use GMOs. So why do people go crazy looking for the GMO-free label?

GMO-free labels can be found everywhere in a grocery store in items from pickles to tomatoes. These products do not even contain any GMO crops. There are only 10 GMO crops that have been approved for use in the United States: corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, papaya, squash, potatoes, and apples. Anything else you see that has the GMO-free label on it is just overpriced. So, next time you are at the grocery store, do yourself a favor and go for the GMO because now you are in the know.