G. M. O. Oranges Persuasive Essay

There is much debate on whether or not farmers should grow G.M.O. oranges, or whether or not G.M.O. oranges should be labeled. Other questions are also raised; what is a GMO? Why is there a need for G.M.O.’s? Should all products containing G.M.O.’s be labeled as G.M.O? Should G.M.O. labels be very specific when listing the exact varieties of added genes? Should farmers grow other fruits instead of oranges, like peaches? Farmers should grow G.M.O. oranges, any products containing GMO’s should also be labeled.
One may be wondering, what is a G.M.O.? Why do we need G.M.O.’s? G.M.O. stands for genetically modified organism. It is plants and animals with DNA that has been manipulated in a laboratory. Many “organic food advocates” are skeptical about these kinds of things; some may be worried about undetected risks, and may have distrust of “big agrochemical companies” (Harmon, “A Race to Save the Orange by Altering Its DNA”). According to a University of Florida scientist, “People are either going to drink transgenic orange juice or they’re going to drink apple juice” (Harmon, “A Race to Save the Orange by Altering Its DNA”). In other words G.M.O’s may be the only …show more content…
For the past eight years, Florida orange trees have been experiencing “greening” Greening is a bacterial disease that is passed on from one tree to the next by a “mosquito-like bug called the Asian Citrus Psyllid” (Smith, “How a little Asian bug is crushing the U.S. OJ business”). The bacteria grows inside of the tree and blocks its arteries, the tree will have trouble moving nutrients from leaf to root. While the tree is still alive the leaves are yellow and it produces sour, deformed fruit. Ultimately, over a course of several years, the tree will starve to