IMRaD Paper

Study on University of Iowa Students’ Opinion on GMOs

Hunter Brown

University of Iowa

Abstract

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are any organism – plant, animal, bacteria – that has a modified genome and may be the answer to help answer the food production problem in the world.  As GMOs become more mainstream in the food supply, many people are questioning if GMOs are truly safe to eat.  This study gauged what University of Iowa students think about GMOs and what research should be done to ensure the safety of GMOs. Additionally, two interviews with a professor of genetics and a produce expert were conducted to discuss the literature of GMOs. We found that most students are not picky when buying groceries, pro-GMO, but they are worried about the long-term effects of a majority GMO diet. This study may be used to shift the focus of research to persuade public opinion on the safety of GMOs.

Study on University of Iowa Students’ Opinion on GMOs

Introduction

Food production will need to double in some parts of the world, notably third world countries, by 2050 due to our inflating population (United Nations, 2009). Since 2009, we have seen great strides in farming technology that helped humanity create higher quality crops, higher yields, and taught us manageable farming practices.  The advancement of the biological sciences has created what could be a new answer to our food production problem: genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  GMOs are any organism – plant, animal, bacteria – possessing a modified genome in a laboratory setting.  Changes introduced to crops can give them the ability to be drought resistant, pesticide/herbicide resistant, and more nutrient dense than their unmodified cousins.

Genes in modified foods are absorbed in the body, but the genetic material itself does not merge with the consumer’s genome.  In addition, the proteins made by pesticide resistant crops are unable to bind to cell receptors and the digestive tract makes the protein ineffective at harming humans (Verma, 2011; de Santis, 2018).  Advantages of GMO foods are that they are genetically tailored to be nutrient dense, decrease fatty acid intake, help administer vaccines in impoverished areas, and allow livestock reach their amino acid needs (Verma, 2011; de Santis, 2018; Freedman, 2013).

However, there is suspicion among the population of what exactly happens in the lab.  What could these people be doing to our food?  How can they be sure that everybody can eat it and not get sick?  I surveyed 25 college students to gauge what they think about GMOs and if they believe that GMOs are safe to eat.  I also conducted interviews with Professor Daniel Eberl and retired chef, fitness instructor, and farmer David Werker to discuss the science of GMO testing and the impact GMOs have made to our farms and economy.

Methods

Participants

            Current students at the University of Iowa were surveyed.  This includes the Fall 2018 1040 Rhetoric class, randomly chosen friends of the researcher, and friends of those who already took the survey.

Procedures

            A survey was created through Google Forums.  The survey was distributed to various groups of students: 1040 Rhetoric class of Fall 2018, Phi Kappa Theta, and Cru.  The survey was offered to anyone who wanted to participate, and their responses were recorded. 

            The interviews were held at an agreed time between the interviewer and the interviewee.  A list of questions was prepared based on the credentials of the interviewee.  Responses were audio-recorded and typed into a Word document.  The interviewees were a University of Iowa professor of biology with a background in genetics; and a retired farmer, cook, fitness instructor, and produce manager at Bread Garden Market.

Data Analysis

            The responses were recorded and represented via a pie chart.  The results were interpreted by the researcher.  No statistical tests were used.

Results

The survey received thirty responses from 21 of males, seven females, and two preferred not to state their sex in an age range of 18 - 22.  Out of thirty responses, 24 students said they have no preference in buying organic or conventional groceries.  24 students gave a reasonable definition of a GMO, three gave no answer, and three gave an unsatisfactory definition.  When asked if the student will buy a GMO if it was tested to be safe for human consumption, 24 students would be certain/likely to buy the GMO compared to two not willing to buy a GMO and four neutral on the question.  Figure 1 shows most students would buy a GMO if it was tested as a safe product.  This data does not state if all GMOs on the market are safe, only if it was tested to be safe.  When asked if a student would purchase a product labeled as a GMO, 27 students would either not be affected or more inclined to purchase the product and three would unlikely or not at all buy the GMO.  Lastly, the students were asked what study should be done to prove the safety of GMOs.  Ten students proposed health-based research either compare people who eat a majority GMO diet and people who eat a majority organic diet, or have people introduce a GMO food into their diet and track their health.  Three students wanted a comparison study of GMO and non-GMO foods.  Three wanted a chemical and cellular analysis of the GMO cells and study how the cells interact with human cells.  Four responses said that a study should be done on the contrary and see if GMOs are unsafe for consumers or increase awareness of GMOs and go against fearmongering.

Figure 1: Most students (80%) would buy a GMO if it was tested to be safe for human consumption.

Figure 2: Labeling products with GMOs have a trivial effect to dissuade students’ decision to buy GMOs. 40% of students would not be affected and 50% would still purchase the GMO.

Discussion

            The proportion of students who lean for GMOs are consistent throughout the survey.  Almost 75% of the responses seemed to trust GMOs and are not turned away from a product because it is labeled as a GMO.  My interview with David Werker suggests that most students consider the price of the food more than the purity of the foods’ genome.  We may see a lower percentage of neutral students in Figure 2 if students were more conscientious about organic, conventional, or GMO foods.  Werker also pointed out that foods in the United States are not legally supposed to be labeled as GMOs or not.  This could mean that conventional foods may, or may not, be GMOs at all.  This lack of labels and exposure to the topic of GMOs might be why consumers are not well informed on this topic. This point is especially relevant when allergies are a concern.

            Conventional strawberries have starfish genes that allows the strawberries to have a firmer texture longer than organic strawberries (Werker, D., Personal communication, 2018).  However, the labels on conventional GMO strawberries do not state how the gene is used nor does it even list the gene at all.  According to Dr. Daniel Eberl from the University of Iowa Department of Biology, whenever a new gene is inserted in a tested organism or a tested gene is put into a new organism’s genome then the safety tests must take place before the gene and the organism is introduced into the market (Personal communication, 2018).  This procedure may be the reason why students do not care about GMO or non-GMO distinctions because they do not see the effects of eating a GMO compared to eating a non-GMO equivalent.

            The study does not have a large sample size nor is the sample size from a diverse set of students at the university.  This may have skewed the results to overrepresent and underrepresent certain views of GMOs.  If this study were to be replicated, the survey needs to be sent to every student.  Even if half of the students who received the email respond, the sample size will be larger and represent the entire student body. Additional research can further explain this behavior, such as a studying the health effects of a diet consisting of non-GMO foods and one with a regular dose of GMO food.  One beneficial study may be to study the effects of people with certain illnesses eating GMOs and note the effects on their health and body.

References

Freedman, D. H. (2013). The truth about genetically modified food. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-truth-about-genetically-modified-food/

de Santis, B., Stockhofe, N., Wal, J. M., Weesendorp, E., Lallès, J. P., Dijk, J., Kok, E., De Giacomo, M., Einspanier, R., Onori, R., Brera, C., Bikker, P., der Meulen, J., Kleter, G. (2018). Case studies on genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Potential risk scenarios and associated health indicators. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 117(4), 36-65. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2017.08.033

United Nations. (2009). Food Production Must Double by 2050 to Meet Demand from World’s Growing Population, Innovative Strategies Needed to Combat Hunger, Experts Tell Second Committee. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/press/en/2009/gaef3242.doc.htm

Verma, C., Nanda, S., Singh, R. K., Singh, R. B., Mishra, S. (2011). A review on impacts of genetically modified food on human health. The Open Nutraceuticals Journal, 4, 3-11. doi: 1876-3960/11

Appendix

1.     When you buy produce at the grocery store, do you buy:

A.    Organic when possible

B.    Conventional when possible

C.    No preference

2.     Do you know what a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) is? If so, give your definition.

(Open answer)

3.     How likely would you buy a GMO if it was tested to be safe for human consumption?

A.    Certain

B.    Likely

C.    Neutral

D.    Unlikely

E.     Uncertain

F.     Prefer not to answer

4.     If you see a product labeled as a GMO, how inclined would you be to purchase it?

A.    Certain

B.    Likely

C.    Neutral

D.    Unlikely

E.     Uncertain

F.     Prefer not to answer

5.     How inclined would you be to buy GMO produce if it was grown without the use of chemicals (i.e. herbicide and pesticide)?

A.    Certain

B.    Likely

C.    Neutral

D.    Unlikely

E.     Uncertain

F.     Prefer not to answer

What research do you think should be done to prove the safety of GMOs?

(Open answer)

What is your sex?

A.    Male

B.    Female

C.    Prefer not to say

What is your age?

A.    18 below

B.    18

C.    19

D.    20

E.     21

F.     22

G.    23

H.    24

I.      25

J.      26

K.    27

L.     28

M.   29

N.    30

O.    30+