food inc network-Isha Lewis

Food Inc.

Should companies be able to own DNA contained in plant seeds?

The Seed to supermarket

    The documentary Food Inc specializes in telling us a variety about our food and what's in it. It also tells us that companies can genetically alter seeds. These are called GMO(genetically modified organisms) and what's happening.

    I believe that when it comes to a certain choice, companies shouldn't own DNA contained in plant seeds. Although GMO's can help the seed last longer and be pest and disease resistance, however humans are not and the GMO's in the seeds can backtrack fast and have serious consequences.
   Monsanto's company has been trying to shut down other companies that save seeds on a year-to-year basis and encourages others to buy the new expensive seeds. The year-to-year saving seeds have been practically a tradition in the farming companies for centuries and have been the start of making the seeds for what it is now.  It's also expensive and if farmers start using this new 'trend' then not everybody will be ablate afford the seeds
   GMO's may help us in saving corn from disease, however we've been able to take care of seeds up to now and if we keep taking care of it, it probably won't happen. It also screams  'hey come buy our new and improved seeds that could possibly cause you to have cancer,' and putting other businesses in a a competition making it hard to have people buy seeds and stay in business, especially with the imposing contracts that keeps farmers from saving seed on a year-to-year basis.
   Monsanto has gotten a lawsuit, but the question will probably still stand. Should companies be able to own DNA contained in plant seeds? And If there are so many pros and cons, what will be the decision?

Food INC-Elena MacGougan

Fast Foods to all Foods
Do all animals have the right to a certain quality of life?

The documentary, Food INC shared a biased opinion towards how most food, animals, and workers are treated.  The documentary brings up the question if animals deserve a certain quality of life. I personally absolutely agree with the fact that animals have rights and should be treated as living beings, not objects.
Animals like cows, pigs, and chickens are breed to be eaten and sold to big food corporations.  Within raising the animals there are major problems that are very upsetting regarding how the animals are treated.  Animals are able to feel pain and even though they might not be as smart as us, it doesn’t entitle them to a poor quality of life.
Animals raised for slaughter should live a worthy and good life before served as food for humans.  From the moment they are born to be ready to be killed are in terrible living conditions. Cows in knee high manure, which leads to manure on the food we eat.  Chickens genetically modified to be bigger and meaty, can’t walk more than a couple of steps before having to collapse under their own weight.  To add, pigs, cows, and chickens are put in crowded barns and really only fed corn.  These animals that you expect to be grazing on a nice open grassy field are actually fed GMO corn which can lead to the meat containing e-coli. All this is hidden from the public even after multiple people have died from getting e-coli from bad meat.  Big food producers keep big disgusting facts about our food from the public because if we knew everything, these companies would be shut down. But don’t we deserve to know?

Food Network Focus Question - Alia Latimer

Should DNA be allowed to be patented?

In the Documentary Food INC there are several issues that are brought to our attention each more shocking than the last. he most alarming in my opinion was the fact that farmers were aloud to patent living things. In my opinion this should not be allowed, for what seemingly should be obvious reasons, starting with the just the pure absurdity.
To Start, there is the issue of living things multiplying by themselves. If you have a new model of sewing machine there wont be another unless you or someone else makes another. However with most living creatures, that isn't necessarily true. Living things are unpredictable and messy. They can easily create cross breeds and multiply, so one farmer often winds up contaminating another farmer's crop. A farmer might not seal the seeds, but they could easily grow on their property because seeds are made to spread.
Some might argue that it should be allowed since researchers worked hard to create these specimens, and they deserve to safely profit from their findings. The scientists work hard to achieve a certain result, and that work should be rewarded,  which I agree with, don't get me wrong. Unfortunately, unlike the machinery man develops, evolution was not founded in a lab.  So although I do understand their side, and acknowledge that with the proper containment precautions, such as making the specimen infertile it may be possible, it all just comes down to the fact that living things just weren't meant to be patented.

Bio- Duaa Khan

My name is Duaa Khan, and I was born in Santa Clara and moved to San Jose, California. I am 14 years old and I am currently in high school. My favorite subjects include English and French. On my free time I like to draw and write for fun. I also have been involved with my school with things like joining clubs and helping my school garden.
I’ve done gardening a few times over the course of my lifetime, however I’ve never gotten into it due to the lack of time I have. But, in my backyard, I’ve grown peppers, tomatoes, carrots and many more lushes veggies few times. Most people think of gardening as being disgusting because of the large amounts of dirt, but I rightfully disagree. I believe gardening is a great way to learn with a hands-on experience. Plus, they are edible! It’s great that we are able to grow fresh fruits and vegetables in our yards because they have no preservatives and are non GMO so basically they are 100% organic! In my yard we also have an assortment of fruit trees which include, cherries, peaches, plums, pomegranates and a variety of apples. A popular one being Granny Smith. Our apple tree can actually grow up to five different breeds of apples in a single tree! In my opinion, is truly remarkable. The plant is actually a hybrid and had been modified by scientists so that each branch is able to grow several types of species. We planted the trees about five years ago and now they are enormous and healthy as can be. In my font yard we grow an array of flowers. We have daffodils and roses! Even though both plants look completely different, they are absolutely stunning. Although I don’t garden a lot, I still like to observe each plant until it becomes full grown. Plus, it is pretty interesting to see the overall growth of each plant and how they eventually develop. Gardening is a great way to have a green thumb and start to be more involved with fresh greens. Not only that but, it’s always beneficial to learn about each species of plants and learn how they grow in temperature differences.

Bio// Audrey Malone

     Hi, my name is Audrey Malone,  I’ve lived in California all my life, and I enjoy biology because it ties in to one of my favorite types of science, botany. Although I don’t have a garden my mom and I keep many succulents in our house in our window. I hope that out experiment will have a good outcome because I do want the broccoli to survive the vinegar. I’ve always wanted to grow broccoli, so maybe if all goes well, and the broccoli survives I’ll get some broccoli plants out of this.I do wish I had more of a green thumb, but maybe through this project I will be able to pick up some gardening stills as well, hopefully. Growing up my great grandparents immigrated to America and worked as farmers in Texas on strawberry fields, grape vines, most fruit fields for many years. They also made hybrid fruit so growing up we always had different combinations of fruit. My favorite was always the apple nectarines. Therefore I have had experience tasting different types of fruit (like most humans), but I have had lack of experience physically growing the fruit.

Bio - Elena

Hi, my name is Elena MacGougan. I am originally from Calgary Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦 but moved to California when I was 4.  All my family lives in Canada so visiting them is great.
 I have never really been into gardening but my family and I have grown tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, and strawberries before.  I remember going out into the backyard to pick the tomatoes which was fun and they tasted really good.  Gardening is fun but my time is limited and my family usually ends up killing plants, so I never really got into it. 
The one person that I would think of that enjoys gardening and knows the most about it would be my grandma.  I know she grows many flowers and several plants in her backyard. Although the thing is, is that she lives in Canada. The weather usually is very cold weather most of the time, followed by a lot of snow.  This weather usually is pretty harsh for plants but they end up blooming in the spring.  She also loves to cook.  Every time I go to visit we would never eat out, she will always cook a homemade meal.

Bio-Isha Lewis

My name is Isha Lewis. I was born in Mt. View, California , but was raised in San Jose, California. I have gardened all throughout my life, however it was a little then and a little now. When I am with my mom and my sisters, we travel, cook, and do our chores with each other.  But when I’m with my dad, it’s just chilling with my sisters and stepmom and my dad. My mom, Sister, and I have moved around a lot, but mainly stayed in San Jose. My dad and I have moved from San Jose, then to Menlo Park where my dad dated my step mom and where I met my step sister and my half sisters. Then to Sunnyvale where we stayed. Much of my experience with gardening involved watering and planting, along with a few weeding experiences in 8th grade. I grew potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and other greens and fruits. My mom is the gardener, she takes charge when it comes to planting.