Is "Made In the USA" Destined To Be A Thing Of The Past?

As the United States, China, and Europe all try to absorb more manufacturing jobs from one another, products labeled "Made in the USA" are becoming harder and harder to find.

No one can say whether or not this trend will continue indefinitely. It is possible that one day people might start asking for "Made in America," but we don't have any idea when that might happen or what it might look like if it does.

The only thing we know for certain is that the marketplace for manufactured goods has never been more competitive than it is right now. As consumers become more aware of how little they pay for items produced overseas, they will demand a higher quality product from domestic manufacturers to justify the extra cost of American-made products.

If the U.S. falls behind in the fight for its own manufacturing jobs, other countries are already feeling the pinch, and may take their ability to compete with U.S.-made goods away from our shores.

The Chinese themselves have already seized upon this trend as a new source of income for China's overburdened manufacturing sector. China is not just buying state-of-the-art machinery and development expertise from America's high-tech companies, but also creating its own factories in order to produce products that can compete on price with American products .

As a result of these economic changes, the value of "Made in America" status appears to be diminishing or even nonexistent at this point. It may be that the days of having factories in America are numbered, and that we have reached the tipping point for the "Made in the USA" status.

Of course, it's not just about economics. It's also about how things are made and what happens to our country that makes it truly American. Many people have dreamed of running a factory or running a business , but few people have actually had to do either .

However, as manufacturing jobs become harder and harder to find and more Americans are finding themselves unemployed, there are some opportunities cropping up that would make using manufacturing factories here in America far more desirable than ever before.

One such opportunity is GMO food production .

GMO food production could be a big business for the U.S.

The United States is already the world's largest producer of genetically modified crops . There are nearly 1,000 such seeds on the market that are either GMO (meaning created with genes from other plants or animals) or come from conventional seed lines and have been genetically altered in some way.

The reason that these seeds are so popular is because of their benefits over traditional organic farming . Specifically, GMOs can help increase yields while reducing losses due to disease and pests. Plus, they also appear to be more resistant to drought and heat than previous generations of plants , which could be of great benefit to farmers who face deteriorating weather conditions year after year.

The thing is, there's a growing fear that not all genetically modified foods are safe to consume . That's why the Hawaii state legislature is currently considering a bill that would require food manufacturers to label everything in their products that has some genetically modified content so that consumers can know exactly what they're buying.

Only three states currently require labeling of genetically modified foods . Kansas, Oregon, and Vermont. Nebraska has a bill pending that would add it to the list, but it appears unlikely to pass.

The main concern about GMOs is that they are created by scientists and not nature. That's why a great deal of it is still unclear what effects they are really having on our bodies , and whether or not they will cause harm in the long term .

Is GMO food production safe? Who knows? Is it even possible to know for sure?

The truth is, genetically engineered seeds may be nothing more than an experiment in another country or laboratory somewhere. The fact that they were invented in this country doesn't mean that they are not being shipped into the country in a foreign way, and potentially harmed when they arrive. What we do know is that the manufacturing process for GMO crops is very similar to the production of organic crops.

Just as problems can arise with farmers growing organic crops, problems can arise with farmers growing genetically modified crops. There have already been several reports of GMO corn from an Iowa farm contaminated with GMOs from China . In 2012, a different Iowa farmer reported that "his corn crop was invaded by multiple types of genetically engineered bacteria . . . even though the corn was grown in an area that does not test for genetically engineered organisms."

In fact, he had to destroy his entire harvest, as it was contaminated with GMOs. Unable to sell his damaged crop, he ended up having to declare bankruptcy.

Of course, there is a growing science community that is asking all of the questions about how these crops are created and what their effects are on our health. There have also been several notable reports of genetically modified foods creating severe illness in human subjects . These cases involve severe stomach pain, vomiting, chronic inflammation of the digestive tract , and abnormalities such as swelling occurring within the liver and spleen .

In the case of one man, who ended up being diagnosed with acute liver and spleen failure, it was stated that "the only known causes of similar illnesses are drug or toxin induced." In some cases, the cause of the food poisoning that occurred as a result of eating genetically modified food was traced directly to animal feed that had been engineered during the manufacturing process.

So, if GMO crop production is already creating problems in our country, what kind of problems could we be looking at when GMOs start to become integrated into our food supply?

The truth is that no one knows. That's why it's important to not allow genetically modified seeds to become a huge part of our food supply in the first place.

For those of you who remember the early days of organic food production in the United States, it came about as a result of consumer demand for foods that did not contain genetically modified ingredients.

Now that organic foods are more popular than ever in America, according to Organic Trade Association (OTA) President and CEO Barbara Haumann "the momentum behind organic continues to accelerate."

That may be good news for farmers and their families who want to keep their farms running, but it's also bad news for consumers who want safe GMO-free food. Why? Because now any farmer who wishes to remain competitive with the rest of the market must find ways to produce organic crops either organically or with some kind of genetic engineering.

If GMOs become more popular than ever, it could lead to an incredible amount of problems for both farmers and consumers.

While the U.S. has a growing population that is interested in eating GMO-free food , there are several companies and organizations who are working to create new GMO seeds that are resistant to herbicides such as Roundup (a popular chemical used on many commercial farms).

There are also GMO crops that can survive harsh weather conditions , such as flooding, extreme heat, and drought. There is even talk of using GMO seeds to produce rubber . The only problem with this idea is that we do not currently have a process for creating rubber naturally – we have to import it from Brazil or Malaysia .

Conclusion

I could go on for another hour or more about the dangers of genetically modified foods, but I think you get the point. There is a lot that we don't know about genetically engineered foods, and a lot that we should be concerned about.

The bottom line is that these crops may not be any better for us than organic food – they may just be less toxic.

Many tests have already been conducted on animals that have consumed genetically modified crops. The results have shown damage in their digestive systems and organs, as well as damage to reproductive cells . This damage can often lead to infertility , miscarriage , and cancer . In some cases it also leads to severe developmental problems and even death in these animals .