Corporate Social Responsibility In Multinational Corporations Commerce Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility In Multinational Corporations Commerce Essay The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) has the ability to play an important role in the contributions to the development of local economy of a developing country. Such role includes capacity building, employment opportunities and the transfer of technology (Ite, 2004). Corporate Social Responsibility is a concept that has created global awareness. Its popularity arouse as a result of globalization and information technology. According to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD): CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behaving ethically and contributing to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their family as well as of the community and society at large while (Frederick, 1994) sees it as an obligation of business to contribute to social welfare beyond their role of producing goods and providing services. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) therefore has a major role to play through CSR initiatives, focusing on the development of a developing economy such as Nigeria. However, for many MNCs, CSR is an outcome of public pressure arising from their operations in developing countries in relation to human right, environmental pollution and labour issues. In other words, it has generally being a pragmatic response to consumer and civil society pressures (Raynard Forstater, 2002). This proposal seeks to focus on CSR practices and understanding how CSR theories relates to its practices by MNCs in Nigeria using Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) as an example. Various researches that have been carried out focused on the activities of the MNCs and they have revealed that there was a mounting evidence of gap between the stated intention of business leaders and their actual behaviour and impact in the real world'(Frynas, 2005). Little has been researched on how CSR theories relates to its practices by MNCs such as Shell in Nigeria. Nigeria was chosen because it is the most populous black nation in the continent and the largest producer of oil in sub Saharan Africa. The question this project seeks to ask is, how far is Shell Petroleum Development Company improving on the social welfare in Nigeria? In other words were they able to practice CSR. LITERATURE REVIEW. The literature on CSR has produced much definition over the decade since its emergence on the business scene (Carroll, 2004). The concept CSR has evoked lots of debate among scholars. It is sometimes referred to as business virtue or social responsibilities. It means different things to different people. To some, it means the idea of legal responsibility or obligation and to others it means social responsible behaviour which is sometimes seen as a charitable contribution to the society. According to the foremost scholar of CSR Carroll (1983) CSR involves the conduct of a business so that it is economically profitable, law abiding, ethical and socially supportive. The commission of European communities defined CSR as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in the business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholder in a voluntary basis. As good as the notion of CSR may seem there are different views by different scholars as to what constitute CSR. According to parsons (1961) CSR theory is rooted in four aspects of hypothesis It can be observed in any social system. It adapts to its environment i.e. its relation to resources Goal attainment i.e. its relation to politics Social integration and pattern maintenance i.e. its relation to culture and values. From these hypotheses aforementioned, CSR theory was then classified into four groups Instrumental theory- here it is assumed that corporation is an instrument for wealth creation. According to friedman (1970), the only responsibility of business towards society is the maximisation of profits to the shareholders within the legal framework and the ethical custom of the country. Any organisation that adopt CSR initiative will always have to answer the question to whom are we responsible? the answer to this question is usually to the stakeholder. Stakeholders here include the employees, customers, shareholders, staff in the supply chain and the community living in vicinity where the company is located. Political theory here the social power of corporation is specifically emphasized in its relationship with the society and its duty in the political environment. Davis (1960) introduced business power in the CSR debate. He proposed that business is a social institution that must use its power responsibly. In his own words whoever does not use his social power responsibly will lose its position in the society. Integrative theories it is considered that business ought to integrate social demand. Social demand implies the way in which society relates with business through certain legitimacy and prestige. This goes further to explain that business depends on society for its continuity and existence. Ethical theory firm ought to accept social responsibility as an ethical obligation above any other consideration. Donaldson and Dunfee (1999) proposed the integrated social contract theory. This theory was meant to guide managers to make decision in an ethical way in other words, to get involved with the society. To cynics, CSR is antithetical to sound business practice and serves to weaken its focus on wealth creation ( Clement-Jones,2005; Murray, 2005). Advocates however characterises CSR as necessary for successful business operations and as a gateway for business to look beyond wealth creation and also take into consideration the social welfare of the society in which they operate (Jackson Nelson, 2004; Rudolph 2005). In other words, businesses that are socially responsible can help to solve crucial environmental and social problems. Some studies consider CSR to involve ethical responsibility while philanthropic responsibility is seen as an add on ( Longo et al 2005). Other studies have made discrepancy between CSR as simple legal compliance and CSR as carrying out business operations with high regards to morality (Juholin, 2004). Henderson (2001), attempt to show that CSR distorts the market by distracting business from its primary role of wealth creation. These different views by schol ars have led to confusion as to what CSR practices really entail. Based on the fact that little has been discussed on how CSR practice fit or does not fit with CSR theories, my main project will involve critical analysis of CSR theory and how it relates to its practices by Shell in Nigeria. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE AND RESEARCH QUESTION The central objective of this research is To develop a better understanding of CSR theories and practices. To investigate on the CSR policies of Shell Petroleum Development company and how it relates to the CSR theories. To investigate the effect of their CSR activities in Nigeria. These objectives will be looked into in order to ascertain if Shell really practiced their CSR policies and to what extent does the policy create effect in the community which they operate. Therefore my research question will be to what extent is Shell improving on the social welfare in Nigeria? RESEARCH DESIGN The research strategy that will be adopted for this research will be a case study approach. A case study approach is a single unit of analysis such as a company, an event or group of events. In this case a company i.e. Shell Petroleum Development Company will be used. The case study type is exploratory as well as explanatory in nature. It involves gathering detailed information about the company over a period of time with a view to obtain an in-depth knowledge (Collis et al 2003). A qualitative approach will be adopted for this research because it is designed to study social and cultural phenomena. It will be aimed at conducting an in depth analysis of how Shell practiced Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria. Questionnaires will be used as an instrument for this research. These questionnaires will be administered to the host community where Shell is operating because it is assumed that the community understands the subject matter that is been analysed. The sample size of this research will be classified according to age, gender, academic qualification and the number of years of residency within the community. Simple Random Sampling Techniques will be used to administer the questionnaires to the member of the host community because it gives each member of the population an equal chance of being chosen and it also guarantee that the sample was a representative of the entire population (Saunders et al 2007) DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Data would be collected using questionnaires. Through face to face interaction, the respondents would be gathered at a particular place and instruction would be given to them as to how to fill out the questionnaires. I intend to give out 150 questionnaires. The data that would be collected will include the age, gender, education qualification and the number of years of residency within the community. Secondary data would also be collected from sources like industry journal and other relevant published and unpublished articles. Descriptive method of data analysis would be used to analyse the responses from the questionnaires collected. This method includes the use of charts and tables to describe the data generated. LIMITATIONS Constraint to finance will be one of my major limitations for this research because it will entail me to travel to the Niger Delta region in Nigeria which is the region where Shell operates. Due to the fact that the questionnaires would be handed out by myself, some members of the community would want to be paid before they fill out the questionnaires.

Marketing Peter Pan Peanut Butter to Canadian Markets Essay

Many U.S. consumers are not aware that there are many products that are sold in our country but are not available to countries like China or Japan. A lot of products are only for sale in the U.S. and consumers in other countries have to find other ways of obtaining those products. Some products that use to be sold in Canada have now vanished while others have never been available for purchase so many consumers have to order those products online, if possible, or possibly get some family member or friend from the U.S. to buy and ship the product to them. Some Canadians are now surprised to learn that Coca-Cola Vanilla, or Vanilla Coke, is no longer available to purchase in the supermarkets and convenience stores located in Canada. Consumers on both sides of the border and other countries responded well to these products that were launched in 2002 by the Coca Cola Company. Canadians that now want this product will have to stock up the next time they visit the U.S. Meanwhile they may be able to look forward to other products that may reach Canadian markets. As Marketing Manager of ConAgra Food’s, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, I would like to market this brand available to Canadian markets by using a marketing plan that is the core of the business. The main reason for the marketing plan is that it provides a structured approach that forces the marketing manager to consider all the relevant elements of the planning process which might be missed if a more rushed approach is adopted especially when trying to market a product to foreign markets. Peter Pan Peanut Butter is brand of ConAgra Foods and was named after the J.M. Barrie character debuted in 1928. The brand was originally produced by the Swift & Company that at the time first called the peanut butter, â€Å"E.K. Pond.† Peter Pan PB comes in 10 different varieties which include Creamy, Whipped, Crunchy, Extra Crunchy, Honey Roasted Creamy, Honey Roasted Crunchy, Smart Choice Creamy, Smart Choice Crunchy, Plus 8 (vitamin enriched). Peter Pan has been on the market for many decades and when first packaged, was marketed in a tin can. But because of metal shortages during the second World War, changed its packaging to glass and plastic jars. The product’s tagline of not sticking to the roof of your mouth is one of the reasons, other than it being just plain good, that the Canadians desire Peter Pan so much. The first step in marketing this product to one of the largest Canadian food markets such as The Superstore, Sobeys, Metro, and Safeway, is to analyze the customer value equation. â€Å"Traditionally we think that consumers choose based on the quality of the product, while really the driver of all choice is the non-cognitive relationship that the consumer has with the brand, which is entirely channeled through the brand identity.† (Wegrzyn, 2011). The matter of finding a role of the brand within a consumer’s life comes after the brand identity has accurately addressed how the brand wants to be perceived. The question for prospective buyers in most situations is not whether to make a purchase in the product category, but which product or service to buy. When a product’s price exceeds its value-in-use, the offering’s net contribution, and inducement to purchase, is negative. The customer is better off not buying the product. Whatever the customer would gain from the product itself is more than offset by what she would have to give up in paying its price. In most situations, however, a very different situation exists. In most situations, the prices charged for products and services fall far below the values-in-use that customers expect to obtain from them. In many cases, because of competition, products’ use values are in multiples of 5 to 10 times the prices at which they sell. Customers buy products to fill unmet needs and because they expect to derive some value or utility from them. Products provide customers with four types of utility or benefit. These utilities and benefits are time utility, place utility, ownership utility and form utility. What is the time utility or value to the consumer of having Peter Pan Peanut Butter available at any convenient time within supermarkets? The time utility may be of critical importance because many families may depend upon this product to satisfy the needs of small children which may take this product to school for lunch, possibly. So it may be detrimental that it is always available on the shelves by making sure that the production of the product is timely. Secondly, place utility is important. This is the value to a consumer of having the product available in convenient market locations. It may be important that the peanut butter is available at many different supermarkets especially those that are located near schools where there is a high population of children that the product would be in demand to. Ownership utility may not be an important factor for this product as is the value of transferring the product’s ownership. Last is the form utility of the product. Form utility is the value to consumers from changing the composition of the product. The form utility of the peanut butter is also fairly high. Peanut butter isn’t just for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but is also used in Peanut butter chili, peanut butter broccoli, peanut butter ice cream and peanut butter cocktails. It can be eaten with chocolate, it can be eaten with jam, it can be smeared on chicken, and it can even be used in drinks and it seems that the uses for peanut butter are endless. Peanut butter has been known to be used as an excellent lubricator on rusty old blades, for animal medicine, a butter replacement, mousetrap bait, and price tag removal. When entering foreign markets it is essential to have a clear understanding of the economic conditions of the country in order to properly promote the product in the marketing process so that the development, execution and measure of the campaign for the peanut butter run smoothly. It is important that I visit the target market because on-site, I can talk to potential buyers in order to learn everything that I need to know about competition, local rules and distribution channels. By attending trade shows and events that are specific to the industry within Canada I can learn a lot of helpful information by taking notes on products, competitors, packaging and labeling of similar products. The marketing process can be tedious and stressful in starting the export operations. I will have to make sure that I have an export plan that is similar to a business plan but instead focuses on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that my company can face within foreign markets. My export plan will help me to define my objectives clearly in order to use the right tactics to reach my goals and gain more credibility. My plan states how I can make my product adaptable to Canadian markets and will aid in determining sales price and how much time will be required to mee t my objectives. The best way to enter the Canadian markets is through efficient entry strategies which involve selling directly to end users and foreign retail markets will buy directly from ConAgra Foods. In ConAgra’s consumer goods business, there is no one factor more important than brand awareness. We are aware that if a customer recognizes my brand, they are more likely to buy it which will increase the sales of the product. The product will be shelved on stores according to the popularity among customers or the most sales. The advertising campaign should increase brand awareness amongst some of our other products in order to get better placement in other Canadian markets as well. â€Å"An effective marketing mix also includes market segmentation, targeting and positioning the product for competitive advantage.† (Food Export Association of the Midwest USA and Food Export USA, 2011). â€Å"In international marketing, it may sometimes be useful to see countries as segments. Country level segmentation may be done on levels such as geography—based on the belief that neighboring countries and countries with a particular type of climate or terrain tend to share similarities, demographics or income.† (Pernerm, 2012). Income segmentation can be a bit tricky. This is because relative prices between the U.S. and Canada may differ significantly. This is based upon purchasing power parity that measures which greatly affects the relative cost of imported and domestically produced products. â€Å"Proper execution of these procedures requires quality research and consultation from export assistance providers, export service providers and customers in the foreign market.† (Food Export Association of the Midwest USA and Food Export USA, 2011). â€Å"The Marketing mix and the 4 P’s are the controllable elements of business.† (Food Export Association of the Midwest USA and Food Export USA, 2011). For instance a company has control over what product it makes, what price it sells the product for, how it wishes to place (distribute) the product and how it wishes to promote it. Introducing new products is a very good way of achieving differentiation and enhancing a retail identity in an over -subscribed retail market, but without corporate support new products may fail or go unnoticed. Because I want to expand Peter Pan, Peanut Butter to Canadian markets I need to perform an environmental analysis at the beginning of the marketing process as well as throughout it. Political and Legal forces, Economic forces, Socio-cultural forces and Technological forces are known as PEST factors of the micro-environment. â€Å"An examination of Canada’s political orientation and environment is part of the preliminary screening stage of market select.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). I have to carefully study Canada’s government structure of the Canadian markets and their political system. In addition, I must perform efficient risk assessments because of high levels of uncertainty in terms of continuity of government policies, changing political philosophies that are evident in Canadian markets. Political risk factors are divided into 4 levels, general instability, expropriation, operations, and finance. If any of the levels uncovers risk, which may be deemed unacceptable, the firm should immediately reconsider conducting business within Canada. Barriers of entry will also have to be assessed because it can also be a factor that could possibly make it difficult to break into Canadian markets. Tariff and non-tariff barriers make â€Å"companies already in the market more valuable as they reduce the risk of new competition.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). These â€Å"entry barriers are imposed by governments in order to protect domestic industry or to ensure that companies entering from foreign markets conform to trade relation’s arrangements with other countries.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). â€Å"Barriers to exit are obstacles to market players who realize that they will not turn a profit and would like to quit the market.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). â€Å"From an economic perspective, it makes sense to produce and sell an additional unit of product or service if the revenue generated covers at least for the variable costs.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). Another important variable to consider because of impacts that court of law decisions may have upon a company’s globalization attempts is its legal environment. ConAgra could face a vast amount of problems in my efforts to develop a successful strategy. â€Å"Understanding the legal environment of target countries is considered of great importance in terms of market selection, due to the detrimental impacts court of law decisions related to issues such as foreign exchange rates, expropriation and intellectual property rights, jurisdiction, patents, trademarks, licensing, antitrust and bribery, etc.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). I will also have to pay close attention to the economic development and performance of Canada. Canada’s stage of economic growth will have a great impact in my foreign strategies. â€Å"Economic growth affects a countries attitude towards foreign business activity, the demand for goods and the distribution system found within the country.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). â€Å"So, a study of the economic climate is important especially to gain understanding with regard to developing countries and secondly in respect to market potential and market growth.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). â€Å"The existing level of economic development allows the firm to estimate the degree of market potential as well as allowing them to prepare for economic shifts and emerging markets.† (Zekiri & Angelova, 2011). ConAgra’s direct competitors of packaged foods in the U.S.are the H.J. Heinz Company, Mondelez International, Nestl, Tyson Foods, and Smithfield foods. International competitors are Gordon signature, GFS, Markon, and Trade East. Many Canadian brands believe very strongly in marketing that it’s more than simply a service offering. They believe that it starts with a clear understanding of demographics and competitive landscape. Canadian brand managers are experienced, senior level professionals with combined sales and marketing backgrounds across an impressive range of tier-one companies within their industry. But as with most marketers ConAgra’s team has built collectively and individually, vast extended networks of highly specialized and talented marketers. As ComAgra’s landscape continues to change, they are committed to learning, understanding and working in new environments in order to ensure they reach the highest potential for all of their principals. Peanut butter is in 90 percent of households and most families with kids consider it a staple and kid-friendly food.† (Ashman & Beckley, 2006). If you were to ask many people to name their favorite brand of peanut butter you may get a few different answers such as Skippy, Jif and Peter Pan. The product largest consumer base comes from families with children, preschools and K-12 schools. â€Å"While today’s harried parents can choose from an array of prepackaged lunch options, the classic PB&J remains as convenient as it is healthy and tasty.† (Gidman, 2009). â€Å"This means that the three major peanut butter brands—plus several smaller ones—will have to employ successful branding to secure a place in the American lunch box.† (Gidmanm, 2009). â€Å"Manufactures are responding to consumers’ hectic lifestyles by creating packaging that assists convenience. Peanut butter comes in squeezable packages, with jelly and as a premade sandwich.† (Ashman & Beckley, 2006). In Peter Pan’s advertising campaigns from the 1950’s they showcased â€Å"Youngsters Prefer Peter Pan Peanut Butter† within their ad. The advertisement influenced mothers shopping for their children by using a charming little blonde haired boy enjoying a piece of bread covered with peanut butter because the advertising agency knew that showcasing a motherly figure or a mother, would get the mother to associate that child with a child of her own. They also printed the advertisement using calm colors that allowed the viewer of the ad to think relaxing thoughts. Good marketing ethics affect organizational success. Ethics are the principals a person or department uses when making a decision. The truth is, the advertising ad can be a little misleading because just because that little boy in the ad likes that peanut butter, this doesn’t mean that every little child will like it. â€Å"Misleading advertising is a common ethical dilemma. Although regulation provides formal boundaries of what an advertisement can and cannot say, marketers must consider the ethical boundaries.† (Okely, 2009). â€Å"Ethical behavior by the marketing department will make the department and even the company a more attractive place to work as the company’s good reputation will transfer to its employees. Motivated, proud employees will improve performance.† (Okely, 2009). â€Å"Bad marketing ethics will destroy a good reputations which is arguably much harder to build than sales numbers.† (Okely, 2009). Marketing plans are crucial to marketing managers in providing a more structured approach in marketing products to foreign markets. Market managers specialize in targeting different parts of a customer base to increase demand for a company’s product or matches customers and different market segments to the products the firm produces. Foreign marketing is a very broad subject is importance to a country and to individual companies. I have examined the broader aspects of international trade in terms of difficulties encountered when trading I foreign markets including how countries are structured in terms of their economic development and some of the world’s trading blocks. Many problems have also been considered from a company’s standpoint and in each of the elements of the marketing mix are considered in turn in the context of how it should be manipulated when dealing in foreign markets. References Angelova, J., & Zekiri, B. (2011). Factors that influence entry mode choice in foreign markets. European Journal of Social Sciences, 22(4), 572-584. Retrieved from http://www.eurojournals.com/EJSS_22_4_12.pdf Ashmanm, H., & Beckly, J. (2006, January 7). Educating consumers about peanut butter. Retrieved from: http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2006/258.html Food Export Association of the Midwest USA and Food Export USA, (2012). Compete and succeed in the international marketplace: The export marketing mix. Retrieved from: http://www.foodexport.org/GettingStarted/Content.cfm?ItemNumber=1288 Gidman, J. (2009, January 19). Peanut Butter brands go nuts. Retrieved from: http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=460 Okely, L. (2009, June 26). Common ethical dilemmas faced by marketing departments. http://www.helium.com/items/1496496-ethical-issues-faced-by-marketers Perner, L. Ph.D. (2012). USC Marshall: International marketing. Retrieved from: http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/international_marketing.html Wegrzyn, N. (2011, December 20). The consumer value equation. Retrieved from: http://popsop.com/52197

Over Abundance and Waste

Over Abundance Imagine saving everything; from pieces of string, tin foil, and old clothing. Fifty years ago not much was being thrown away. In addition, almost everything had a considerably longer life span. According to Joshua Becker he states from his blog â€Å"from the moment we are born, we are told to pursue more†. Today, our lives are inundated with advertisements on television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboard, and websites  that encourage us that more is better. As a result, we toil for long hours so that we can buy the biggest homes and fanciest cars, wear the trendiest fashions, and use the coolest technologies.What led us to this place of having and wanting so much stuff; stuff that we literally do not know what to do with or where to put when we are done with it? What we buy, what we use, what we keep and throw away make up the fabric of our daily lives. A sea of stuff flows in and out with such speed we hardly realize the global impact attached to each an d every item we buy. â€Å"The process of becoming obsolete; falling into disuse or becoming out of date is also called obsolescence. (Rogers) Compared to fifty years ago our society is better known as a throwaway society; in essence we are never satisfied with what we have and always want more. Craving the latest trends and newest gadgets coming out every season, many people tend to just toss out the old items and purchase new. Common examples of this reckless and selfish behavior include: electronic devices (cell phones, I Pods and computers), clothing (newest fashion trends) and small appliances. In our collective society many people want more of what is new rather than repairing the item.The current generation of people (Generation Y) is described by the www. freedictionary. com as â€Å"members of the generation of people born since the early 1980s that are seen as being discerning consumers with a high disposable income has more time and money than any other. † A combi nation of new technology and the internet is partially responsible for this transformation. With the explosion of electronic access (free WiFi and smart phone technology) consumers today are exposed to persistent and persuasive advertisements.Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable items. In addition, technological advances cause many people to discard products well before there useful lifespan has been achieved. For example; some electronic items such as portable DVD player ($50) have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them. Our society has been conditioned that time is money which busy people translate into paying for convenience over saving money.Conversely, complicated computerized equipment may be difficult or time consuming to repair and consumers may be less inclined to wait for a repair. Multimedia has programmed our generation to become a materialistic type society that focuses on the buildup of many new things over things that still work. â€Å"With only 5% of the global population the U. S. consumes 30% of the planets’ resources and creates approximately 30% of its waste. †(Rogers) Growth in America is being driven by a new sense of convenience and disposability.Paper plates, frozen foods, TV dinners, and aerosol cans are the way of the future, bringing a new convenience and ease to everyone's life style. This drive thru mentality has filtered through our society and fueled our desire for more while reducing our level of patience and tolerance. â€Å"For example; we can live our lives without leaving our homes or automobiles using drive thru access for fast food, online education, pharmacies, dry cleaners and even banks. † (Rogers, 2) Today â€Å"to go† food comes in cheap, disposable single use packaging.Pre-packaged frozen and canned foods are increasingly popular, generating additional waste. Milk used to come in glass bottles th at were recycled each morning when fresh milk was delivered. â€Å"Now, most beverages come in plastic bottles, of which less than a third is recycled. † (Rogers, 5)  These quick and easy products have been developed to suit our desire or instant gratification and convenience. Here are some simple and cost effective solutions that our society can implement to reduce our carbon footprint. Bring your own reusable bags when you go shopping.Buy things that can be reused over and over, like rechargeable batteries. Clean counters with a cloth towel instead of disposable paper towels. Create your own cleaning solutions using baking soda and bleach which are less harmful to our environment and cost effective. Ask whether your delivery person will recycle the plastic bags and rubber bands that newspapers come in. These are just a few simple ways to help make the earth a better place for our future. â€Å"More advanced technology being put on the market every six months our society has become a throwaway society.With technological advances and the desire to have the latest and greatest products who would want to pay almost the same price for something to be repaired when you can get it brand new? † (Rogers 2) Americans as a whole have become wasteful with material and place more importance on time and convenience. For our world to continue with plentiful resources we need to start making changes and change the way we live and use our precious natural resources more efficiently to have a better future.

Connection Between GMOs and Evolution

While different organizations seem to have differing opinions on this widely used technique in the world of nutrition, the fact is that agriculture has been using GMO plants for decades. Scientists believed it would be a safer alternative to using pesticides on crops. By using genetic engineering, scientists were able to create a plant that was inherently immune to pests without the harmful chemicals. Are GMOs Safe to Consume? Since the genetic engineering of crops and other plants and animals is a relatively new scientific endeavor, no long-term studies have been able to produce a definitive answer on the question of safety of the consumption of these modified organisms. Studies are continuing into this question and will scientists will hopefully have an answer for the public about the safety of GMO foods that is neither biased nor fabricated. GMOs and the Environment There have also been environmental studies of these genetically modified plants and animals to see the effects of these changed individuals on the overall health of the species as well as the evolution of species. Some concerns that are being tested are what effects do these GMO plants and animals have on the wild type plants and animals of the species. Do they behave like invasive species and try to out compete natural organisms in the area and take over the niche while the regular, non-manipulated organisms begin to die out? Does the changing of the genome give these GMOs a sort of advantage when it comes to natural selection? What happens when a GMO plant and a regular plant cross-pollinate? Will the genetically modified DNA be found more frequently in the offspring or will it continue to hold true to what we know about genetic ratios? GMOs and Natural Selection If the GMOs do happen to have an advantage for natural selection and live long enough to reproduce while the wild type plants and animals begin to die out, what does this mean for the evolution of those species? If that trend continues where the modified organisms seem to have the desired adaptation, it stands to reason that those adaptations will be passed down to the next generation of offspring and become more prevalent in the population. However, if the environment changes, it could be that the genetically modified genomes are no longer the favorable trait, then natural selection could swing the population in the opposite direction and cause the wild type to become more successful than the GMO. There have not been any definitive long-term studies published yet that can link the advantages and/or disadvantages of having organisms that have been genetically modified just hanging around out in nature with wild plants and animals. Therefore, the effect GMOs would have on evolution is speculative and has not been fully tested or verified at this point in time. While many short-term studies do point to the wild type organisms being affected by the presence of the GMOs, any long-term effects that will impact the evolution of the species is yet to be determined. Until these long-term studies have been completed, verified, and supported by evidence, these hypotheses will continue to be debated by scientists and the public alike.