Educational Rap Video Explains GMOs

PandoDaily, which purports to be the “blog of record” for Silicon Valley, has released a catchy rap video (yeah, you read that right) that explains the arguments for and against GMOs.

The bloggers behind PandoDaily decided to team up with the Explainer Music team to produce “Schoolhouse Rock”-style videos to explain complicated topics including what a tech bubble is, what the Mars Rover is actually doing on Mars, China’s firewall, and GMOs.

The video “OMG GMOs!” tackles the debate over genetically modified organisms. Rather than choose one extreme or the other, the video tries (pretty successfully) to illustrate how nuanced the problems surrounding the practice of genetically modifying organisms actually are. The video tries to illustrate that the biggest problem with GMOs is the business practices of the companies that are producing them.

The explainations and arguments presented in the video are all based on peer-reviewed scientific journalism and well-sourced journalistic research. PandoDaily’s website has the complete lyrics, along with hyperlinks to articles that explain more about the different aspects of the arguments:

But can GMOs help with a crisis mounting?
It’s a challenge to feed 7 billion and counting
Droughts and food prices are causing world hunger
So what’s the big deal if we make the crops stronger?

But with GMOs you can patent the breeds
And sue the farmers if they replant the seeds
The idea is to help developing nations
But who benefits: communities or corporations?

“‘The GMO Song’ is not intended to be a comprehensive final word on GMOs,” says PandoDaily, “but a gateway drug that will hopefully lead to greater understanding. That’s why we encourage you to read along with the lyrics below which link to relevant articles for support.”

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