At the Intersection of Technology, Ethics, and Agribusiness: The Case of U.S. Sugar Consumption Enhanced by Genetic-Engineered Crop (1970-2022)

The research shows the origination and history of genetic-engineered (G.E.) research followed by G.E. adoption in Agribusiness from 1995 to 2022. We explored how G.E. available crop impact American diet using 1970 as a baseline, focusing on High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) sugar level consumption and its relationship with obesity and diabetes. Using data from USDA, initial analysis showed that HFCS consumption jumped approximately 110 times (0.3 pounds to 34 pounds/person/ year) from 1970 to 1996 (the year G.E. corn data was available). From 2000 - 2013, the global biotechnology trend turned a high percentage of American cropland (20 to 88 million acres) for G.E. crop production. The percentage of corn that is G.E. produced grew from 25% to 96% for the same period. Simultaneously, sugar prices increased steadily, the obesity rate grew from 8.6% to 12.4 %, and the diabetic rate grew from 30% to 38%. In alignment with the American Diabetics Association findings, high consumption of HFCS leads to increased obesity and diabetes. The resultant impact of this research includes advocating for the health department to make wellness education compulsory for all students beginning at an early age. Classical ethical theories are adopted to explore how technology deployment in Agribusiness makes continuing impact on the health of Americans.