Genetically modified foods, otherwise known as GMO, genetically modified organisms, genetically engineered foods, GM foods, Pharmacrops and Frankenfoods are seeds that are genetically altered. There is an ongoing debate whether or not these genetically modified foods are dangerous to our health. There are also debates if these actually help farmers grow more and better food.

The benefits of the genetically modified food seeds are that they are supposed to produce better drought, disease and weed resistant plants. The dangers might be nothing or everything, it depends on whom you read and talk to.

One of the most popular genetically modified plants is corn. These GMO plants produce their own pesticide in the form of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Farmers have been using this as a form of pesticide for many years. The difference is that in the GMO plants the Bt is designed to be more toxic and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the plants.1

At the grocery store you see signs that say “no pesticide residue”. The pesticide isn’t on the outside of the plant or food; it is on the inside of the food. This doesn’t mean that genetically modified food crops aren’t also sprayed with pesticide and herbicides, in fact they are. So now we get pesticide and herbicides on the food and in the food.

Testing and planting of these new seeds started in the late 1980s. Between 1996 and 2004 worldwide GMO crop planting expanded to 167 million acres, which is 25% of the farmable land. The first genetically modified foods came on shelves in 1997.

Roundup Ready GMO Seeds

The biggest name in this field is Monsanto, which not only makes and sells chemicals of all kinds but also sells genetically modified food seeds. They make a product called Roundup; many of us might have used it at one time. It kills weeds, grass and anything you spray it on. It is good for killing weeds in the cracks of a driveway for example. And it does this job very well. This product also is used to destroy drug crops in Colombia and is of course harmful to animals and humans. In 1995, Monsanto came up with what they called Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans, special gene inserted bacterium that allows these soybeans plants to survive after being sprayed with Roundup. Monsanto comes up with the poison and the anti-poison seeds. It appears 85% of these genetically modified foods are designed to survive heavy and more toxic pesticide and herbicide spraying.

The Politics of GMO Food

For centuries in Iraq, farmers would use, reuse and trade seeds every season. In 2004 before leaving, Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) administrator L. Paul Bremer III enacted numerous new laws, one of which is called Order 81. Order 81 states “Farmers shall be prohibited from reusing seeds of protected varieties or any variety”.2 What this says is that farmers cannot reuse seeds from any new plant varieties registered under this law.3 Who owns the seeds to the new plants, Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer and Dow Chemical do. They would have to buy new seeds from these seed sellers. The law further states that any seeds that are used have to meet requirements under UPOV laws, which means their saved seeds might not be legal to use, so they have to buy these new ones.4 These genetically modified seeds are also copyrighted under intellectual property laws so the GMO seed companies get royalties as well.

They also have what are called “terminator seeds”. That means they render sterile seeds after the initial planting, they cannot be used again since the plants new seeds are sterile. The farmer has to buy new seeds for next years crop. No more saving of seeds like farmers have been doing for centuries.

GMO Crop Failures

Do these genetically modified plants work like they are supposed to? An April 2006 report from the USDA says that GMO crops do not increase the yield and may even decrease 5. Several studies have shown that the RR soybeans yields were lower. In five different studies of RR soybeans it was found that the plants were unable to uptake nutrients in the soil, leading to increased disease susceptibility 6. It’s not only soybeans but studies with maize and cotton are not working every year. The yields are down and the disease resistance wasn’t there. The 2008 United Nations’ assessment of world agriculture concludes that genetically modified crops have very little potential to alleviate the world’s poverty and hunger problems.

Photo credit AZRainman

Health Dangers of GMO Food

The fears are that no one really the dangers of GMO foods are harmful since long-term testing was never done and they haven’t been on the market long enough. Using genetics to make weed and disease resistant plants could cause weeds and plant diseases to become resistant to our current herbicides and pesticides much like the overuse of antibiotics has caused penicillin resistant super-bugs to appear.

There is a growing concern that the rapid increase in asthma, inflammation and food related allergies in children could be caused by these new genetically modified foods. If you put a gene of something someone is allergic to into a simple plant like a tomato, will that person become allergic to tomatoes as well. Soybeans are the number one GMO crop, and there is some type of soy or soybean oil in many foods.

Those against genetically modified foods site numerous studies showing that genetically modified foods are harmful to rats, mice and people. Toxicity studies show these genetically modified foods toxically affect several organs and systems 7. I did not include the studies and the findings because the citations were lacking. Scientist Arpad Pusztai’s 8 was fired from the Rowatt Institute after publishing a study using genetically engineered potatoes, where he found precancerous growths in the digestive track, retarded growth and immune system defects in rats and mice. Interestingly, after his studies were completed, these GMO potatoes never went on the market.

The information and misinformation about genetically altered foods is a real media war, which is unfortunate for us consumers and humans who have to eat the food. Some countries and US counties are now outlawing GMO foods.

GMO Laws and Labels

Americans are denied the right to know which foods we buy are GMO. Most Americans wanted these foods labeled and the past three presidents denied us that. Currently President Obama says that he does want these foods to be labeled. When the subject of having manufacturers to label their food as containing genetically altered foods in them, the industry was of course against this. Their reason was “because no one would buy those foods”. If they are so safe then why are they so against the labels. Some sort of labeling is needed, in 2006 a bioengineering company reported to the FDA that they have detected bioengineered rice may have entered the feed and food supply of the United States 9.

GMO Companies and the Government

I don’t know if GMO food is safe or not because I don’t know who to believe. I am concerned by the way farmers are forced to use and reuse the genetically modified seeds. I am concerned about these companies basically taking over our food supply. I am concerned about the conflict of interest with so many former Monsanto employees becoming employed by the various US government entities that are supposed to be watching our food and how many of the former FDA and EPA and other important government agency employees go and work for Monsanto and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). And the US is pushing this on other countries in the guise of foreign aid for food with the Global Food Security Act of 2009 (S. 384 sec. 202) that mandates genetically modified food research while more farmers around the planet are starting to reject genetically modified foods altogether. 10 11

I find it hard to believe anything Monsanto claims as to the safety of our food considering it was they who gave us Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) in our milk and said it was safe along with the EPA, USDA and FDA. And plant food is just the beginning, genetically modified bugs, omega-3 fatty acid producing pigs and vaccines in a banana could be next.

What happens if GMO food is found to be harmful, then what. The seeds and cross- pollination already has occurred, how will anyone know what is in our foods. I believe in research and science, but my gut feeling tells me something is wrong about this. I don’t believe its any coincidence that ever since chemical farming has become so widespread that the nutritional value of our foods has dropped dramatically. And now they use chemicals in a different form that makes a need for more chemicals. That is a business model for profits, not health.

I urge you to do your own reading and get better informed on the subject of GMO and where our food comes and its safety.

© 2009 Sam Montana

Sources

Seeds of Destruction: The hidden agenda of genetic manipulation by F William Engdahl ISBN: 9780973714722 0973714727

Soilassociation.org

American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM)

Institute for Responsible Technology

Released FDA memos about GMO testing

Center For Food Safety