Why GMO Foods Have Failed at Producing Healthy Food for More People
For a technology that has sucked up billions of research dollars
and prolonged agriculture's dependence on chemical inputs, GMOs
(genetically modified organisms) have yet to justify their role
in a world desperate for more sustainable ways to produce
healthier food for more people. In a recent report by the Union
of Concerned Scientists entitled "Failure to Yield," a summary
of on-farm production levels of genetically modified crops
showed less than marginal gains in actual yield. In fact, the
review concluded that "no currently available transgenic
varieties enhance the intrinsic yield of any crops."
Let's Put GMO Food on the Shelf Such findings beg the question: Who needs GMO food anyway? If GMOs are developed to increase yields, then they have failed. If they are marketed to reduce costs for farmers, and the price of GMO corn seed is now three times greater than it was just a few years ago, they have failed yet again. If these seeds are engineered to use less herbicides when, according to recent indications, many weeds are becoming Roundup-resistant, requiring a cocktail of herbicide applications in certain farming areas while crop land is just being abandoned in others, they have most certainly failed! GMO defenders cite net yield increases per acre due to weed and pest management traits, apparently comparing GMO-chemical regimes with non-GMO-chemical regimes in traditional intensive corn-soy production systems. They don't compare the genetically modified pest-management results with non-chemical systems where organic corn tolerates higher weed populations without yield loss, and where insect damage becomes insignificant in most years once basic crop rotations are established and soil health improves. It seems GMO defenders have failed to take the varying approaches of these two systems into account, which leaves us with only a chapter of the whole story. GMO Food Just Doesn't Make Sense Despite the failures of GMOs, it is clear that their developers have not failed at making huge profits in a system where farmers are forced to market on volume, and have no market rewards for nutritional quality or penalties for ecological impact. So what have consumers gained? Perhaps the answer is unclear. But I do know why we in the organic movement are so dead against GMO food. The answer is pretty simple: Genetically engineered seeds just don't make sense. Here's why: • How can a seed variety that is costly to patent (and legally can't be saved for replanting) help poor farmers around the world? • How can a seed that needs increased levels of toxins to control weeds be the safest option, ecologically or from a human standpoint? • How can a seed that is artificially injected with foreign proteins be harmless to eat? GMO Food and Human Health: The Hidden Consequences As the four As (allergies, asthma, autism, and ADD) rapidly increase in U.S. health statistics, we must consider that GMOs could certainly be one of the causes. As a matter of fact, in a recent position paper by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, physicians across the country called for a moratorium on GMO foods because "there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects." In the last few decades most of these
health concerns have more than doubled, and, at times, tripled. The
human body has not changed, but our diet undoubtedly has, and as of the
1990s, GMOs have become increasingly prevalent in our food supply. In
her new book, The
Unhealthy Truth, Robyn O'Brien
outlines the logical connection between the astronomical increase in
allergic response among our American population and our unbridled
consumption of these altered foods. She states that almost 75 percent of
our processed foods now contain neurotoxins, novel proteins, and
allergens. In Search of Safe Food With the tragic consequences of the chronic maladies mentioned above, why would we let these experimental seeds remain in our food source without demanding to know the long-term, generational effects they may have on human health? Why would we want our children to be the guinea pigs for brand-new, laboratory-created proteins that have undergone genetic modification? First, we should demand our legislators implement a precautionary principle: GMOs should not be allowed into our food system until extensive long-term, third-party studies--not studies funded or in any way influenced by seed technology companies--have been performed. A less effective, but equally important, second is that all of our food must be clearly labeled if it contains GMO crop ingredients.
1) Write, call, or email your congressman today. This moment. Request GMO labeling now. Request that the FDA be directed by Congress to apply the precautionary principle to foods containing GMO crops. 2) Use your consumer power: Buy Organic! By choosing organic you are guaranteed a safer, non-GMO product. Guest contributor Tim LaSalle is CEO of the Rodale Institute.
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