generation of insect larvae is eating the roots of
genetically engineered corn intended to be resistant to such
pests. The failure of Monsanto's genetically modified
Bt corn could be the most serious threat ever to a
genetically modified crop in the U.S.
And the economic impact could be huge.
Billions of dollars are at stake, as
Bt corn
accounts for 65 percent of all corn grown in the US.
The strain of corn, engineered to kill the
larvae of beetles, such as the corn rootworm, contains a
gene copied from an insect-killing bacterium called
Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt.
But even though a scientific advisory panel
warned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the
threat of insects developing resistance was high, Monsanto
argued that the steps necessary to prevent such an
occurrence -- which would have entailed less of the corn
being planted -- were an unnecessary precaution, and the EPA
naively agreed.
According to a recent NPR report:
"The scientists who called for caution now
are saying 'I told you so,' because there are signs that a
new strain of resistant rootworms is emerging...[A]
committee of experts at the EPA is now recommending that
biotech companies put into action, for the first time, a
'remedial action plan' aimed at stopping the spread of such
resistant insects ...
The EPA's experts also are suggesting that
the agency reconsider its approval of a new kind of
rootworm-killing corn, which Monsanto calls SmartStax.
This new version of Bt corn includes two different Bt
genes that are supposed to kill the rootworm in different
ways. This should help prevent resistance from emerging, and
the EPA is allowing farmers to plant it on up to 95 percent
of their corn acres. But if one of those genes is already
compromised… such a high percentage of Bt corn could
rapidly produce insects that are resistant to the second
one, too."
There can be little doubt that genetically
engineered crops are the most dangerous aspect of modern
agriculture. Not only are we seeing
rapid emergence of super-weeds resistant to
glyphosate, courtesy of Roundup Ready crops, we now also
have evidence of emerging Bt-resistant insects. Add to that
the emergence of a
brand new organism capable of producing disease and
infertility in both plants and animals, and a
wide variety of
evidence showing harm to human health, and the
only reasonable expectation one can glean is that humanity
as a whole is being seriously threatened by this foolhardy
technology.
Bt Corn—a Most Dangerous Failure
Monsanto's genetically modified "Bt corn" has
been equipped with a gene from soil bacteria called Bt (Bacillus
thuringiensis), which produces the Bt-toxin. It's a
pesticide that breaks open the stomach of certain insects
and kills them.
This pesticide-producing corn entered the food
supply in the late 1990's, and over the past decade, the
horror stories have started piling up. And the problem with
Bt crops go far beyond the creation of Bt-resistant insects.
Monsanto and the EPA swore that the
genetically engineered corn would only harm insects. The
Bt-toxin produced inside the plant would be completely
destroyed in the human digestive system and would not have
any impact at all on consumers, they claimed. Alas,
they've been proven wrong on that account as well, because
not only is Bt corn producing resistant "super-pests,"
researchers have also found that the Bt-toxin can indeed
wreak havoc on human health.
Bt-Toxin Now Found in Many People's Blood!
Last year, doctors at Sherbrooke University
Hospital in Quebec
found
Bt-toxin in the blood of:
- 93 percent of pregnant women tested
- 80 percent of umbilical blood in their
babies, and
- 67 percent of non-pregnant women
The study authors speculate that the Bt toxin
was likely consumed in the normal diet of the Canadian
middle class—which makes sense when you consider that
genetically engineered corn is present in the vast majority
of all processed foods and drinks in the form of high
fructose corn syrup. They also suggest that the toxin may
have come from eating meat from animals fed Bt corn, which
most livestock raised in confined animal feeding operations
(CAFO, or so-called "factory farms") are.
These shocking results raise the frightening
possibility that eating Bt corn might actually turn your
intestinal flora into a sort of "living pesticide factory"…
essentially manufacturing Bt-toxin from within your
digestive system on a continuing basis.
If this hypothesis is correct, is it then also
possible that the Bt-toxin might damage the integrity of
your digestive tract in the same way it damages insects?
Remember, the toxin actually ruptures the stomach of
insects, causing them to die. The biotech industry has
insisted that the Bt-toxin doesn't bind or interact with the
intestinal walls of mammals (which would include humans).
But again, there are peer-reviewed published research
showing that Bt-toxin does bind with mouse small
intestines and with intestinal tissue from rhesus
monkeys.
Bt-Toxin Linked to Allergies, Auto-Immune
Disease, and More
If Bt genes are indeed capable of colonizing
the bacteria living in the human digestive tract, scientists
believe it could reasonably result in:
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Autoimmune diseases
- Food allergies
- Childhood learning disorders
And lo and behold, all of
these health problems are indeed on the rise… The
discovery of Bt-toxin in human blood is not proof positive
of this link, but it certainly raises a warning flag. And
there's plenty of other evidence showing that the Bt-toxin
produced in GM corn and cotton plants is toxic to humans and
mammals and triggers immune system responses. For
example, in government-sponsored
research in Italy , mice fed Monsanto's Bt corn showed a
wide range of immune responses, such as:
- Elevated IgE and IgG antibodies, which
are typically associated with allergies and infections
- An increase in cytokines, which are
associated with allergic and inflammatory responses. The
specific cytokines (interleukins) that were found to be
elevated are also higher in humans who suffer from a
wide range of disorders, from arthritis and inflammatory
bowel disease, to MS and cancer
- Elevated T cells (gamma delta), which
are increased in people with asthma, and in children
with food allergies, juvenile arthritis, and connective
tissue diseases.
Rats
fed another of Monsanto's Bt corn varieties called MON
863, also experienced an activation of their immune systems,
showing higher numbers of basophils, lymphocytes, and white
blood cells. These can indicate possible allergies,
infections, toxins, and various disease states including
cancer. There were also signs of liver- and kidney toxicity.
Topical versus Internal Toxins
Farmers have used Bt-toxin from soil bacteria
as a natural pesticide for years, and biotech companies have
therefore claimed that Bt-toxin has a "history of safe use
in agriculture." But there's a huge difference between
spraying it on plants, where it biodegrades in sunlight and
can be carefully washed off, and genetically altering the
plant to produce it internally.
Bt crops have the Bt-toxin gene built-in,
so the toxin cannot be washed off. You simply cannot avoid
consuming it. Furthermore, the plant-produced version of the
poison is thousands of times more concentrated than
the spray.
There are also peer-reviewed studies showing
that natural Bt-toxin from soil bacteria is not a safe
pesticide either:
Do You Know what You're Eating?
Did you know that two years ago, the American
Academy of Environmental Medicine
(AAEM)
called on all physicians to prescribe diets without
genetically modified (GM) foods to all patients?
They sure did, although few doctors seem to
have gotten the memo. They also called for a moratorium on
genetically modified organisms (GMOs), long-term independent
studies, and labeling, stating:
"Several animal studies indicate serious
health risks associated with GM food, including infertility,
immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and
changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. …There
is more than a casual association between GM foods and
adverse health effects. There is causation…"
I couldn't agree more. Avoiding genetically
engineered foods should be at the top of everyone's list—at
least if you want a decent shot at optimal health.
The simplest way to avoid genetically
engineered (GE) foods is to buy whole, certified organic
foods. By definition, foods that are certified organic must
never intentionally use GE ingredients, and must be produced
without artificial pesticides or fertilizers. Animals must
also be reared without the routine use of antibiotics,
growth promoters or other drugs. Additionally, grass-fed
beef will not have been fed GE corn feed.
You can also avoid genetically modified (GM)
ingredients in processed foods, if you know what to look
for. There are currently eight genetically modified food
crops on the market:
Soy
Sugar from sugar beets
Corn
Hawaiian papaya
Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
Some varieties of zucchini
Canola (canola oil)
Crookneck squash
This means you should avoid products with
corn, soy, canola, and any of their derivatives listed as an
ingredient, unless it's labeled USDA 100% Organic. As of
late last year, this also includes sweet corn, as Monsanto
introduced a brand
new genetically engineered sweet corn called Seminis®,
which contains not just one but TWO types of Bt-toxin, PLUS
the Roundup Ready gene for weed control! So besides
containing the insecticide, their toxic Roundup herbicide
will also accumulate in the kernels.
For a helpful, straightforward guide to
shopping Non-GMO, see theNon-GMO
Shopping Guide, created by the
Institute for Responsible Technology.
Why We MUST Insist on Mandatory Labeling of
GM Foods
Mandatory labeling may be the only way to stop
the proliferation of GM foods in the U.S. because while GM
seeds are banned in several European countries, in the U.S.,
certain states are actually passing legislation that
protects the use of GM seeds and allows for unabated
expansion! At present, no less than 14 states have
passed such legislation. Michigan's Senate Bill 777i,
if passed, would make that 15. The Michigan bill would
prevent anti-GMO laws, and would remove "any authority local
governments may have to adopt and enforce ordinances that
prohibit or regulate the labeling, sale, storage,
transportation, distribution, use, or planting of
agricultural, vegetable, flower or forest tree seeds."
While legislation like this sounds like crazy
nonsense to normal people, such bills are essentially bought
and paid for through the millions of dollars Monsanto and
other biotech companies spend lobbying the US government
each year. In the first quarter of 2011 alone, Monsanto
spent $1.4 million on lobbying the federal government -- a
drop from a year earlier, when they spent $2.5 million
during the same quarter.
Their efforts of persuasion are also made
infinitely easier by the fact that an ever growing list of
former Monsanto employees are now in positions of power
within the federal government.
Proof Positive that GMO Labeling WILL
Change the Food Industry
Many don't fully appreciate the strategy of
seeking to have genetically engineered foods labeled in
California. The belief is that large companies would refuse
to have dual labeling; one for California and another for
the rest of the country. It would be very expensive and a
logistical nightmare. So rather than have two labels, they
would simply not carry the product, especially if the new
label would be the equivalent of a skull and crossbones.
This is why we are so committed to this initiative as
victory here will likely eliminate genetically engineered
foods from the US.
Powerful confirmation of this belief occurred
in early 2012 when both Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc.
chose to alter one of their soda ingredients as a result of
California's labeling requirements for carcinogens ii:
"Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. are
changing the way they make the caramel coloring used in
their sodas as a result of a California law that mandates
drinks containing a certain level of carcinogens bear a
cancer warning label. The companies said the changes will be
expanded nationally to streamline their manufacturing
processes. They've already been made for drinks sold in
California."
This is a PERFECT example of the national
impact a California GMO labeling mandate can, and no doubt
WILL, have. While California is the only state requiring the
label to state that the product contains the offending
ingredient, these companies are switching their formula for
the entire US market, rather than have two different labels.
According to USA Today:
"A representative for Coca-Cola, Diana
Garza Ciarlante, said the company directed its caramel
suppliers to modify their manufacturing processes to reduce
the levels of the chemical 4-methylimidazole, which can be
formed during the cooking process and as a result may be
found in trace amounts in many foods. "While we believe that
there is no public health risk that justifies any such
change, we did ask our caramel suppliers to take this step
so that our products would not be subject to the requirement
of a scientifically unfounded warning," Garza-Giarlante said
in an email."
Educational Sources
To learn more about GM foods, I highly
recommend the following films and lectures:
Important Action Item: Support California's
Ballot Initiative to Label GMO's!
In 2007, then-Presidential candidate Obama
promised to "immediately" require GM labeling if elected. So
far, nothing of the sort has transpired.
Fortunately, 24 U.S. states have (as part of
their state governance) something called the Initiative
Process, where residents can bring to ballot any law they
want enacted, as long as it has sufficient support.
California has been busy organizing just such a ballot
initiative to get mandatory labeling for genetically
engineered foods sold in their state. The proposed law will
be on the 2012 ballot.
Since California is the 8th largest economy in
the world, a win for the California Initiative would be a
huge step forward, and would affect ingredients and labeling
nation-wide. A coalition of consumer, public health and
environmental organizations, food companies, and individuals
has submitted the
California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act
to the State Attorney General. Now, they need 800,000
signatures to get the Act on this year's ballot.
I urge you to get involved and help in any way
you can. Be assured that what happens in California will
affect the remainder of the U.S. states, so please support
this important state initiative, even if you do not live
there!
- Whether you live in California or not,
please
donate money to this historic effort
- Talk to organic producers and stores and
ask them to actively support the California Ballot. It
may be the only chance we have to label genetically
engineered foods.
- Distribute WIDELY the
Non-GMO Shopping Guide to help you identify and
avoid foods with GMOs. Look for products (including
organic products) that feature the Non-GMO Project
Verified Seal to be sure that at-risk ingredients
have been tested for GMO content. You can also download
the free iPhone application that is available in the
iTunes store. You can find it by searching for ShopNoGMO
in the applications.
- For timely updates, please join the
Organic Consumers Association on
Facebook, or follow them on
Twitter.
- Look for in-depth coverage of the issue
at the
Institute for Responsible Technology, subscribe to
Spilling the Beans, and check out their
Facebook or
Twitter.
June 13, 2012 6:37am