The Consequences of Genetically Modified Food

“Iraqi Farmers prefer death to Bremer’s Order 81″ by Nancy Scola

“Iraqi’s New Patent Law: A declaration of war against farmers” from Focus on the Global South and GRAIN

“On India’s Farms a Plague of Suicide” by Somini Sengupta

“The Dying Fields” from PBS’ Wide Angle

“The Trouble with Percy” by Leora Broydo on a Canadian Farmers fight against Monsanto.

“Are there drugs in my corn flakes?” by Gregory M. Lamb
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Genetically modified organisms or better yet frankenfood is getting scarier by the day. Now the USDA is backing the commercial production of rice that has been genetically altered with HUMAN genes. Is this cannibalism? Even scarier is currently there is no labeling of such unearthly creations so we truly do not know what we are ingesting.

This rice is “said” to be a deterrent against diarrhea which is potentially deadly to children in poor countries. Isn’t there so many ways to fight against diarrhea causing bacteria and illnesses such as working to provide access to clean water, education and basic hygienic practices.
We have every right to know and make our own decision on whether or not to take these altered forms of nature into our bodies and feed them to our children.

USDA Backs production of Rice With Human Genes
GM Trials to find medicine raise new ethical fears; human gene crop fury
Rice with human genes: pharming in California
GM fears as human liver gene is put into rice
Human Gene gets put into rice
GM Potatoes could cause cancer
Federal Court Orders Halt on new field trials of genetically engineered crops
Genetically Modified Foods
Bayer defends genetic contaminated crop as “Act of God”

Congressman Dennis Kucinich and potential presidential candidate has devised a bill that would demand genetically modified foods to be labeled.
From his website:

Biotechnology and GM Seeds
“Advocate only for responsible farm sector biotechnology, creating an indemnity fund financed by the corporations responsible for the technology, for farmers who incur losses caused by genetically modified organisms. To protect farmers, labeling GMO seeds with disclosure and liability information must be required. To protect consumers, food containing GMOs also requires labeling.”

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Since humans began practicing the art of agriculture, we have strived to produce crops that would yield the most benefits. It all started simply enough by means of selective breeding using the seeds of the best plants in hopes to produce superior plants. “About 8,000 years ago, farmers in Central America crossed two mutant strains of a weedy looking plant called Balsas teosinte and produced the first corn on the cob” (Groleau). This form of genetic modification is a long process.In the 1990s biotechnological companies began, producing genetically modified (referred to as GMs) crops that are created by inserting specific genes from different plants and animals into plants. Since then there has been an influx of GM crops. “Global acreage of GM crops have risen 25- fold in just four years, from approximately 4.3 million acres in 1996 to about 100 million in 1999” (Tyson). This rampant insurgence of GM crops is frightening.

Americans have been consuming GM foods without their knowledge. “GM ingredients, in the form of modified enzymes, are found in virtually all breads, cheeses, sodas and beers, and farmers have been raising GM crops such as corn, soybeans and potatoes since the mid- 1990s”(Tyson). Eighty percent of all processed foods contain GM foods (Tyson).

The health risks of consuming these foods are for the most part unknown. What we do know is that GM foods have the risk of creating new allergens through the process of inserting exotic genes into plants, which may cause new proteins to be created. “After Pioneer Hi-Bred, Inc. used genetic engineering to add a gene from a Brazil nut into its soybeans, doctors found that consumers allergic to Brazil nuts were also allergic to the genetically altered soybeans”(Sanders). Since GM foods are not labeled, consumers are at risk of developing health problems with no way to trace them back to their origin. Those of us who follow diets such as Kosher or vegetarian restrictions may consume foods that go against their morals. Genes from chicken embryos are inserted into potatoes to aid in disease resistance. Genes from the Artic Flounder are inserted into strawberries as an anti-freeze (Webber).

Another health risk imposed by the consumption of GM foods is antibiotic resistance. According the WHO the third largest danger to human health is antibiotic resistance. “There is some concern that the process of inserting genes is not precise. Scientists can not tell exactly where they go or how many reach their target, necessitating the need for marker genes, many of which are resistant to an antibiotic” (Webber). If someone where taking an antibiotic and ate a tomato which retained a marker gene it would negate the power of the medication.

There are risks to agriculture with GM crops. Producing genetically modified crops is an expensive business and biotechnological companies are extremely profit driven. Small farmers do not have the resources to pay for GM seeds therefore the risk of creating large agro businesses that will create the majority of our food stuffs is very real .“Far from being a solution to the world’s hunger problem, the rapid introduction of genetically engineered crops may actually threaten agriculture and food security” (Rosset). There is also the danger of creating super pests and super weeds. “If pests evolve tolerance to a crop’s built-in insecticide, say, or if weeds develop immunity to weed killers sprayed over fields of herbicide resistant GM plants, that crop– and the people that count on it—could suffer” (Tyson).

the other hand, biotechnology is a promising new field of scientific discovery, which can lead to numerous benefits. The nutritional value of staple crops can be increased. Golden rice, for example, stimulates our own bodies to produce vitamin A. In developing countries 2 million children die each year of vitamin A deficiency and 500,000 become permanently blind (Tyson). The possibility of genetically adding vaccines to tomatoes or bananas would make it easier to ship, store and deliver vital immunizations in developing countries.

Farmers typically produce GM crops using fewer pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers creating less pollution. Biotechnology can also aid in increasing crop yields. Scientists have used biotechnology to pinpoint a gene that could help wheat, a major food staple, grow on millions of acres worldwide that are now hostile to the crop.

Legislation that would mandate the labeling of genetically modified foods has been stuck in committees for four years. Opponents of GM labeling based on the premise that labeling would cause confusion to public (Hyps). There seems to be a condescending air to their comments. In 1992, the FDA declared that biotech foods are the same as conventional foods so labeling is not necessary. A reasonable alternative to labeling of GM foods would be mandatory approval of GM foods before they are marketed under the FDA’s current policy that is not necessary.

In January 2000, an international trade agreement for labeling GM foods was established. More than 130 countries, including the US, the world’s largest producer of GM foods, signed the agreement. The policy states that exporters must be required to label all GM foods and that importing countries have the right to judge for themselves the potential risks and reject GM foods, if they so chose (Coffield). American consumers deserve the same right to know. The United States was forced to sign this policy due to the sentiment of the European Union and developing countries against GM foods.

Cloned animals also play a part in this debate since their creation depends upon genetic engineering. The FDA has imposed a voluntary moratorium on allowing cloned animals and their products into the food supply while it creates regulations. On October 31, 2003 the FDA, releases a preliminary report stated that there is no evidence that meat or milk derived from cloned animals can harm people. “The FDA wants public reaction to it’s assessment of cloning’s impact on the food supply before it decides if cloned farm animals will require government approval before being sold as food” (CBS/AP). The FDA’s preliminary report is based on no studies on cloned meat and one study on cloned milk (Mendelson).

It seems clear to me that interest groups such as the large Biotechnological Firms are influencing the US federal regulations at the expense of the consumer. You are what you eat is commonly accepted, but without labeling and in depth study of genetically modified organisms we have no idea what we are consuming and providing to our families.

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