10 Reasons to Say No to Genetically Engineered Crops and Foods
1.
Insect Resistance
Most genetically engineered (GE) crops are either engineered to produce
their own pesticide in the form of Bacillus thurengiensis (Bt)
or are engineered to be resistant to herbicides, which include "Roundup-Ready"
crops. Bt is used by organic farmers as a least-toxic alternative to control
bugs. Organic farmers use Bt sparingly and only as a last resort, but
thousands of acres of GE crops contain Bt. It's only a matter of time
before insects become resistant to Bt, some scientists say as little as
3-5 years. Then organic farmers will be left without this important tool.
"Roundup-Ready" crops allow farmers to spray their fields with the herbicide
RoundupTM (glyphosate) without harming the herbicide resistant crop. This
practice has led to increased use of glyphosate and insect resistance
to the herbicide.
2. Superweeds
Herbicide resistant crops have been shown to cross-pollinate with weeds
in the same family, creating super-weeds that are also resistant to herbicides.
This will lead to ineffective increased herbicide use because farmers
will spray the superweeds repeatedly, unaware that the weeds are herbicide-resistant.
Also, weeds that have cross-pollinated with GE crops bred to resist insect
may become invasive, spreading beyond their natural habitat and out-competing
native plants.
3. Pollen Drift
Pollen from GE crops has the potential to drift. If organic farmers' crops
become polluted with genetically engineered pollen, they may be subject
to loss of their organic certification and financial losses. Because of
GE pollen drifting form a neighboring farm, non-organic farmers have been
accused of using GE crops without paying for them. A Canadian canola farmer
was sued by Monsanto for patent infringement after the company allegedly
found their GE crops on his property. The farmer says he has never planted
Monsanto's seeds.
4. Harm to Wildlife
In a study published in Nature, Cornell University scientists found
that Monarch butterfly caterpillars are harmed by consuming Bt corn pollen
dusted on milkweed. European scientists have found that beneficial insects,
such as ladybugs and green lacewings, are similarly harmed. A 1997 study
published in New Scientist found that honeybees may be harmed from
feeding on GE canola flowers.
5. Harm to Soil
New York University microbiologists recently found that Bt corn leaks
Bt into the soil from its roots. The Bt can remain in the soil for 200+
days and can harm non-target organisms, said the study, which was published
in Nature.
6. Harm to Human
Health
The biotech industry and government assures us that GE foods are safe,
but scientific studies suggest this is not the case. A study published
in Journal of Medicinal Food shows that herbicide resistant soy
varieties contain lower levels of beneficial plant estrogens, when compared
to non GE soybeans. A 1996 study, published in the International Journal
of Heath Services, reported that milk from cows injected with recombinant
Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), a synthetically produced hormone that makes
cows produce more milk, contains increased levels of a growth factor that
has been linked to breast and gastrointestinal cancers in humans.
7. Hidden Allergens
Scientists have found that soybeans genetically engineered to contain
proteins from a Brazil nut can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive
to nuts, as reported in a study published in The New England Journal
of Medicine. Based on these findings, the company decided not to sell
the GE soybean, but next time the public may not be so lucky. Since GE
foods are not labeled, the public has no way of knowing if food that they
buy contains genes from species that they are allergic to.
8. Religious and
Moral Considerations
Fish genes have been incorporated into tomatoes to prevent freezing at
low temperatures and chicken DNA has been added to potatoes to increase
disease resistance. Many people who choose to not eat meat for religious
or moral reasons will begin to wonder if their vegetables are 100% meat-free
and do not know when they consume these GE vegetables. Also, by genetically
engineering our food and taking DNA from one species and splicing it into
another, we are essentially "playing God" with nature.
9. Antibiotic Resistance
In process of genetically engineering a product, antibiotic marker genes
are used to help with the transfer of DNA from one life form to another.
Scientists worry that this process could lead to increased antibiotic
resistance, which is already a serious problem.
10. GE Is Unfair
to Farmers
Biotechnology companies force farmers to sign contracts when purchasing
their genetically engineered seeds and crops. These grower's contracts
prevent farmers from being able to store seeds from year to year, which
the biotech companies claim would be a patent infringement. Additionally,
"terminator technology," which is not currently being commercialized but
is owned by a major seed company and USDA, will produce plants with sterile
seeds, making the practice of seed saving impossible.