I look back on my college years with fondness. I can honestly say that they were some of the best times of my life, some of which I don't remember, but that's not the point. There was GS, our intramural football team (don't ask); our (almost) championship win in intramural volleyball (if only we had stopped one beer earlier); and our nights in the dairy barn collecting manure for analysis (yes, there was beer involved in that, too). There was biology, biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, genetics, and agronomy. We drove tractors, sheared sheep, docked tails, drew blood from cattle, went to slaughter houses to practice AI, and castrated pigs (I can hear a collective gasp).
Since that time, there have been so many changes and advancements in farming that I truly believe that I would need to go back to college to re-enter the industry. One of these changes involves the genetic engineering of crops. Known as GMOs (genetically modified organisms), GE (genetically engineered), or GM (genetically modified), biotech companies have found a way to alter the genetic make-up of crop seeds - crops grown for both livestock and human consumption.
Genes are being inserted into the seed to make crops resist insect damage, and not be harmed by herbicides. For example, entire crop fields can be sprayed with glyphosate (Roundup) with only the "weeds" killed and the food crop remaining unaffected. There are "Roundup Ready" alfalfa, soybeans, sugarbeets, cotton, and canola. This may be an advancement, but is it an improvement? Herbicide use was up 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008. It seems to me that Roundup-tolerant crops would lead to Roundup-resistant weeds much like our over use of antibiotics has led to antibiotic- resistant bacteria.
Another example is seed that produces the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin. Bt is a soil-dwelling bacterium, frequently used as a biological pesticide. It kills caterpillars. GM potatoes were first planted in the US in 1995 quickly followed by corn and cotton. In 2009, the company who developed this seed confirmed that Bt-resistant pests had developed. That didn't take long, did it? And how does all of this affect wildlife populations? Is there any connection between GM crops and Colony Collapse Disorder, identified in 2007? That's a question for minds sharper than mine.
The biotech companies claim that it's the future of farming; it's the only way we will be able to feed the planet going forward. So, we're going to eradicate hunger? I doubt that. Let's face it; hunger is fundamentally a social, economic, and/or political problem. The root cause of hunger is not a lack of food, but a lack of access to food; it's the inability to purchase food, or the land on which to grow it.
What a slippery slope! We're losing genetic variability. Predator and prey must evolve to coexist. We're talking finicky pure bred dog vs robust mixed breed - ever heard of hybrid vigor? Over the centuries, heirlooms, old varieties, and land races have evolved and adapted to micro-climates, diseases, and pests. The locally adapted and varied seed stock that farmers have created over time have been essentially wiped out. Every farmer is painfully aware of crop failure. Anyone remember the Irish Potato Famine?
Is it good for the planet? GM seed is designed to be co-dependent; to be used with synthetic herbicides and fertilizers, both requiring fossil fuels. In some cases, a particular gene exists in the seed but a chemical application is required in order for it to express itself in the plant. Guess who sells that chemical...
Where does that leave the organic farmer? Can organic remain organic? Can organic crops be grown without the threat of cross-pollination from GM crops?
It's frightening. The control of food production is swiftly being transferred from the farmer to the seed companies. Six companies control 98% of the world's seed sales. Farmers who buy GM seed are required to sign an agreement not to save and replant seed, meaning that they must purchase it from a biotech company every year. In fact, having identified them as significant competitors, one leading company allocates $10M of its budget to investigate and prosecute seed-savers. To make matters worse, smaller seed companies are being bought up by these biotech companies further limiting the seed sources. Sometimes it's done just to take seed off of the market!
Are GMOs safe for human consumption? They better be because it's estimated that they are present in approximately 70% of processed food in the US. But, where's the research? Most of it has been blocked by patented technology and limited access to seed. In addition, the biotech companies have successfully prevented the publishing of existing studies. Thirty countries have implemented significant restrictions or outright bans on GMOs yet right now in the US, crops are being genetically modified to adapt to climate change, and to be heat, drought, and flood tolerant.
Do you want to know what's in your food? I do! The FDA must act by March 27 on a petition filed by a coalition of some 300 companies, organizations, and doctors, to to protect the consumer's right to know what is in their food and require that all genetically engineered foods be labeled.
It sure seems like it takes little to get a product on the market and a lot to get it taken off. Folks, we need to get this one right...the first time.
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