Why Modify Genes?

Genetic engineering is no longer science fiction. The world's most profitable seller of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), America's own Monsanto, specifically engineers seeds to tolerate its herbicide. Are herbicide-tolerant plants more productive? A study by Charles Benbrook the former director of the Board on Agriculture at the National Academy of Sciences, says no. In more than 8,200 field trials, Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” (RR) seeds produced fewer bushels of soybeans than similar unmodified varieties. Then why do farmers keep buying Monsanto’s patented RR seeds? For the same reason homeowners use Roundup on their lawns rather than pulling weeds by hand. It's easier.

Did you know that the largest user of the herbicide Roundup is the U.S. Government? That’s right. Each year we spray truckloads of the herbicide over the northern countries of South America in an effort to discourage cultivation of the coca plant. This indiscriminant drug-fighting effort is called Plan Colombia. Google it for yourself. You may also find an article about our not-so-precise use of the herbicide (also known as “Agent Orange”) during the Vietnam War.

Now, what happens when the company that sells the patented GM seeds also sells the patented herbicide? It makes lots of money, of course. In 2005, Monsanto's net sales totaled $2.20 billion (MSNBC). And Monsanto continues to make a killing (forgive the pun) as it buys out more and more seed companies on its way to becoming the world's largest vegetable and fruit seed dealer.

Unfortunately, farmers aren’t benefiting from this monopoly. In March 2001, a judge ordered Percy Schmeiser, a small farmer in Saskatchewan, to pay Monsanto thousands of dollars after its genetically engineered canola was found growing on his farm. How did the plants get there? Pollen had blown onto his fields from neighbouring farms. It cost Schmeiser thousands of dollars and his dearest treasure: his seeds. He was forced to destroy his stockpile of unique seed that his family had developed over many years. Sadly, the law is not on the side of farmers.

Are GM foods safe? That's the $211 billion question. And according to the African Centre for Biosafety the answer is no. They claim that "Monsanto's Roundup Ready GM wheat is unsafe for human and animal consumption and poses unacceptable risks to human and animal health, biodiversity and the environment." The use and overuse of herbicides risks the health of our environment as well as agribusiness. Cross-pollination (the fertilization of a normal plant with pollen from a GM plant) may lead to triple herbicide resistance and impossible to kill superweeds. A scary scenario.

And how about superBUGs? Some scientists believe antibiotic markers (genetic tags) in GMOs may contribute to the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics against disease. Not to mention the viruses that are used to infiltrate the cell wall in order to modify the organisms.

What can you do to avoid GM foods? Actually, you’ve probably already eaten them. Crop varieties developed by genetic engineering were first introduced for commercial production in 1994. Nearly two-thirds of products on supermarket shelves today contain genetically engineered ingredients. But you wouldn’t know it. That’s because Congress and the FDA do not require the labeling of GM foods. According to the Pew Initiative, as of 2004, genetically engineered varieties accounted for 85 percent of all soy planted, 45 percent of all U.S. corn planted, and 76 percent of all cotton planted. Other GM food crops grown by U.S. farmers include canola, squash, and papaya.

If this makes you think, you should watch the film that inspired this blog: The Future of Food.

Another great source:
A History and Overview of Monsanto's Biotech Madness