wisewords
The Truth about GMOs Plant Pathologist Don Huber Reveals the Risks
by Melinda Hemmelgarn A
t least 70 per- cent of pro- cessed foods in
supermarkets contain genetically modified (GMO) ingredients, mainly from corn, soy, canola, sugar beets and cottonseed oil. Yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require GMO food labeling, despite overwhelming consum-
er support for their “right to know.” Genetic engineering goes beyond traditional plant breeding because it al- lows scientists to cross species barriers and insert a gene from one organism into another that would not normally occur. Examples include inserting bac- terial DNA into a plant to effect traits such as pest or herbicide resistance. Plant Pathologist and Purdue University Professor Emeritus Don Huber, Ph.D., speaks out internationally about the risky business of biotechnology.
We are told we need GMOs to “feed the world,” but will
GMOs provide affordable food for the masses, as Monsanto ads tell us?
There is nothing in the GMO process that has add- ed any new yield potential to any crop. All of the yield increases achieved in the past 15 years have been through traditional breed- ing programs.
When Professor Karen
McAfee, an economist at Yale Universi- ty, analyzed the GMO claim, she found that the only entity that benefited was the biotechnology industry (Geoforum report). Nutritional quality has suffered, food safety has been compromised by the toxic entities involved in the ge- netic engineering process and farmers’ production costs have increased sig- nificantly, while quality and harvested yield potential have decreased. What we see in practice are failed promises.
What is the risk and potential harm to people and the planet due to GMOs?
There are two serious risk factors involved in current genetically engi- neered plants. The first is an increase in plant, animal and human diseases plus pests associated with GMO crops, reported by sources as diverse as the European Journal of Agronomy, Earth Open Source and the University of Leipzig, in Germany. The second is abusive use of the chemical products that the herbicide-tolerant GMOs have been developed to tolerate; supporting studies include research published in the European Journal of Agronomy and the Fluid Fertilizer Foundation’s Forum. For example, glyphosate in many weed killer formulations is used exces- sively both on Roundup-ready crops and as a single chemical for general weed control. This has resulted in super weeds, super pathogens, compromised natural biological controls and devastated com- ponents of the soil biology responsible for nutrient availability and function. Recent research from institutions around the world, including the UK’s King’s College and Leipzig University, is now showing a link between GMO crops and/or the products they produce or tolerate and increased incidence of mutations, chronic fatigue syndrome, Par- kinson’s disease, allergies, birth defects, cancer, reproductive failure and other health effects. It is a heavy price for soci- ety to pay for a massive experiment. Scientists also are seeing hazard- ous levels of some of the products excessively used to grow GMO crops accumulating in the Earth’s soil, water and air. The biodegrading process of those substances often takes much longer than anticipated, and damage to non-target crops, plants and organisms is becoming a serious concern (Plant
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