A GMO is a genetically modified organism. In layman’s terms, it’s a living organism (plant or animal), whose genes have been manipulated in a lab for a specific outcome.
Most of the time a plant’s genes are spliced into to animal/bacteria’s genes, or vise versa – Ewwww!
More than 60 countries require GMO labeling (or ban GMOs altogether) for a number of reasons. While there are many, these are some of the most common concerns, and why I recommend avoiding genetically-modified food where possible.
1. Safety Issue: Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont, Dow etc, will promise you their GMO products have met safety requirements, but the truth is that the effects of these GMO crops on the health of livestock is terrible (gastrointestinal distress, ulcers etc), and long term human studies haven’t been conducted. We are a giant human experiment right now, because most of us are eating them, like it or not.
2. More Allergens: What we do know is that when genetic modification takes place, genes are forced to express certain traits (including pesticides). When this happens, allergens that would normally not be expressed in a non-GMO variety, can be released. Many believe that this could be the cause of the exponential rise in allergies and digestive health issues, particularly in children.
3. Toxic pesticides and herbicides: By design, genetically modified seeds require pesticides and herbicides. While some manufacturers have claimed the pesticide use would decrease over time, it’s actually increased.
4. Digestive Distress: The main function of herbicides and pesticides is to kill unwanted plants and insects. Glyphosate—the most common herbicide used on GMO crops can negatively impact the gut bacteria of humans. To learn more about this, I highly recommend watching the movie, Genetic Roulette.
5. Cancer: Both pesticides and GMOs have been connected with an increased risk of certain types of cancer. Flags have also been raised about reproductive issues, autism and even heart disease.
6. Environmental impact: GMO crops and their companion pesticides and herbicides pollute air, water and soil. Glyphosate—marketed by Monsanto as the herbicide Roundup, destroys the integrity and quality of the soil and thus degrades the plant’s nutritional value. Cross-polination between GMO and non-GMO crops is unavoidable, and can destroy natural plant varieties in the wild.
7. Super bugs and super weeds: Despite the claims that pesticides and GMO crops will rid crops of the weeds and insects that can kill them, the opposite is proving to be true: Farmers in the Midwest are now battling superbugs and superweeds resistant to pesticides. They’re damaging crops and farm equipment and costing the farmers more money in having to apply heavier doses of toxic pesticides.
8. Patent and bio-tech control: At the core of the GMO bio-tech industry is the corporate ownership of seed and seed patents. Monsanto has created the “suicide” seed, where the seeds of the plant will not grow. This means that each year the farmer has to buy new seeds from Monsanto. The attempted takeover of agriculture in India by Monsanto is well explained in this article by activist Vandana Shiva.
