Stay away from GMO "foods"

I have a really strong bias against genetically modified organisms(GMO’s) being sold as food for people. The large agricultural-industrial companies developing GMO products argue that they are identical to unaltered “natural” products concerning nutrition and metabolism. The only differences are supposed to be increased drought resistance or insect resistance or greater yield or better flavor. The problem is that no one really knows what the health effects of eating GMO products might be.

We do not know what cloning or inserting “extra” genes into plants does to them. We have a better idea of what it does to animals. Cloned animals tend to live shorter lives, to be more susceptible to some diseases and to have more genetic defects than “naturally conceived” animals. Why should anyone believe some of these same problems would not also turn up in GMO plants? It would be much more difficult to tell in a corn plant than in a calf or salmon.

There is not much of a track record testing GMO products. We all know how the FDA and USDA go about approving new types of products for human consumption. A few laboratory comparative tests paid for by the company wanting to sell the product is often all that is required for approval. No long-term animal tests are conducted, no human testing is needed. No public comment or approval is needed. The people eating them, often unwittingly(because the responsible government agencies refuse to require labeling), are the test subjects.

Now think about a few of the wonderful things this has allowed into our food supply: bisphenol-A(BPA) lining every metal food can and in almost every baby and water bottle, unacceptably high levels of man-made pesticides in and on most fresh commercial vegetables and fruits, trans-fats promoted as part of a “heart-healthy” diet for many years, bovine growth hormone(BGH) routinely fed to cattle to increase milk production(again with no labeling required on the resulting dairy products sold). All of these were allowed under existing government regulations and are still allowed. All have been proven harmful to humans. Now big agriculture wants us to believe, with no evidence, that GMO products will not harm us.

There is already GMO soy and corn on the market. It is supposed to be used only for animal feed but shipments get mixed up regularly. Few incidents make it into the national news. Even if these GMO products could be successfully kept out of human consumption, we would still be consuming poultry, pork and beef fed a regular diet of GMO grain. No one knows what the effects of this will be. And already there are many signs of the GMO products spreading genetic material into the wild ecosystem. Again, no one knows what the long term repercussions might be. It is all a grand experiment, carried out by big agriculture with the government’s consent and no input from the public.

GMO products in commercial agriculture are the single best argument for buying organic vegetables and fruit whenever possible. At least try to buy more locally, from farmers markets and roadside stands. Grow your own fresh herbs in pots. Grow as much fresh produce at home as practical. Every little bit helps. We do not need to be part of the great GMO experiment.