Getting-to-know-GMO

The conversation and questions surrounding GMO foods has been increasing and building. What I often hear is frustration and confusion in understanding what it is and how it affects us. I foresee there will be updated science, driven by both sides of the argument, that will be consistently released. My intention with this post is to share what I’ve found and what I understand. As always, I strongly encourage everyone to do their own homework and research as it relates to genetically engineered foods in order to make decisions that feel right for you and your family.

According to the World Health Organization, “Genetically modified organisms can be defined as organisms (i.e plants, animals or microorganisms), in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. ..It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between nonrelated species.” This process is distinctly different than the hybridization we are familiar with farmers performing. GMO foods are a laboratory process where the genes of the DNA of one species are artificially forced into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal. The genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects or animals.

 

How and when did it start?

The process began in 1973 where the idea for man-made DNA was formed. In 1980 the first GMO patent was approved, and in 1982 the FDA approved the first GMO. This was Humulin, an insulin produced by genetically engineered E.coli. In 1994, the FDA approved the Flavr Savr tomato for sale in grocery stores. This is when GMO foods began finding their way into our diets. Since then, the most dominant GMO crops include soy (94%), corn (88%), canola (90%), sugar beets (95%), Hawaiian papaya (50%), cotton (90%), alfalfa, zucchini, yellow squash, potatoes, rice, white button mushrooms, salmon. mustard and tobacco. In addition to these crops, there are a number of crops that are not GMO but farmers apply glyphosate near harvest as a dessicant/ripener. To date, these include wheat, oats, barley, rye, sugar cane, beans, lentils, peas, flax, sunflower and chickpeas. Yes, unfortunately for all the hummus lovers, non-organic hummus has tested very high for glyphosate content. Bear in mind, this also includes the byproducts of these foods, soy lecithin, soy protein, corn starch, and all products containing sugar to start. Also of importance, the majority of conventional livestock and dairy facilities feed the animals GMO grain. The chemical residue will be in the tissues, cartilage, milk and bones of these animals. These foods are created and engineered by chemical companies.

The majority of GMO crops are designed to be able to withstand a chemical application that would otherwise destroy them. This allows the grower to chemically kill all the weeds by mass spraying without killing the crop. The GMO chemicals are in the soil which the roots draw from and the plants themselves are saturated in these chemicals. One of the chemicals used in greatest abundance is glyphosate. In 1987, 11 million pounds of glyphosate were applied to US crops. That number is now 300 million pounds of glyphosate just in the US alone. The EPA has also relaxed its regulations on glyphosate and increased what it considers a safe amount of glyphosate exposure.

In 2014, nearly 500 million acres of biotech crops were grown in 28 countries, 15 million more than 2013. Most of these harvests go to livestock. In the US, 95% of the conventional livestock animals have been consuming GMO grain for 20 years.

 

How does it affect us?

There is conflicting research here, depending on how and who has funded it. This creates confusion. However, there is mounting indisputable research forming on the effects of glyphosate. What is established is glyphosate:

  • Is a probable human carcinogen
  • Negatively impacts and disrupts the gut microbiome
  • Interferes with the body’s ability to break down and assimilate proteins
  • Interferes with the body’s natural detoxification process, methylation, sulfation
  • Impairs the liver
  • Can contribute to higher oxalate levels
  • Contributes to increased inflammation
  • May increase risk for birth defects
  • Increases risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, compromising every organ and system in the body

There are currently 64 countries that require GMO labeling to indicate a food that has been genetically engineered. The US is not one of them.

 

Doesn’t it help with the hunger crisis?

There was an initiative that GMO foods have the capacity to help with hunger by streamlining massive agriculture production. In reality this is not the outcome. The destruction to soil and its ability to support any type of crop besides the GMO seed limits what can be produced. In addition, the weeds and organisms the GMO is intended to destroy are becoming more and more resistant, requiring farmers to purchase and apply more and more of the chemicals. This can be prohibitively expensive. The super weeds are 7-11 times more resistant to glyphosate which requires even more of the chemical to be applied. Much of the GMO crops also are engineered to not produce seed and to require a chemical activator before they will sprout. This means a farmer cannot collect seed and purchase a smaller quantity of seed with each harvest. Instead, they have to purchase all their seed every year and the chemical to activate them. In places where there is starvation occurring, this is prohibitively expensive and unsustainable. To date, four companies own almost 60% of the seed market. The four companies are Monsanto, Dow, DuPont and Syngenta. These are all chemical companies.

There are a few ways we can feel empowered to slow the tide on this movement. First, support GMO labeling legislation when it lands on the ballot. Most consumers would opt to purchase non-gmo if given the choice. This is the second way we can make a difference, purchasing power. The more consumers consistently choose organic and to choose not to purchase products or visit businesses that use GMO, producers may not stop entirely, but organic foods will at least continue the rise they have already been seeing. Read your labels, look for ingredients that are derived from any of the GMO or glyphosate crops. Remember that organic labeling can unfortunately be misleading on packaged foods. In order for every ingredient to be organic, it must say 100% organic. “Made with organic ingredients” means some of the ingredients are not organic. As always support your local farmers markets and CSA’s, look for certified organic markets or talk to your vendors, visit their farms. It is easy to become desensitized to all that is out there but this is one area where more mindfulness now may help prevent health decline later, for ourselves, our communities and our environment.

Resources:

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/

http://www.gmoinside.org/about-us/
http://www.newsweek.com/glyphosate-now-most-used-agricultural-chemical-ever-422419

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/queen-of-green/faqs/food/understanding-gmo/

http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/glyphosate-toxicity-interview-with-thierry-vrain-zm0z16jjzkin

http://agsci.psu.edu/magazine/articles/2015/spring-summer/the-science-of-gmos

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945755/

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/business/monsanto-roundup-safety-lawsuit.html

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-seeds-of-suicide-how-monsanto-destroys-farming/5329947

1 Comment

  1. Shane Berkovich on February 24, 2019 at 11:12 am

    yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a risky conclusion outstanding post! .

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