Wallet Activism by Tanja Hester

Author:Tanja Hester
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781953295934
Publisher: BenBella Books
Published: 2021-08-29T00:00:00+00:00

WILL GMOS SAVE US OR KILL US?

Genetically modified organisms, shorthanded as GMOs, are the result of breakthroughs in genetic research that allow scientists to select a specific trait from one organism and insert that trait into the genome of another. This is a far cry from natural plant breeding methods, and thus GMOs cannot be present in foods that are certified organic.

GMOs are either our savior or our downfall, depending on who you talk to. Proponents say we cannot feed the world’s growing population without them because we need the higher yields that GMOs promise (but which they have, so far, not delivered39). Opponents say that GMOs are inherently unhealthy for us and many will go on to cite unscientific claims that really boil down to “they seem icky.” And sure, hearing that a frog gene has been spliced into a tomato makes it a little tough not to picture a frog as you’re biting through the gelatinous tomato flesh. But neutral experts tell us that GMOs are not inherently good or bad. If GMOs did deliver dramatically improved crop yields, those of us who purport to care about global poverty should be in favor of their use, as they could help avoid widespread famine and could be created to thrive in the drought conditions that are becoming more common as the planet heats up. Those results have not yet come to fruition, but that’s not to say they never will.

The problem with GMOs is not really about GMOs themselves, but rather the practices that they make possible. The bulk of the GMOs in our food today are engineered not to grow differently from their unaltered cousins, but to survive the onslaught of one particular and especially toxic herbicide: glyphosate, which goes by the brand name Roundup. “Roundup-ready” seeds grow into grain crops—mostly GMO corn, soybeans, and canola—that thrive even when doused with massive amounts of this potent weed killer. The herbicide is also widely used to kill and dry out non-GMO crops like beans, barley, oats, and wheat so that they can be harvested faster instead of being allowed to dry out at nature’s pace in the field. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer lists glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, and indeed, Roundup’s maker, Monsanto, has had to pay more than $10 billion to settle tens of thousands of cancer claims.40 Other studies have shown that it regularly causes health problems such as respiratory irritation and acute myeloid leukemia in those who work around it, and it has been linked to a wide range of effects, from hormone disruption and reproductive toxicity to liver and kidney damage, DNA damage, and neurotoxicity among those who consume it or even just live near fields where it’s used.41 Glyphosate also harms wildlife, soil biology, and whole ecosystems, and it has a range of unexpected harmful impacts.42 One study found that the presence of glyphosate increases the risk of humans in the area contracting Lyme disease, because the

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