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A Genetically Modified Future: Monsanto and You March 13, 2015 by Kimberly Andrews |
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The
term Genetically Modified Organism, or GMO, has become a buzz phrase over the
last 20 years, but many people are still uncertain of what it really means. Controversy
surrounds every facet of this technology, from the development of genetically
modified (GM) foods, to the patenting of specific genomes, to the safety of the
products, right down to whether marketed GM products should be labeled as such on
store shelves. There is a mass of information for the average consumer to wade
through in order to make an informed decision on whether he or she wants to put
these foods in his or her body. Much of this information is provided by
entities that have a vested interest in the topic, one way or the other. It is
my opinion that the advent of genetic modification in the food industry began
as an altruistic idea, but has been taken over by the individual desire for
wealth and prestige. Should we be concerned that everyday foods are being
genetically modified and are we really aware of which foods come from
genetically modified seeds?
GMOs
are living species whose genetic makeup has been altered in one way or another
to yield a more desirable product. Scientists and farmers have been
purposefully modifying plants and animals for centuries. Selective breeding and
hybridization of plants is technically a form of genetic modification, as
desired traits are observed in parents, who are selectively bred to promote the
expression of that gene in subsequent offspring. These practices are typically
not controversial, however it can take a very long time to develop a herd or
crop that is superior to the original set. A genetically engineered organism has
had its genetic material directly recombined through the addition or deletion
of certain genes. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the food
industry as it takes much less time for change to materialize using genetic
recombination than with methods like selective breeding.
Through
genetic modification, crops can be developed to tolerate a broader scope of
growing conditions. These conditions include a broadened tolerance to drought
conditions or colder temperatures. Crops can also be modified to have a more
nutrient dense composition, such as a higher vitamin A concentration. Still
other modifications made to crops include incorporation of genes to confer
resistance to insects that threaten their existence. Commercial use of this
technology began in 1994 with the development of the Flavr SavrTM
tomato. This tomato was “enhanced” with a gene that prolonged the life of the
fruit, ultimately reducing waste and growing sales. In 1996, the nefarious Monsanto
began commercially producing corn seeds they had modified to be naturally
resistant to a type of caterpillar known as the corn borer. This insect has
plagued corn crops around the globe. The company inserted a gene, naturally
present in the bacteria Bacillus
thuringiensis, into the genome of the corn. This gene produced a protein
that is lethal to the corn borer larvae. The resulting GM corn produced a
natural pesticide, reducing chemical pesticide use, saving the crops of farmers.
The benefits of GM food seem evident when looking at the two examples above. However,
not all of the genetic modification projects are quite as positive.
The
most common modifications made today involve the introduction of genes into
seeds to confer resistance to herbicides such as Roundup®, produced by the aforementioned Monsanto.
This company is often vilified in the news as a corporate devil. When looking
at their website, however, they portray themselves as a “sustainable
agriculture company” seeking to “empower farmers around the world” to glean the
most from the land they have in an efficient and cost-cutting manner. With an
exponentially growing population to feed and dwindling natural resources, this
seems like a mission and vision one could get behind, right? As with most
corporate entities, the truth is not so cut and dry. It is true that Monsanto
is leading the way in revolutionary agricultural technology. They are
forerunners in the biotech world, producing a myriad of different GM products. Upon
closer inspection, the list of GM seed products produced by this company
frequently includes foods modified to be tolerant to herbicides, also produced
by Monsanto, rather than foods modified to contain higher nutritional value or
other positive attributes.
One
of Monsanto’s premier products is canola seed. This seed is available as both a
winter variety and a spring variety and both come equipped with genes that make
them immune to Roundup®. These modified seeds contain
proprietary and patented genes, specifically the gene that makes them tolerant
to glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in Roundup®. When farmers purchase this
seed, or any genetically modified organism, they also must sign a licensing
agreement regulating how they use the seed, and the corresponding patented
biotechnology. These agreements state that the farmers will not give, sell, or
save the seed for replanting in subsequent seasons. If a farmer’s compliance is
thought to be in question they are reported, often by other farmers, to the
seed manufacturers. The manufacturing company then builds a case around the
farmer’s practices, including information from surveillance, seed purchase
orders, and field analysis. If a case is found to be valid, the company
confronts the farmer and they either settle outside of court with substantial
monetary penalties, or they continue on to litigation. In Monsanto’s history, no
GM patent infringement case that has gone to trial has ever been settled in the
farmer’s favor.
Monsanto
is perhaps the most well known company in the agricultural biotech arena, but it
is by no means the only player in the game. There are a group of companies,
known as the Big 6, that own the international seed industry (controlling
roughly 73% of commercial seed sales in 2007) and have the corner on
agrochemical engineering. These companies include Pioneer, a DuPont subsidiary
based in the USA; Syngenta AG, based in Switzerland; Dow Agrosciences, based in
the USA; BASF, based in Germany; and Bayer, based in Germany. For many of these
companies, the primary GMO products involve modifications that make them
resilient to the chemical products the company also produces. The concept of
matching herbicide resistant crops and herbicide products is a marketing dream.
The crops make the herbicide even more effective, reducing the workload of
farmers to spray their crops. As both products are manufactured by the same
entity, it is also a great corporate money-maker. Naturally, corporate research
and development teams are going to spend more time and money on the
money-making ventures, rather than the humanitarian ventures, such as
developing more nutrient rich foods. As with any living organisms though, weeds
and bugs can adapt. Insects are becoming immune to the modified crops and weeds
are becoming resistant to Roundup®.
What is the solution? Develop new herbicides/pesticides and modify crops with
new genes that make them tolerant of the new products.
What
began as promising technological advancement in biology is becoming a vicious
cycle of chemical use and corresponding genetic modification to strengthen
financial bottom lines. The FDA has established that the marketed GM foods are
Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). In other words, these products in and unto
themselves have not been shown to cause direct health effects in human beings.
The largest concerns revolve around the introduction of allergens into genetically
modified foods. To date, no GM foods have been linked to allergic reactions.
The genetic modifications have not been found to be harmful, but do we really
want to change the genes in plants so we can increase the amount of chemicals
we use on them, in turn increasing the number of chemicals we put in our
bodies? It is also important to remember that GM foods are patented. Patent
holding companies have the authority to approve or deny any research done
involving these plants. This limits the research that public scientists can
conduct on GM foods. Just because there is not a substantial body of research
showing that these products cause harm does not mean we can assume these
products are necessarily safe. The recommendation I have when deciding whether
you want to support GMO products or not is to look at the big picture. Who is
modifying the food? What is their end goal? How are these modifications
improving the foods we are putting into our bodies? While genetic modification
and engineering is a novel technology, it is not always necessary. Just because
we can alter plant genomes for easier farming methods and techniques today does
not mean we necessarily should.
Kimberly Andrews
Additional Sources:
1.
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech
Applications. (2013), ISAAA Brief
46-2013, Executive Summary: Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops:
2013. Available at: <http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/46/executivesummary/default.asp>.
2.
Monsanto. (2015). Monsanto at a
Glance. Available at: <http://www.monsanto.com/pages/default.aspx>.
3.
Schneider, KR; Goodrich-Schneider, R; Richardson, S. (Nov 2014). The
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Univerisity of Florida. FSHN02-2: Genetically Modified Food. Available
at: <http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs084>.
4.
Hasper, T. (15 Oct 2013). “Genetically Modified Foods: What Is and
Isn’t True.” The Washington Post.
Available at: <http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/genetically-modified-foods-what-is-and-isnt-true/2013/10/15/40e4fd58-3132-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html>.
5.
Lee, J. (26 Feb 2013). “CHARTS: World’s GMO Crop Fields Could Cover the
US 1.5 Times Over.” Mother Jones.
Available at: <http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2013/02/gmo-farming-crops-more-popular-than-ever-world-charts>.
6.
Leys, T. (13 Jan 2015). “Yes, We Have No GMO Bananas. For Now.” USA Today. Available at: <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/13/iowa-trial-of-gmo-bananas-is-delayed/21678303/>.
7.
Hellmich, RL.; Hellmich, KA. (2012) “Use and Impact of Bt Maize.” Nature Education Knowledge 3(10):4.
Available at: <http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/use-and-impact-of-bt-maize-46975413>.
8.
Biology Fortified. (2015). Genetic
Engineering Companies. Available at: <http://www.biofortified.org/resources/genetic-engineering-companies/>.
9.
Shand, H. (2012). “The Big Six: A profile of corporate power in seeds,
agrochemicals & biotech.” Available at <http://www.seedsavers.org/site/pdf/HeritageFarmCompanion_BigSix.pdf>.
This article was written by our newest guest contributor Kimberly
Andrews - who is also part of our growing local contingency in
Jamestown, NY. All of us at Can the Man would like to commend
Ms. Andrews on remaining diligent through the last few months and
producing such an important and well-written article!
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