The GMO corn doesn't need pesticides because the pesticides are right there in the corn. Yummy! I'm sure Monsanto did this as a great gift to the whole world. Boy, I bet they would be upset if they destroyed organic farming or something with their BT insertion!
ompersonal.com.ar
GMOs = Genetically Modified Organisms
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Genetic engineering can have unexpected consequences
A lab study using GMO yeast showed levels of a toxic substance that were 30-200 times higher than found in yeast naturally.
A GMO soybean with a gene from a Brazil nut triggered allergic reactions, even though the scientists thought that the gene they used from the nut would be harmless to people with nut allergies. The soybean was not marketed.
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Snack foods
Look for corn and potato chips.
About 20% of the U.S. corn crop is GMO.
Most goes into processed food, like chips, or as corn syrup, oil and cornstarch. Much also goes for animal feed.
There is a small amount of GMO corn grown for popcorn as well.
Frito-Lay, the nation's largest snack food company, told their corn growers not to use GMO seed, and says they will source non-GMO potatoes also. McCain Foods, which sells some french fries to Burger King, has announced they will not use GMO potatoes.
Over 95% of the GMO crops grown in the US fall into one of two categories: crops engineered to withstand application of chemical weed killers (called "herbicide tolerant" plants); or "plant pesticides," crops in which the plant is considered a pesticide (also called "insect resistant" crops).
Most of the GMO corn and all GMO potatoes are this second type, and are called "Bt" crops.
Bt: this is a natural bacteria that was found to be useful as an insecticide. Farmers have used this "biological" pest control as a spray since the early 1960's.
Bt sprays are the only emergency pest control that organic growers are allowed to use.
But GMO Bt crops may make Bt sprays obsolete. Scientists say that insects will soon develop resistance to Bt because of widespread planting of Bt crops.
These "superbugs" created by Bt plants could put organic farmers out of business.
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Salad dressings
Most salad dressings use soy or canola oil. Along with corn, these are the most widely grown GMO crops in North America. Half of the US soy crop and over half of canola (mostly from Canada) is GMO.
Most soy and canola are herbicide tolerant varieties. About 70% of the acreage of GMO crops are this kind of plant.
The most widely grown herbicide tolerant variety is called "Roundup Ready" (RR), there is RR soy, canola, corn, cotton and sugar beet on the market.
Monsanto makes the herbicide Roundup, and now they also make RR crops, which allow farmers to spray the chemical right on the crop. Roundup kills virtually any plant, but RR crops are not harmed by the chemical.
Biotech companies say that GMOs will reduce chemical use, but studies show that farmers who grow RR soy use 2-5 times more herbicide than conventional growers do.
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Baby food
No one knows the long-term health effects of GE foods. The Food Association (FDA) allows GMO foods on the market with no testing because they say GMO foods are the same as their natural counterparts.
But even scientists within the FDA said that GMO foods are different and could lead to different risks.
Health concerns include unexpected allergies and unexpected toxins.
Antibiotic resistance is also a concern. Many GMO crops use genes for antibiotic resistance. If these genes transfer in the environment to disease-causing bacteria, this could lead to diseases that cannot be controlled with common medications.
Thousands of doctors have called on the biotech industry to stop using antibiotic resistance genes. Yet these crops are still grown and making their way into our food. Greenpeace tested a Gerber cereal mix and found GMO soy and corn.
Concerned about consumer pressure, Gerber, Heinz and other manufacturers declared they will not use GE ingredients in baby food. Consumer pressure works!
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Cotton Products (Diapers, tampons, cotton balls, etc.)
We think of cotton as a fiber crop, but most of the plant goes for animal feed, and some for human food (as cottonseed oil).
GMOs are a threat to the environment, so even non-food uses support this ecological experiment.
The spread of "exotic" plants and other species is the second-leading cause of extinction. Exotics are species that are released into an environment in which that species did not evolve. Ecologists warn that GMOs are "exotic" species by definition.
Gene flow from GMOs could create uncontrollable weeds, or otherwise alter the natural landscape.
Once released into the environment, GMOs cannot be recalled. The environmental damage is irreversible.
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Cereal
Supermarkets carry many brands, often including their own store brand. If you don't want GMOs in their store brand corn flakes, you need to tell them - consumer pressure can work!
In Britain, consumers asked supermarkets to stop using GMOs in their store brands; today, virtually every major chain there has eliminated GMOs. Many say they will also stop using GMOs as animal feed, so their meat and poultry products will be GMO-free.
Kellogg's has told Europeans they will stop using GMOs, but here they say their cereals contain GMO ingredients. Companies like Nestle, Kraft, McDonalds and others also have this double standard.
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Back to fresh products
With no GMO-free brands, the best way to avoid GMOs is to buy fresh produce, other whole foods (nuts, grains, beans, rice, etc), and organic food as much as possible.
The same companies that have sold pesticides for the past 50 years are now selling GMOs. These companies say that pesticides are safe and environmentally friendly.
The evidence of the past 50 years shows that pesticides have been an environmental and public health menace. Recent studies show that herbicides and insecticides in the environment effect the immune system, hormone levels, and brain functioning, and that children are especially at risk.
Now the companies that brought us toxic pesticides are trying to genetically alter all of our food. They say that GMOs are safe and environmentally friendly. They say GMOs can replace pesticides. But they still sell pesticides, and now they link their toxic chemicals to GMO crops.
The real solution to pesticide use is truly sustainable agriculture. For example, organic production, which by definition excludes the use of GMOs. Organic farms:
Promote health of the entire farming system - soil, crops, animals, and people.
Are not "old fashioned," but based on modern, scientific concepts of agroecology.
Farm problems are not viewed as battles against nature, but resolved in harmony with natural cycles.
Are certified by independent agencies; U.S. national standards will soon be finalized, so organic food will be grown under uniform standards.
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Organic food is popular
It is the fastest growing segment of the food industry: at 20% per year, the organic industry is a $6 billion a year business, growing faster than computers or telecommunications.
When given a choice between GMOs, conventional food, or organic food, most Americans said they would prefer organic.
Other than supermarkets, you can also get organics at farmer's markets or through community supported agriculture (CSA) projects, whereby farmers deliver fresh produce directly to a community or individuals. Check state or regional farm organizations for CSA farms in your area.
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Organic food can be more expensive but ...
The health and environmental costs of pesticides in the U.S. have been estimated at as much as $4 billion a year. These are costs that we all pay through higher taxes, expensive health care, environmental clean-up, etc.
Chemical companies and industrial farms get huge subsidies from our tax dollars. Over 99 percent of government research and development funding goes to biotech and chemical farming. There is no level playing field for organic farmers.
If organics were supported like industrial farming, the price would go down and we would avoid the costs associated with industrial farming.
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GMOs are potentially more dangerous than farm chemicals !!
Pesticide pollution is long lasting, but attempts can be made to clean it up or contain it.
GMOs, once they are released into the environment, cannot be recalled. Genes can't be traced or stopped.
The only way to avoid genetic pollution is to stop the release of GMOs. That's why Greenpeace calls for a ban on GMOs in our farms and food.
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