GMO Foods:
Environmental Risks of Genetically Modified Foods
Destroying one pest that harms a certain crop may be removing what is a food source for another animal. Genetically modified organisms are proving toxic to some animals, such as a study done by the Committee for Independent Research and Genetic Engineering at the University of Caen in France, which showed kidney and liver toxicity in rats fed a variety of Monsanto's GM corn. GMO foods may harm beneficial insects too, with GMOs being implicated in the decline of bee colonies in North America.
One of the supposed purposes of genetically modified organisms was to help increase food production in poor countries. So the development of “terminator seeds” (seeds that produce a crop containing sterile seeds), effectively eliminates this benefit, as it makes it impossible for poor farmers to save seeds for future planting, instead forcing them to buy seeds every season from the manufacturer (Monsanto).
Genetically modified crops require an intensive, regular application of pesticides and herbicides, leading to pesticide-resistant insects that could be avoided by organic planting and regular crop rotation.
The dangers of genetically modified foods are serious enough to warrant a ban on them, as has already been done in some countries. Unfortunately, the U.S. government is full of former biotechnology company executives or those who have close ties to them. Largely due to this, GM alfalfa has recently been deregulated.
Though the USDA was required by a federal district judge to complete a proper environmental impact statement, the results of which showed that GM alfalfa poses a significant threat to both organic and conventional agriculture, the agency nevertheless gave unrestricted planting of the crop the green light.
As reported by Natural News:
The chain of toxicity goes way beyond mere GE alfalfa, of course. Alfalfa is largely used to feed cows who tend to collect and concentrate toxins in their fat tissues, raising them to much higher concentrations than what was originally found in the plants.Additionally, there is evidence (but not yet conclusive proof) to suggest that GE alfalfa may release pesticide chemicals into the bodies of cows during digestion. Cows eat a tremendous amount of alfalfa each day, further concentrating potential toxins that may be present in their feed. When those cows are then slaughtered and turned into hamburgers in fast food restaurants, they may theoretically be delivering extremely high concentrations of pesticide toxins that were originally found in their feed grasses (or corn, for that matter).
GMO foods pose a major threat to the environment and our health. Eliminate them as much as you can from your diet (check out our article on how to avoid GMOs), buy organic as often as possible, and call your government representatives to let them know you will not accept this tainted food that endangers our whole ecosystem.
Questions or Comments About GMOs?
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