Many of us have strong feelings when it comes to Monsanto and other Agricultural Biotechnology companies (DuPont, Syngenta, etc.), especially with the media coverage of these companies in recent times. However, while many ethics issues could be researched with these companies, I would like to focus this topic on the safety, efficacy, and benefits that can come from genetically modified foods, especially with the recent surge in anti-GMO individuals that have begun to be heard.
I came into this argument with only my view of Monsanto to guide me, and trust me I was biased against this company because of their business practices (many of these practices I have recently found out are alleged, and most likely not true). However, I decided that looking at the science was the way to truly judge these companies.
One site I find that grants information on the peer-reviewed journal articles that defend the GMO industry was:
BioFortified
On their site, they are currently working toward cataloging all the papers that support the Genetic Modification industry. As of this day, they have over 600 papers listed in their GENERA project and will continue to add more as time progresses. The overall literature has approximately 3,000 papers justifying the safety of these food products to be given to humanity and animals as food.
One major argument against the increase in genetically modified foods is the supposed increase in pesticide use for GMO plants. However, much of the increase in pesticide use can be attributed to two other causes. The first reason is farmers who do not understand that they can use less of the conventional sprays and overspray their crops. The other major contributor to the increase in pesticides is actually the Organic food industry. According to Joe Ballenger, to my surprise, I found that organic operations actually increase the amount of inputs put into the environment by requiring higher concentrations and more frequent applications of pesticides.
Source
In fact, even Penn and Teller have taken the organic industry to task on their show Bullshit for the fact that they are increasing their market share through fear-mongering and propaganda. One interesting fact is the current standing of Whole Foods versus Organic’s demon Monsanto in the Forbes top 500 list for 2013. Both of these companies stand relatively near one another in the rankings, with Monsanto being number 206 and Whole Foods is number 232.
Penn and Teller Bullshit: Organic Farming
Source
Finally, I feel that the Anti-GMO groups are doing a disservice to our worldwide community by forcefully stopping introduction of crops such as Golden Rice, which can reduce blindness due to Vitamin A deficiency, into regions like Southeast Asia. Vitamin A deficiency leads to approximately 500,000 cases of blindness a year worldwide. Golden Rice is genetically modified to contain Beta-Carotene, which breaks down in the body to vitamin A.
Source: Cases of blindness
Source: Golden Rice
My major point is that these products, while not guaranteed to be safe, have a process for checking safety and that the GMOs that have been released to the public at this time have stood up to scientific scrutiny. Minimal problems have been discovered from the introduction of GMOs over twenty years ago, enough so that the EU is considering removing the ban in place on these products. GMOs are a means to feeding an ever growing human population and to providing nutrition to individuals worldwide who would go without certain nutrients otherwise. GMOs=Good and a bright future for humanity.
The theory of evolution by cumulative natural selection is the only theory we know of that is in principle capable of explaining the existence of organized complexity. - Richard Dawkins
Creationists make it sound as though a 'theory' is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night. - Issac Asimov
If you removed all the arteries, veins, & capillaries from a person’s body, and tied them end-to-endthe person will die. - Neil Degrasse Tyson
What would Buddha do? Nothing! What does the Buddhist terrorist do? Goes into the middle of the street, takes the gas, *pfft*, Self-Barbecue. The Christian and the Muslim on either side are yelling, "What the Fuck are you doing?" The Buddhist says, "Making you deal with your shit. - Robin Williams
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