The Secret Behind GMOs
If there’s a problem, why are GMOs on the shelf?
Since the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops in the mid-1990s, there have been two key areas of concern surrounding them. The initial focus was whether GM food products were harmful to eat, and as of yet there has been no proof that they’re dangerous for human consumption.
That brings us to the current and more founded concern of whether GM related products are having a negative effect on the environment and the people using them. Many farmers, gardeners and green thumbed yard-keepers have been in the news and courtrooms over the last few years, claiming that the use of glyphosate, most notably in agrochemical company Monsanto’s RoundUp product line, has caused serious health issues–namely cancer. ¹
Research is ongoing, though in 2015 the World Health Organization said glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans,” and in 2019, the University of Washington published a report that concluded glyphosate usage increased the risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by 41%. ¹
Studies that conclude glyphosate isn’t linked to cancer in humans have been disputed. Bayer, who purchased Monsanto in 2018, as well as the US government, “may not be considering all types of exposure in their analyses, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe.” ²
Monarch butterflies are dying at historic rates due to glyphosate exposure
The FDA’s webpage on GMOs mentions nothing about the damage that GMO-linked herbicides and pesticides are causing the environment. It sounds like a report Monsanto may have commissioned, highlighting their technology the way most of us write a resume–with just the positives. Unfortunately, the FDA’s job is to protect our collective health, not make a sales pitch, which may explain why typing “FDA sued over GMO” into a search engine provides so much reading material.
Regarding environmental effects, studies done on insects, fish, and other aquatic life show that glyphosate exposure can alter their metabolic and reproductive systems.³ Scientists predict that disruptions to these ecosystems will create much bigger issues in the future. For example, as a result of herbicide exposure on GM crops, bees, key to a healthy environment, have shown negative responses,³ and monarch butterflies are experiencing their lowest population levels in history due to exposure to glyphosate. ⁴
So, the seeds aren’t the problem, and neither are the fruits and veggies they produce. It’s the chemicals that are required to make them grow. Enough evidence has become available to conclude that glyphosate and other chemicals like it, are the sharp edge of the blade when it comes to GM products. Hopefully, with the recent data showing the true danger, the FDA and organizations like it will start to take the necessary steps to protect our environment and our health.
References:
¹ - https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/14/health/us-glyphosate-cancer-study-scli-intl/index.html
² - https://www.businessinsider.com/glyphosate-cancer-dangers-roundup-epa-2019-5
³ - https://www.ehn.org/monsanto-glyphosate-impacts-wildlife-2631750527/ecological-impacts-emerge
⁴ - https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/are-gmos-bad-environment