Did you know that we are all guinea pigs in a large-scale, uncontrolled
experiment? The DNA in the plants and animals which have fed human beings
for thousands of years is being altered drastically, with the help of
bacteria, viruses and high technology. The results include plants which
produce toxins or serve as sales tools for toxic products. A handful of
large corporations (the same ones which were most successful at making and
selling pesticides) are creating so-called "novel crops" in their
relentless search for higher profits. Humans have never eaten these foods
before.
Take a look at the food products in your kitchen. Unless they're certified
organic, most of them probably contain one or more ingredients produced
from genetically-engineered seeds. Some of the corn baked into chips and
flakes, processed into sweetener for sodas and juices, or pressed into oil,
has been genetically-manipulated. That corn may contain bacterial genes
which produce Bt, an insect-killing toxin. It may also have genes which
allow the corn to tolerate high quantities of a poisonous pesticide.
Soybeans, which in one form or another are used in 60-to-70 percent of
processed foods, have been engineered to sell brand-name herbicides. Lots
of corn and soybeans are fed to the animals we eat, too. And, any
non-organic dairy product probably contains some milk from cows shot up
with the genetically-engineered growth hormone, rBGH. Infant formula and
"nutrition in a can" for the elderly may contain genetically-modified corn,
soy and milk products.
Besides corn and soybeans, potatoes, tomatoes, canola and cotton seed oils
and yellow crookneck squash have also had genes from other organisms
inserted into theirs.
Genetically-engineered seeds are planted on a small, but rapidly growing
percentage of total US acreage. The majority of food products are
affected, however, because the most common crops were first to get the
bio-tech treatment and because the engineered crops get mixed right in with
conventional commodities.
Currently, the only way to avoid eating the results of gene-splicing is to
buy certified organic food. Organic farmers and consumers have been vocal,
adamant and successful (so far) in maintaining this high standard.
Of course, the large pesticide, chemical and pharmaceutical companies which
dominate biotech seed production assert that these "novel foods" are
completely safe. Never mind that these corporations say the same thing
about their chemical pesticides. Unfortunately, the government isn't much
help to consumers, either. Its regulators mostly play lap dog to the large
corporations which many of them once worked for. They assert that these
"Frankenfoods" are safe, even though, according to the <I>New York Times,
</I> "No tests have been conducted to determine the impact of transgenic
food on the human diet." The BBC just reported that eating transgenetic
potatoes damaged the immune system of rats and stunted their growth.
A coalition of scientists, religious leaders, health professionals,
consumers and chefs filed suit in May against the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). The coalition asked for mandatory safety testing and
labeling of all genetically-engineered foods. The lawsuit alleges that
FDA's present policy violates its mandate to protect public health and
provide consumers with relevant information about the foods they eat.
Current FDA policy permits most genetically-engineered foods to be marketed
without any testing or labeling.
Consumers in other countries are putting up quite a fight as they demand
labeling for bio-tech foods. Consumer pressure in Europe has greatly
restricted imports of transgenic seeds and foods. In response, the
industry as a whole has hired of a global public relations firm to devise a
counter strategy while Monsanto has committed over a million dollars to a
European advertising campaign launched last week. It has also used
intimidation and the courts to silence farmers and critics who question
these technologies.
Although feeding the world's growing population is given as the
justification for agricultural genetic engineering, the reality is that
this technology is used to sell specific pesticides, and to produce lower
cost ingredients for the burgers, fries and sodas which now overfeed the
richer folks around the world.
A broad coalition of organizations is working to gather one million
signatures on a petition demanding truthful labeling of
genetically-engineered foods. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to
"Novel Foods," WSHU, 5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield, CT 06432 for more
information.
This is Bill Duesing, Living on the Earth
(C)1998, Bill Duesing, Solar Farm Education, Box 135, Stevenson, CT 06491
Bill and Suzanne Duesing operate the Old Solar Farm (raising NOFA/CT
certified organic vegetables) and Solar Farm Education (working on urban
agriculture projects in southern Connecticut and producing "Living on the
Earth" radio programs). Their collection of essays Living on the Earth:
Eclectic Essays for a Sustainable and Joyful Future is available from Bill
Duesing, Box 135, Stevenson, CT 06491 for $14 postpaid. These essays first
appeared on WSHU, public radio from Fairfield, CT. New essays are posted
weekly at http://www.wshu.org/duesing and those since November 1995 are
available there.
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