Food & GMOs

Genetic modification affects many of the products we consume on a daily basis. As the number of GMOs available for commercial use grows every year, more and more people start to worry about its effects.

Today in each EU nation, most people wear genetically modified (GM) cotton, and farm animals massively feed on imported GM soy and corn. Yet many countries vote against import authorizations of the very same GM crops they depend upon: Europe imports more than 60kg of GM soy for each of the EU’s 500 million citizens each year; on the other hand, most European farmers are banned from growing GM crops.

In the past decade or so, the biotech plants that go into these processed foods have leaped from hothouse oddities to crops planted on a massive scale—applications shows that more than 18 million farmers in 26 countries—including 19 developing nations—planted over 185 million hectares (457 million acres) of GMO crops in 2016. This represents a 3 percent increase over 2015, and the highest area of biotech crop adoption since cultivation began in 1996.

More than 50 different "designer" crops have passed through a federal review process, and about a hundred more are undergoing field trials.

Ever since humans have grown plants and raised animals for food, they have selected plants and animals with beneficial traits for further breeding. Such traits reflected naturally occurring genetic variations and resulted, for example, in an increased yield or resistance to diseases or environmental pressures.

However modern technology now makes it possible to alter genetic material to create novel traits in plants, animals, bacteria and fungi. This technology has so far primarily been used in crops to increase insect resistance and herbicide tolerance, and in micro-organisms to produce enzymes.

Organisms that have had their genetic material altered this way are called genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Food and feed containing or consisting of GMOs or produced from GMOs are called genetically modified (GM) food and feed.

Europe and GMO’s

More than half the 28 countries in the European Union, including Germany and France, have decided to ban their farmers from growing genetically modified crops. Several regions, including Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have also joined the movement.

Even if there is a huge opposition here in Europe about GMOs, and that it is officially banned, more and more regulations are taking place that authorize not only the importation but also the cultivation of GMOs.

The first crop too be authorized for cultivation was Monsanto's MON 810 (corn) in Spain. The next approval for cultivation was the Amflora potato for industrial applications in 2010, which was grown in Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic that year.

Five EU countries, planted a record 148,013 hectares of GMO maize, up 18,942 hectares or 15% from 2012. Spain led the EU with a record 136,962 hectares of maize. Portugal was lower by approximately 1,000 hectares due to a seed shortage, and Romania was the same as 2012. The other countries, Czechia and Slovakia, planted lower and small hectarages attributed to onerous and over-demanding EU reporting procedures for farmers.

The European Union does not formally ban the consumption of GMO corn or soy. Some countries in the EU – such as Spain – grow modest amounts of GMO corn for animal feed, and the EU as a whole imports considerable GMO soy, again for use as animal feed. In 2012, the EU imported about 30 million tons of GM crops for animal consumption.

It is also legal in the EU to import various types of GMO cotton, maize, rapeseed, and sugar beet. What makes the EU different from the United States is not a ‘ban’ on consumption or imports, but instead 1) non-approval of domestic cultivation of many GMO products, plus 2) mandatory labeling of food products that have even small traces of GMO content.

Food companies in Europe have reformulated their products taking out all GMO ingredients so as to avoid these labels, and this is what has squeezed GMO foods for direct human consumption out of the market. But products from animals raised on GMO feed do not need a label, so Europeans continue to use GMO corn and soy for animal feed.

GMO Food we eat

Corn: One of the most prominent GMO foods, and trying to avoid it is best for all. Today , everyone knows that corn is a highly modified crop. “As many as half of all U.S. farms growing corn for Monsanto are using genetically modified corn,” and much of it is intended for human consumption. Monsanto’s GMO corn has been tied to numerous health issues, including weight gain and organ disruption.

Soy: Found in tofu, vegetarian products, soybean oil, soy flour, and numerous other products, soy is also modified to resist herbicides. As of now, biotech giant Monsanto still has a tight grasp on the soybean market, with approximately 90 percent of soy being genetically engineered to resist Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup. In one single year, 2006, there was 96.7 million pounds of glyphosate sprayed on soybeans alone.

According to one report, “after feeding hamsters for two years over three generations, those on the GM diet, and especially the group on the maximum GM soy diet, showed devastating results. By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies. They also suffered slower growth, and a high mortality rate among the pups.”

Pamela Ronald studies the genes that make plants more resistant to disease and stress. In an eye-opening talk, she describes her decade-long quest to help create a variety of rice that can survive prolonged flooding. She shows how the genetic improvement of seeds saved the Hawaiian papaya crop in the 1950s — and makes the case that it may simply be the most effective way to enhance food security for our planet’s growing population.

Sugar:  Sugar from genetically modified sugar beets hit the market in 2009. Of the nearly 130 million metric tons of sugar produced globally every year, sugar beets constitute nearly 35% of that sugar (the remaining amount coming from sugar cane). They struggled to survive competition from weeds. So a glyphosate (Roundup) version was created. So the ended getting modified by the Monsanto Corporation to be resistant to the company’s Roundup herbicide.

Papayas: GMO papayas have been grown in Hawaii for consumption since 1999, designed to combat the Papaya Ringspot Virus. Though they can’t be sold to countries in the European Union, they are welcome in the U.S. and Canada.

Canola: Canola oil gets its own category due to its prevalent use. Aside from questions about an oil made from a plant toxic to human consumption, the rapeseed has been genetically altered. As of 2009, 90% of Canada’s rapeseed crop was ‘herbicide-tolerant’. Extracted from rapeseed, canola oil and others must be chemically removed from the seeds, then deodorized and altered, in order to be utilized in foods. They are among the most chemically altered foods in our diets.

Dairy: A disturbingly high number – as many as one-fifth – of dairy cows in the U.S. today are given growth hormones to increase milk production, a figure that has been rising since the FDA approved a genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone known as rbGH or rbST for use in dairy cows in 1993. While said to boost production by 5-15%, scientists have expressed concern that the increased levels of IGF-1 (insulin growth factors-1) from hormone-treated cows may boost the risks of colon and breast cancer.

Health issues

Technologies for genetically modifying foods offer dramatic promise for meeting some areas of greatest challenge for the 21st century. Like all new technologies, they also pose some risks, both known and unknown. Controversies and public concern surrounding GM foods and crops commonly focus on human and environmental safety, labelling and consumer choice, intellectual property rights, ethics, food security, poverty reduction and environmental conservation. With this new technology on gene manipulation what are the risks of “tampering with Mother Nature”?, what effects will this have on the environment?, what are the health concerns that consumers should be aware of?

To date most of the studies have been done on animals; worryingly, though, some of those studies link GM foods to altered metabolism, inflammation, kidney and liver malfunction, and reduced fertility. In one experiment, multiple generations of hamsters were fed a diet of GM soy; by the third generation, they were losing the ability to produce offspring, producing about half as many pups as the non-GM soy group.

In addition, allergy sufferers worry that, as genes are transferred between plants, allergenic proteins (from, say, peanuts or wheat) will pop up in unexpected places (like soy or sugar).

So much of the information about genetically modified crops is wrong—on both sides of the debate. What does the best available evidence have to say about the human health implications of BT-corn?

What’s more, new studies are blaming Roundup herbicide for the current gluten intolerance and celiac disease epidemic. Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it.

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is used to kill weeds, and It was discovered to be an herbicide by Monsanto chemist John E. Franz in 1970. Monsanto brought it to market for agricultural use in 1974 under the trade name Roundup.

The symptoms of so-called “gluten intolerance” and celiac disease are shockingly similar to the symptoms in lab animals exposed to glyphosate, argues the study. They point to a recent study on how glyphosate affects the digestive systems of fish. It decreased digestive enzymes and bacteria, disrupted mucosal folds, destroyed microvilli structure in the intestinal wall, and increased secretion of mucin.

Additionally, the number of people diagnosed with gluten intolerance and celiac disease has risen in tandem with the increased use of glyphosate in agriculture, especially with the recent practice of drenching grains in the herbicide right before harvest, which started in the 1980s and became routine in the 1990s.

German pharmaceutical giant Bayer has lost another lawsuit related to the weed-killer Roundup, produced by recently acquired Monsanto. Bayer will have to pay two billion dollars in fines and millions in punitive damages to the plaintiffs, an elderly couple from California.

Daily food, such as cereals and oats, have been found to be harmful due to Roundup.

In August 2018, the group published a report that found traces of glyphosate, the most widely used agricultural pesticide in the world, in dozens of Quaker, Kellogg’s, and General Mills products, including cereals like Cheerios and Lucky Charms.

The report tested levels of glyphosate in 45 samples of conventionally grown oats and determined that 31 fell below its safety criteria. Ten weeks later, the EWG tested another 28 samples, focusing exclusively on Cheerios and Quaker Oats products, and found that all but two showed harmful levels of glyphosate, according to its measures.

Netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the most important battlefields on the global battle for patents. The best seed breeders are there. It is crucial that growers and breeders continue to produce new tomato, broccoli and pepper varieties, because new diseases keep appearing.

There is going to be no food without breeding. Another important point is that growers can use each others inventions to grow new varieties themselves. In this way food safety is guaranteed and you prevent monopolists from taking control.

Monsanto was granted the patent for the slightly higher-growing broccoli in 2013. Dutch growers feared companies such as Monsanto, because such large players have been applying for more and more patents on "natural properties" in recent years.

The multinational scour nature and the seed banks in search of the best seeds. In laboratories they do DNA research on plants to know exactly how such a plant works. To then say via a legally useful route to the patent office: this broccoli, which we can give a long handle through our invention, is our intellectual property.

What’s more, the Netherlands has proposed that new GM techniques should be specifically excluded from Europe's GMO directive.

In common with other proponents of these techniques, the Netherlands refers to them as New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs), apparently in order to avoid the “hot button” term GM.

The new techniques include CRISPR-Cas, oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, zinc finger nuclease technology, TALEN, and reverse breeding. These techniques are known to have off-target effects – which could give rise to unexpected toxicity in food crops and therefore need to be avoided.

Solutions

EU Bans GMOs
A strong movement of opposition to genetic engineering in agriculture has developed throughout the world, particularly in some countries of the European Union (EU). The movement has led to a moratorium in the EU and hostility towards imported genetically modified (GM) products, as well as to acts of open opposition.

Opposition to GMOs is more widespread in Europe than in the US or Asia, with only one genetically altered crop currently being commercially cultivated on European soil - mainly in Spain - a maize called MON 810.

Do you remember that bill that got passed in the US where you lose the right to grow your own food, Monsanto tried to implement that in Europe and luckily failed. This is why it was so important to vote against the TTIP, because it would overrule European law.

New verdicts
A California jury has ordered Monsanto to pay more than $2bn to a couple that got cancer after using its weedkiller, marking the third and largest verdict against the company over Roundup.

A jury in Oakland said that Monsanto, was liable for the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) cancer of Alva and Alberta Pilliod. The jury ordered the company to pay $1bn in damages to each of them, and more than $55m total in compensatory damages.

An other victory for the Pilliods follows two consecutive trial wins for families taking on Monsanto over Roundup, the world’s most widely used weedkiller, which research has linked to NHL, a cancer that affects the immune system. Dewayne Johnson, a former school groundskeeper with terminal cancer, won a $289m victory in state court last year, and Edwin Hardeman, who sprayed Roundup on his properties, was awarded $80m in the first federal trial this year.

New estimates predict that there are now 13,400 similar Roundup cancer cases pending in state and federal courts in the US. New regulations could eventually prohibit the use of such hazardous chemicals.

Buy Organic as Much as Possible
Many people struggle to afford organic products but it is very important for your health and the health of the planet.  You can begin with all of your meat products as non-organic animals are typically fed GMO corn and soy and so they bioaccumulte the glyphosate toxin in their system.

Buy Foods Labeled “Non-GMO”
Foods that have gone through the process of being labeled “Non-GMO verified” have had a 3rd party inspect their farms and processing plants to ensure that nothing with GMO’s is involved in the processing of their food products.  We want to support companies that are doing this for our own health and to continue to incentivize this level of manufacturer transparency.

Avoid processed foods
Many processed foods contain genetically modified ingredients.  Most all non-organic breads, chocolate, sweets, candy, gum, etc can contain GM ingredients. Also, non-organically raised animal (meat, dairy, eggs) products contain GM ingredients, since these animals are typically fed a diet that is 90+% GMOs.  

Avoid Non-Organic Animal Products
Avoid non-organic dairy products and all other commercialized animal products.  As described above, non-organic animals are most commonly fed GMO corn and soy and thus bioaccumulate the herbicide toxins from these plants in their meat and dairy.

Grow Your Own or Buy Local
Grow your own food products or purchase them from local farmers who do not use GM seeds & products in their farms.

What do you do regarding making more sustainable food choices? By tagging us with #theconsciouschallenge you can share your ideas!

Want to contribute to our Ecological Footprint Bible? Submit us your scientific articles! Mail us at info@theconsciouschallenge.org

Sources:

https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/gmo
https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/gmo/legislation_en
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/02/09/gmo-farming-grows-record-457-million-acres-26-countries-worldwide/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-gmo/eu-nations-vote-against-gm-crops-but-not-enough-to-block-them-idUSKBN16Y207
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28283-more-than-half-of-european-union-votes-to-ban-growing-gm-crops/
https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/top-20-gmo-foods-and-ingredients-to-avoid/
https://althealthworks.com/13899/the-top-10-most-important-gmos-to-recognize-and-boycott-at-all-costs/
https://gmo.geneticliteracyproject.org/FAQ/where-are-gmos-grown-and-banned/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791249/
https://www.politico.eu/article/what-future-for-gm-crops-in-europe/
https://drjockers.com/7-simple-ways-avoid-gmos/
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/may/13/monsanto-cancer-trial-bayer-roundup-couple
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945755/
https://zembla.bnnvara.nl/nieuws/patent-broccoli-ingetrokken-kwekers-winnen-van-chemiereus-monsanto
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/26/widespread-losses-of-pollinating-insects-revealed-across-britain
https://www.businessinsider.nl/pepsico-suing-indian-farmers-accused-growing-unique-lays-potato-2019-4/?international=true&r=US
https://www.demorgen.be/tech-wetenschap/grootste-studie-ooit-stelt-vast-bijen-sterven-door-pesticiden~b0b7f634/
https://www.trouw.nl/groen/de-eu-heeft-zijn-criteria-afgezwakt-en-dus-mag-het-meeste-landbouwgif-gewoon-worden-gebruikt~a377e88b/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/23/eu-in-state-of-denial-over-destructive-impact-of-farming-on-wildlife
https://www.healthfreedoms.org/you-no-longer-have-the-right-to-grow-your-own-food/
http://www.thenatemaxproject.com/2014/10/29/monsanto-agritech-lobbying-ttip-britain-spearheads-campaign-make-european-gmo-regulation-meaningless/
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/07/germanys-bayer-closes-monsanto-deal-plans-to-drop-us-companys-name.html
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/monsanto-bayer-merge_n_5afeef96e4b07309e0578b5e