Despite genetically modified crops being extremely common, especially in the United States, there is still a lot we do not know about them. Pushed to the market without proper research, testing, and oversight, it is only a matter of time before we uncover the darker side of these scientific concoctions, a discovery that could shake the world’s confidence in the safety and integrity of GMOs as a food source. In fact, it might have already happened. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently found that the most common gene sequences used in genetically modified organisms
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President Obama has become the best friend that agribusiness has ever had in the White House. He just signed a law that critics are already dubbing the “Monsanto Protection Act.” The law makes it illegal for a federal judge to issue a court order halting the sale, use, or distribution of genetically engineered seeds even if it is proven the seeds could be harmful. The law would also limit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ability to regulate the use of genetically engineered seeds. They call the measure the Monsanto Protection Act because it only benefits
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The number of farms in the United States is down to the lowest that it’s been in six years, according to the Associated Press. In 2012 alone, 11,630 farms were lost, and this trend is projected to continue. Along with the lost farms, over 3 million acres of viable farmland were lost – a significant amount, considering that the average farm is just over 400 acres in size. This trend is unsettling at the least, as large-scale farms have long been a source of economic prosperity in the areas where they are plentiful. At the
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“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live. No more bees, no more pollination … no more men!”  - Albert Einstein On February 6, 2013, a village near Hopelchen, Campeche in Mexico experienced a critical loss: 1,500 colonies of honey bees completely collapsed. The bees vanished without a trace, leaving behind honey, the still-living queen, and their brood. For those in the industry, it’s just more of the same bad news. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has struck again. This particular loss of bees
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During the holidays, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are the last thing on most peoples’ minds, but foods produced by means of genetic engineering are becoming increasingly present in supermarkets and grocery stores. In some areas, GMO foods are actually more prevalent than non-altered foods, making it difficult to find alternatives without resorting to growing your own foods. For plenty of people, this is reason enough to seek out self-sustenance in the form of home harvests throughout every growing season. Although the long-term implications of consuming genetically modified organisms are not established, many people have a
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Genetically modified, or GM foods, are foods from crops that have been subjected to some type of genetic engineering. This means that there has been some kind of change to the DNA in the cells of the plant. Being able to modify the DNA of an organism allows scientists and food manufacturers to make very precise changes to the plant. The purpose may be to change the ripening time of a fruit, to engineer in resistance to a disease or pest, to produce more nutrients, or to speed up the growing time. All of these
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You may have seen in the news that the state of California will soon be voting as to whether or not to have GMOs labeled in their state in the near future. You may also have seen that Monsanto has recently dropped $4.2 trillion in an effort to stop a possible GMO labeling law. You might wonder: What the heck is a GMO anyway, and why should I care? What Are GMOs? GMOs are genetically modified organisms.  The act of creating GMOs is called genetic engineering.  They come about when, in a laboratory, pieces of
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These are not the easiest of times for the pesticide companies, the food manufacturers, and the seed vendors who are responsible for the biotechnology revolution in agriculture. Sure, corporations like Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, and Bayer are making profits off of biotech that run into the tens of billions, but that does not compensate for the fact that these beneficent business operations are not getting the appreciation they deserve for introducing genetically modified crops and foods to consumers around the world. Not only are they being unfairly accused of peddling dangerous products by irresponsible scientific authorities
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The introduction of genetically modified foods and food ingredients into the American diet has been a smashing success for agribusiness interests and the food manufacturing companies. With the US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration offering next to nothing in the way of resistance, GMOs have quickly moved into a dominant position in the corn and soybean markets in particular, and the sky appears to be the limit for an agriculture/industrial complex that is already raking it in by the billions thanks to the rise of biotechnology and the decline of more
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Even though the United States does not depend on agriculture to drive the engine of its economic development to the same extent that it did in the past, the fertile fields of the American heartland are still the envy of the world. Corn has been cast in the lead role of this ongoing storyline of agricultural success, and without corn, the US farm sector would be just a shell of what is has now become. To a very large extent, we are still a nation that is defined by what we grow, and there is
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