The Truth Behind GMOs

GMOs are the future of agriculture.Decades of research from both America and Europe have shown that genetically modified (GM) crops are safe for human consumption and harmless to the environment. Modified crops have enhanced resistance to pests and viruses. Worldwide, nearly 50 percent of crop yield is lost due to pests and viruses. GM crops have nearly halved the yield loss of non-GM crops while significantly reducing the use of pesticides and selective herbicides, which are much more toxic to the environment than broad-spectrum herbicides.The first notable example of a GM crop is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn. The European Corn Borer is nicknamed the ‘billion dollar bug’ because it costs farmers across the globe over a billion dollars in insecticide costs and lost yield. However, larvae that have bored into the stalks aren’t affected by the insecticides and destroy large amounts of corn. In the 90s, scientists placed genes from Bt into corn, which allowed it to produce toxins that killed the borer but had no effects on humans, drastically improving corn yield while demonstrating the capabilities of genetically modified organisms.GMOs are not only better for reducing waste, they also help consumers’ wallets. GM crops cost much less to grow than non-GM crops, mainly because of the reduced use of insecticides and herbicides. According to a 2010 study, corn based products and soy based products would cost 10 percent and 6 percent more, respectively, if GM-crops weren’t grown.However, the biggest winners from GM crop use are citizens of third world countries. Before the advent of Bt eggplant, farmers in Bangladesh and India had to spend exorbitant amounts of money on insecticides and had to expose themselves to poisonous chemicals. Farmers in West Africa can have greater food security now because wheat is modified to be drought-resistant. Moreover, thousands of children across Africa and Southeast Asia are affected by vitamin-A deficiency (VAD). VAD leads to permanent blindness, increased risk of infection and death. However, Golden Rice is an easy solution to that problem. Golden Rice is rice genetically engineered to synthesize vitamin-A. Nearly every country with widespread VAD relies on rice as a staple food, which makes Golden Rice a cheaper and an easier cure for VAD than supplements.Despite all of the benefits from GMOs, states, countries and corporations are on a crusade to throw science out the window. A simple Google search of “GMOs” produces gross pictures of scientists inserting syringes filled with red liquid into tomatoes and pictures of children with hives, with captions blaming their symptoms on GMOs. 17 European countries have outright bans on GMOs. After intense lobbying, India banned Bt eggplants. Every sub-Saharan country except for South Africa has outright bans on GMOs, including Golden Rice. On this side of the pond, 20 states—including New Hampshire—have passed legislation requiring food made with GMOs to be labeled as such, which will cost families $500 in food expenses while misleading them to believe GMOs are some unholy evil. Many companies have said that they’ve taken all GMOs out of certain foods. Chipotle is the first company to have taken all GMOs out of its food, a move that marginalizes science in favor of increased profit and recognition.All of the arguments against GMOs are based on faulty science and ideology. Greenpeace and other anti-GMO environmental groups claim that GMOs will reduce biodiversity, cross-contaminate with other species and create health risks to humans. Greenpeace has successfully lobbied for the ban of Golden Rice in the countries most affected by VAD by claiming that allowing cultivation of Golden Rice will open the floodgates for other GMO’s. They managed to turn public sentiment against Golden Rice by saying it tastes bad and that eating it will cause a loss in “sexual potential.”All of these arguments are flat-out wrong.A decade’s worth of research from European experts showed that genetically modified crops are actually better for the environment than standard crops. Because of increased yield, less land needs to be transformed into agricultural land. GM crops need less herbicides and pesticides. GM crops also require less water because they have more efficient uptake.A multitude of scientific and medical institutions, including the FDA, the WHO, FAO, the European Commission and the National Academies of Science, among others, have all called GMOs safe to eat. Beyond being safe to eat, GMOs are often more nutritious than standard crops.Perhaps the most egregious claim is that there is a lack of oversight of GMOs. In reality, GMOs face more regulation than standard crops. The FDA regulates a modified crop like it would regulate a drug. There are many trials to ensure that modified crops are safe to eat and while remaining environmentally friendly.And no, eating Golden Rice does not make you bad in bed.Unfortunately, these arguments are raging on while crops are dying and children are starving. In Tanzania, families are starving because their cassava crops were wiped out by the brown streak virus, despite the existence of cassava resistant to that virus. A new strand of stem rust is racing across Africa and is threatening every continent. Farmers in Ethiopia are reporting total crop failure from stem rust. However, because of harsh regulations on research and the negative publicity of GMOs, researchers’ hands are tied and have not been able to come up with a way to stop this new stem rust. Even bananas are at risk. Cavendish bananas, which comprise 95 percent of the world’s bananas, are under attack from a new strain of Panama Disease, which attacks the roots of banana trees. If the fungus spreads to South America, which is very likely due to the ease with which the fungus spreads, our banana supplies are in danger of drying out. However, bananas face the same problem as wheat; regulation and negative public sentiment are holding back research and pushing us closer to a day without bananas.Genetically modified crops are essential to the survival of humans. With a population bursting at the seams, GMOs are the answer to our food security needs. It’s essential that the public knows the truth behind GMOs and what’s at stake if we fail to accept them for the survival of the human race.