We dedicate this issue of the Report to information about how plants in the food chain are being directly modified to survive herbicide which is widely applied to get rid of competing weeds. Our guest, Steve Smith from the Institute of Responsible Technology, will take us through this complicated set of terminology and help us understand what it all means. With his permission, I have adapted this information from his website Institute for Responsible Technology.
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. We can also use genetically modified or genetically engineered as descriptors. GMOs are created by transferring genes from one species (like bacteria or viruses) and forcing them into the DNA of other species (like soybeans or corn). Alternatively, gene sequences can be edited in the laboratory.
Glyphosate – is the chief herbicide in Roundup. Crops have been genetically engineered to withstand the herbicide. These are called Roundup-ready crops, and they comprise more than 80% of all GMOs. They are engineered so that farmers can spray Roundup over the top of the field of corn or soy, and it will kill the weeds but not the crops.
Soy, corn, cotton, canola, sugar beets, and alfalfa, are genetically modified as Roundup-ready. Over 90% of those crops (except for alfalfa) in North America and in many places around the world, are Roundup-ready crops.
Corn, cotton, and in South America, soy, are also engineered to produce a toxin that’s an insecticide called Bt. It’s named for the bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis.) that produces this toxin naturally. This toxin kills certain insects by breaking open their guts and killing them. Engineers take the gene from the bacteria (Bt) and make millions of copies, and transfect plants with it to make them resistant to bugs.
In addition to herbicide-tolerant crops and the Bt crops, there’s also papaya from Hawaii or China, as well as zucchini and yellow squash. Because they have a certain gene inserted, it is unlikely for them to get a certain disease.
There’s also a non-browning apple and potato, where the sliced apple or potato won’t turn brown. These may be the most dangerous of all, Mr. Smith explains.
Steve makes an impressive case to buy “organic” and seek foods that are free of GMOs. This is important as we anticipate a future struggle over transparency legislation and labeling as more and more genetic techniques are used in farming.
So let’s get real, let’s get loud; on America Out Loud Talk Radio, this is The McCullough Report!
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