Myth: GMOs Reduce the Need for Herbicides and Insecticides
Genetic engineering was sold as a means to reduce the amount of herbicides and other chemicals being used, but the reality is quite the opposite. GE crops have increased the use of pesticides, mostly because of herbicide-tolerant crops designed to survive huge amounts of herbicide. As weeds have developed resistance, farmers are forced to use ever-greater amounts of chemical mixtures.
Research by Dr. Charles Benbrook shows that because of GE crops, we have sprayed 7 percent more pesticides than we would have done had those same acres been planted with non-GE crops. That amounts to 404 million pounds of additional pesticides.
In addition to that, as of 2012, more than 61 million acres of U.S. farmland was covered with glyphosate-resistant super weeds. To address these weeds, even more toxic chemicals are being employed, such as Dicamba and 2,4-D (which is an ingredient of Agent Orange). So not only are we using more herbicides, we’re also using increasingly toxic ones.
“Also, there’s a UN report1 called the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), which was published in 2008 by over 400 world scientists. It was on the future of food and the future of agriculture. They did not endorse the idea that GE crops were needed to feed the world.
They pointed out that the yields of GE crops were ‘variable,’ as they put it. In some cases, a GE crop might yield more; but in other cases, they don’t. Also there were lingering safety concerns over them. They said that the key to feeding the world and future generations will be agroecology.”
Who Benefits From GE Crops?
The answer is the companies that patent and own them. Profit is the real reason why GE crops are pushed so relentlessly in spite of the fact that they don’t yield more and they don’t reduce pesticide use. When you patent a GE crop, you not only own the rights on the particular crop, you also own the breeding rights.
Every crop bred from that GE crop, as long as your proprietary patented genes are in that progene, you own the progene as well as the original crop. So patenting GE seeds is a means of consolidating control over the food supply by a few big companies.
The U.S. government does nothing to prevent this, and the reason for that is because there are perpetually revolving doors between the industry and the government. It’s gotten to the point where the USDA is in practical reality a mere extension of Monsanto and other chem-ag giants, implementing and enforcing the industry’s recommendations.
“Michael Taylor is a case in point. He was an attorney for Monsanto. He crafted the biotech policy that enabled these foods to be marketed onto world markets from the USA. Michael Taylor oversaw the creation of that policy. He was basically an attorney for Monsanto, and still is. People often think that Europe is somehow better. Unfortunately, our own European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been absolutely infiltrated by industry-linked people.
There’s a body called the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), which is basically funded by Monsanto, Bayer, DuPont, and these big GMO companies. They’re this kind of scientific lobbying-style organization.
They are involved in crafting rules, regulatory rules to judge the safety of GE crops. They actually help to design them. A lot of these rules have now gone into the European regulatory process to judge whether a GE crop is safe. Basically, we can say the industry helped to write its own examination.”
Public Scientists Are Also Motivated by Greed
As revealed in Steven Druker’s book “Altered Genes, Twisted Truth”, the collusion between the industry and the government would never have been possible had it not been for the early molecular biologists who collectively agreed to allow genetic engineering of plants to proceed, and intentionally insulated the public from the risks. Still to this day, many public scientists have jumped on the bandwagon to support GMOs because they see it as a way to get funding from the industry.
“I’ve actually quizzed some of them about the animal feeding studies with GE crops. Not only have those scientists never read an animal feeding study on GE crops – I’m not talking about all of them here, just a few examples who I’ve met – but they see no reason why they should.
One of them said to me, ‘Why should I read those studies?’ I said, ‘Because you’re genetically engineering our plants.’ ‘Oh, what harm can possibly come of it,’ he says. ‘It’s just a matter of moving around a few genes. It’s nothing very scary.’ Again and again, we see this arrogant attitude.”
GMO Research Is Being Aggressively Thwarted
Not only do independent researchers rarely get access to GE seeds to perform their research, they also have few means of funding since they’re not interested in bending to the will of the industry. Industry funds most research, and they have a long history of “motivating” their scientists to reach certain conclusions.
Without funding, there’s not much a concerned scientist can do. Even if you manage to get funding from some government agency, they will often demand you have an industry partner to put up part of the money.
Moreover, those who have somehow managed to get around all of these obstacles to do these kinds of studies and reach negative conclusions typically end up being ostracized by the scientific community. Many have lost their jobs, and have had their entire scientific careers go up in flames. As noted by Robinson:
“It certainly is true that if you are a scientist who draws attention to risks of GE crops or whose research shows such risks, you are in danger of losing your job. You are in danger of never getting funding from anybody ever again. I’ve seen this happen now so many times that it is predictable.
Scientists have basically entered a cage voluntarily, if you can use that word “voluntarily” of this situation. Basically, they don’t ask the awkward questions. They don’t do the awkward research that may show the problems with GE crops. They stay clear of it.
A friend of mine actually got together some independent funding for GMO risk research in the form of an animal feeding study. They approached a university and said, ‘Here, we’ve raised some money. Please, can your scientists research the safety of this GE crop when fed to animals?’ The scientists would not touch that money because they were frightened of losing their jobs. This is a very, very serious situation.
If we’re seriously interested in finding out the truth about GE crops, if we’re interested in finding out more than we already know, it’s going to come down to the public putting up the money and finding scientists who somehow will never need to worry about industry funding ever again. Probably they have to be retired or they have to be very, very unusual people.”
Dr Mercola adds:
In this interview, we’ve only touched upon a few aspects covered in great depth in “GMO Myths and Truths.” I highly recommend picking up a copy to help you dispel the many myths circulating about GMOs. It’s really an invaluable reference if you’re seeking to learn the facts behind the arguments presented by GMO proponents.
There is no doubt in my mind that GMOs and the toxic chemicals used along with them pose a serious threat to the environment and our health, yet government agencies turn a blind eye and refuse to act — and the reason is very clear: They are furthering the interests of the biotech giants.
It is well known that there is a revolving door between government agencies and biotech companies such as Monsanto. Consider the hypocrisy of the FDA. On paper, the U.S. may have the strictest food safety laws in the world governing new food additives, but this agency has repeatedly allowed GMOs and their accompanying pesticides such as Roundup to evade these laws.
In fact, the only legal basis for allowing GE foods to be marketed in the U.S. is the FDA’s claim that these foods are inherently safe, a claim which is patently ridiculous. Documents released as a result of a lawsuit against the FDA reveal that the agency’s own scientists warned their superiors about the detrimental risks of GE foods. But their warnings fell on deaf ears.
The influence of the biotech giants is not limited to the U.S. In a June 2017 article, GMWatch revealed that 26 of the 34 members of the National Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology of Argentina (CONABIA) are either employed by chemical technology companies or have major conflicts of interest.
You may be aware that Argentina is one of the countries where single-crop fields of GE cotton, corn and soy dominate the countryside. Argentina is also a country facing severe environmental destruction. Argentinians are plagued with health issues, including degenerative diseases and physical deformities. It would appear that the rapid expansion of GE crops and the subsequent decline in national health indicators are intrinsically linked.
Don’t Be Duped by Industry Shills!
Biotech companies’ outrageous attempts to push for their corporate interests extend far beyond the halls of government. In a further effort to hoodwink the public, Monsanto and its cohorts are now zealously spoon-feeding scientists, academics and journalists with questionable studies that depict them in a positive light.
By hiring “third-party experts,” biotech companies are able to take information of dubious validity and present it as independent and authoritative. It’s a shameful practice that is far more common than anyone would like to think. One notorious example of this is Henry Miller, who was thoroughly outed as a Monsanto shill during the 2012 Proposition 37 GMO labeling campaign in California.
Miller, falsely posing as a Stanford professor, promoted GE foods during this campaign. In 2015, he published a paper in Forbes Magazine attacking the findings of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, after it classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. After it was revealed that Miller’s work was in fact ghostwritten by Monsanto, Forbes not only fired him, but also removed all of his work from its site.
Industry front groups also abound. The Genetic Literacy Project and the American Council for Science and Health are both Monsanto-funded. Even WebMD, a website that is often presented as a trustworthy source of “independent and objective” health information, is acting as a lackey for Monsanto by using its influence to promote corporate-backed health strategies and products, displaying advertisements and advertorials on Biotech’s behalf, furthering the biotech industry’s agenda — all for the sake of profit.
Monsanto has adopted underhanded tactics to peddle its toxic products, but the company is unable to hide the truth: Genetic engineering will, in no way, shape or form, make the world a better place. It will not solve world hunger. It will not increase farmers’ livelihoods. And it will most certainly not do any good for your health — and may in fact prove to be detrimental.
There’s No Better Time to Act Than NOW — Here’s What You Can Do
So now the question is: Will you continue supporting the corrupt, toxic and unsustainable food system that Monsanto and its industry shills and profit-hungry lackeys have painstakingly crafted? It is largely up to all of us, as consumers, to loosen and break Monsanto’s tight hold on our food supply. The good news is that the tide has been turned.
As consumers worldwide become increasingly aware of the problems linked to GE crops and the toxic chemicals and pesticides used on them, more and more people are proactively refusing to eat these foods. There’s also strong growth in the global organic and grass fed sectors. This just proves one thing: We can make a difference if we steadily work toward the same goal.
One of the best things you can do is to buy your foods from a local farmer who runs a small business and uses diverse methods that promote regenerative agriculture. You can also join a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, where you can buy a “share” of the vegetables produced by the farm, so that you get a regular supply of fresh food. I believe that joining a CSA is a powerful investment not only in your own health, but in that of your local community and economy as well.
In addition, you should also adopt preventive strategies that can help reduce the toxic chemical pollution that assaults your body. I recommend visiting these trustworthy sites for non-GMO food resources in your country:
Monsanto and its allies want you to think that they control everything, but they do not. It’s you, the masses, who hold the power in your hands. Let’s all work together to topple the biotech industry’s house of cards. Remember — it all starts with shopping smart and making the best food purchases for you and your family.
Source: Mercola.com
Chronological History of GMO Foods
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Whole Foods Promises to Label all GMO Foods by 2018 (A Lie!)
First Long-term GMO Study by Dr. Seralini Reveals GMO’s Very Toxic to Mammals
A study released by Egyptian scientists concluded that rats fed a GMO diet suffer from infertility, among other health issues.
Decade-Long Feeding Study Reveals Significant Health Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods
