More GMO

Last week, I asked if you knew which of the foods you eat contain or are genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The answer, as I explained, was probably 'no.' However, after doing a bit more research, I would bet money that even the producers of the food you're eating couldn't answer that question for sure. What is the reason for all this uncertainty?

GMO Cross Pollination

What does this term mean, and why does it matter? Essentially, if cross pollination between a GMO plant, and a non-GMO plant occurs, the resulting plants contain GMO properties. It is also possible for pollinating elements from fields of GMO crops to end up - by being blown in the wind, for example - in fields with non-GMO crops of the same kind. GMO crops are then harvested, packaged, and sold admits non-GMO organisms.

This occurrence is a very big concern for farmers of both GMO and non-GMO crops, and some safeties have been installed to prevent cross pollination. There are, for instance, some GMO crops that have been engineered so as to be incapable of cross-pollinating with non-GMO crops of the same species (Sakko, 2002).

Sadly, these safeguards are likely not enough. As David Biello (2010) reports, ecologists in North Dakota found GMO genes in a canola plant growing near a parking lot. This plant was not on a farm, it was not merely mixed up with normal canola plants - it was growing in the wild, and it was a trasngenic organism! Personally, I find it mind-boggling that something created in a laboratory using incredibly delicate and modern technology could be found growing in a parking lot. More than mind-boggling, I find it a little alarming.

As I mentioned in my last post, there is very little known about the actual dangers of human consumption of GMOs. However, I did learn in my recent research that there is definite danger in human consumption of GMOs intended for animal consumption (Sakko, 2002). This makes sense, of course: Cows and other livestock are now often fed GMO crops designed to increase that animals productivity, and if a human eats something that contains elements designed to help a cow get bigger faster, problems can arise. Personally, I am wondering where the danger of cross pollination fits into all this.

To find out Ainsley and I have begun testing corn products that claim to be GMO free in the lab. I’ll let you know next week what our findings reveal.

Finally, I think that the dangers of cross pollination should be considered in relation to the farmers they potentially impact. To see what I mean by this, please see the short video below.

References

Biello, D. (2010, August 6). Genetically modified crop on the loose and evolving in the U.S.
Midwest. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=genetically-
modified-crop

Sakko, K. (2002). The debate over genetically modified foods. Retrieved from http://
www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/sakko.html