(PCM) This May 25th, 2013, there will be Marches Against Monsanto held all over world, inspired by marches already held in Europe, protesting Monsanto, the primary source of genetically modified foods.
Why Are We/They Protesting This Time?
It is all about GMOs – Genetically Modified Organisims, basically foods with modified genes for human and animal consumption.
In plants, it means that they are modified to be more tolerant to hebidides and insecticides.
in animals, research in using genetically modified animal cells are creating possible cures for diseases, or even grow faster in the food chain.
Given that these new genes are, by intellectual property law, owned by the companies that created them, many people feel that not enough is known about the long-term safety of these scientifically-created foods.
Wikipedia offered a fair view of the controversy: The genetically modified foods controversy is a dispute over the relative advantages and disadvantages of food derived from genetically modified organisms, genetically modified crops used to produce food and other goods, and other uses of genetically modified organisms in food production. The dispute involves consumers, biotechnology companies, governmental regulators, non-governmental organizations and scientists. The key areas of controversy related to genetically modified (GM) food are: risk of harm from GM food, whether GM food should be labeled, the role of government regulators, the effect of GM crops on the environment, the impact of GM crops for farmers, including farmers in developing countries, the role of GM crops in feeding the growing world population, and GM crops as part of the industrial agriculture system.
There is broad scientific consensus that food on the market derived from GM crops pose no greater risk than conventional food. No reports of ill effects have been documented in the human population from GM food. Supporters of food derived from GMOs hold that food is as safe as other foods and that labels send a message to consumers that GM food is somehow dangerous. They trust that regulators and the regulatory process are sufficiently objective and rigorous, and that risks of contamination of the non-GM food supply and of the environment can be managed. They trust that there is sufficient law and regulation to maintain competition in the market for seeds, believe that GM technology is key to feeding a growing world population, and view GM technology as a continuation of the manipulation of plants that humans have conducted for millennia.
Of course, others queshat ‘we are what we eat’ and genetic modification can affect humans interanally in ways we may not see for years.
Over 60 countries, including the European Union, Austailia, Japan, India, Brazil, Russia, and even China mandate GMO labeling – but not the United states.
Labelling such products may not be such a bad idea… many people prefer to use natual sugar over high-fructose corn syrup; we must label fat content and other dietary/ nutritional information, even what country some foods are grown in.
