Part 3: GMOs That Went Wrong

GM-free movement is gaining worldwide support. 
Dr Abe V Rotor
Monster in the sky - GMO looms.

1. Genetically engineered dairy cows – With rBGH in their genes, the production of milk tremendously increased. They are virtually walking milk factories. But these cows require high antibiotics sustenance to prevent udder infection, with risk 30 times higher than man. Result: When we drink the milk residual antibiotics get into our system and trigger the bacteria in the digestive system to mutate and become resistant.

2. Genetically engineered tomatoes - With a resistant gene that allows ripening without rotting, this same gene confers resistance to the antibiotics kanamycin. The resistance may be picked up by bacteria in our stomach and intestines that mutate into resistant strains.

3. Genetically engineered peanut – Like the other GMO, it carries transferred genes from another plant, animal or microbe. In this particular case, the transferred genes contain instructions for making proteins. But some of these proteins cause allergic reactions that affect humans and other consumers, such as animals that feed on peanut meal and hay.

4. Bt Corn and Bt Cotton – Widespread planting of these crops will spur Bt resistance among crop pests. There are also reports on the decline in the population of insect pollinators such as the adorable Monarch butterfly.

The Case of the Suicide Seeds

Monsanto, a leading biotech company in the US had always a way for its farmer-cooperators not to plant the seeds they bought from the company for a premium. Violation would mean breach of contract. But farmers are farmers, especially marginal farmers.

So to enforce the policy, the company came up with a solution. Through biotechnology, the company inserted a terminator gene to protect its intellectual-property rights. This seed sterilizing technology however has taken a far damaging consequence. The pollen of the terminator plants could drift far and wide on the wind like a toxic cloud, and pollinate ordinary crops or wild plants, and spread from species to species. In the process scientists fear that flora all around the world become unexpectedly and irreversibly sterilized.
This brings us to a fundamental question, “Who owns biotechnology? Who controls the seeds of life?”

Genetically modified soybean and corn, which have been approved in many countries including the US, Canada, Australia, and the European Union, are very likely incorporated into various food preparations.”

Dr. Lee Sing Kong, Chairman GMAC Sub-Committee on Public Awareness
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The Birth of Anti- GM Movement

Because of the Monsanto case, activist groups like Rural Advancement Foundation International are using the Net to rally Terminator opponents, urging them to flood the USDA with letters of protests. Immediately 4000 people from 62 countries have responded.

Actually it was not Monsanto that created the Terminator. USDA and a seed company known as Delta and Land developed the technology. Mosanto brought the patent from Delta with $1 billion - plus offer to buy Delta. (Time, January 2001)

Opponents did not care who created Terminator. To them the idea is Frankenstenian on its face.

GM-Free, a consumers’ advocacy group in UK have listed down the following products that contain GM ingredients:

1. GM soya from UK can be found in bread, biscuits, baby milk, baby foods, breakfast cereals, margarine, soups, pasta, pizza, instant meals, meat products, flours, sweets, ice cream, crisps, chocolate, soy sauce, veggie-burgers, tofu, soya milk, and pet foods.

2. GM corn from US can be present in processed foods such as instant meals, soups, sauces, cake mixes, crisps, snacks, sweets and chewing gums.

Continued...