GMO
What are Genetically Modified (GM) crops and how are they developed?
"Genetic Modification" in relation to an organism means the altering of the genetic material in that organism in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination or both.
So if someone tells you that GM crops are the same as conventionally bred plants and that farmers have been genetically modifying plants for thousands of years they are not being strictly honest.
In traditional or conventional farming trait selection occurs within a species, and uses ‘crossing’ techniques to share plant characteristics. This is what nature has been doing, and farmers have adopted, for years and this has provided us with the amazing range of food crops available today.
Using GM technology genes are moved from one species into an unrelated species, using a virus or bacteria to invade the cells, and often accompanied by bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics.
For example, a gene from an arctic flounder fish was added to the DNA of tomatoes in order to make the tomatoes resist the cold. Clearly neither Mother Nature, nor our farmers, would be able to do this.
Why have GM crops been developed?
There are two main traits of GM crops; one is to make the plant resistant (or toxic) to insects and the other is to make the plant tolerant to herbicide. With the first type, a toxic bacterium is put into the plant to make it act as a pesticide. This means that if the target pest eats any part of the plant (from root to tip) it will die, because the toxin is produced in every cell of the plant.
The second type has a gene inserted that is immune to a herbicide (usually glyphosate) which means that when a field of GM crops is sprayed with the herbicide everything will die except the GM crop. Some crops contain multiple or “stacked” genes. (1)
Simply put, one trait enables GM crops to suck up poisons, and the other enables GM crops to produce them.
The perceived benefits of these techniques are that if the toxin is in the plant the farmer will not have to spray as often and if the plant is herbicide tolerant then weed control will be easier, and therefore fewer chemicals will be used as a consequence.
There are many groups (farming, consumer, environment, church, scientists etc) who are opposed to GM crops as they feel that there are health and safety issues which need to be examined, such as…..
Is it safe to eat?
The answer is we still do not know. Most GM research is conducted by the companies that produce the seed. They present their data to Government bodies, such as Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) which does not conduct its own feeding trials, or replicate the research. This process led to a corn variety (MON863) being accepted despite worrying results in animal feeding trials.
Further independent research showed liver and kidney toxicity in test animals. Products of MON863 were withdrawn from sale in the EU and Japan but not here in Australia. (2)
Other independent studies have shown lung problems and allergic reactions (GM pea), stomach lesions (GM potato), and stunted growth and premature deaths (GM soy). (3)
Animal feeding trials are not mandatory in safety assessments. The only human feeding study (conducted in the UK in 2003) showed that after one small meal GM transgenes were able to cross over to gut bacteria.
There are three chief concerns with GM foods
- The potential for increased levels of pesticides in our food
- Creation of unexpected proteins, toxins and allergens
- The use of antibiotic-resistance genes in GM plants
As 80%of all GM crops are fed to animals they enter the food chain through products such as eggs, milks and meat.
Current labelling laws mean that the majority of GM foods do not have to be labelled, such as oils and syrups, as well as products from GM fed animals. We are all unknowingly eating GM foods whether we like it or not. Our only guarantee of GM free food is certified organic foods, but this could now be under threat.
Is it safe for the environment?
A three year UK field study showed that commercial use of some genetically modified crops could alter the balance of weed species that thrive on British farmland. Researchers stated “Butterfly numbers were cut by up to two-thirds and bee populations by half in fields of transgenic winter canola…..bees and butterflies suffer because they prefer the type of weed (targeted by herbicide)”.The scientists foresee a knock-on effect on animals higher up the food chain, such as birds.
It is unknown what effect Bt (toxin producing) crops can have on micro organisms as their roots continually exude toxins into the soil for up to 8 months.
Roundup, the chemical used in conjunction with Roundup Ready crops (as in Roundup Ready canola), has been shown to be a potential endocrine disrupter, which means that it can interfere with our hormones, as well as affect the development of wildlife such as tadpoles.
Environmental impact assessments are not mandatory in the US. To date no environmental assessments have been undertaken in Australia either.
GM crops have resulted in ‘superweeds’ in the US where millions of acres have been lost to weeds such as ‘Pigweed’ which have developed resistance to herbicides, despite increased use of chemicals. (4)
Can it be safely segregated to avoid contamination?
The suggestions that GM crops can be grown alongside non GM crops without contamination problems seems to contradict evidence that has been collected globally. Over the last ten years there have been nearly 300 reported GM contamination incidents, 9% canola related. (5) These include incidents here in Australia, one example being where GM canola was binned with non GM canola in Victoria in 2009. (6)
A report from the federal government has confirmed that contamination is unavoidable, and a tolerance level of less than 0.5% would be prohibitive because of costs. These extra costs will be borne by the non GM farmer and will include buffer zones in fields, separate harvesting, haulage, containers and testing as well as loss of premium. A suggested buffer zone of 500m seems redundant when, in Japan, GM canola has been found growing up to 26km from ports.
Could GM crops cross-pollinate with close relatives?
There is a very real concern that GM crops could cross-pollinate. Canola is a member of the brassica family and research has shown that it is likely that GM canola could cross-pollinate with crops such as broccoli and cabbage, as well as weedy relatives such as wild radish and wild turnip. Once cross-pollinated the new plants will have inherited the ‘Roundup Ready’ gene.
Should this occur in commercial plants the grower could be sued for using the gene illegally (regardless of the fact that crossing occurred accidentally). In an organic environment this would result in a loss of accreditation, as organic standards demand 0% GM contamination.
In weeds this would make them resistant to Roundup (the common herbicide used by councils for weed eradication) leaving harsher chemicals as the only alternative. There is evidence in Japan where GM canola has crossed with mustard or cabbage to produce a wild GM variety. (7)
Who is liable?
There is still no strict liability law in place which protects the non GM farmer from the costs of contamination. At the moment it is up to farmers to keep GM out of their fields, rather than GM farmers keeping crops under control. "the unforeseen risks of genetically modified foods may be too high for insurers". At present the biotech companies privately reap profits yet are not responsible for damage caused by their products.
Organic certification demands 0% GM tolerance, yet we are told that this is unrealistic. Should farmers find their crops contaminated they will have to resort to ‘Common Law’ to seek redress, but with a shroud of secrecy over the whereabouts of GM canola crops it will be very difficult to determine any source of contamination.
GM canola and Western Australia
In 2009 the State Government allowed 20 GM canola trials to take place in WA. Despite strict controls the trials resulted in 11 errors which included GM seed being planted in non GM canola crops, machinery not being cleaned, buffer zones too narrow, and GM seed delivered to receival site without notification.
As this trial was considered a success this year (2010) over 300 farmers are growing 72,000 hectares of GM canola across 57 shires. 33 of these shires also have a number of organic growers, and eleven of these shires have declared themselves GM free.
For more details on GM crops and foods go to the following links…
Network of Concerned Farmers http://www.non-gm-farmers.com/
GM Watch http://www.gmwatch.org/
GM Free Consumers Network http://no-gmo.asn.au/
The True Food Network http://www.truefood.org.au/
Gene Ethics http://www.geneethics.org/
(1) Smartstax is the latest ‘stacked’ GM crop. It has been assessed as safe, without undergoing any regulatory assessments.
http://www.madge.org.au/Docs/MR-100715-Smartstax.pdf
(2) Mon863 has received Australian approval despite it being rejected by other governments.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/mon863_chronicle_of_deception/
(3) GM soy feedings trials
http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/blog/post/Genetically-Modified-Soy-Linked-to-Sterility-Infant-Mortality.aspx
(4) GM ‘Superweeds’ infest GM cotton crops in the US
http://southeastfarmpress.com/cotton/pigweed-threatens-georgia-cotton-industry-0706/
GM corn contaminates GM soy crops
http://www.nufsaid.net/2010/07/08/any-gm-volunteers/
(5) GM Contamination register
http://www.gmcontaminationregister.org/
Bayer sued for GM rice contamination
http://www.gmwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12362
(6) Canola contamination in Victoria
http://nqr.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/grains-and-cropping/general/gm-canola-trace-level-readings-confusing/1706703.aspx?src=rss
(7) GM mustard in Japan
http://www.gmwatch.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12337