University of Illinois professor emeritus of the department of food science and nutrition Bruce Chassy There is little doubt that genetically modified (GM) crops will play an increasingly crucial role in global agriculture in the coming decades ā especially as the world grapples with the challenges of providing food, and food security, for an estimated
Genetically modified (GM) food researchers still have a long way to go to show that GM foods are actually safe. In fact, the most recent news is that they cause miscarriages in animals. Thatās what a scientist researching Monsantoās Roundup Ready genetically modified crops has found. The miscarriages are linked to an organism that was
Hereās some of the biggest global warming and environmental politics news and commentary from the last week or so, along with some fun cartoons. Rocket Fuel in Our Water? The inspiration for the cartoon above, among other things: information that there is rocket fuel (or a component of it) in water supplies across the U.S.
A collaborative genetic analysis between civilian entomologists and military scientists has at last revealed the true cause of Colony Collapse Disease which has been decimating honeybee hives in the US, Europe and Asia since 2006.
Greenpeace recently found genetically engineered maize from Monsanto, MON810, illegally growing in Italy. Now, activists from Italy, Austria, Germany and Hungary are quarantining this GE maize. āGreenpeace has taken action today to prevent any further contamination from these hazardous and illegal GE crops,ā said Federica Ferrario, Greenpeace Italy Agriculture campaigner. āFor days these crops will
The National Research Council reports that the use of genetically engineered crops results in less harm to wild life, less soil erosion, and greater cost savings. Its findings could impact agricultural practices in other nations.
Any time you eat non-organic food, there is a 70 percent chance you are ingesting genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Modern genetic modification is different from historical alterationsāsuch as plant breedingābecause today, genes are transferred from one species to another. For instance, when you eat GM food, there is a good chance it has been injected with genes from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)āhence Bt Corn.
Are these GM foods a path to end world hunger and ensure a robust harvest in the face of possible harsh future climates? Or, is it a way for corporations to gain global control over agriculture for profit, releasing organisms that have unknown effects on the environment and human health?
According to the USDA, in 1996, less than 5 percent of soy products were genetically modified. Within 12 years, that amount increased to 90 percent. These have been in our foods for over a decade and as far as we can tell, nothing has really gone wrong. Is that why most Americans are not hearing about GMOs?
