| The biotech industry has experienced explosive | | | | organisms are a new life form that can mutate |
| growth, dwarfing that of the high tech industry. | | | | and breed for generations with other living things. |
| It's driven by two factors - the curiosity of its | | | | It is a non-indigenous species that has absolutely |
| scientists and the payoff. The profits to be made | | | | no natural habitat outside the laboratory. Their |
| are enormous, and it's these profits that are | | | | introductions will most certainly set off elements |
| blinding its proponents and driving the debate. | | | | of the environment that have a domino effect of |
| It all started back in 1995 with the modification of | | | | cascading changes throughout the entire |
| the humble tomato. But what a Pandora's Box it | | | | eco-system. |
| opened. Today we see many varieties of | | | | "If something does go badly wrong we will be |
| genetically altered produce which, though it looks | | | | faced with the problem of clearing up a kind of |
| the same on the outside, is very unique in its | | | | pollution which is self-perpetuating. I am not |
| genetic make-up. This practice of creating | | | | convinced that anyone has the first idea of how |
| designer foods through gene manipulation is seen | | | | this could be done, or indeed who would have to |
| as the exiting future in agricultural farming. | | | | pay." - Prince Charles, Seeds of Disaster, The |
| Geneticists tell us breathlessly that this new | | | | Daily Telegraph, 8 June 1998 |
| technology will revolutionize our lives and lead to | | | | Here are a few examples of agricultural genetic |
| electrifying advances in the food industry. Some | | | | failures illustrating some of the problems that |
| of the supposed benefits of this gene-manipulation | | | | have been encountered:o The Flavr Savr tomato |
| are:o Foods more tolerant to chemicals & | | | | was a commercial disastero Bt-cotton suffered |
| better resistance to pests & diseaseso More | | | | extensive damage from Bt-resistance pestso |
| nutritional content and improved food processing | | | | Roundup Cotton shed its cotton balls when |
| traitso Resistance to unfavorable soils and | | | | sprayed with Roundupo A soybean with a Brazil |
| weather circumstanceso Improved ripening, | | | | nut gene contains a protein fatal to those with nut |
| texture and flavor in foods | | | | allergyo Genetically modified potatoes damaged |
| But Is It Safe? | | | | the immune system in ratso Transgenic canola |
| Although the technology is impressive, the | | | | can harm bees by destroying their ability to |
| question of food safety remains skeptical and | | | | recognize flower perfumes |
| claims illusory. Genetic engineering is only in its | | | | These are but a few samples taken from known |
| infancy and scientists have no idea what they're | | | | examples. There may be many more that we |
| messing with. By inserting genes to alter design | | | | don't know about because latent genetic |
| and content, they intervene in DNA which is a | | | | abnormalities have not yet surfaced. It takes only |
| self-organizing, self-replicating macromolecule, with | | | | one rogue gene to cause a disaster. Biotechnology |
| the ability to perform error correction. | | | | offers no benefits to the public or to the |
| Introduction of an alien gene introduces instability. | | | | environment, only to the biotech companies which |
| The stress will cause the molecule to try and | | | | hope to make a killing. It may be a bigger killing |
| expel, or mutate the alien gene, with the result | | | | than they anticipated. Using genetically modified |
| being a new structure, and the possibility of gross | | | | crops is the same as conducting a gigantic |
| malfunction. This instability or undesired | | | | experiment on the world's ecosystem. But with |
| characteristic may not become apparent for | | | | this experimentation, the ultimate price could be |
| several generations. | | | | life itself. |
| At this point in time, Agriculture Canada and the | | | | "My worry is that other advances in science may |
| USDA have not identified long term health risks. | | | | result in other means of mass destruction, maybe |
| All testing done to date, despite reassurances to | | | | more readily available even than nuclear weapons. |
| the contrary by the biotech industry and | | | | Genetic engineering is quite a possible area, |
| regulatory authorities, are construed to safeguard | | | | because of these dreadful developments that are |
| the industry not guarantee public safety. Standard | | | | taking place there." - Joseph Rotblat, Nobel Prize |
| toxicology tests are conducted by the industry | | | | Laureate. |
| that benefits, no testing is done by regulatory | | | | Sources: |
| authorities (they rely on industry data), no | | | | 1) Allen, Scott - Tinkering with DNA on Your |
| independent scientific tests, no long term studies, | | | | Dinner Plate - New York Times Syndicate, 1999 |
| no sixth, seventh, eighth and later generation | | | | 2) Alison Abbot, German Physicians Warn of |
| studies, and no monitoring of releases to the | | | | Genetics Risks, Nature, Vol 384 No 9, 1997 |
| environment. In other words, testing is grossly | | | | 3) Andy Coghlan, The Devil We Don't Know - |
| one-sided. The only meaningful trials taking place | | | | Virus Resistance Is What Keeps Genetic |
| are those that use the human population as | | | | Engineers Awake At Night, New Scientist, 12 |
| involuntary guinea-pigs and the environment as an | | | | September 1996 |
| outside laboratory. | | | | 4) Anon, Gene Food Row, News in Brief, the |
| The biotech industry specializes in half-truths, | | | | Sunday Times, 16 August 1998 |
| downright deceptions, and extravagant claims. It | | | | 5) Anon, Battle Lines Drawn Over Labeling of |
| comes as no surprise to learn that companies big | | | | Genetically Engineered Foods, Campaigns & |
| in the manufacture and distributions of biocides | | | | News, the Ecologist, July/August 1998 |
| (e.g. Monsanto) are also major biotech players. Nor | | | | 6) Ambassador College Agricultural Department - |
| should it come as a surprise that intense lobbying | | | | Genetic Engineering, Complex Path To Failure - |
| by the same companies has led to a massive | | | | Your Living Environment, May 1970/73,Vol.1,No.5. |
| increase in the permitted herbicide residues on | | | | 7) Asda, Labeling of Genetically Modified |
| crops. GM crops can tolerate increased herbicide | | | | Ingredients, Asda, 28 January 1998 |
| applications, thus leading to a substantial increase | | | | 8) BBC, News Item On Genetically Modified Food, |
| in usage. | | | | The World at One, Radio 4, BBC, 10 August 1998 |
| So we can easily see that biotechnology, rather | | | | 9) BBC, Report on Virulent and Cross-Species |
| than being used to solve agricultural problems, is | | | | Viruses, Frontiers, Radio 4, BBC, 24 February |
| more profit driven than need driven. It intensifies | | | | 1999 |
| the farmers' dependence upon industrial inputs to | | | | 10) BBC, Report on GM Crops, One Planet, BBC |
| legally inhibit the right of farmers to reproduce, | | | | World Service, BBC, 16 December 1998 11) Clive |
| share and store seeds. By controlling the | | | | Cookson, Field of Genes, Financial Times, 11 |
| germplasm from seed to sale and by forcing | | | | August 1998 |
| farmers to pay inflated prices for seed-chemical | | | | 12) Cummins, E.Joseph - More On Tinkered Genes |
| packages, companies are determined to extract | | | | - Alive, Canadian Journal of Health & |
| the most profit from their investment. | | | | Nutrition,Issue 3,p.135,1993. |
| Opinion polls show the world public to be | | | | 13) FDA, Center for Food Safety & Applied |
| overwhelmingly against genetically modified foods. | | | | Nutrition-Emerging Technologies - Biotechnology, |
| In France, Britain, Denmark, USA and countries of | | | | 1995 |
| Europe, between 68-90% of all surveyed were | | | | 14) FDA/CFSAN, Fed.Register - Statement of |
| dogmatically against the use of GM products. The | | | | Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties - |
| giant chemical companies are well aware of this | | | | Vol.57, No.104, p.22984-22989, May 29, 1992. |
| dilemma. | | | | 15) Food Labeling; Foods Derived from New |
| (There is substantial opposition from the public, | | | | Varieties, Federal Register, April 28, 1993, Vol. 58 |
| from the media, and not least, from retailers) - | | | | pages 25837-25841 |
| Leaked internal Monsanto report. | | | | Hsu, Karen - The Future Of Food Is Now - New |
| Yet we'll likely continue to dine on DNA altered | | | | York Times Syndicate, 1999. |
| cuisine without ever knowing it. Peddlers of | | | | 16) Kendall, Patricia-Food Biotech.: Boon or |
| genetically modified foods continue to slip their | | | | Threat-Journal of Nutr. Education, 1997 - Society |
| adulterated products onto the world market in the | | | | for Nutrit.Education. |
| hope that no one will notice. Producers deliberately | | | | 17) McCullum,Christine - The New Biotechnology |
| mix GM and non-GM products in their foods, which | | | | Era: Issues for Education and Policy - Journal of |
| amounts to force-feeding an unsuspecting public. | | | | Nutrition Education and Policy, May/June |
| How many people in Canada know they're eating | | | | 1997-Society for Nutritional Education. |
| an estimated diet of 60% genetically processed | | | | 18) P. Hatchwell, Opening Pandora's Box - The |
| foods? How many know that the US, Canada and | | | | Risks of Releasing Genetically Engineered |
| Argentina account for more than 90% of the | | | | Organisms, the Ecologist, July/August 1989 |
| world's GM food crops? Absence of food labeling | | | | 19) Reuters - Fooling With Mother Nature - |
| helps tremendously in this growing market (as it | | | | Copyright 1998 ABC News |
| does with irradiated food). | | | | 20) Reuters - Suit Warns of Food Risks - |
| [Labeling is the key issue ... If you put a label on | | | | Copyright 1998 ABC News. |
| genetically engineered food; you might as well put | | | | 21) Staunton, Dennis & Others - GM Food |
| a skull and crossbones on it. - head of Asgrow, | | | | Threatens The Planet - Guardian Newspapers Ltd., |
| Monsanto seed subsidiary]. | | | | 1999. |
| More genetic danger | | | | 22) Steve Gorelick, Hiding Damaging Information |
| What about ecological balance? Modified crop | | | | From The Public, The Ecologist, Sept./Oct. 1998 |
| genes could cross-pollinate into the countryside, | | | | 23) Wales, Prince Of - Genetically Modified Food: |
| destroying wild habitats and creating a genetically | | | | Is It An Innovation We Can Do Without? - Online |
| polluted environment. Once released, genetic | | | | Forum, Copyright St. James Place and the Press |
| material can never be retrieved again. These | | | | Association Ltd. |