Dear “Earth Talk: What are the environmental and health risks of genetically
engineered foods, and do they outweigh the benefits such as reduced pesticide
use and increased crop yields? — Liz from California
Genetic engineering is a technology in which the genes of organisms are manipulated
and transferred between species. Although genetically engineered (GE) foods such
as corn and wheat appear identical to their natural counterparts, they differ
in that they contain genes from bacteria, viruses, insects, nuts, and animals.
Proponents of genetic engineering claim that the technology actually improves on Mother Nature; altered plants can be made resistant to weeds, insects, or even cooler temperatures. For this reason, the technology has been touted as the future of agriculture and looked to as a solution to world hunger.
But many scientists believe that the reality of genetic engineering is quite different. According to University of California at Berkeley biologist Miguel Altieri, the replacement of a wide variety of crops with a few genetically modified monocultures (large groups of a single species of plant) threatens to undermine the very genetic diversity that helps crops avoid insect infestation and the spread of disease in the first place.
“Although biotechnology has the capacity to create a greater variety of commercial plants,” Altieri says, “the trend . . . is to create broad international markets for a single product, thus creating the conditions for genetic uniformity.” He adds that the potential transfer of genes from GE crops to wild or semidomesticated relatives may help create “superweeds,” resistant to any and all control efforts.
Additionally, some believe that GE foods may be hazardous to human health. Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association says that GE foods have been linked to many health problems, including blood disorders and food allergies. For instance, a few years ago Pioneer Hi-Bred International, to boost the protein content of its products, developed a soybean using a gene from a Brazil nut. Independent tests on the GE soybean revealed that people allergic to Brazil nuts could have severe allergic reactions to the modified soybeans.
Although many U.S. lawmakers and farmers have embraced genetic engineering, governments in other parts of the world are not convinced that the known benefits of the technology outweigh the potential risks. According to Yale University researcher Kathleen McAfee, U.S. advocacy for genetic engineering has strained foreign relations as European and African nations reject any such “modified” products for trade and food aid.
With more than 40 varieties of GE crops approved for marketing and use in the United States, as much as 70 percent of the foods on U.S. grocery shelves today already contain genetically modified components. Because the federal government does not require GE foods to be labeled as such, the best way for consumers to avoid them is by buying only products that have been certified organic.
For more information: Organic Consumers Association, 218-226-4164,
www.organicconsumers.org;
Ecological Impacts of Agricultural Biotechnology, www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/altieri.html;
Yale Global Online, www.yaleglobal.yale.edu/environment.
Send questions to “Earth Talk” in care of E/The Environmental
Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; or e-mail earthtalk@emagazine.com.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2005.
