Why say no to GM Food?

Hi everyone! Upon some reflection i think i should also share about the cons of GM food. (it seems like i have been only sharing about the pros of GM food ) i did some read ups. And found interesting reasons why some people "SAY NO" to GM food.

Environmental hazards

Can cause harm to other organisms

"Last year a laboratory study was published in Nature showing that pollen from B.t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B.t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish."
-  USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other non-government research groups

 

Reduced effectiveness of pesticides

Just as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to B.t. or other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides

Gene transfer to non-target species

Another concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These "superweeds" would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. The possibility of interbreeding is shown by the defense of farmers against lawsuits filed by Monsanto. The company has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops


- ProQuest ( part of Cambridge Information Group)
.
Human health risks

Allergenicity

Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was abandoned because of the fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions^.  Extensive testing of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies.


"Genetic engineering is imprecise and unpredictable. By inserting genes from organisms" - Friends of the Earth (http://www.foe.co.uk)

which have never been eaten as food, new proteins are introduced into the human and

animal food chains. There is concern that these could cause allergic reactions or other

health effects.

Unknown effects on human health

There is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats^.  This study claimed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. Moreover, the gene introduced into the potatoes was a snowdrop flower lectin, a substance known to be toxic to mammals.


Economic concerns
Increase social gap (between the poor and the rich)
Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process. Yet consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor.
 


so Why say no to GM food? Well, after knowing about the cons of GM food.. Hmm.. i am considering to say... noo.. yes..? well ~


- Shirley-