Former Pro-GMO Scientist Speaks Out On The Real Dangers of Genetically Engineered Food

[eridani]

http://gmosummit.org/former-pro-gmo-scientist/

I retired 10 years ago after a long career as a research scientist for Agriculture Canada. When I was on the payroll, I was the designated scientist of my institute to address public groups and reassure them that genetically engineered crops and foods were safe. There is, however, a growing body of scientific research – done mostly in Europe, Russia, and other countries – showing that diets containing engineered corn or soya cause serious health

<snip>

I am turning you towards a recent compilation (June 2012) of over 500 government reports and scientific articles published in peer reviewed Journals, some of them with the highest recognition in the world. Like The Lancet in the medical field, or Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, or Biotechnology, or Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, European Journal of Histochemistry, Journal of Proteome Research, etc. This compilation was made by a genetic engineer in London, and an investigative journalist who summarized the gist of the publications for the lay public.

GMO Myths and Truths – an evidence based examination of the claims made for the safety and efficacy of genetically modified crops. A report of 120 pages, it can be downloaded for free from Earth Open Source. “GMO Myths and Truths” disputes the claims of the Biotech industry that GM crops yield better and more nutritious food, that they save on the use of pesticides, have no environmental impact whatsoever and are perfectly safe to eat. Genetic pollution is so prevalent in North and South America where GM crops are grown that the fields of conventional and organic grower are regularly contaminated with engineered pollen and losing certification. The canola and flax export market from Canada to Europe (a few hundreds of millions of dollars) were recently lost because of genetic pollution. Did I mention superweeds, when RoundUp crops pass their genes on to RoundUp Resistant weeds. Apparently over 50% of fields in the USA are now infested and the growers have to go back to use other toxic herbicides such as 2-4 D. Many areas of Ontario and Alberta are also infested. The transgenes are also transferred to soil bacteria.

A chinese study published last year shows that an ampicillin resistance transgene was transferred from local engineered crops to soil bacteria, that eventually found their way into the rivers. The transgenes are also transferred to humans. Volunteers who ate engineered soybeans had undigested DNA in their intestine and their bacterial flora was expressing the soybean transgenes in the form of antibiotic resistance. This is genetic pollution to the extreme, particularly when antibiotic resistance is fast becoming a serious global health risk. I can only assume the American Medical Association will soon recognize its poorly informed judgement.

[NYC_SKP]

1. FDA and AMA reject mandatory GMO labeling. Booooooo!

http://geneticliteracyproject.org/2014/04/04/as-fda-rejects-mandatory-gmo-labeling-some-green-groups-advocate-vandalism/

[freshwest]

2. I want to see the 120 page report. But it's not at the link.

Last edited Tue Jan 13, 2015, 02:07 AM - Edit history (1)

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

4. Earth Open Source is supposed to be the report site

This 330 page report appears to be the updated report:
http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/gmo-myths-and-truths

edit to add this link, as the above didn't load for me and this seems to be loading:
http://earthopensource.org/wordpress/downloads/GMO-Myths-and-Truths-edition2.pdf

[freshwest]

6. Thanks, but I was hoping for something with more data. Appreciate the effort.

[BrotherIvan]

3. This is so important

Those who are against GMOs are because of the detriment to the environment, other crops, and likely the human microbiome. And yet we are called crazy woo pushers. Well, it seems as though scientists not on the payroll of big Ag have some concerns as well.

This is all most advocates want:

1) Further testing - independent, comprehensive, and long-term.
2) Labeling - every person has the absolute right to know what is in her food and how it is grown.

What argument could anyone except those who stand to profit have with those two items?

[Scuba]

8. +1

[DeSwiss]

5. K&R

[Unknown Beatle]

7. Apparently over 50% of fields in the USA are now infested

and the growers have to go back to use other toxic herbicides such as 2-4 D.

One of the ingredients in Agent Orange was 2,4-D.

[madokie]

9. Selective Breeding and Gene splicing is not the same thing either

one gives us an almost uneatable tomato the other the jury is still out on.

[GreatGazoo]

10. meanwhile the US government is subsidising GMO corn to at about $8 bil this year alone

A bumper crop, again, has driven prices below the cost of production so...taxpayers will kick in $8 bil so that the GMO industry does not collapse and can do it all again next season. Insane.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-20/farmers-may-reap-subsidy-boom-on-record-crops.html

[OKIsItJustMe]

11. I was ambivalent about GMO until I read

http://www.commoncouragepress.com/index.cfm?action=book&bookid=150

[Nihil]

12. Kick for a subject so important for people to understand ...

... that all of the other crap going on (Paris, Ukraine, Israel, New York) pales into insignificance ...