Genetically Modified Foods Present Risks to People and Environment

Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are made by inserting genes from another species into an organism’s DNA. Genetic modification is very different from the traditional practice of selective breeding to improve the qualities of plants or animals.

Usually the purpose of this with respect to crops is to create crops that are resistant to herbicides like Monsanto’s Roundup (so that Roundup can be used for weed control) or to have crops self-manufacture their own insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

The risks of GMO are many and include:

• Potential harm to whoever consumes the GMO or consumes meat, milk, or eggs from animals that have been fed GMO feed. Studies so far are inconclusive but suggest that there may well be risks. Negative impacts may take a long time to show up.

• Negative impact on the environment and the food chain. Bt GMO might easily impact beneficial insects.

• Development of herbicide-resistant weeds (through natural selection) appears to be the first well-documented negative impact resulting in increasing use of herbicides.

Farmers who do not wish to grow GMO foods may find that their crops have been infiltrated by pollen from GMO crops growing nearby, resulting in hybridization of the non-GMO seed inventory. This might even subject the farmer to claims that the farmer has stolen patented seeds and thus could be a target for civil tort action. The legal risk will probably diminish over time as this sort of hybridization becomes commonplace, but our inventory of pre-GMO seeds will also diminish over time.

Thus there are two main issues. How can consumers avoid ingesting GMO food or animals that have been fed GMO feed? How can farmers avoid being negatively impacted by their neighbors planting GMO seeds?

With respect to the first issue, in practice there is no good way to know for sure what you are buying. Processed foods that do not include GMO might state that information on the package, but if they do include GMO components they are not likely to mention that. The Sierra Club’s Rio Grande Chapter tried several years ago to have such a labeling requirement established in New Mexico but this effort failed. We will try again.

It is possible to identify organic produce by the PLU label on the item being five digits starting with a “9.” But other than advertising on the package, there is no real way to know if food contains GMO ingredients or if fish or meat have been fed GMO food.

With respect to growing GMO crops in New Mexico, it may be possible that counties could prohibit it. So working through counties and Soil and Water Conservation Districts might be a way to go. This has now become urgent since it seems that the USDA wishes to approve Roundup Ready alfalfa. The progress towards stopping this can be tracked on many websites, including www.foodsafetynow.org. As with many environmental issues, initial victories do not necessarily guarantee long-term victories.

For more information, contact Sigmund Silber, Rio Grande Chapter Agriculture Chair (505/473-7006, ssilber1@juno.com). —Sigmund Silber