Again,
the purpose of this blog is more on how to grow plants, growing with
limited space availability, and education regarding plants. It isn't
really meant to be a political outlet. That being said, it is
impossible to separate politics out from most issues. It is a force
that permeates our lives, as it should. We all have ideas that we
cling to, opinions that we hold close, ideals that we invest in.
Today's blog will focus on a very large issue that has come up in
recent time. And although I would love to have converts, the main
purpose of this entry will be to educate, if you are at least aware
and thinking about the issue, then I have done well.
Today
we will be talking about the genetic manipulation of plants for food.
I'm hoping that most people who read this will at least have heard
something about it. For those who haven't, it's important that you
know; unless you buy organic (though that itself isn't a guarantee),
already have a good knowledge of where you buy your food from, or
grow all of your own food, most of what you eat now is genetically
modified.
What
is genetic manipulation? It is the process of splicing in genes from
one creature into another. Of cutting out a piece of DNA from one
animal, plant, fungus, etc. and adding into the genetic sequence of
another. There are many reasons that this process is done, but, like
many aspects of our society, the main drive is profit.
When
this issue became noteworthy, it was sold to us as a means to
increase crop yield to feed the poor. To grow more nutritious crops,
ones with lower water needs, better disease resistance. In truth,
the actual products we got were ones that resisted herbicide, so that
the company that sells the seeds can sell you their herbicide as
well. We got products that, once we bought into, were nearly
impossible to de-invest ourselves in. Ones that set dangerous legal
precedent that we have never seen before.
There
are four plants that are the primary candidates for genetic
modification, soybeans, corn, rapeseed (canola), and cotton (though
wheat will soon make #5). There are others, and at the time of this
writing, the first genetically modified animal is being put up for
the FDA to review for human consumption, however I really just want
to touch briefly on the fact that of the “big four”, the three
food crops are in nearly every food product on the market. Soy is in
nearly everything, corn is in nearly everything (high fructose corn
syrup, anyone?), and canola oil is one of the most popular cooking
oils in the United States.
So
why does it matter? So most of our food is GM'd, or contains them,
what's wrong with that? Well, the simple answer is, we don't know.
Neither biotech companies nor the FDA tests them to see if they are
suitable for consumption, either by humans or animals:
"Monsanto
should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest
is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the
FDA's job." --
Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications, quoted
in the New York Times,
October 25, 1998
(http://www.alternet.org/story/154951/millions_against_monsanto%3A_the_food_fight_of_our_lives)
"When
a company comes in with data, the FDA looks at it and writes a letter
saying, "Dear Monsanto, you supplied information regarding the
safety of corn variety X and we are confident about what you've
shown," Halloran says. “It is your responsibility."
No
one knows if the food is safe, and no one tests it.
Besides
the lack of evidence for food safety, one of my largest concerns is
seed rights. For all of human history, the flow of seeds has been
free. You may buy seeds from a company, however, neither they, nor
you own the rights to the genes of the plant. If you collect seeds
from the fruit, that is your right. If you want to replant those
seeds or give them to a friend, you may. No one, nor any
organization has ever had rights to the DNA of a creature. This is
no longer true, and most frighteningly, this right has become the
sole right of biotech companies, and no other organization or person
has them. This means that if you purchase bio-engineered soy from
one of these companies, they retain seed rights and you may not save
them. You must re-purchase seeds every year from that company. And
what makes these seeds special? They are resistant to the herbicide
that the company makes. Do they use less water? No. Do they have
disease resistance? No. High crop yield? No. You buy more
expensive crop, that you have to re-purchase every year, which has
one purpose, for you to spend more money on herbicide from the same
company.
The
even more dangerous side of this issue is that of cross-pollination.
Plants reproduce with any member of the same genus. This means that,
in the case of canola, it will happily breed with cabbage, turnips,
broccoli, and many others. If your cabbage, which isn't modified,
has now mated with a canola that is, and you replant those seeds, you
can now be sued for stealing the DNA of a company's GM crop. I hope
that the danger here is not lost on my readers. It boils down to the
simple fact that, potentially, a biotech company can, through
cross-pollination, own any and all plants that you grow, including
any hybrids that you develop, fine you for theft, and do it entirely
legally.
Though
you yourself may not be a farmer or grow any kind of plants, I'm sure
that you know at least one person who does. If you're reading my
blog, you probably know me, so that gives you at least one person you
know that could be affected. I honestly feel that this is, and will
continue to be, one of the most important issues that we as a society
will face. My botany instructor once told me that science moves
faster than morality in our society; he was, and still is right.
___
If
you want to dig deeper, there are many resources available online. A
basic Google search will turn up both sides to the argument. Mine is
admittedly one sided, however, I do present viable points. I urge
all my readers to become better informed about this matter. I will
probably touch on this controversy again, especially in relation to Oregon,
but for now I hope that I've piqued interest in the issue.
___
Now
for something completely different. Writing articles about growing
during Winter, when many plants are dead or dormant can be a bit
difficult. I haven't been publishing as many entries as I'd like,
though I feel (or perhaps hope) that the quality has been going up.
I will try to post more in the coming months with smaller updates,
returning more to gardening in a small space, as well as longer
posts, highlighting specific plants and politics as they seem
appropriate.
Winter
is long, but as we are past the Solstice and the days are growing
longer. Sadly, in Oregon, the coldest part of Winter is still on
it's way, but at least higher light levels will be returning. I hope
you all had wonderful holidays, Spring will be here soon.
