Myths & facts
Genetic modification is not the solution to global issues as claimed by the biotech industry
The public is constantly told that genetically modified (GM) crops and foods are needed to feed the world’s growing population and to meet the challenges that face farmers – climate change as well as pests and diseases.
It is claimed that GM crops will make agriculture more sustainable, giving higher yields, reducing pesticide use, and providing more nutritious food. GM foods are said to be as safe as non-GM foods. But these claims are at best questionable and at worst false.
There is no GM crop or food that has sustainably delivered the hyped benefits. At best, GM crops have performed no better than non-GM crops. At worst, they have introduced new risks into food and farming or exacerbated existing problems.
Studies point to potential and actual harm to animal and human health and the environment from GM crops and the foods derived from them. But often this evidence does not reach the public and is buried under a deluge of exaggerated claims generated by a well-funded pro-GM lobby.
See full 32 page report on Myths and Facts of GMOs by Claire Robinson, editor of GMWatch.org.
References for the GMO Myths and Facts report can be viewed
here
Funding and patents reveal conflicts of interest
“Many academic institutions and their affiliated scientists have come to rely on money from the agricultural biotechnology industry for funding research, buildings and departments, and therefore cannot be regarded as independent. In addition, many scientists and public bodies themselves own patents on GM crop technology.31a These facts must be borne in mind when evaluating the claims about GM technology made by scientists associated with these institutions.” - Claire Robinson
New gene editing techniques are essentially the same as old style GMOs and carry the same risks
The agricultural biotech industry and affiliated groups are now promoting the use of new genetic modification techniques known as gene editing in food and farming.
The main technique that has caught the imagination of the industry and its supporters is the CRISPR/Cas gene editing technique. The industry is using gene editing to manipulate the genomes of crop plants and livestock animals, in order to confer new traits.
They make a range of claims for these techniques – for example, that gene editing is precise, safe, and so highly controlled that it only gives rise to predictable outcomes. They also say that gene editing is widely accessible and quicker than conventional breeding, and that it gives us the tools to enable us to meet the challenges of environmental degradation and climate change.
However, none of these claims stand up to scrutiny, as shown by the evidence presented in the report below written by Claire Robinson, editor of GMWatch.org.