5 secrets that 'boss' Monsanto doesn't tell you

(Baonghean.vn) - You've heard the controversy over genetically modified foods (GMOs) and although they are claimed to be safe to eat, the story behind GMOs is much more complicated. Here are 5 things you need to know about GMO products.

» International court convicts Monsanto of destroying Vietnam's environment

1. GMO companies increase control over food sources

Monsanto now owns a staggering number of seed companies that were once its competitors, leaving grocery shoppers frustrated that dozens of food brands come from just a handful of companies.

This can be easily confirmed by looking at the breeding corporations. Biotechnology companies like Monsanto, Dow, Dupont and Syngenta produce not only genetically modified seeds but they control the entire food production system.

Soybean field using Roundup herbicide.

If the profit comes from selling a product that farmers need to buy, then that profit can be multiplied many times over if a system of supporting materials and chemicals is created that is inseparable from the product being sold.

For example, these companies bundle seeds with specific chemicals, like Monsanto soybeans that are engineered to withstand Roundup, Monsanto’s own herbicide. If a farmer plants these soybeans, they will have to buy Roundup.

For farmers, it’s not easy to say no to growing GMOs. In our increasingly consolidated food industry, farmers have fewer and fewer options, and the advice they hear every day is “GMOs.” This is not just happening in the US, but increasingly around the world.

2. GMOs are not as advertised

GMOs are not as advertised. Photo: Daily.mk

GMO companies often fail to deliver on their promises. You may have heard that “we need GMOs to feed the world,” with the assumption that only high-yielding, genetically modified crops can provide enough food for a growing population. However, this is simply not true.

Eat “golden rice,” which will cure vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. Unfortunately, the beta-carotene in “golden rice” is difficult for the body to absorb without fats and oils, which are not always available where people live in poverty and on a strict diet.

There are plenty of natural, non-GMO foods, like carrots and sweet potatoes, that are rich in vitamin A and don’t cost millions of dollars to produce and grow. “Golden rice” is great PR, but it won’t solve the world’s nutrition problems.

Do we really need some kind of scientific process to prevent apples from turning brown when we cut them? GMOs that prevent apples from turning brown when cut are purely a marketing scheme, a way to make produce appear fresher than it actually is, making it easier to get onto fast food shelves.

3. More GMOs mean more chemicals used

More GMOs mean more chemicals used. Photo: Bpn.ge

Many genetically modified crops are tolerant to certain herbicides, such as Roundup, which can cause cancer. So growing GMOs means farmers will only use chemicals that are related in many ways. These chemicals remain in the environment, threatening the health of farmers and agricultural workers, as well as the communities they live in. The systems in place to control chemicals to ensure they do not affect food are very weak.

What’s even worse is that, with the increased use of chemicals, natural enemies are also being wiped out. Over time, weeds and insects develop resistance to the chemicals used to control them. The more we use them, the faster they adapt.

Many conventional herbicides are no longer effective on farms, biotechnology companies are encouraging the use of more toxic chemicals,… ultimately leading to a dangerous chemical arms race, from which humans and the environment will surely be the losers.

4. GMOs and organic agricultural products cannot coexist.

GMO corn is being grown in Xuan Loc, Dong Nai

Trying to keep a farm GMO-free is harder than you might think. Some GMOs are not grown on the farm, but can be contaminated from neighboring GMO farms, or even farms miles away, where pollen from GMO crops can be carried by the wind and mix with the non-GMO varieties, and eventually the purebred varieties will also carry the GMO genes.

For example, when a plant, vegetable, or grain has its DNA altered, its pollen fertilizes with the original variety, and the original variety will be genetically altered. It will spread and fertilize with the original variety through pollination. This is an irreversible process because the DNA of these genetically modified plants is the “dominant” gene. For organic farmers, they will face serious problems when their plants are gradually mutated and GMOs take over.

5. Research on GMO safety is “biased”

Photo: sustainablepulse.com

There is a lot of research out there on the safety and efficacy of GMOs, but the problem is that too much of it is funded or influenced by the biotech industry. Worryingly, this includes research conducted at public universities. When GMO advocates claim that there is a “scientific consensus” on GMOs, or that leading scientific organizations are on their side, we really need more independent, safe, long-term research on the health and environmental impacts of genetically modified foods.

GMOs have caused a catastrophe in the plant world, causing DNA mutations that spread through pollen in many plants around the world. Now biotech companies are continuing to expand and are beginning to plan to control animals. Indeed, there are many reasons to be concerned about GMOs. However, consumers are completely blind when participating in this colorful food market.

Kim Ngoc

(Synthetic)