Some of the Issues Facing Roman Catholic Nuns in North and Central America and the Caribbean in Dealing

with Genetically Modified Organisms

By Basil Fletcher, Jamaica W.I.

Some of the Issues Facing Roman Catholic Nuns in North and Central America and the Caribbean in Dealing with Genetically Modified Organisms

Introduction
Advances made in the area of biology, especially molecular biology, and mans deepening understanding of the structure of genes and their component parts, have open the doors to great possibilities and opportunities, to either improve the quality of lives of all or to incease the relative hardship and discrimination faced by many. Perhaps, there is no other field of human endeavor so full of moral and ethical issues than the areas of genetic and molecular engineering. The because of very serious nature of the potential use of genetic engineering by both large multinational corporations and by governments around the world, it is generally assumed that this area is best dealt with by men, priests and politicians. The truth is however, that it is women who decide, what the family eats and what looks good on the members of the family, in other words, women are in the main responsible for the usage of the disposable income of the household and determine in consumption patterns. Thus the issues of genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms are of paramount to all women, both at the political level and at the household level; hence are issues of importance not only to priests, male pastors and politicians but most of all to the nuns of the Roman Catholic Church. This essay, will address several dimensions of the issues at hand, and it is hoped that the essay will contribute to the already existing foundation on which the Roman Catholic nuns use in guiding their work.

Dimension 1 Hunger is a reality in todays world, a reality which is relatively difficult for us in the Western Hemisphere to come to terms with. We are more accustom to see food in terms of price and quality, rather than in terms of the unavailability of food. Yet this unavailability of food is a reality of life for many, not only as a result of bad governments and wars, but also because of climatic conditions in some parts of the world. These conditions are expected to get even worse than they are, as a result of climate change on one hand, and as younger generations fight for a right to be heard in the halls of power in those countries which undemocratic in nature. Added to the unavailability of food, rising standards of living across the globe has brought with it an increase in life expectancy, decreases in infant and child mortality rates, increases in fertility rates as the age of menomarch (the appearance of the first period in girls) is reduced and a resultant increase in the population. With this situation, we are familiar with in the Caribbean, Central America and North America. An increase in population brings along with it an increase in the demand for food at acceptable prices. Resulting from the above two problems, the scientific community is called upon to :- (1) find ways to increase crop yields while reducing the costs of production and (2) find ways to bring marginal lands into production. This is particularly important for those who live in the drier regions of the world such as Sub Saharan Africa, North Africa, Inner Mongolia, areas in an around the Andes Mountains in South America, and in large areas of the United States. Genetic engineering and molecular biology are able to provide some solutions to these two challenges facing the scientific community.

There are however, several moral and or ethical considerations which must be taken into account, even as the search for a path which might enable both the rights of the consuming public and the firms which invest in genetic engineering to be respected. Areas of Central Europe, during the period of communism, saw the contamination of vast tracks of land by industrial and urban waste, areas in this part of the Americas have significant tracks of land which are currently unusable for agricultural purposes because of previous landfill and garbage disposal methods and or approaches. Here in Jamaica along the heavily contaminated coastline of Helshire, one notices that the pearl clam population, not only continues to exist, but actually thrives in the polluted conditions. If it was possible, through genetic engineering to transfer the resistance to pollution of the Jamaican pearl clam, to wheat and or rye , then the tracks of land earlier mentioned could be brought back into productive use. The noted Jamaican sociologist, Dr. Orville Taylor of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica, is noted to have very strong leanings towards both the Rastafarian and Seventh Day Adventists-thus could have real concerns about consuming wheat products in which there is a shellfish component. Does Dr. Taylor have a right to know that the dumplings which he consumes have a shellfish component in the flour that made them? The second question here is, given, that, genetically modified organisms of whatever type, are products designed and created by man, even as a box of fruit juice is a product of man, should these genetically modified organism once used in goods for mass consumption, not respect the general rules of labeling which governs all manufactured products? Would this approach, not be of benefit to consumers in Central Europe, in North America, in the Caribbean and in Central America? The second issue here, is the issue of property rights. While understanding that companies which had invested heavily in the development of genetically modified products, have a right to seek returns on their investments, and

thus might seek to design crops which may not be replanted from their seeds or grafting, should these companies not also be required to operate under the very same type of property rights laws and regimes which governs the pharmaceutical industry, thus allowing the seed importing countries after a reasonable period of time to gain access to the patents and knowhow involved in producing these seeds which they have imported? Experience with the pharmaceutical industry, has shown, that retired patents on given types of drugs has allowed countries such as India and Hungary among others, to play a leading role in extending healthcare benefits to many less affluent countries and populations, even in this region, health benefits which they could not previously afford. Is there not a moral imperative, at least within this region of the world, for the Catholic Church through its nuns, working with others, to bring pressure on these producing companies to ,one, respect the right of the individual to know what he or she is consuming and two, to ensure that these companies make available to the wider producing world, their patents and know how after a reasonable period of time?

Dimension 2 Great harm was done to regional producers of coconut oil and products containing coconut oil, by the United States and the Soya lobby, by the creation and spreading of misinformation about coconut oil and products made from it. It took decades for the truth about coconut oil and its comparative advantages to soya oil, to be made known by the public at large, and this only after the coconut oil industry in the Caribbean and Central America was destroyed or significantly reduced. It is indeed most unfortunate that the United States, the recognized political and economical leader in this region, should have taken such actions against its much smaller and weaker neighbors, which look up to it for guidance and

leadership. The illegal actions by the government of the United States in regards to Antigua in respect to online gaming, have shown again that the government of the United States has real problems in accepting the fact, that it is the economic and political leader in the region, with a level of responsibilities and obligations to those which it leads. This failure of leadership and abdication of responsibilities raises and must raise very serious concern in terms of regional attitudes to genetically modified products from the United States in particular and from the world in general. Here in Jamaica, it is known by the gardeners in Portmore St. Catherine, that the leguminous plant medina once it becomes established on any part of a lawn, destroys the carpet grass, and renders incapable of growing in its vicinity. The primary concern of all who invest capital, is to maximize their earnings from invested capital and the primary strategic aim of marketers is to create a captive market for their products. Issues such as cooperate citizenship and social responsibility are secondary to shareholders equity, in fact, one can speak in real terms of coperate social responsibility only if the firm question is in the black and out of the red, making profits rather than making loses. In such circumstances, what would prevent a company which produce genetically modified onion seeds, from designing and creating such plants which are able to prevent the growth of scallions which can be used as a substitute for onions. Onions are in the main currently imported while scallions are grown locally and exported. Is it impossible to produce onions with allelopathic characteristics? If not, from a marketing or shareholder perspective, which laws in the United States America, in Canada or elsewhere, which would prevent their production for export and use in the Caribbean and Central America? One only has remember, that very recently, an entire shipment of rice, had to be returned to the United States because of its level of contamination with rat dropping, and other such contaminants. What would prevent a firm in the United States of America, from producing a

type of maize for export to Central America and Mexico which has the ability to wipe out over time domestic species of the same crop? There is currently no law in the United States or in Canada which would prevent the design , production and export of these types of seeds. Different, but not unrelated, is the appearance of the lion fish, in Jamaica and Caribbean waters. This fish has through its eating habits, have forced many fisher folks even closer to poverty and has resulted in the regions increased importation of fish. Thus it be said that the lion fish (Pterois) has had both a negative impact on the social environment and on the balance of payments of the countries in the region. While there is no reason to believe that the lionfish was deliberately introduced into Caribbean waters, what is clear, is that , the lionfish is from the very same region of the world, from where the bulk of its imported gutted fish is from. Is there a role, that, the Roman Catholic Church, through its nuns could play along with others, in preventing the designing and production for export of plants which whose impact would be a minimum equivalent to the lion fish on regional crop culture ? In other words, what can the Catholic Church through its nuns do, to ban creation and distribution of the lionfish of the plant world? Is there a role that the Protestant and Seventh Day Adventist women can play in this venture?

Dimension 3 Genetic engineering and molecular biology, has increased mans ability to fight undeclared wars without the use of Newtonian weaponry and platforms. As shown above, it is already, a real existing possibility to use genetic engineering and specie introduction to degrade the agro-economic foundations of a country. The fact, that there are significant populations of

the world in contesting regions, such as China and India, with particular genetic traits, makes the design of genetic modified organisms as platforms for undermining the economic well being of those countries even more attractive. It is known for example that Indo-Chinese are very lactose intolerant even as many from that region suffer from allergic reactions to alcohol and similar products. If I were a genetist employed by the military establishment, would it not be to my merit and recognition to design, develop and produce the those types of crops which are able to further the military objectives of my country? Is there any type of law or convention banning the design, development and production of wheat or rice which have the ability to trigger particular types of allergies? There are none! Even as there are no laws which forces countries to declare that they are about to undertake or are undertaking hostile actions against another. Research at the University of California has already discovered that the consumption of certain type of vegetables influences the levels of hormones , increases sexual activity and aggression in the red colobus monkeys. These vegetables are those which are rich in estrogen. Is it not possible to increase the natural estrogen level/availability in those phytoestrogen rich vegetables to bring about the similar results in humans? According to a study by Canadian researchers about the content of nine
common phytoestrogens in a Western diet, foods with the highest relative phytoestrogen content were nuts and oilseeds, followed by soy products, cereals and breads, legumes, meat products, and other processed foods that may contain soy, vegetables, fruits, alcoholic, and nonalcoholic beverages. Flax seed and other oilseeds contained the highest total phytoestrogen content, followed by soybeans and tofu. The highest concentrations of isoflavones are found in soybeans and soybean products followed by legumes, whereas lignans are the primary source of phytoestrogens found in nuts and oilseeds (e.g. flax) and also found in cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables From the Wikipedia

If the

Canadian researchers are correct and the researchers at the University of

California are spot on, what prevent the production of weaponized soya meal, veggie chunks or read peas for the testing on the Rastafarians and Adventists who are vegetarians? Is there any law in place in the United States, in Canada or anywhere in this region which would ban such actions? Is the sight or vision of some sex crazy and highly aggressive Rastafarians and Seventh Day Adventists a funny one? There are many individuals with allergic reactions to peanuts, are the multinational firms, the universities and other research institutions in a position to resist, the temptation to design, develop and produce weaponized tomatoes in exchange for grants and or government contracts? The truth is, that governments are among the best and most sought after customers in periods of economic down turn. This potential weaponizationatin of crops is of very high concern for all consumers in this region, be they in New York, Kingston or San Jose, for the simple reason that the similarity in climatic conditions to other regions of the world and the composition of the population does create conditions in which the cultivation and consumption of these type of plants could be tested at relatively low costs and with home base advantages. Is this saying that Jamaica and the citizens of this region have reasons to be afraid of the potential actions of the United States in this arena of warfare? The answer is yes. The United States government in the past, has allowed American citizens in the United States proper to be used unknowingly as guinea pigs in medical experiments, hence there is no reason to believe that without strong opposition and education of the wider public, it will not be tempted to do the same, if not in the United States proper then in one of the countries of it siblings? The question here, is, what role can or should the nuns of the Roman Catholic Church play in preventing this region from the East Coast of the United States to La Paz , from become a region for the designing, development and production and or testing of weaponized agricultural crops, the production of weaponized tomatoes , maize or bananas? What role can

they play in preventing their universities and the universities in which Roman Catholics work from seeking to engage in this type of research, even in the face of great financial needs?

Dimension 4 Many hated for good reasons the late John Lennon MBE and his wife Yoko Ono, not because they stood for what we could call counter culture, but rather because they not only represented those who could not speak for themselves, the wretched of the earth, not only because they stood together in the struggle to ensure that womanhood is duly recognized and respected but also because they stood against the calls for racial purity in the United Kingdom, in Japan and in the world, they were on the side of the muddle blood. Today, genetic engineering and molecular biology, carries with it the dreams of those who would like to promote and demote segments of the human population in keeping with their desires, it carries with it the dreams of those who would like to ensure that only the selected enter through the gates of the Promised Land , it carries with it the dreams of many who would like to filter the human population of its unwanted members, the Jews, the Blacks, the Indians, the homosexuals and lesbians, the mentally ill, those who later in life by whatever reasoning might run afoul of the law, the physically challenged who are burdens on the society, and all those who live on the fringes. Already, it has been discovered, through what should be called a quasi experiment, that growth hormones fed to meat producing animals lead young males to develop breasts and cause young girls to have an early onset of their period. As pointed out above, it is now a potentially real possibility to

increase the sex drive, level of aggression and general stress levels in individuals by increasing the phytoestrogen content of the food consumed. And also increase the possibility of women loosing their breasts because of breast cancer. In short, it is now a real possibility to socially and biologically degrade targeted populations. It might be also possible to target given genes and or dna strands, through engineered foods to determine the characteristics of the unborn child. One only needs to recall the effect of the early contraceptive pills on the children of women who used them before deciding to become pregnant. The area of eugenics, is a particular troubling on for the Catholic Church and the religious community as a whole, for the simple reason, that there are people and or population segments which the Roman Catholic Church and the religious community as a whole, possibly wished never came into the world. How much less would the problems and costs the Roman Catholic and Anglican communities would face, were there no homosexuals and lesbians in this world? It is here that the nuns of the Roman Catholic Church need to help the Roman Catholic community to understand clearly, that it cannot be pro-life and pro-choice at the same time. Should they decide to follow pro-choice road, then the threat of the religious community encouraging and supporting genetically modified organisms for the purposes of population selection becomes a real and current danger. If the nuns of the Roman Catholic Church, stick to their pro-life position, then, they will be among the best and most able fighter against eugenics and genetically modified organisms End Basil Fletcher Dedicated to the memory of Karl Hurst and Michael Clarke, former members of the Workers Party of Jamaica .