GMO defined

GMOs are genetically modified organisms, where genes are taken from one species, like bacteria
or viruses, and forced into the DNA of other species, like soybeans and corn plants. Irrespective
of what particular gene you insert, the very process of creating a GMO results in massive
collateral damage in the plant, which can increase toxins, allergens, carcinogens, and anti-
nutrients.
The principle aim with GM food is to combine desirable genes from various species to create
new genetically-altered crosses with enhanced nutritional, productive and ecological value. This
differs from traditional breeding in that genetic transference between unrelated species does not
occur biologically in nature.

Dangers of genetically engineered foods

 Scientists can choose which genes to manipulate, but they don't yet know where in the DNA
to precisely insert these genes and they have no way of controlling gene expression. Genes don't
work in isolation, changing a few could change the whole picture, with unpredictable and
different effects under different circumstances.

 Many GM companies don't label their foods as being GM foods. There is concern about a GM
bias affecting business. But not labeling is wrong and unfair to the consumers who should have
the right to know what they are buying and indeed to decide whether they want to buy GM food
or not.

-Even if health safety factors are not an issue, some people might have moral or religious
objections. They should not have to eat GM food if they don't want to.

 GM food will end food diversity if everyone starts growing the same standardized crops. But
not everyone has access to these GMO’s

 Herbicide-resistant and pesticide-resistant crops could give rise to super-weeds and super-
pests that would need newer, stronger chemicals to destroy them.

 GM crops could cross-pollinate with nearby non-GM plants and create ecological problems. If
this were to happen with GM foods containing vaccines, antibiotics, contraceptives and so on, it
would very well turn into a human health nightmare.

 The GM technology companies patent their crops and also engineer crops so that harvested
grain germs are incapable of developing. This is not empowering to impoverished Third World
farmers, who cannot save seeds for replanting and have to buy expensive seeds from the
companies every time. The new technology also interferes with their traditional agricultural ways
which may be more suited to their conditions.
In reality, the overwhelming consensus among the agency’s own scientists was that GM foods
could lead to unexpected, hard to detect side effects, including allergens, toxins, new diseases,
and nutritional problems-1992 FDA policy
Rats developed
• Potentially pre-cancerous cell growth in the digestive tract
• Smaller brains, livers and testicles
• Partial atrophy of the liver, and
• Immune system damage
Lancet, 1999
 There are many ways in which GM soy might increase allergies. GM soy has higher
levels of herbicide residues, which might also trigger reactions.
 There is as much as a sevenfold increase in the allergen trypsin inhibitor in cooked GM
soy compared to cooked non-GMO soy. One preliminary study suggested the presence of
a new allergen in GM soy.
 Mice fed GM soy showed reduced digestive enzymes, which might increase allergic
response to many proteins. The Roundup Ready protein, which is produced by the
inserted gene, has properties of a known allergen.
 Rabbits that were fed Roundup Ready soy had higher metabolic activity as well as
changed enzyme levels in 3 main organs.
 Mice that were fed Roundup Ready soy for 8 months showed significant changes in the
liver, pancreas and testes.
 GM cotton and corn varieties are engineered with a gene from the soil bacteria called Bt.
When insects bite Bt corn and cotton, they get a mouthful of a built-in toxin, produced by
every cell of the plant. The poison splits open their digestive system and kills them. The
GM plants are registered as pesticides with the Environmental Protection Agency.
 Biotech companies claim that Bt-toxin has a history of safe use, since organic farmers
and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect control. Genetic engineers insert genes
from the bacteria into the DNA of the corn and cotton, so the plants themselves do the
killing. They fail to point out that the Bt-toxin produced in GM plants:
Is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray;
Is designed to be more toxic;
Increased infertility and lower birth weight
(Government of Austria November 2008)
In a study by Monsanto made public because of a lawsuit, rats fed Bt corn developed signs of
liver and kidney toxicity. These included kidney inflammation and kidney lesions, and decreased
kidney weight. The latter symptom is typically related to blood pressure problems. They also
developed increased basophiles which are related to allergies. Increased lymphocytes or white
blood cells which are part of the immune system indicating a reaction to infection or possibly
disease. A 10% increase in blood sugar, and decreased immature red blood cells by 50%. This
might indicate anemia.
In India, hundreds of laborers picking cotton and working in cotton ginning factories developed
allergic reactions when handling the BT cotton. The most commonly reported symptoms are
itching and rashes.
[Ashish Gupta et. al., “Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers’ Health (in Barwani and Dhar District of
Madhya Pradesh),” Investigation Report, Oct–Dec 2005; plus numerous press reports]
After the Bt cotton is harvested, shepherds take their flocks into the area to graze on the Bt
plants. Within 5 to 7 days, one out of four sheep died. Thousands died in total.
[“Mortality in Sheep Flocks after Grazing on Bt Cotton Fields—Warangal District, Andhra
Pradesh” Report of the Preliminary Assessment, April 2006,
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6494]

Buffalo in India that were fed GM cotton plants or cottonseed cakes suffered from a variety of
disorders. In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, villagers allowed their buffalo to graze on
natural cotton plants for about 8 years without incident. On January 3, 2008, their 13 buffalo
grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. Within about three days, all had died.
About 25 farmers in the Midwest claim that their pigs and cows became sterile when they were
feeding them certain varieties of BT corn. Some pigs developed false pregnancies and gave birth
to bags of water. On one farm, the corn that apparently caused the pigs to become sterile was
later fed to the cows, and they too became sterile. The reports of animal sterility were not
followed up with tests by authorities, just denial that the problem was feed related.

1)GMO production is to solve problems that we can’t solve conventionally “Prof Ishiyaku” but
nowadays we see rampant production of GMO’s .
2) GMO’s have been produced since 1994 with the intent to solve hunger, poverty and the fast
growing population but till date hardly can we say this aim has been achieved. Rather, there has
been increased health risks,
3)Where as sustainable non-GMO agricultural methods used in developing countries have
conclusively resulted in yield increases of 79% and higher, GMO donot on the average increase
yields at all. This was evident in the union of concerned scientists’ 2009 report failure to yield-
the definitive study to date on GM crops and yield.
The director general of the national biosafety management agency (NBMA) has issued out a
warning to super stores operators in Nigeria asking them to withdraw all genetically modified
products from their shelves as soon as possible