In Russia, officials are seriously considering passing a sweeping ban on all genetically modified crops. In banning GMOs, they will be joining other countries including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, just to name a few. The attitudes of these countries stand in stark contrast to those of the GMO giants, China, and the United States, the top two GMO producers in the world. So why is the rest of the world so afraid of what the USA and China has embraced?
Well, for starters, studies have shown that BT (a toxin found inside genetically modified crops) is passed through the blood of pregnant women to the fetus. That means that all children born within the past 20 years were, in some way, affected in the womb through the GMO diet that has infected America. What are the effects? A government sponsored study in Italy shows that maternal consumption of GM ingredients can increase the risk of autism. This explains the enormous spike in autism that has affected the USA in recent years. Autism now effects 1 in 88 children – a number that has risen considerably. In the mid-1970s, that number was 1 in 25,000.
But can GMOs affect individuals outside of the womb? Scientific evidence says yes. Several studies on mice being fed GMO diets have shown startling results. Cancer, organ failure and tumors were all results of the long-term consumption of genetically modified corn.
What about humans? Many individuals suffer from debilitating allergies, including nut allergies. As GMO foods are currently unlabeled in the USA, the risk of an individual allergic to nuts consuming a crop containing a nut gene is high. In 1996, this issue arose as allergic reactions to the seemingly harmless soybean were on the rise. It was addressed by the New England Journal of Medicine, which identified the nut genes within the popular GM soybean as the cause. Currently, the USDA doesn’t require safety testing of genetically modified foods, including allergen testing. Premarket safety testing is rare. However, it should become mandatory – there is no excuse to expose the public to products that could potentially wreak havoc on their health. Many experts have come to this consensus, including the American Medical Association.
Do fish genes belong in our tomatoes? It’d be a misnomer to ask if you want to eat food that hasn’t been tested yet – because genetically modified foods ARE being tested…on the public. Billion dollar corporations such as Monsanto don’t care about spending money to perform safety tests – it doesn’t increase their profit margin. Besides, why pay test subjects when you can test your products directly on the consumers – for free? We shouldn’t be asking if fish genes belong in our tomatoes. We should be asking a far more personal question – What are my rights as a lab rat?
As Russia considers banning genetically modified food, another landmark decision is being made here in the USA. This year, Monsanto’s patent on GMOs expires, and the United States Patent office will have to decide if it will grant them another. It’s time to wake up the lab rats.