Genetically Modified Foods

Jun 02, 2013 Editorial

We must thank the anonymous individual who alerted us to the rather discreet ad placed in the “Independence” issue of our newspaper by the EPA, under the aegis of the Ministry of National Resources and the Environment, inviting “views on the Draft National Biosafety, Biotechnology & Biosecurity Policy”. As the writer pointed out, this is a matter of such importance, that surely the two institutions could have used a more publicised route, such as a press conference, to make its request.
Be as it may, as the perspicacious writer also noted, it does seem to be rather late in the day to begin consultations on a document evidently prepared since 2005 and which is supposed to form the basis of “Guyana biotechnology vision 2015”.
Much water, not to mention the genetically modified (GM) organisms living in that water, has flown under the bridge since 2005. For instance, in the US, which is the epicentre of the drive of GM foods into the production chain, their FDA is expected to imminently approve a genetically modified salmon for sale in stores. The salmon has some genes from a different type of salmon but also one from another species altogether – an eel – that will make it grow faster and larger than regular Atlantic Salmon.
Two days ago, the huge Target chain in the US joined fifty-eight other large retailers that have refused to sell the salmon if approved by the FDA. In the meantime, a Congressional committee is reviewing a Bill that would outlaw GM salmon entirely. The major concerns about the super-sized salmon are that its bioengineered genes could enter the natural environment and outcompete the natural species and kill them off. However, if the fish is approved, the salmon could be the first of some 30 other species of GM fish under development, including tilapia and trout. Researchers are also working to bring GM cows, chickens and pigs to market.
While there has been GM corn, soya beans, cotton and canola oils in the market for years now, the salmon would represent the first animal product to enter the food chain. However, in the US, unknown to most of the public, about seventy percent of their processed foods now contain elements of GM foods, and this statistic is behind the movement to have such foods be labelled.
The U.S. government insists that GM crops are safe, resist disease better, and can provide much-needed food in starving nations. But interestingly, the EU holds that the risk of genetically modified foods to health and the environment outweigh the benefits, and they are determined to keep them out. The EU maintains that only the multinational biotech companies will benefit, dominating the world food supply and squeezing out traditional farmers. It is not coincidental that the U.S. is the largest producer of genetically modified crops, led by companies such as Monsanto.
The risks identified by researchers from GM foods include the introduction of allergens and toxins to food; accidental contamination between genetically modified and non-genetically modified foods; antibiotic resistance; adversely changing the nutrient content of a crop and the creation of “super” weeds and other environmental risks. On the other hand, the boosters of GM foods boast that the new crops have increased pest and disease resistance; are drought tolerant and will increase the food supply.
All of the benefits claimed have been challenged, and cynics point out that the major beneficiary of the assertions of pest and disease resistance has been Monsanto, which created the GM products as well as the herbicide Roundup which can now be applied in higher dosages, allowing farmers to remove weeds without harming the crop. Unlike what Monsanto promised, US use of Roundup rose by 10% since its introduction.
Guyana has long been using Roundup and we can see that there will be pressures to use Monsanto’s GM corn and Soya seeds in the projects to develop our intermediate savannahs’ agricultural potential.
There is now an urgent need for a debate on our Biosecurity policy.

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