I had a huge long post about genetically modified organisms, 'pharming', and 'frankenfood' that I wanted to put up...but it's vanished most unexpectedly. (Lucky for you!)Besides, my ignorance about biotechnology is vast and far reaching, and I would hate to demonstrate it in front of all of you fine people (I say that like I've never let it happen before!).
But hear me out here...there's one thing about GMO's that makes me nervous.
It makes me nervous that there isn't any labelling to tell me what I'm putting in my mouth. Shouldn't there at least be a label which would allow me to make an 'informed' purchase?
It's argued that even before Gregor Mendel we've been dabbling in genetics; we've always adjusted our food to better suit us so what's the problem with it now?
Well, I supposed that's true. To a degree.
But somehow I don't believe that Mendel foresaw us splicing fish gene's into soybeans. Or being able to create a 'suicide seed' that allows only one harvest with no viable seed for next year. (Which is certainly an effective way of cornering the market! Patent your hi-tech seed. Buy all other non-engineered competing seed companies. Make your seed 'terminate' after a single harvest. Et voila! A monopoly.)
And it's not to say that I would instantly argue that biotech is going to destroy our planet and gobble itself into nothing due to sheer greed.
I won't instantly argue that, but truth be told, I'm baffled as to how to truly educated myself on this subject.
Everyone involved in this has diametrically opposed views, and most of what's written about it scans more like propaganda than intelligent argument.
So I don't know.
What do you think?
21 comments:
Virtually all the food we eat has been genetically modified over the centuries -- both plants and animals.
For me, I don't like the idea of steroids going into my grub, but if we didn't have GM food we wouldn't be able to feed those that we do -- especially in the third world.
That's what I believe, but what do I know?
What do I know..... I don't like ingesting something that's been bioengineered to do something unnatural, like not decompose; why would I willingly put that in my stomach? I don't like the idea that a corporation can own another living species. I don't like all the moral and ethical questions that bioengineering spawns.... even the name, bioengineering, makes me queasy.
And I don't like steroids in my food, either, Ian. If I knew what was modified, I'd stay an arm's length away. Looking at all the restrictions I put on my diet, it's a miracle I find things to eat at all, these days....
I agree that it should all be labeled as well.
I think that vegetables are not such a big deal just because there have been some things that have been done that have helped drought stricken areas grow crops. That is not a bad thing, but all of the Meat and those sorts of products freak me out.
I agree that I think I know how I feel, but I have trouble finding consistent-enough evidence to help me close my mind.
But my instincts tell me GM foods are scary bad.
The ethical question here is huge and there is no simple answer. What about using bioengineering to revive long dead species of ancient grains in order to increase the diversity of our food supply? It's not the science itself that's scary. Like any technology, it is the use to which it is put that ultimately determines its consequences. Just because we can doesn't mean we should. But if we did't try to improve our lot with powerful new technologies... we'd still be eating raw meat.
It's quite a while since I read it but the Botany of Desire by Michael Pollen talks a lot about genetically engineered potatoes and Monsanto which of course is the big bad company which is into this stuff.
He also talks about corn (also modified greatly) in his other book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. I'm sure Mr Google can point you to many points of view.
My first thought every time I read a news article about genetically modified anything is: Didn't these people read The Island of Dr. Moreau? (Or at least see the movie?)
I'm muddled on this one... I'm for it if it will help feed those who have nothing.
On the other hand, despite Chretien's comments way back when that we don't need to know if our food is GM, look at he, he eats it all the time and he's fine... I really would like to know what I'm putting into my body. I'd probably eat it anyway - I've no doubt eaten worse in a candy bar - but I'd like to know nevertheless.
What really disturbs me though, is the patents that go along with the GM. These companies can literally own species of plants and animals. That is just wrong on so many levels.
Did this make any sense at all?
Being one of those old farts who is already ingesting just about every chemical known to man (in the name of medicines), I can't really contribute to this with a clear head. So sorry.
(I find this reading pretty interesting though - and can appreciate all the concerns)
I think that at some point our screwing around with genetics may create a monstrosity with which we will be unable to deal.
Hi Tai
Zen Buddhist Story
Some monks were traveling a great distance and it got late and they were out in the middle of nowhere and as there were no Inns around they had to sleep out in the open. In the night they got thirsty and began to search around in the dark for something to drink. They came across a puddle of water and drank heavily of the cool water quenching their thirst. In the morning when the sun came up they found that the puddle had been formed by water dripping out of a coffin and seeing this they began to throw up...
It's funny how if you go out into the woods you may find some wild grapes or leaks but thats about it. You won't find any corn or potatoes or Lima beans growing there, in fact you won't find any of the foods we eat every day growing there. The fact is we have been "bioengineering" plants and animals for thousands of years, without thinking about it. It's not until very recently have we had "a name" to put on it that we could become afraid of. If you want a label on things that have been genetically altered to warn you, that label would have to go on everything we consume, and we would have had to start labeling them thousands of years ago. If you are going to stop eating things that we altered, your diet is going to be limited to tree bark...
What do I think? I think we are phuqued.
They meet, they meet. Oh, look, the Effiel tower...
The chances are if you eat soyabean or corn or any of the flour or other such products, you have probably been eating GM foods. The thing is GM foods could potentially save lives and increase food production and the companies emphasise that point. However,while the potential is there, very often the projects being researched has to do more with profit lines rather than curing global starvation. The suicide gene is a case in point. I support labeling and giving consumers a choice.
I think people are going to push the panic button on this issue. It should be monitored, and the ethical questions constantly argued.
But in the end, the only way to feed everybody is through bioengineering.
That was one thing nice about living on the farm - you grew your own plants and collected the seeds for next year - and knew what you were getting. It's a scary thought so much time, effort and research goes into changing our food but little is done to change our moral values or ethical practices. Something wrong with this picture?
Interesting. A weird synchronicity, but I just wrote about modifying organisms using the parable of the starling.
Like Kimber says, "even the name bioengineering makes me queasy." At a certain level, it's not about what we do, it's about how we perceive what we do.
As long as haggis is clearly labeled as such, I'm good with pretty much anything.
Tai, did I just see you and Kimber on.... TV??? Your car was hit by a falling tree???
Omigoodness!!!
Josie
I try not to think about what I'm eating too much or I get really freaked out. Not good.
I think most people miss the point of GMO: Genetically Modified Organisms are changed at the cellular level; this is not the same as selecting out natural mutations.
These natural mutations are things like faster or slower growth, production of more or less than the usual offspring, changed color (fur, hair, flower, etc.), etc.. These mutations occur because of natural breeding, changes in habitat, or changes in diet.
Just the fact that the fastest deer that out-runs predators will live to reproduce means you will get a strain of faster deer; that is not GMO, but it -is- an natural evolution of a species.
Selecting out the offspring of sheep that naturally produce black fleece is not the same thing as taking the ovum of a sheep and altering its DNA, to put it back to produce whatever changes are hoped for.
Remember that strain of Monsanto-Round-up-resistant grain that escaped and cross-bred with the weeds that Round-up was supposed to kill? That's going to keep happening unless -we- demand naturally-grown, naturally-selected foods!
harumph!
LJ/Halima
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