Anti GM food

Just read this book about anti GMO food and in favour of organic food.
The title of this book is :
GMO Free. EXposing the hazards of biotechnology to ensure the integrity of our food supply.

the author of this book is:
Independent Science Panel,
Mae-Wan Ho and Lim Li Ching

published by:
Vital health publishing. Ridgefield, CT.
originally published by:
institute of science in society, London UK. &
Third World Network, Penang Malaysia

____________________________________________________________

The book says about the failures of GM food:

1)FAILED TO DELIVER PROMISED BENEFITS..
being unable to deliver it's promised benefits of increasing yield or reducing the usage of herbicides and pesticides use. It has also cost alot of money due to farm subsidies, lost sales and product recalls due to transgenic contamination. In india, it had been reported that insect-resistant Bt cotton were massive failures. In 2002, Zambia had refused GM maize(corn) in food aid despite the threat of famine.

2) Posed problems on the farm
instability of transgenic lines had been the cause for a string of major crop failures. Some respondents had observed transgene inaction and the transgene inactivation never reach the iterature. For example, Bt biopesticide traits in GM food are threatening to create superweeds and Bt-resistant pest

3) Extensive transgenic contamination unavoidable
extensive transgenic contamination occured in maize landraces growing in remote regions in Mexico even though official moratorium has been take place in1998.The contamination can be due to transgenic pollen, wind-blown and deposited in a place or fallen directly on the ground. This caused no coexistence of transgenic and nontransgenic crops.

4)GM crops are not safe
GM crops had not been proven safe. It is only proven "safe" based on risk assessment on the principle of "substantial equivalence" as when compared to the nontransgenic products. When both transgenic products and nontransgenic products are "substainally equivalence", companies will be given a complete licence claiming that it's "safe".

5) GM food raises serious safety concerns
There had been available findings, at least 2 other more limited studies giving a cause of concern about the safety of GM food. Findings like "growth-like" effects found in stomach and small intestine of young rats that were not fully accounted for by the transgene product. Hence, giving general opinion to all GM food.

6) Dangerous gene products are incorporated into crops
Bt proteins incorporated into 25% of all transgenic crops worldwide have been found harmful to a range of nontarget insects. Some are also potent immunogens and allergens.

7) terminator crops spread male sterility
crops engineered with "suicide" genes for male sterility have been promoted as means of containing" (like preventing the spread of transgenes). in reality, hybrid crops sold to farmers spread both male sterile suicide genes and herbicide-tolerance genes via pollen.

8) broad-spreatrum herbicides highly toxic to humans and other species
Glufosinate ammonium and glyphosate are used with herbicides-tolerant transgenic crops currently account for 75% of all transgenic crops worldwide. both are systemic metabolic poisons expected and confirmed to have a wide range of harmful effects.

glyphosate is the most frequent cause of complaints and poisoning in UK. it had been found to have disturbance of many body functions when consumed at normal use levels. glyphosate exposure increases risk, infact, almost doubled, of late spontaneous abortion and children born to users of glyphosate had elevated nerobehavioural defects. It is toxics to butterflies, a number of beneficial insects, larvae of clams and oysters, Daphnia, some freshwater fish(esp rainbow trout). IT also inhibits beneficial soil bacteria and fungi, esp those that fix nitrogen.

9) genetic engineering creates superviruses (be update later)

10) transgenic DNA in food taken up by bacteria in the human gut

11)transgenic DNA and cancer

12) CaMV 35S promoter increases horizontal gene transfer

13) a history of misrepresentation and suppression of scientific evidence


for your information:
Bt is an insecticide composed of a genetically altered bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis) that is used to control many kinds of caterpillars that are pests of ornamental, crop, and other plants.

transgenic means of, pertaining to, or containing a gene or genes transferred from another species: for example, transgenic mice.