Monday, March 02, 2015

GMOs

Best damn article I've yet read on the subject:

We Are All GMOs

"We are all genetically modified organisms (GMOs), all 7.1 billion of us and every other creature on earth produced by sexual reproduction. We are all a random combination of our mother’s and father’s genes and are therefore genetically unique modifications. Only identical clones are not genetically modified.

We have been modifying the genetics of plants and animals since agriculture began, first by choosing which superior individuals to select for breeding, and more recently by using radiation and chemicals to induce mutations. How many people know the Durham Wheat used to make most of our pasta had its DNA modified by exposing seeds to high-level gamma radiation? No labeling required.

Oh no, the anti-GMOers opine, “Nature never moves DNA from one species to another; therefore GMOs are ‘unnatural’.” Not so, genes have been moving across species since life began. The random movement of genetic material from one species to another has been one of the driving forces of evolution. The human genome has 70 percent of its genes in common with the sea urchin for example. We would be remiss if we did not harness this naturally occurring phenomenon to improve the genetic makeup of our food crops."
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"The new biotech crop varieties have been adopted at such a rapid rate that today 280 million farmers in 27 countries are growing GM crops on 12 percent of the world’s farmland. It would be at least three times that if not for bans and restrictions due to irrational opposition. And now smallholder farmers in developing countries grow the majority of GM crops."
RTWT

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