GM wheat crops in Australia, Greenpeace takes action

[Banefull]

Originally Posted by Tsyal Makto

But when that gene works in conjunction with the other genes in the plant, they can lead to adverse effects, especially when they cross-polinate with wild plants. Superweeds, anyone?

GM crops created superweed, say scientists | Environment | The Guardian
‘Superweed’ explosion threatens Monsanto heartlands - FRANCE 24

The emergence of superweeds is inevitable regardless of GMO use or not. The main cause of superweeds today is heavy use of herbicide which GMO crops have the potential to curtail. Although GMOs may be a directly responsible for the creation a few superweeds themselves, in the long term will slow down the creation of superweeds in the long run. Also, genetic engineering icnreasing the flexibility of farmers to employ crop rotation techniques which are a very effective means of controlling superweeds.

Additionally, increasing amounts of GMOs are produced to be sterile so that they cannot breed or produce offspring thereby eliminating any risk of cross-breeding.

Originally Posted by Tsyal Makto

The old "substantial equivalence" argument...

No, they are not the same. TBH I don't know why people do not see that. When the best of an organic crop is selected to be replanted, it is using genes that are native to the plant, not adding genes that are foreign to the plant. Selective plantation is simply accelerated evolution, GMO crops create whole new branches of evolution by introducing new traits into the plant strain. How are they in any way the same?

I find that to be a rather arbitrary distinction and purely based on semantics. Both methods feature the introduction of new traits. What makes genes arising from the same plant species any better?

Originally Posted by Tsyal Makto

The US is really the only 1st world industrialized country to really embrace GMO crops with open arms. IIRC they are banned in Europe. And TBH it hasn't really worked out well for us, either. Monsanto pretty much monopolized GMO crop production here in the US, and...well, for lack of a better term, they are thugs. They lobbied for the banning of GMO labelling, they falsify scientific studies, and they strong-arm farmers into following their strict rules. Europe made the right move, IMO.

‪FOOD, INC. - (Full)‬‏ - YouTube

This is FOOD, INC. Monsanto and GM are addressed about an hour in.

In the time that the US has been planting GMOs, there has never been a single death, complication, or allergy attributed to GMOs. Also we must consider the quantifiable economic benefits of GMOs



Link to study: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/ful....050708.144203

Not all farmers are opposed to Monsanto either. For example, in 2009, in the United States, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) poll of 7000 of its members found that 76% supported a petition for Monsanto to resume and continue its development of GMO wheat

(I'll respond to the video later, still watching it)