GM foods

[Ivana]

Are you one of those people who fear all things genetically modified or do you not care, like me?

I'm surrounded by people who live in utter panic and believe everything the media tells them - the papers are filled with bombastic headlines designed to attract attention of uninformed common man who wouldn't be caught dead eating something that has been genetically modified in fear of growing a tail or something [img]graemlins/sure.gif[/img] At the same time that same man will take insulin if he's a diabetic cos it keeps him alive. How does he think insulin is produced?! Would people like that stop taking it if someone told them it's a perfect example of genetical engineering? I think not!
I get frustrated, I can't help it. Recently the authorities have destroyed an enourmous ammount of corn after finding out it's been genetically modified. Those who destroyed it see themselves as some sort of heros. I just see them as idiots.

Of all the talk on TV (and there's been plenty) I haven't seen anyone talking with an expert, by that I mean someone from the faculty of food technology and biotechnology (that's where I study [img]biggrin.gif[/img] ). Insted they talk to the doctors.... What do the doctors know about this?

OK, I vented but my question still stands [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color="#dedeff" size="1">[ July 24, 2004 06:52 AM: Message edited by: Ivana ]</font>

[SHATOUSHKA]

you cannot escape GMOs... no matter how organic
you want to get. buring all that corn was a
waste of time... an effort in futility...

GMOs have been around for a while now... i don't
see why people are suddenly in such a panic.
personally, i care about GMOs... i hate the
whole concept and it ticks me off that GMOs were
introduced into the environment without a
care of consequence.

typical...

but i also understand the futility in the attempt
to flee from GMOs... its just too late

[Trampis]

I farm so...

Lets look at this from a couple or a few perspectives.

Why modify a plant?

Well,say you spend $15 an acre a year to spray for a certain bug because it eats your corn,if you farm a thousand acres of corn a year, thats $15,000.If you could buy a GMO corn seed that was resistent to that bug you wouldnt have to spray and you could make 15k more ayear!Get it?

Monsanto,a company that makes all kinds of seeds and farm chemicals, is real big into GMO crops because they make Roundup,which is a kill-all weed killer.Unfortunatly it also kills what you dont want killed,like corn.Its also cheap!So...if you spend $30 an acre to spray your corn for weeds now,with some other more expensive weedkiller,but,you could spend only $15/acre if your corn was gmo modified to be resistent to Roundup,then you save that $15000 like I was talking about earlier.

You make more money,but so does Monsanto because they sell you the GMO seed and the Roundup,thats the key,Monsanto makes more money!Remember that.

What people are afraid of is,is that they take genes from one plant that has resistence to certain bug s and transfer it to another plant.The unknown is,what else will it be resistent to?What will it do to our bodies?

People say weve been genetically modifieing plants for thousands of years,we havent,weve been cross polinating,not scientifically entering genes from other organisms.

Folks,its about the $$$.When I farm I look at it from a $ per acre standpoint,If I can save 15-30 dollars per acre,spread out over so many acres,well....

[Ivana]

Of course it's about the money, no question about that.

What's worse though - eating food sprayed with all sorts of chemicals of those that have been modified? There are possible threats and the unknown in both choices...I often her the 'it's not natural' argument. What's natural there days? Are herbicides natural? It's just a matter of doing what works with minimal damage. I'm a bit more comfortable with gene modification than chemicals....let's face it, some of them have proven to be very dangerous.