What Do You Know About GMOs?

The term GMO in today's vernacular means Genetically Modified Organism. That's what we're talking about.

Information in support of or against GMOs is all over the board. Listening to local talk show host Simon Conway lately he encourages people to 'check out and use sources that are trustworthy'. That's not as easy as it sounds. A few years ago discussing projects with a 'researcher' we were told, "I can prove anything you want me to prove, in the way you want me to prove it. All it takes is enough money."

I didn't need that confirmation of my cynicism. We were not talking about GMOs with the researchist, but all research is suspect (especially now) no matter what side of the fence a person is on.

"But we've had all of these hybrids all of these years, so what's the big deal?"

I've heard/read this argument, or a spin off of it: all of these plants have been co-mingling and that's why we have so many health problems today (ie. leaky gut).

Answer number one:

• remember science class and Gregor Mendel's hybrid pea work? Hybrids occur naturally in nature often by cross-pollination, but in other ways as well. 
• yes, as in the case of Mendel humans can speed these up in various ways, but hybridization is a natural phenomenon and not the same as GMO
• hybridization may or may not have a leaky gut connection. I'm becoming leery of all of the leaky gut theories

GMOs are developed in the laboratory by using highly complex technologies. A technology known as 'gene splicing', where the genes of one organism are cut out of their DNA and spliced into another
organism, not even necessarily of the same kingdom. For instance Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) a natural bacteria that kills caterpillars and some other larvae being spliced into the DNA of corn, potatoes, and cotton so they are resistant to caterpillars and worms.

As in many areas in life there often is an up and down side of these things. One voice that was raised against Bt being spliced into the DNA is:

•  as regular farmers have used more and more commercial herbicides, weeds and pests are growing an increasing resistance to those products.We are seeing super weeds that are uncontrollable. 
• As an organic producer, Bt has been one of our most effective sprays against caterpillars through out our vegetable (truck) farm.It only affects caterpillars and larvae, not mammals. 
• If they, scientists, produce a 'super-pest' that Bt won't control by splicing it into the DNA (instead of using it discriminately and only where necessary) it stacks the deck against organics. And organic is a difficult field to grow without throwing up another obstacle.
• Some of the affects of the GMO are not studied sufficiently. Some of the products of this technique aren't fully vetted. They have done some GMO modifications on any number of things. For example fruit trees. With GMOs it doesn't necessarily end with the one plant. If the plant (for lack of a better term) gets loose it can ruin a neighbor's non-GMO crop, or the fruit can also reproduce more GMO trees...want it or not.

I would like to continue with these thoughts in a short series of posts, so if you are interested, as they used to say 'stay tuned'. 

I'd like to leave you with this thought from the Old Testament. (Yes, I know we're not under the Old Testament law, but this scripture still gives me pause:

Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole fruit be forfeited, the seed which thou hast sown, and the increase of the vineyard. 

(Deuteronomy 22:9 ASV)

Hallelujah! What a Savior!