Field Mom Report: Ten Things GMOs Aren’t

A year ago, I didn’t know what a GMO was.

On our spring Field Mom tour of Jeschke Farms, a 4,000 acre corn and soybean farm in Mazon, Illinois, we learned about biotechnology. It was explained to us in a positive light; they shared the benefits of biotechnology and also gave us resources where we could go to learn more.

I’ve come a long way in my understanding of biotechnology in the past few months, but I have a lot more to learn. While I’ve done a lot of reading on my own, most of the information in this post has come from the Illinois Farm Families and the resources they’ve shared. The resources are rooted in science and trust in our regulating bodies (USDA/FDA/EPA, as well as global partners in science).

1. GMOs aren’t…

…simple science. Biotechnology is sophisticated and it is abstract. We can't touch it or see it first-hand. Most ordinary folks, like me, may find biotechnology difficult to understand. As we read food biotech articles written by journalists, we need to keep in mind that they were probably not students of science, and are paid to do some research and write on the topic. Their information is only as good as their research. Biotech scientists are not paid to write for us. They spend their time "doing" the science and not talking about it. I like the GMO Answers website because scientists are answering some of our questions in plain English.

2. GMOs aren’t…

…the invention of Monsanto. Monsanto is a single company who is capitalizing on biotechnology and enjoys a significant market-share of 20 to 30 percent of the seed industry. GMOs did not originate there and Monsanto is not the be-all and end-all of biotechnology. Monsanto is not involved with all types of crops, nor are they the only research company. There are many other biotech seed companies, such as Dupont, Syngenta, and Bayer Crop Science. Illinois Farm Moms have made a point to tell us that they have many seed companies to choose from, about 150 U.S. companies, in fact. There is a great question and answer on GMO Answers about large versus small biotech firms. There are many small biotech companies and even universities, like Cornell University, creating GMOs.

3. GMOs aren’t…

…just about killing bugs and weeds. Food biotechnology is also about plant disease-resistance. The Hawaiian papaya industry was saved in 1998 by a GMO created at Cornell University that was resistant to a devastating plant virus. The Florida citrus industry is currently in danger of collapse from a virus and, similar to the Hawaiian Papaya, biotechnology may be the only long-term solution. The GMO is years from approval, but since it is a genetically-engineered solution, it will likely hang in the balance of consumer opinion. In addition to disease resistance, there are real opportunities to create plant traits with drought tolerance, nitrogen-use efficiency, and nutritional improvement. Imagine the effect on the environment of crops that use significantly less water, our most precious natural resource, or that require less nitrogen. Golden Rice is an example of how a GMO could improve human health. Millions of children in undeveloped nations are vitamin A deficient, which causes blindness and death. Rice, their staple food, could provide them with more of the nutrients they need. A new type of soybean has been planted in the U.S. this year that will produce soybean oil with a lower trans-fat level. We can think of the bugs and weeds resistance as Version 1.0, but Version 2.0 is in the labs and has potential to have an important and sustainable impact on crops, the environment, and human health.

4. GMOs aren’t…

…increasing the use of pesticides. Another informative website is called The Facts About GMOs. A global impacts study was done that shows, globally, pesticide use has been reduced by 9% between 1996 and 2011 due to the use of GMO seed. This, alone, stands out to me as an important way biotechnology is having a positive impact on the environment. Each crop has its own very specific handful of pests. On the Jeschke Farm, specifically targeting the worst pests for a particular crop and managing those pests through the modified seed DNA, the use of spray-applied pesticides has been reduced even more than the study reports. That means less input cost to farmers, a safer work environment for farm workers, and less collateral damage to other non-pest organisms, like bees and butterflies. We have concerns about our pollinators, but so far, studies have not proven that the GMO seed plays a part in the very complex problem of honeybee and Monarch butterfly populations. The EPA regulates and reviews environmental testing and there is undoubtedly still much to be learned.

5. GMOs aren’t…

…taking a backseat in sustainable agriculture. They are on the frontline, but as with just about everything in life, there are trade-offs. Illinois ranks number one in the nation for number of no-till acres. The Washington Post published an article that talks about why no-till is a big deal. This change-over to no-till has been made possible, in large part, by herbicide use and GMO seed. We don’t like putting harsh chemicals on our food plants and into our fertile soils, but if we don’t, we risk losing our crops. In the name of crop protection, we enlist herbicides to kill weeds. Before herbicide was used, tilling was a method used to control weeds, but tilling disturbs the soil. When the soil is disturbed, not only are valuable micro-organisms displaced, but soil erosion can occur and valuable nutrients are lost. This environmental impact of soil erosion has been reduced since farms have started going to no-till. Another benefit of no-till is a lot less tractor time in the fields. This translates to less fuel consumption and lower emissions. It is estimated the reduction of emissions is equivalent to removing over 11 million cars from the road per year.

6. GMOs aren’t…

…toxic, but there’s no data to prove they are safe. Are conventional soybeans safe to eat? Apparently, no one has tested them for that. And, apparently, there is no precedent for food safety testing, nor are there protocols or benchmarks. Isn’t that sort of shocking in this day-and-age? But, it makes sense. There is no definitive data that tells us conventional foods or GMOs are safe, and probably never will be. Scientifically proving a negative (that GMO foods are unsafe) is very difficult. Governing bodies, including the European Union in their decade-long EU funded GMO research project, concluded “biotechnology, in particular GMOs, are not per se, more risky than e.g. conventional plant breeding technologies.” GMO Answers shows that over 1080 studies have been done and the global scientific consensus has deemed GMO foods nutritionally equivalent to non-GMO counterparts. They are independently and heavily tested and regulated. They have been used in our food system for nearly 20 years and there has been no reported link to illness.

7. GMOs aren’t…

…brand new. Genetic research with respect to food has evolved from genetic knowledge that is thousands of years old. GMOs as we know them today were born in biotech labs in the mid-1970’s. The very first GMO food to go on the market was the Flavr-Savr Tomato in 1994. It was unpopular and under-funded and was removed from the market in 1997. Also in 1994, a virus-resistant yellow crook-neck squash was approved for market and is grown today, but not widely available. The development of the virus-resistant Rainbow Papaya is a great story and there is a good video from GMO Answers that explains how GMOs are created using the example of the papaya. From the mid-1990s, GMO corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar beets, alfalfa, and canola crops have been approved, widely planted, and have benefitted from GMO seed engineered to resist insect damage and herbicide. There are just eight commercially grown crops using GMO seeds, which are those I’ve listed in bold green print above.

8. GMOs aren’t…

…widespread among fresh produce. Less than 25 percent of the national fresh market sweet corn crop is GMO. GMO squash, like sweet corn, is not widespread either. About 80 percent of Hawaiian papaya is virus-resistant and a GMO. GMO Soybeans are widely planted. I can’t say that I’ve seen edamame (soybeans) in the fresh produce aisle, but I suppose it could be there in certain markets.  Field corn, soybeans, sugar beets, canola and cotton (cottonseed oil) are not sold fresh, but are processed and used in one form or another in most of the processed foods we buy.

9. GMOs aren’t…

…allowed in products displaying the USDA Certified Organic label. This does not mean other un-labeled (non-organic) food necessarily contains GMOs. But, if you are looking for non-GMO products, you should look to the USDA Certified Organic label.

10. GMOs aren’t…

…going away. To some, the discoveries leading to food biotechnology in the early-1970s were as ground-breaking as putting a man on the moon. To others, it was man playing God. Consumer opinion may hold back the winds of change for a time, but food biotechnology is too important to the environment, global food supply, global economics, and human health. Eventually, it will be accepted. As a consumer today, I am trying to be forward-thinking and open-minded so that I can learn about it, understand it better, and figure out how it fits into my daily life and the lives of my neighbors who may be someplace else on our globe. What IS going to happen when our global population grows to a point where we have no more land to utilize for increasing food production? Or when today’s developing nations are rich and eating a diet as rich as ours? How far off is that? Will it happen in my lifetime, my boys’ lifetime, or maybe in the lifetime of my future grand-children? We are hearing many folks claim that by 2050 there could be 2 billion more people to feed and their diets will be meat-rich like ours. Biotechnology is just one tool, but as I’m seeing it today, an important one.

Generally, the Illinois farmers we’ve talked with don’t like how one side of the GMO labeling debate leans toward abolishing GMOs. Paul Jeschke and his wife, Donna, are down-to-earth people and passionate about their work. I will end this post with something that Paul said to us before our day at his farm ended because his words have resonated with me. Paul told us he has been in Africa, as a missionary with his church, and has seen first-hand, a mother who doesn’t know if her child is going to have food that day. He told us, (to paraphrase) ‘There will always be niche markets for those who want to pay more for organic or non-GMO or whatever. If we want it, there will be a farmer to grow it for us.’ But, he asked us to ‘please be fair to those who are not rich, like we are, and allow me, and other farmers like me, to farm in the way I choose, to be able to help the people who don’t have the choices we have.’