The Global Danger of Genetically Modified Food.

[Guest guest]

http://www.mercola.com/2006/jan/24/the_global_blight_of_genetically_modified_cro\

ps.htm The Global Blight of Genetically Modified Crops

Ever since genetically modified crops were first planted, their acreage

has been growing each year at double-digit rates.

It happened again last year, with acres planted increasing 11 percent, to 222

million acres. Small farmers in countries such as China, India, and Brazil are

making more use of GMO plants that allow them to grow more crops while reducing

pesticide use.

Rice is Next

Rice could be the next important food crop to go GMO; Iran is already using

gene-altered rice and China is poised to do so next. Rice comprises nearly half

the total calories eaten by the human race.

Widespread Use

Nearly a third of the agricultural land in the United States is planted in

gene-altered crops. In Argentina and Paraguay, more than half of the fields are

sown with GMO plants. In China, perhaps 2,000 scientists are developing a wide

variety of modified crops.

Europe, where advocacy groups have long pointed out the environmental risks of

GMO crops, has been slower to adopt them. However, five European countries are

now growing some biotech crops, and Spain uses them widely.

 

International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications

January 11, 2006

Washington Post January 12, 2006

 

 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Even if the U.S. Department of Agriculture starts taking action on

the spread of genetically modified crops in the United States, that won't stop

their proliferation in other nations.

America currently leads the world in GM crop acreage with 123 million, but

it's followed by Argentina (42 million) and Brazil (23 million). Soybeans topped

the list of GM crops worldwide at 60 percent, followed by maize (24 percent) and

cotton (11 percent).

Although the above report claims the thrust of GM crop growth is an altruistic

one -- to alleviate hunger, poverty and malnutrition worldwide -- it is nothing

more than a marketing spin. All that tinkering with nature comes at a heavy

price: The creation of Frankenstein-like crop combinations that can harm your

health.

Chances are very good you've eaten GM foods: At least seven out of 10 items at

your neighborhood grocery store contain them. That said, there are some steps

you can take that will help you steer clear of them:

 

Reduce or Eliminate Processed Foods. Some 75 percent of processed foods

contain GM ingredients. There are many reasons why processed foods are not

optimal for your health -- for instance they often contain trans fat, acrylamide

and little nutritional value -- so avoiding them will not only help you to cut

back on the amount of GM foods you are consuming, but will also boost your

health.

Read Produce and Food Labels. GM soybeans and corn make up the largest

portion of genetically modified crops. When looking at a product label, if any

ingredients such as corn flour and meal, dextrin, starch, soy sauce, margarine,

and tofu (to name a few) are listed, there's a good chance it has come from GM

corn or soy, unless it's listed as organic.

Buy Organic Produce. Buying organic is currently the best way to ensure that

your food has not been genetically modified. By definition, food that is

certified organic must be free from all GM organisms, produced without

artificial pesticides and fertilizers and from an animal reared without the

routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs.

Look at Produce Stickers. Those little stickers on fruit and vegetables

contain different PLU codes depending on whether the fruit was conventionally

grown, organically grown or genetically modified. The PLU code for

conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit has

five numbers prefaced by the number nine, and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced

by the number eight.

 

Related Articles:

 

GMO Crops Are An Accident Waiting to Happen

New Government Report has Major Concerns Regarding GMO Foods

GMO Food Contamination is Forever

 

 

 

" Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest

of life by the power of the spirit. " - Aurobindo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bring words and photos together (easily) with

PhotoMail - it's free and works with Mail.