GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CORN TOXIN AFFECTING AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

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STUDY OF THE WEEK:GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CORN TOXIN AFFECTING AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS A new study in the recent issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that a toxin in genetically engineered Bt corn is contaminating waterways near farm fields. The toxin is killing caddisflies which is a valuable food resource for higher organisms like fish and amphibians. This genetically engineered (GE) corn was approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a decade ago, but the agency never tested its impact on caddisflies, which are common insects in areas where these crops are grown. According to one of the study's researchers, Todd Royer, "I think probably the risks associated with widespread planting of Bt corn were not fully assessed." Since its inception, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) has called for a moratorium on GE crops, based on a current lack of data regarding environmental and health safety. Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_7558.cfm