Debunking the
Myths of
GMOs
GMO foods can trigger allergic reactions.
GMO wheat is the cause of the rise in celiac disease.
MYTH
Consuming GMO food can change your DNA.
GMOs are
bad for the environment.
This is impossible for multiple reasons (see below section on allergies), but first and foremost, because there are currently no GMO wheat varieties in the marketplace. They simply don’t exist. Second, celiac disease is not an allergy,
it’s an autoimmune disorder.
FACT
MYTH
MYTH
MYTH
Before a GMO can be introduced into the marketplace, it must be tested to prove that it does not include allergens that do not also exist in the non-GMO version of that food. Essentially, if you’re not allergic to a food in its non-GMO form, you won’t be allergic to its GMO counterpart.
FACT
This is false. Every food you eat that contains protein – like the grilled chicken on your salad – contains DNA, regardless of whether it is genetically modified or not. Eating grilled chicken doesn’t change your DNA because enzymes in your gut break it apart, rendering the DNA impotent. Foods processed down to its sugar form – sugar beets, corn – or oil form – corn, soybean, canola, cotton – lose their protein, and therefore their DNA, in the process.
FACT
Genetic engineering improves agricultural efficiency and is, in fact, better for the planet than conventional growing methods. For example, when crops are genetically engineered to be resistant to pests, farmers don’t have to use as many insecticides. Similarly, crops that are engineered to withstand drought, disease and mold require less tilling and deforestation. Plus, GMO crops allow agricultural farmers to produce more while utilizing less land versus organic crops that have significantly lower per-acre yields.
FACT
Genetically engineering the world around us is the future of biotechnology, but it won’t be the last innovation. Scientists, nutritionists and agricultural experts are hoping people learn the resounding benefits of biotechnology like GMOs in order to spur future innovation, to help us cure diseases and make the food we eat better. Our planet depends on it.
Have more questions? Check out GMOanswers.com
Debunking the
Myths of
GMOs
GMOs Are the Future
GMOs Are the Future
Most people, if they think they know anything about GMOs, think they know they’re bad. But ask them specifically and the reasons are usually based on misconceptions or flat-out falsehoods. Genetically Modified Organisms – or GMOs – have received a damaging reputation before the truth and benefits of them could ever be properly explained by scientists, nutritionists, and agriculturists. Why is this? Biotechnologists like Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam believe it might be a messaging issue.
“If you’re diabetic and choose not to take insulin—which is a product of genetic engineering—you increase your risk of death. In that case, the benefit of genetic technology is very obvious,” explains Dr. Van Eenennaam, Professor of Animal Biotechnology and Genomics University of California-Davis. “With food applications, the benefits are less transparent to consumers, even though they are very real.”
The benefits of GMOs are myriad. In a world grappling with population growth, disappearing resources, and a changing climate, using the latest technology to modify our foods safely and effectively will be crucial to our survival. So, if a lack of information is partly to blame for misconceptions, let’s start from the top and explain what GMOs actually are, why they are important, and debunk some of the myths and misconceptions people have about them.
“Genetically-modified” makes some think science fiction. In fact, GMOs are part of a larger continuum of food innovation used to better serve our changing needs. For thousands of
years, humans have been using innovations like selection and breeding techniques to develop crops and animals that have improved our lives. From using selective breeding to transform an inedible, spindly grass to the corn of today to crossbreeding two different plants to get delightful combinations like honeycrisp apples, using biotechnology to improve our food is our latest innovation.
GMOs Explained:
Benefits
What Are GMOs?
How Do GMOs Work?
GMOs use the biotechnological method of transgenics – the process of obtaining a beneficial trait from one organism and transferring it into a crop plant – to do amazing and important things like create papayas that resist disease, potatoes resistant to Colorado potato beetles and two plant viruses, cotton that resists pink bollworm, and corn hybrids that fight rootworm. These innovations have ensured that these staples of the human diet will continue to be available for generations to come.
New advancements in the gene editing world have provided scientists with even more effective options. CRISPR, the new technique capable of targeting strands of DNA within an organism, acts like a pair of molecular scissors, allowing for precise edits or deletions to achieve a desired result. CRISPR isn’t about creating Frankenstein’s monster; rather, CRISPR will allow scientists to continue to help humankind avoid disease and starvation.
Learn more on biotechnology here.
Are GMOs safe?
Yes, absolutely. According to scientists, nutritionists, and agriculture experts, GMOs are safe.
“Many people are surprised to learn that I am very comfortable eating GMO foods and feeding them to my family,” says Amber Pankonin, a Registered Dietitian specializing in food nutrition. “I know there are some 1,800 studies that have looked at the safety of GMOs and they have not found any cause for alarm or concern.”
Pankonin notes that it takes an average of 13 years and $300 million to bring a new genetic trait to farmers, including an exhaustive review by the FDA, EPA and USDA.
“There is a lot of money, time, research and safety tests that must be completed in order for a GMO to be brought to market,” says Pankonin. “I tell consumers that, when it comes to safety, GMOs are safe to eat.”
GMOs are also just as nutritious, if not more so, than their counterparts.
“The Food and Drug Administration has set forth guidelines related to the use of GMOs,” explains Registered Dietician Connie Deikman, MEd, RD, LD, FADA. “In those documents they reference the science that indicates food developed through biotechnology are digested in the same manner as other foods and therefore provide the same nutrition, or in some cases more nutrition, if the goal of the biotechnology was to enhance nutrient content.”
Why Are GMOs So Important?
The agricultural industry responsible for feeding the world is facing three converging challenges: population growth, the loss of agricultural land and a changing climate. The confusion and controversy around plant breeding innovation is hindering efforts to address these key challenges. Scientists are worried.
“I’m concerned that the opposition to this technology is poisoning the well among decision- makers in developing countries, whose citizens could really benefit from these innovations,” says Michael Stebbins with the Council for Biotechnology.
For example, GMOs such as Golden Rice, which contain higher levels of beta carotene that converts to vitamin A to help prevent blindness in undernourished populations, have hit roadblocks.
“The impact is really felt in developing countries where smaller farmers are battling bad soils, inconsistent rainfall and disease,” says Karen Batra, managing director of agriculture and environment communications for BIO. “GMOs and genetic engineering could make a huge difference in the lives and diets of people around the world.”
GMOs have the potential to make agriculture more efficient, a crucial coefficient in feeding a growing population expected to reach almost 11 billion by 2100, even as agricultural land rapidly disappears. Food waste and loss could be dramatically reduced using gene editing, as more resilient crops are produced.
“Globally, the carbon footprint of wasted food exceeds 3 billion tons annually, creating about 7% of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Bethany Shively, vice president of strategic communications for the American Seed Trade Association. “Plant breeding innovations such as new varieties of potatoes and mushrooms that don’t bruise and turn brown could go a long way in significantly reducing food waste.”
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GMOs help farmers minimize losses and grow more food using less land.
In 2018, GMOs enabled farmers to use
59.7 million
less acres of land to produce the same amount of crops —
equivalent to an area larger than the state of Idaho.
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