Agriculture of genetically modified (GM) foods, also known as genetically modified organisms or GMO, has increased many folds over the past decade. Most common genetically modified foods are Soybean, Corn, Cotton and Canola. Of these, Soybean is the most commonly available GM food. Currently there are no GM fruits or vegetables available in the market. Some GM foods that are likely to be available are tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, egg plant (brinjal), squash, cantaloupe and strawberries. USA, Argentina, Brazil and Canada produce almost 85% of GM crops with USA being the largest producer.
GM foods are created by modifying the DNA of foods using genetic engineering with the hope that they develop qualities such as:Over the past few years, more and more scientific evidence is emerging that GM crops fall well short of their promises and pose a great risk to the health of humans and animals that eat them (1). GM seeds are rushed to the market with very little scientific data regarding their safety (2). According to famous scientist Dr. Arpad Pusztai (3), who has done many years of research on GM foods and found them to be highly dangerous to health, the GM crops are being grown and consumed by the public even though there is little scientific data about their safety and despite the inadequacy of current technology to assess their potential harm.
A recent 4 year study done by researchers at the University of Georgia and the US Department of Agriculture (4) found that the use of transgenic (GM) cotton does not provide increased returns to the farmer. The study found that GM crops do not increase yields; in fact, they decrease it by as much as 30 to 40%. Farmers in India already know this. Due to the failure of BT Cotton crop, many thousands of farmers have committed suicide in India. Organic cotton, on the other hand, gives far superior returns to the farmers (5).
Germany, along with 5 other countries in Europe, has already banned the cultivation of GM Corn. Due to their dangerous and often unpredictable effects on humans and animals, GM foods are also called "Frankenstein food". There is a growing international movement to ban GM foods altogether because they are perceived as a threat to the future of the mankind.
Most people are unaware that they are consuming GM foods that might already be causing them various health problems. This is happening because GM food producers are able to bypass the regulatory system (6). In the USA, 60 to 70% of processed food contains GM ingredients. So, if you avoid processed foods, you can avoid GM foods. It is better to prefer foods with organic ingredients that are naturally healthy for you.
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