GMOs are genetically modified organisms. They're created when scientists take DNA from one plant species and add it to the DNA of another. In the US, the FDA has approved some of these genetically engineered crops for use. Which means you're probably already eating or wearing GMOs, and you don't even know it. Other parts of the world require labeling for most GMO foods.
But in the U.S., food companies don't have to tell you whether they're using GMOs at all. This alarms some consumers and food producers. And they've started a non-GMO movement.
As Jessica Lundberg of Lundberg Family Farm states, But it doesn't end with labeling. They want to separate fact from fiction. Consumers are told some GMO crops can produce biofortified foods with higher nutritional value. But no such GMO products exist on the market. Consumers are also told that GMO crops produce greater yields and cost less for the farmer to grow.
But even these claims are widely disputed. One thing is clear. Wherever GMO crops are planted, there's the risk of genetic drift. Genetic material from GMO crops can be carried on the wind and unintentionally transferred to non-GMO crops.
And over 70% of GMO crops are engineered to resist powerful herbicides. The unexpected result? Growers use 25% more fertilizers and pesticides, not less. These contaminate our groundwater, enter our rivers, and pollute our oceans.
So are GMOs safe? Many scientists in the U.S. ask the same question. But since GMOs are patented and owned by private companies, it's difficult to conduct accurate tests. So we just don't know.
GMOs. They're genetically modified organisms, and they're in what you eat, what you wear. To learn more about terms like GMOs, visit lexiconofsustainability.com.
And remember, your words can change the world.