What is Sound Science on GMOs?

Richard Alan, Public News Service-IA
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/32722-1
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(05/30/13) DES MOINES, Iowa - A few years ago, Franklin County veterinarian Art Dunham noticed reproductive problems in dairy herds. He thinks he has traced the problem back to genetically modified organism-based feed. That discovery has become a passion to inform as many people as possible about how genetically altered plants may cause health problems, not only in farm animals but also in people.

The problem, Dunham said, began when research at the nation's largest land-grant colleges gave the green light to products such as glyphostate, which he said is really an antibiotic, something missed in the early research.

"We are doing so many things that our agribusiness school is saying is science and it's not science at all," he said. "If your first step is based on a fallacy, then everything after that is trouble."

According to Monsanto, the product has been tested, approved and is completely safe.

Dunham said those in government, private companies, college research and farmers need to take the oath that he and other veterinarians have to take.

"We take an oath to do no harm," he said, "and I'm accusing the whole farming community, what we are doing now with agribusiness, is we have forgotten the precautionary principle."

The problem, Dunham said, has been compounded by those who worked for big agri-chemcial companies now being in charge of government agencies that finance and approve current research.

The group 1000 Friends of Iowa will hold its annual meeting next month, and Dunham will present his findings on the connection between GMOs and animal health.




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