GMO MYTHS AND TRUTHS REPORT
GM foods neither safe nor needed, say genetic
engineers
Claims
that Europe is becoming a “museum” of farming because of its reluctance
to embrace GM crops are shown to be nonsensical by research showing
that Europe’s mostly non-GM agriculture out-yields the USA’s mostly GM
agriculture with less pesticide use. Instead, it is the GM-adopting USA
that is falling behind Europe in terms of productivity and
sustainability. (pp. 232–233) - See more at:
http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/gmo-myths-and-truths#sthash.QF3p2QlR.dpuf
(edited)
Genetically modified crops and foods are
neither safe nor necessary to feed the world, a new report by genetic
engineers shows.
The second edition of GMO Myths and Truths, co-authored by genetic
engineers Dr John Fagan and Dr Michael Antoniou and researcher Claire
Robinson, was released on 19 May 2014 as a free online download by the
sustainability and science policy platform Earth Open
Source.
The second edition follows the publication two
years ago of the first edition, which was downloaded 120,000 times
just a few weeks after publication and was read online by several
times that many visitors. At 330 pages, the new edition is nearly
three times the length of the original and summarizes many new
studies.
New information in the updated report
includes:
* A laboratory study in human
cells shows that very low levels of
glyphosate (the main chemical ingredient of Roundup herbicide, which
most GM crops are engineered to tolerate) mimicked the hormone
estrogen and stimulated the growth of breast cancer cells. The level
of glyphosate that had this effect was below the level allowed in
drinking water in Europe and far below the level allowed in the USA.
It was also below the level found in GM glyphosate-tolerant soy, which
is imported into Europe for animal feed and human food. If confirmed
in animal studies, this finding would overturn regulatory assumptions
of safe levels of glyphosate. (p. 221)
* A rat feeding study led by Professor
Gilles-Eric Séralini, which found toxic
effects from a GM maize and tiny amounts of the Roundup herbicide it
is grown with, was retracted by a journal editor for unscientific
reasons. Yet the study is far stronger and more detailed than many
industry studies that are accepted as proof of safety for GMOs. The
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) had to reject the study in order
to protect its own previous opinions on this and other GMOs, for
reasons explained in the report. The findings of this study, if
confirmed, would overturn regulatory assumptions of safe levels of
glyphosate and Roundup. (pp. 94, 147)
To download the entire report, click here and
fill in the empty slots:
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