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It's no secret that farmers need seeds to grow the crops that feed all of the hungry people in this world and it's no surprise that they need lots and lots of seeds to feed the 9 billion people living in the world. What you probably do not know is that 70% of the food that you eat every day has been genetically altered. Unless you only eat 100% Organic food then you have been exposed to genetically modified (GM) seeds.
What are Genetically Modified (GM) Seeds? For centuries farmers have been cross breeding plants to produce plants that have more desirable traits like drought resistance or insect resistance, but this is not the same as genetically altering a seed. When a seed is genetically altered, the DNA from some other organism, sometimes not even from another plant is inserted in the DNA of the seed. There are four crops that comprise virtually 100% of all GM crops: canola, corn, soy and cotton. Today, virtually all of the GM seeds that are produced and consequently used for farming are inserted with DNA from either a bacteria (Bt) or an herbicide (Ht). This literally changes the DNA of the seeds and subsequently you are consuming this food that has been altered.
This is an interview with Jeffrey Smith, a renowned expert on the implications of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). He also discusses some of the health risks associated with GMOs. It is a must watch for anyone interested in this topic.
http://rt.com/programs/big-picture/conversations-great-jeffrey-smith/
The Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) was passed in 1970 and gave patent protections to companies that develop seeds. The patenting of seeds has caused significant problems for these farmers. Because the seeds are patented, they are treated as intellectual property, owned by the seed company that developed them and so saving the seeds is equivalent to pirating music off the Internet. And the seed companies aren't happy, just like Metallica wasn't happy with Napster. In fact Monsanto has been suing farmers all over the world for stealing their seeds. It is a common practice in developing countries to save seeds from a crop for the next season. This helps the farmers to ensure that regardless of the season, they will always have seeds to plant the next year. The use of patents for seeds has serious implications for the farmers and the food supply.
Seed Consolidation
Henry Kissinger once said, "Who controls the food supply controls the people..." The seed industry appears to following the same consolidation pattern as so many of the other industries. The top four firms account for 43 percent of the global commercial seed market. The prevailing leader, Monsanto accounts for about 60% of both the U.S. corn and soybean seed markets through subsidiaries and technology. When you look specifically at genetically engineered seed traits in the U.S. more than 90% of the soybean and cotton acreage, and more than 80% of corn acreage is planted with Monsanto traits. Farmers are forced to buy these seeds every year and it is becoming increasing difficult to find alternatives to these GM seeds as companies like Monsanto continue to buy independent seed companies around the world. When a few small companies have that much control over anything, it cannot be good for the masses.
High cost of GM seed
Have you noticed that food prices are continuing to go up? There are undoubtedly many reasons for this, but it is worth looking at the price of the seeds that go into so much of the foods that you eat. The USDA has reported that in 2009, GE corn seed prices are more than 30% higher than 2008 and GE soy seed prices are nearly 25% higher than in 2008. This is the steepest year to year increase to date. A farmer who plants one bag of Round up Ready soybeans per acre on 1,000 acres has seen his production costs increased by $11,000 in five years. That is just seed cost alone. As prices continue to increase, family farms throughout the country have difficult choices to make. They can either pay the price for the seed or stop planting the crop all together. The price comparison and ultimate cost for farmers and each of us is staggering. There is only one winner in the equation, the seed companies.
GE and Non-GE Soybean Price Comparison in 2009
Soybean Price
Comparisons per bushel
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Saved Seed
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New Non-GE
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New GE
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Opportunity Cost
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$8.82
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Cleaning Cost
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$1.00
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Bagging Cost
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$1.50
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Total Cost
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$11.32
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$40.60
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$59.76
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What's next: Terminator Seeds
Just the name sound scary, right? This is technology that exists AND it is owned by Monsanto. This technology makes a seed sterile after it is planted. So, remember those farmers who save their seeds, this technology makes that impossible. A farmer plants his seed and it can never be planted again. This means that farmers will have to buy new seeds every single year. Under international pressure, Monsanto has "promised" not to release these seeds, for now. In a world driven by profits over people, it is anyone's guess how long they will wait.
This video explains the controversy over genetically modified seeds and the numerous risks. I would strongly encourage you to watch it and share it with everyone you know who eats food.
This film is co-produced by The Gaia Foundation and the African Biodiversity Network. In collaboration with GRAIN, Navdanya International and MELCA Ethiopia.
There is so much more to be said and explained about the risks of genetically modified organisms to our society. It all starts though, with the seeds that are used to produce the food that we eat. There are steps that can be taken, though by each and everyone of us. First, get educated! I have included a few links with useful information about GMO's. Start a conversation with your friends, families, and neighbors about this topic. Ask questions. Get to know local farms in your area by going to farmer's markets or joining a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. These resources exist for the advantage of your health and the health of the planet! Plant a garden. Eat as much local and organic food as possible. Limit the amount of processed foods that you eat by preparing your food and not eating at fast food or other restaurants. Find out where your elected representatives stand on food issues. Lots of people doing lots of little things add up. Your action or inaction will make the difference.
Sources
Council for Responsible Genetics
Farmer to Farmer Campaign
