Diet and GMO

DIET AND GMO

If this is your first visit, please skip down and read “Introduction”.

Food is a subject near and dear to my heart. I like to cook and I like to eat. There is a great deal of noise surrounding food, this group over here having opinion “A” and that group over there having opinion “B”, and lots of people running back and forth to try and keep up with the latest fad. I have given the issue a good deal of thought and I would like to discuss my thoughts on the subject.

I have strong feelings on basic diet. Fundamentally, I eat foods that I like. Some of the foods I eat may be very good for me, others may not. But the basic criteria I use in determining whether or not I am going to eat something is the question of taste. Do I like it? If yes, then I will eat it. I really can't see avoiding things I enjoy in order to extend my life. I wonder what the point of a long life might be if one cannot enjoy those things one likes. Besides, I have arrived at the conclusion that we, as a society, actually know very little about nutrition. So I am highly skeptical that we really understand what kind of diet will actually help us to live longer.

Besides. I might get hit by a logging truck on my way to work tomorrow. Tomorrow is not promised. We only have today.

The next section of this discussion is almost guaranteed to get just about everybody upset. I want to tackle the subject of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). This is a subject about which there is a great deal of yelling and finger pointing going on.

You cannot avoid GMO foods. Well, you can if you are a hunter-gatherer. But if, like most people in the U.S., you buy your food at the grocery store, everything you eat is genetically modified. Everything. Flora or fauna. The practice of genetic modification goes all the way back to the very dawn of intentional agriculture and animal husbandry. Organisms have been genetically modified throughout history (and much of pre-history) through the use of selective breeding. This is not what everybody is excited about, but it is very much genetic modification.

The excitement centers around genetic engineering, in which genetic material from one organism is linked to the genetic material of another to change the characteristics of the second organism. Or even the combination of genetic material from two organisms to produce a third distinct variety. This is what has some people very excited.

For the purposes of this discussion, we will define genetically modified organisms as those whose characteristics have been changed through selective breeding, and genetically engineered organisms as those that have been modified by fiddling directly with the genetic material.

The concerns of those opposed to the consumption of genetically engineered foods argue that the foods are deficient nutritionally, cannot reproduce, and are being foisted on us just so the evil corporations (Monsanto being the devil incarnate) can enjoy huge profits wrung from us consumers' life energy.

Well, not exactly. On all counts. Yes, there are some downsides to genetically engineered foods. There are downsides to everything. It doesn't really matter the subject under discussion. Even organically grown vegetables without a hint of genetic engineering are not perfect. If you are looking for perfection, you can move to Utopia. Which, by the way, is Greek for “no place”.

The first bubble to burst is that Monsanto is the only corporation involved in producing and marketing genetically engineered seeds. There are several, Dupont being another large corporation involved in the practice. They should be even more evil than Monsanto since they started out manufacturing ammunition and explosives. There are companies worldwide producing genetically engineered crops.

Please note the “worldwide” reference above. There is the claim that other countries have banned American genetically engineered crops and food. Not true. If there are some tariff barriers they are their to protect the domestic industry. Genetically engineered foods are produced, grown and consumed worldwide.

The really huge plus side of genetically engineered crops is the massive reduction in worldwide starvation. Just a generation ago we were continually subjected to photos of starving children. Much of sub-Saharan Africa was in an almost continual state of famine. While there still are pockets of famine, widespread starvation is no longer a worldwide reality. And genetically engineered crops are a major contributing factor to that reality. Not only does genetic engineering allow the U.S. to produce prodigious amount of food for distribution to every corner of the earth, but crops sufficient for local needs can now be grown in areas that were previously barren. So food sources can be grown closer to the consumers. There is a long list of third-world countries that have benefited from genetically engineered food.

A downside touted by the opponents is that genetically engineered plants cannot reproduce. This is viewed as a pernicious plot on the part of the evil corporations. The idea being that farmers have no choice but to purchase seed every year rather than hold part of the crop for planting the following year, thereby rendering the farmer financially beholden to the seed company. Another example of the hated corporations milking the proletariat in the interests of obscene profits. First, many of the genetically modified crops do not reproduce either. The reality of farmers having to buy seed every year goes back into the shadows of early history. Many small town banks were formed in the 18^th and 19^th centuries for no other purpose than to loan money to farmers to buy seed. Second, not all genetically engineered crops share the trait.

In terms of nutritional value, take your pick. Either the studies commissioned by the corporations are a pack of lies, or the studies conducted by the opponents are playing fast and loose with the truth. Having looked into the approaches of both groups, I have to come down on the side of the corporations. The studies commissioned by the corporations are often undertaken to determine means of improving nutritional value, while the studies done by the opponents begin with the conclusion that the corporations are evil and hungry only for profits. I distrust any study that begins with a conclusion. Second, the corporate studies are most often conducted by third parties with the methodology and raw data made public. While the opponents favor conducting their own studies with only the “results” published.

Besides, for many people in the world, food that may not be nutritionally perfect is better than no food at all.

My own conclusions? Genetically engineered organisms are here to stay. If for no other reason than elimination of them would result in massive starvation and hardship. I would like to see some labeling as to whether the food was genetically engineered, and, if so, what process was used (there are quite a few) so that I can decide whether to consume the product or not.

For me, it all comes down to taste.