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  • From: Jeremy Portzer <jeremyp AT pobox.com>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] Genetically modified foods
  • Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 20:21:25 -0400

On Fri, 2004-06-25 at 13:39, childers.paula AT epamail.epa.gov wrote:

> And don't buy the line about using less pesticide. Can you say
> marketspeak?:
> "Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" soybeans, for example, have been developed
> to withstand doses of pesticides that were once lethal. Far from
> reducing pesticide use, these crops actually encourage it. This creates
> a boon for the pesticide manufacturers initiating the "gene revolution",
> but is a kiss of death for groundwater and drinking water supplies that
> are already contaminated with agricultural chemicals. A report by
> Benbrook Consulting in July 1999, which reviewed more than 8,200
> university-run field tests on herbicide-resistant crops, found that
> farmers planting Roundup Ready soybeans used two to five times more
> herbicide than conventional soybean farmers."

Thanks for the additional information, but the above paragraph doesn't
make any logical sense, as it mixes the words pesticides and herbicides,
which are very different:
Pesticides: chemicals that kill or deter insects and animals
Herbicides: chemicals that kill or prevent weeds and other plants

Yes, roundup ready corn and soybeans require the use of Roundup (or its
generic equivalent; roundup itself is off-patent), an *herbicide* that
is not dangerous at all to insects or animals, and does not contaminate
groundwater or drinking water supplies. It is basically inert except
when sprayed on dry leaves, on the weeds in the field. (The only
possibility of any side effects are overspray on windy days.) I do
beleive the Benbrook consulting study quoted above, because of the
effectiveness of roundup, and its limited environmental consequences
(except perhaps long-term things like resistant 'superweeds'). But it
doesn't proove anything about *pesticides*. In fact, increased Roundup
use is generally 'okay' because it replaces the use of previous
herbicides which did cause problems downstream. And remember that
Round-Up ready crops are more productive than traditional varieties, so
fewer acres are needed, inflating a bit the 'herbicide-per-acre'
numbers.

*Pesticides* on the other hand are another story. As far as I know,
roundup ready soybeans/corn are no different from any other crop in
their pesticide requirements. Pesticides can cause problems downstream,
and this is something else that can be discussed and debated, but it's a
*separate* topic. There are definitely other studies into genetically
modifying crops to increase resistance to bugs (which would allow
changes in pesticide use), but this is *not* Roundup-Ready.

Hope this clarifies things a bit.

> -- much stronger testing requirements, at least the equivalent of that
> for a food additive, but preferably for that of a drug.
> -- far more restriction on how such testing is conducted (I like the
> sealed greenhouse proposal someone mentioned)

These I can agree with to some extent.

> -- absolutely required labeling of any food product that contains GM
> organic matter, or at least any transgenics.

Don't see the need for this, mostly due to the inappropriate 'bad rap'
that GM foods have gotten. Sure, test everything, but if it passes the
tests, it's no different from other food to the consumer.

> -- and a complete review/revision of laws relating to the accidental
> spread of GM crops, to protect those who want to grow organic.

I agree that some of the patent-enforement stuff from Monsanto et.al.
went overboard.

--Jeremy
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