Tag Archives: GMOs

GMO Crops in Crisis

by Marion Nestle, PhD, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University

I was a member of the FDA Food Advisory Committee when the agency approved production of genetically modified foods in the early 1990s.

At the time, critics repeatedly warned that widespread planting of GM crops modified to resist Monsanto’s weed-killer, Roundup, were highly likely to select for “superweeds” that could withstand treatment with Roundup. Continue reading

Pesticide News Every Family Needs to Know

by Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network

Spring has sprung, and farmers across the country are preparing for planting season. One of their biggest headaches will be dealing with the millions of acres of cropland that have been infested with superweeds and with new generations of superbugs. These superpests have evolved as the direct — and inevitable — consequence of Monsanto’s aggressive promotion of its genetically engineered “RoundUp-Ready” and insecticidal seed packages over the past 15 years.  Continue reading

The New GMOs: What You Need to Know

By Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network

As if the disaster of RoundUp resistant superweeds sweeping our farmland weren’t enough, Monsanto is now preparing to launch an even greater disaster: a new soybean engineered to be resistant to the older, more toxic weedkiller, dicamba. The seed — which Monsanto plans to market in 2014 if approved — will also come stacked with the company’s RoundUp Ready gene, and is designed to be used with Monsanto’s proprietary herbicide “premix” of dicamba and glyphosate. Continue reading

Smart Resolution: Avoid This Toxic Food System Threat

 

By Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch

‘Tis the season to reflect on the past year and hold high expectations for the blank slate that awaits in January. Here’s one resolution for all you consumers hoping to improve your health and the environment: Starting in 2012, avoid genetically engineered foods [also known as GMOs].

It won’t be easy. By some estimates, 70 percent of processed food contains engineered ingredients. That’s why we need lawmakers and grocery retailers to turn over a new leaf in the coming year and support our right to know what we’re eating. Continue reading