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Genes from bacteria, viruses, plants and animals are inserted into soybeans, canola, corn and cotton and grown as experimental crops. These crops (also called ‘genetically modified organisms’ or ‘GMOs’) are processed into foods and sold all over the world.
Genetic engineering is the next step in the industrialisation of agriculture which has already seen a wide range of problems such as pesticides and biodiversity loss. Now life is being changed to suit the needs of this industrial system – rather than changing industrial agriculture to suit the needs of life.
Greenpeace believes that GE organisms should not be released into the environment because there is not adequate scientific understanding of their impact on the environment and human health. As living organisms, GE crops can reproduce and once released, are very difficult to control or recall. Current safety testing of GE foods is minimal and is almost always done by the biotech companies themselves.
While scientific progress on molecular biology has the potential to increase our understanding of nature and provide new medical tools, it should not be used to turn the environment or our food supply into a giant genetic experiment.
GE foods are on supermarket shelves and our plates, right now. The actions of individual shoppers and citizens has slowed the release of these products. Together we can turn it around and keep our future GE-free!
