Genetically modified organisms, or GMOS, are foods whose genetic makeup has been artificially modified by humans. These foods have come with many controversies.
GMOs have been ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bowman v. Monsanto Co. to be allowed to be patented. This means farmers can be sued by the company that genetically modified and sold the seeds to the farmer. Monsanto can also pursue legal action if farmers save, replant or grow seeds from a previous growing season.
Terminator seeds are used by seed breeding companies, like Monsanto, to stop farmers from replanting seeds. Terminator Seeds are GMO seeds that have been genetically modified to not reproduce new seeds, meaning that farmers have to buy new seeds from the seed breeding company every single year which costs them much more.
Seed saving, when farmers replant seeds, is an age-old practice that has existed as long as agriculture. This practice is a sacred part of many cultures. Many cultures, especially indigenous cultures in Latin America, see the seeds bred and passed down by their forefathers to be a gift and sacred. Making seed saving illegal is devastating not only to the financial livelihood of farmers, but also centuries of culture.
Humans have been selectively breeding crops that we enjoy today for centuries. Genetically modifying crops has been a great achievement in history, but with terminator seeds, this means that if something were to happen to the fields or humans, these crops that humans have spent centuries to selectively bred would be gone for good. If this were to occur this would also mean that it would no longer be possible for individuals to grow their own food, so they will be reliant on Monsanto.
Genetic modification of crops are also used to create so-called ‘Roundup Ready’ crops; These crops make it so Monsanto’s crops can be drowned in Roundup and the crop would still survive. Roundup is a chemical used to kill weeds and insects, but it is widely considered to be carcinogenic.
Not only does roundup substantially increase the risk of cancer to the farmers, but it also exposes the risk to the general public when they eat the food. Even if people only eat organic, Roundup flows into rivers and evaporates into the atmosphere. This means roundup is in the air you breathe, the water you drink and rain on organic crops.
GMOs need more regulation and research regarding their effects on the environment and human health before we use them nearly as much as we do.
