In 1963 Richard Hofstadter wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning novel titled Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. Hofstadter set out to understand how certain social movements could alter the role of intellect in American society and how democratization of education could reshape and redefine its purpose. He argued that America’s colonial roots, the religious threads that run through society from both Catholicism and Protestantism, and the overall anti-intellectual tradition of religion has watered down the collective intellect of the country leading to a society that can be swayed by fear of what they do not understand. Over the last several years American society has been witness to this as there have been a rise of marketing campaigns based on fear from companies, bloggers and politicians. This blog will be the introduction to a series on the 10 GMO crops currently available on the market and how misinformation and marketing through fear has fostered a sense of unease in consumers. An attempt will be made to demystify the technology behind each crop and look at the advantages biotechnology has provided.
A Genetically Modified Organism, or GMO, is an organism whose genetics have been altered in a laboratory in favor of expressing certain traits or physiological properties. In conventional livestock production, crop farming, and even pet breeding, it has long been the practice to breed select individuals of a species in order to produce offspring that have desirable traits. Genetic modification in a laboratory is a more targeted breeding technique where modern biotechnology is used to alter the genome of an organism at the molecular level so more predictable results are possible.[1] GMOs produced through genetic technologies have become a part of everyday life, entering into society through agriculture, medicine, research, and environmental management, however, because of a lack of understanding of the technology they remain controversial.
Modern Genetic Engineering – A Timeline[2]
1953
James Watson and Francis Crick publish their discovery of the three-dimensional double helix structure of DNA. This discovery will eventually lead to the ability of scientists to identify and "splice" genes from one kind of organism into the DNA of another.
1973
Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen combine their research to create the first successful recombinant DNA organism.
1980
The U.S. Supreme Court in Diamond v. Chakrabarty rules that genetically altered life forms can be patented. The decision allows the Exxon Oil Company to patent an oil-eating microorganism.
1982
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the first genetically engineered drug, Genentech's Humulin, a form of human insulin produced by bacteria. This is the first consumer product developed through modern bioengineering.
1986
The first field tests of genetically engineered plants (tobacco) are conducted in Belgium.
1987
The first field tests of genetically engineered crops (tobacco and tomato) are conducted in the United States.
1992
Calgene's Favr Savr tomato, engineered to remain firm for a longer period of time, is approved for commercial production by the US Department of Agriculture.
1992
The FDA declares that genetically engineered foods are "not inherently dangerous" and do not require special regulation.
1994
The European Union's first genetically engineered crop, tobacco, is approved in France.
2000
International Biosafety Protocol is approved by 130 countries at the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montréal, Canada.
A popular weapon used by those that are critical of agricultural biotechnology is that there has not been enough evaluation of the safety of GM crops and that there is not scientific consensus on the issue. Those claims are simply not true. Every major international science body in the world has reviewed multiple independent studies—in some cases numbering in the hundreds—in coming to the consensus conclusion that GMO crops are as safe or safer than conventional or organic foods. With over 2000 independent studies on the safety of GMO foods they are one of the most studied technologies in science. [3] Most of the arguments against GMOs are made by the Organic Association, those that support Non-GMO Verified Project, independent bloggers selling supplements and those that fear government control. As a general rule, it is good to be wary of those making claims based on flimsy or non-existent science with an obvious agenda.
The next several blogs will focus on the ten GMO crops and what benefits they provide to agriculture and consumers.
[1] Definition: Genetically Modified Organisms. Encyclopedia Britannica. June 7, 2019.
[2] Engineering Crops in a Needy World. The Global Politics of Food. American Radio Works. 2018.
[3] Genetic Literacy Project. 2019