Actually, there are several existing GW threads on this issue; one of the best & most recent is in the link which follows.

However, the issue of GM crops is of minimal importance to gardeners - yet. There are few GM vegetables out there (that we know of) and they are not available to gardeners. I would only be concerned at present if I were trying to save my own corn seed... although I do save a lot of heirloom soybeans, and am especially concerned about the possibility of GM contamination.

The issue is that when GM vegetables _do_ appear, they will contaminate existing strains. There is already considerable precedent of that happenning, with field crops such as corn in Iowa and Mexico, and canola in Canada. Secret "field trials" adjacent to OP fields of the same crop seem to hint at _intentional_ contamination. As long as the bio-tech companies continue to be relieved of any legal responsibility for such contamination, it can only continue in the future.

The practice of engineering food crops (why food???) to produce drugs or chemicals not meant for human consumption, is an accident waiting to happen. I believe that much like DDT and Thalidomide before them, GMO's are a new technology that will offer great promise - and end in disaster.

Here is a link that might be useful: Genetically Engineered Vegetables

"not meant for human consumption"

You just mentioned GMO corn. This stuff is clearly intended for human consumption among other uses. I think there is alot of cash & influence keeping this stiff off the front pages. I'm supposing major ag universities (like UW Madison among others) get tons of $ for conducting research in this direction.

I agree that GMO crops are going to be a huge problem in the future. Once the genes of almost everybody's vegies are contaminated, there will be no going back. I certainly wouldn't grow them on purpose. I am an organic gardener, and save heirloom seeds of a few things myself, so obviously I would not be a fan of this purposeful messing about with our food supply.

It is finally being proven that the hormones in beef are making people sick. I don't think it is wise to do such changes to our food supply. I am all for high tech things and progress, but our food should be as natural as possible. Why screw up the source of our food? This is a massive, untested experiment that could go horribly wrong.

Marcia

"not meant for human consumption"

Bob, obviously Bio-tech _intends_ them for human consumption, whether they should be or not, and whether we want them or not. They _intend_ to own & license our entire food supply. When I last heard, bio-engineered BT corn was still only approved for livestock feed; that was the reason that the Iowa corn contaminated by "Starlink" was removed from the supply (and then used as "food aid" I believe).

My issue is the "pharma-crops", which are engineered to create drugs, hormones, or chemicals. Those are strains which are _designed_ to be processed for their compounds, and could pose serious health risks if they escape into the food supply. Given how ubiquitous GM products became in our food supply while still unapproved for direct human consumption, how can anyone of sound mind not believe that this _will_ happen?

It would have made far more sense to design a non-food plant (say, ragweed or deadly nightshade) to produce chemicals, since then you have a safety net - even if the genome escapes into the wild, it poses no direct threat to our food supply. Of course, then they might need to design new harvest machinery, and that costs money... so they took the cheap way out, electing to incorporate these genes into present agricultural crops, and let profit trump public safety.

I only yesterday read an article, wherein the U. N. Secretary General compares the genetic engineering science of the present to the dawning of the nuclear age. The comparison is chilling; both technologies hold the potential for enormous human good - or devastating weaponry. He believes we need to be proactive now, and ensure oversight of the developing technology for public safety. I agree - but if that U. N. oversight is as toothless & ineffectual as their nuclear watchdogs (witness current world events) then we are in great danger.

Agreed on all major points.
So where is the FDA?
Where are the gov't "watchdog" agencies that we support with our tax $s?
Is this another global warming denial type issue?
That certain organizations can not think of ramifications beyond the next 1/4ly report, I can accept that.
But we are supposed to have protections built into our systems to prevent the kinds of problems we are discussing now.

Maybe frankenfood will become a sexy issue in some future election cycle, for now, its an issue for radicals only. We can hope it becomes a main stream issue soon but I can't say I actually expect that to happen.
Needless to say, I see this as a political problem. The science is breakthrough stuff, The way the science is put into commercial use shows a criminal lack of oversight by the agencies we pay to protect us.

Well said.

I wish I could believe that a change of leadership in Washington would make a difference, but neither of our dominant political parties has chosen to take a stand on this issue. There's too much lobbying money involved, so they all take their cut, and remain silent.

Consumers could - and would - vote with their pocketbooks, given the chance. Sadly, they may never get that chance; the "Fair Labeling" bill that slipped through Congress this year stripped away the right of any state to require cautionary labeling (including GMO ingredients) if the state law exceeds Federal requirements. Of course, there _are_ no Federal requirements to exceed.... gee, I wonder who lobbied for that bill?

Truth in labeling is the key to breaking the stranglehold; it would put the issue, literally, on America's table. When enough people become outraged, the FDA would be forced to do its job... which is protecting the public good, not promoting an industry.

While I agree with most of the concerns expressed above, I think I am a consumer of GMO soybeans. I use soybean meal as a lawn fertilizer and find the results terrific.

While I don't like supporting GMO crops, I don't know of any local source for non GMO soybeans.

My choices then are use (probably) GMO soybean or use synthetics bags of fertilizer made by companies I don't care for who at times behave in unethical ways (packaging heavy metal waste in their fertilizers).

I'll stick with the soybeans since it supports local farmers, but would certainly prefer a non GMO option.