“Soil anaemia also breeds human anaemia. Micronutrient deficiency in the soil results in micronutrient malnutrition in people, since crops grown on such soils tend to be deficient in the nutrients needed to fight hidden hunger ... Managing our soil and water resources in a sustainable and equitable manner needs a new political vision.“ M.S. Swaminathan – UN International Year of Soils 2015 – Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.
The World Foundation for Natural Science
Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants, Healthy Animals, Healthy People and a Healthy Planet!
There has been a huge increase in Genetically Engineered (GE) foods appearing on the market and a growing concern that these Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are harmful to animals and humans. GE or GMO products have crept into the food chain without us knowing. Food products are not labelled correctly, sometimes not at all. The supermarkets are aware of this ambiguity but continue to sell contaminated food stuff. GMO products have slipped into ‘processed’ foods; and almost all livestock is now fed on GM feed. There is conclusive research and evidence to show that GMO eaten by animals is also passed on to humans through its meat, milk, eggs and cheese. In 2007, it was found that over 90% of animal feed contains GM ingredients.
Bild: Lubera
90% of baby food products, fast foods, vegetable oils, juices, biscuits, cakes and sweets have been contaminated by corn and soya products that are genetically modified. Grown primarily in the USA, Brazil and Argentina, 90% of corn, soya and beet crops are genetically modified. At least 80% of processed foods in the USA contain GMO ingredients.
The health effects on animals, pets, children and ourselves are potentially catastrophic; ranging from allergies to cancerous tumours. The behavioral effects on people and animals from eating GM foods are unknown and requires more research. It could be that we are becoming sugar craving addicts, due to the new genes (DNA) being spliced into GM crops and ultimately fed to us.
The high toxicity of GE crops and their pesticide complements are also destroying the soils, contaminating the water sources, and wiping out nature by killing millions of insects and thus also birds and animals daily.
So are GMOs really dangerous for human beings, for animals, and for nature, especially for plants, soil and water? Read on for an overview of Genetically Modified Organisms; the state of our food today; and what you can do about it to ensure that your family, friends and pets are safe from this silent invasion.
Some people say that GMO stands for ‘God Move Over‘. Here‘s an example of man acting like God.
Why were GMOs developed?
Genetically engineered crops were designed to grow in difficult conditions, with less water, less pesticide use, and to guarantee a good yield. Their manufacturers also claim that you can grow bigger crops and more quickly; you can speed up nature and alter nature for economic purposes. Fruits and vegetables are grown by volume and sold by weight, not by nutrient quality.
They say: Farmers no longer need to worry about troublesome insects and weeds, because their seeds have been genetically modified to be resistant to insects, and other plants, and resistant to the herbicide and pesticide sprayed on it. You can grow GE crops anywhere and increase yields.
However, the evidence is contrary to the claims made by the Biotech companies. You can obtain better growth, yield, and more nutrient rich plants by ecological and organic farming. For a healthy crop and for biodiversity to flourish you need: the eco-system around crops to include hedgerows, thus making homes for a myriad of birds and insects. The pleasant vibration of bird song is known to increase crop yield.33,34 Particular insects are attracted to a particular plant (crop), and so a variety of crops attracts a multitude of insects; and the “weeds“ or other plants growing help to make the soil nutrient rich. Insect life manages itself, and the birds keep the insect life at a manageable, natural level. All of Nature: plants, insects, birds and even the micro-organisms that make up our soil are working in equilibrium. Everything is in perfect Balance.
What is a GMO?
The idea behind Genetically Modified Organisms is that you can add pest resistant, plant resistant, or pesticide resistant genes into a seed. The resulting plant grows without any hindrance from nature. These GMO plants can then be singly isolated from all pests (insects) and weeds and grow in all and any conditions.
How to make a GMO?
A plant seed is genetically modified by inserting a gene from another organism grown in a laboratory, but not grown in nature. The insertion of the new gene is fired into the DNA of the plant seed by a type of gene gun. This is not cross pollination. GE modification is forcing together genes that would never be joined in the first place. The resulting DNA behavior of the plant is unpredictable and unknown, because it is a completely new organism to this planet.
For example: nearly all corn, soybeans, sugar beets, canola and cotton grown in many parts of the world are genetically modified. A Biotech company not only sells the GMO seed, it sells the pesticide too. So, Monsanto‘s Roundup Ready corn is made resistant to the pesticide Roundup by inserting a gene into the plant that is Roundup resistant. A toxic chemical that is in no way natural at all.
Another example: Bt corn and soy are made resistant to insects by inserting the toxic bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, into the DNA. Other genes are added to stabilize this process. Those genes are antibacterial and cause tumours. Bt works by breaking down the gut wall of insects; and allows the toxins and gut bacteria. The insertion of the new gene is fired into the DNA of the plant seed by a type of gene gun. The resulting DNA behavior of the plant is unpredictable and unknown, because it is a completely new organism to this planet. What is a Gene? A gene is a heredity molecular structure of a living organism. It is used in science to define or name specific DNA and RNA that make a polypeptide chain and is thought to determine the behavior and characteristics of plants and animals, including humans. It has been shown that it does the same to humans by making small holes in our stomachs. GMO and pesticides also kill other insects; for example Round Up Ready GMO and Round Up glyphosate have been identified as killing off the milkweed plant that the Monarch butterfly needs to lay eggs and for its young to feed.
Farming
The farmer is sold a set of seeds and the complementary pesticide to be sprayed on the plants. The pesticide is designed to kill all insects and plant life other than the GM crop.
Genetically modified seeds are grown to produce a monoculture crop. A GM singular crop does not attract a multitude of other plants, insects and animals, because it is the only crop being grown on a farm. There is no biodiversity. There is no variation in organisms. One crop - no seasonal variety. Which again is not natural. The soil is less rich because there is only one crop and there are fewer varieties of weeds and pollinating insects. In order to grow genetically modified crops, farmers have to buy genetically modified seeds every year and to spray the crops with a powerful and toxic pesticide. The pesticide kills the weeds, animal and insect life around the crop. The crop itself can absorb the toxins in the pesticide, making the crop, in the case of Bt corn, 1,000 times more toxic than the pesticide: the GM Bt plant produces toxin in every cell continuously, whereas the Bt pesticide spray is mostly blown or washed off within 48 hours.
The soil becomes poisoned over time because the increased usage of pesticides builds up in the soil and this eventually turns the soil into a desert. To keep the crops alive, farmers use more water than organic farmers to irrigate their crops. This excess use of water washes the pesticides into nearby streams and rivers, polluting the water systems and the seas.
Superweeds
Nature fights back. After time even the chemicals do not work effectively and now new strains of plant are growing that are resistant to all pesticides, known as superweeds. And now the farmer is forced to use more and more pesticide. In fact, there is now a huge increase in the use of chemical, toxic pesticides in order to grow the monocultural crops. This applies to both GMO and non-GM crops; as pesticide usage is on the increase in General.
Cross-pollination
If you are an organic farmer and your crops are cross pollinated by a GM crop, then the Biotech company is able to force the farmer to buy their seeds and pesticides;27 because effectively the farmer is now using their GE patented product! In this way the Biotech companies are trying to patent nature!
The insertion of the new gene is fired into the DNA of the plant seed by a type of gene gun. The resulting DNA behaviour of the plant is unpredictable and unknown, because it is a completely new organism to this planet.
Types of pesticides
Roundup Ready (Glyphosate), Neonicotinoids and Agent Orange. Many pesticides are used on genetically modified crops. Glyphosate pesticides such as Monsanto’s Roundup work by suffocating the weed so nutrients can’t get to it. The GM crop itself is designed to absorb and store the pesticide – this is why GM foods are so toxic. In recent years, weeds have become resistant to Roundup. This has led to a massive increase in pesticide use and the American chemical company, Dow, has now developed genetically modified crops that are resistant to 2,4-D, one of the chemicals in Agent Orange (used in the Vietnam War), a recognised carcinogen and a cause of Parkinson’s disease. Agent Orange is approved by the UK and US Governments for spraying on these genetically modified crops. Neonicotinoid pesticides are genetically modified from nicotine. Neonics are painted onto seeds; this toxin is absorbed by the plant into every cell. When an insect bites the plant the neonic passes into it and explodes its stomach. Neonics are also sprayed on plants, and are recognised as deadly to pollinating insects such as honey bees. Neonics are so toxic, they should be banned worldwide.
War and Profits
Certain BioTech companies have been known to profit from war, (e.g. Second World War, Vietnam and others), by selling their lethal herbicide to the Military. The Military sprayed enemy crops; towns and people to poison them; their land; their water and their food. The very same herbicide is being used on our crops (food), land, and waters today.
Dangers of GMO
GM food: The major concerns are that GM food is shown to cause tumours, allergies and are endocrine disruptors (the cause of many cancers, birth defects and various development disorders). Almost all of our animals are fed GM feed. Plant DNA has been shown to pass from the GM feed into the animal and then into its products (i.e. milk, eggs, meat etc). The Food Standards Agency, (FSA in the UK), carried out research on humans at Newcastle University, (in 2004), and found the same effects (known as “horizontal gene transfer.“). The significance of this means that the gene from the GMO is transferred directly from the GM food into the human gut. GM products pass directly into our own DNA, or Genes, and they immediately have an effect on us. Due to the abnormal GM behaviours this could cause addictive, toxic or worse effects. Unborn babies: The Biotech companies have claimed that GE toxins are not passed from mother to child through the gut lining. Yet, 93% of unborn babies in Canada were found to have GE toxins in their blood. A landmark study found 93 per cent of blood samples taken from pregnant women and 80 per cent from umbilical cords tested positive for traces of the chemicals. This shows that the mothers eating these GM foods are passing the toxins from their guts into the blood streams of their babies before birth.
Since the introduction of GMO foods in the US diet, there has a been a steep increase in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Breast cancer: “Low levels of glyphosate (the main chemical ingredient of Roundup herbicide, which most GM crops are engineered to tolerate) mimicked the hormone estrogen and stimulated the growth of breast cancer cells. The level of glyphosate that had this effect was below the level allowed in drinking water in Europe and far below the level allowed in the USA. It was also below the level found in GM glyphosate-tolerant soy, which is imported into Europe for animal feed and human food. If confirmed in animal studies, this finding would overturn regulatory assumptions of safe levels of glyphosate.“ In March 2015, the World Health Organisation classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, rating it class 2A; based upon animal studies showing glyphosate does cause cancer.
Our soil and waters: The heavy pollutants used to grow GM crops destroy the soil and contaminate our waters with toxins. The Biotech companies have stated that you need less water, when in fact you need more, they also say that the pesticides are safe. Yet they are deadly as they have been designed to kill all life.
Nature – insects and plants: GMO farming kills all insects and most plant life,25,26 which has a knock-on effect in the “food“ chain. Without certain plants for the insects, the insect life no longer flourishes and without insects there is no natural pollination. And without the pollinating insects (such as bees) other plants on our planet will become extinct. This downward spiral goes on and on, eventually threatening human existence.
Economics and Yield: Farmers are becoming financially in debt to the GMO industry. Why? GM crops do not increase yield; they use more water; and more pesticides. The cost of the GM seed has increased dramatically in comparison to the non-GM seeds. The economics of the increase in prices and narrowing of the profit margins, means the farmers are being unduly squeezed, and in many ways owned (controlled) by the Biotech companies.
Misinformation: Safety studies were carried out on GM potatoes and tomatoes in the 1990‘s by the US and UK Governments, which were abruptly stopped and GM products were banned as they were found to be deadly. (GMO feed tests on laboratory animals caused: cancers, kidney and liver disease, stomach lesions, holes in intestinal walls, birth defects, malformed and smaller internal organs, shorter life spans and sterility.) So what has changed? The safety tests have changed and trials are no longer carried out on animals. The safety of a GM product is measured in a laboratory paid by the Biotech company, and is misleading and based upon very flimsy science. The tests are more dependent on the commerciality of the GM product (i.e. yield); rather than safety (the tests are not biochemical or toxicological). Now the GM industry is avoiding any trial studies or regulation by altering genes within crops, rather than inserting new genes. This is still genetic engineering but means in the US a GM crop can get to market without any checks performed on it.
Hunger and famine: Biotech companies argue that GM is the answer to famine. Whereas the cause of hunger is not a shortage of food, but poverty and lack of access to land to grow food. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, we already produce more than enough food to feed the world’s population and could produce enough with existing agricultural methods to feed 12 billion people. GM is a dangerous distraction from finding real solutions to hunger.28 Most GM crops are grown for animal feed, biofuels for cars, and processed foods - these are products for wealthy nations and have nothing to do with addressing the food requirements for the poor and needy.
Salmon and Pigs: If we do not do something about this monstrosity of GE then all of our food may become genetically engineered. For example: Salmon (AquaBounty) and pigs (Enviropig™) have already been genetically engineered and are awaiting approvals to be released to the public.
AquaBounty have developed a GM salmon called the AquAdvantage®. The GM salmon is intended to grow faster and reach the market more quickly than natural salmon, due to injected growth hormones. AquaBounty has applied to the US government to sell GM salmon in the USA. If approved it would set a precedent for the GM meat and seafood market there.
The Enviropig™ is a genetically modified pig that can digest plant phosphorous more efficiently than natural pigs.
Facilitating reduced feed costs and reduced phosphorous pollution in their manure etc, thus allowing the high use of cheap GM grain feed. The safety of this meat has not been assessed (or passed safety standards yet).
Addiction: It is known that artificial, white, modified sugars are more addictive than cocaine.
The Truth
- Genetically engineered seeds (plants) do not increase yield and they require more water, sometimes four or five times as much,28 as they hungrily soak up as much as they can to grow more quickly.
- GMO crops contain less nutrients. GM food (and conventionally grown food) is less nutritious than Organic food.
- The inserted DNA toxins and pesticides such as neonicotinoids, Roundup and Agent Orange... are deadly to all life. And have been found to be passed on from mother to child.
- The waters are contaminated by pesticide spray run off.
- The soil is contaminated; and the micro-organisms within it are wiped out... leaving soil without nutrients.
- GM and Industrial farming methods are not more efficient - small organic farms are!
Are humans in danger?
The harmful bacteria found in GM foods has been known to pass on to the consumer; be it animal or human. If we eat the plant then, yes. If it is in your food (i.e. hidden as an emulsifier or artificial sweetener or sugar), if it is in another animal product, for example: milk, cheese, chicken, beef... the harmful effect of the gene mutation is passed on to you and you will slowly but surely encounter the same effect. The pesticides spliced into the plant‘s genes get directly into your blood stream and tissue by making holes in your stomach lining. The effects are known to be harmful: allergies, inflammation, cancerous tumours, endocrine disruption and so on. Behavioural changes are not understood i.e. are we becoming more addicted to eating genetically engineered sugars? Yes, the fact is that they are genetically modified and they do make you addicted to their sugars, which are in nearly all foods.
How to avoid Genetically Engineered Foods
- Buy Organic.
- Look for “Non-GMO“ labels
- Read the labels and avoid at-risk ingredients:
- CORN: corn flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten, and syrup. Sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose and glucose. Modified food starch.
- SUGAR BEET: sugar not specified as 100% cane sugar is likely from GE sugar beets.
- SOY: soy flour, lecithin, emulsifier, protein, isolate, and isoflavone, vegetable oil and vegetable protein.
- CANOLA: canola oil (rapeseed oil).
- COTTON: cottonseed oil.
- Talk to the responsible people of your supermarket: Supermarkets are not required to label animal products that have been fed GM feed. Although you will find many of their own brands (meat, poultry and dairy products), are protected and are normally non-GM.1
- Grow your own produce. Share allotments, and work with your neighbours.
- Support your local farmers and Farmers Markets. Educate your farmers too. In a recent survey 60% of farmers were ignorant of the fact they are using GM feed.
- Support Organic Farming: We can regenerate and rejuvenate the soil ourselves by applying organic farming and composting techniques without the use of harmful pesticides. Organic farming has been shown to be more productive, with greater yields, uses less water and is far more economical... so why is it not widely used and why is organic produce more expensive in the supermarkets? That is a question for our policy makers in Government and the supermarkets who control the subsidies and pricing, especially when there is substantial evidence against industrial farming and more support for organic farming methods.
Grow your own produce or support your local and organic farmers.
Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants, Healthy Animals, Healthy People and a Healthy Planet!
For us to live a healthy life, we need a healthy soil, full of nutrients, that grows healthy food crops. GM crops do not provide us with any of these. Organic farming is proven to be healthier, have higher yield and because it does not use any toxic pesticides, there are no poisons being ingested by the soil, by the plant, by insects and animals, or by us, mankind. In the end, it all comes down to love, respect and gratitude for this beautiful planet Earth. If we do not reconsider our attitude and behavior and make the necessary changes, we will find ourselves on a rollercoaster ride of self-destruction. Spend your money wisely. You can make a difference in the world by showing you care.
The World Foundation for Natural Science is internationally leading in combining Natural Science and Spiritual Science in order to present true solutions for the problems man and Nature are faced with today in many areas.
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