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About GM Crops
- 1.
- 2. What are GMOs? When a gene from one species (eg. bacteria) is artificially introduced into a different & often unrelated species (eg. cotton), a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is formed. An example: A gene from a fish was put into a tomato
- 3. Types of GeneticallyModified Crops:Herbicide Tolerant Crops i.e poison drinkers Insect Resistant Crops i.e poison producers
- 4. Are Genetically ModifiedFoods good?
- 5. Myths Promoted bythe Bio-tech Industry:
- 6. GM crops producehigher yields than natural crops. This will help us feed our growing population.False!!
- 7. Genetically Modified foodsDO NOT have a yield increasing gene! The Union of Concerned Scientists, USA concluded after an in-depth study that GMOs do not increase yield; in fact, on average, yields decrease.On the contrary..“…eco-farming projects in 57 nations demonstrated average cropyield gains of 80%by tapping natural methods..” UN Report by Dr. Olivier De Schutter
- 8. By using GMOs, farmers will end up using less pesticides and thus decrease costs. False!
- 9. In Herbicide TolerantGM crops, Glyphosate(pesticide) use has increased from less than 5 million to more than 50 million pounds per year (USDA, 2003)
- 10. Farmers spray morepesticides because they know that the plant is resistant, but the weed is not.
- 11. Herbicide Tolerant Cropproducers are also herbicide producers.For example: Roundup Ready Soy seeds aremade by Monsanto, which also makes the herbicideRoundUp.
- 12. GM Crops aresaid to be “substantially equivalent”to Non-GM crops, so there is no compromise on safety & health.False!
- 13. Insect Resistant crops(Bt crops) have a pesticide INSERTED IN them!Since it is within, it cannot even be washed away.
- 14. Most GM studieshave been conducted by the Biotech industry..
- 15. Rats fed GMSoyRight: 20-day old rat from GM Soy fed groupLeft: 19-day old rat from Non-GM Soy fed group2005 Study by Dr. Irina Ermakova
- 16. More than 50%mortalityLess than 10% mortality Study on GM Soy (2005) by Dr. Irina Ermakova
- 17. Mice ate Btcorn (90 days)Indicatorsforliver and kidney toxicity,blood pressure problems, allergies,infections or disease, higher blood sugar,and anemiaStudy by Monsanto.
- 18. Rats refused toeat the GM tomatoYuk!
- 19. Many animals avoidedGM feed when given a choice
- 20. “The AndhraPradesh Government has advised farmers not to allow animals to graze on Bt cotton fields after four institutes reported the presence of toxins in them.”The Hindustan Times, 17 June 2007
- 21. Bt Cotton farmersin India have reported itching all over the body, eruptions, wounds, discoloration.
- 22. FOUND:The Only HumanFeeding Study on GM CropsGenes from the modified crop transferred to intestinal bacteria
- 23. IMPLICATIONS:If Bt genestransfer They might turn our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories
- 24. FDA declares GMOsno different“The agency is not aware of any information showing that foods derived by these new methods differ from other foods in any meaningful or uniform way.”“Statement of Policy” May 29, 1992Food and Drug Administration
- 25. Secret FDA documentsindicate that reports done bythe FDA’s own scientistscontradicted this statement.
- 26. Who overruled thescientists?Michael TaylorIn charge of FDA policyFormer Monsanto attorneyLater Monsanto vice presidentCurrently, Deputy Commissioner for Foods, FDA
- 27. American consumers areunaware of eating GM.. As far as you know, have you ever eaten genetically modified foods?No........................................60%Don’t Know...........................15%Yes.......................................25%Institute for Responsible Technology, America
- 28. GM in IndiaBtCotton is the only GM crop grown in India
- 29. Bt Brinjal wasplaced on a 2 year moratorium because consumers opposed it!
- 30. There are 55crops in the pipeline for clearance..
- 31. The proposed BiotechnologyRegulatory Authority of India (BRAI) BillThis Bill will allow quick clearance of GM crops by just a handful of people.
- 32. In India, labelingis NOT possible since most foods are not packaged. Consumers will lose their Right of Choice
- 33. In Andhra Pradesh, 3000 villageswith 6 lakh farmers have adopted ORGANIC farming and have saidNO to Pesticides and NO to GM
- 34. What can youdo?Sign a letter to the Prime Minister of India to stop the proposed BRAI Bill - www.iamnolabrat.comSpread the word at your school, college or workplace.You can use this presentation.Get more information on GM, follow us on:Twitter- @LEAFinitiativeFacebook- www.facebook.com/theleafinitiativeNumber - +91 9594024202
- 35. The future ofour agriculture and food is in our hands.. Act NOW!
- 36.
Editor's Notes
- #4 Inserted with bacterial genes that allow them to survive otherwise deadly doses of toxic herbicide.Inserted genes from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis that produces an insect-killing pesticide called Bt-toxin in every cell of the plant.
- #8 The IAASTD report concluded that current GMOs do not reduce hunger & poverty, do not improve nutrition, nor do they facilitate social and environmental sustainability!
- #14 Herbicide Tolerant crops are inserted with bacterial genes that allow them to survive otherwise deadly doses of toxic herbicide.
- #17 When a senior scientist from the Russian Academy of Sciences fed female rats GM soy, starting two weeks before they conceived, and continuing through pregnancy and lactation, more than 50% of the offspring died within 3 weeks. Of the offspring whose mothers who ate non-GM soy, only 1 in 10 died within the same time period.[I.V.Ermakova, “Genetically Modified Organisms and Biological Risks,” Proceedings of International Disaster Reduction Conference (IDRC) Davos, Switzerland August 27th – September 1st, 2006: 168–172; and Irina Ermakova, “Genetically modified soy leads to the decrease of weight and high mortality of rat pups of the first generation. Preliminary studies,” Ecosinform 1 (2006): 4–9.]