[AlittleGreen]

Please forgive my ignorance but I've heard about GMO's and have seen threads here talking about which foods have GMO's in them (most recently in discussing the veggie burgers at Burger King) but I'm wondering <b>what exactly</b> <b>are GMO's and why is it so important to avoid them?</b> Thanks

 

[ketivnilloc]

genetically modified organisms. they are organisms that have the genes of another speacies spliced into their DNA to give desirable results.

 

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Sometimes you get cross-allergies when you don't expect them. The nutritional values may differ.<br><br>
Lately GMO rice has been found in parboiled rice (silly idea anyway) and the rice packet had to be removed, at least in Germany.

 

[Dirty Martini]

<a href="http://www.thecampaign.org/" target="_blank">http://www.thecampaign.org/</a><br><br><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/genetic-engineering" target="_blank">http://www.greenpeace.org/internatio...ic-engineering</a><br><br><br><br>
these sites are of course biased, but it will give you an idea about why people are against GMO's.<br><br><br><br>
Then go here<br><br><a href="http://www.whybiotech.com/index.asp" target="_blank">http://www.whybiotech.com/index.asp</a>

 

[AlittleGreen]

Thanks Amy - very interesting- Seems like a difficult issue. I just wish that we here in the U.S weren't part of this "experiment"!

 

[cookingVeg]

I try to avoid GM products because I don't care for the way the producers of GM seed treat farmers. Seeing as I don't have any food allergies, I'm not convinced that GM foods are actually harmful to me.

 

[Dirty Martini]

I agree, cv. I don't think they're physically harmful, but the companies coming up with GE technology are profiting wildly, and harming people's lives in the interim.<br><br><br><br>
"Golden Rice" is a sham, IMO. It's proclaimed to be a solution to hunger because of all the vitamins in it, but you have to eat 10 bowls of rice to get your RDA of vitamin A. Hardly a cure.<br><br><br><br>
These companies sell sterile seeds, requiring farmers to buy seeds from the biotech companies every year.<br><br><br><br>
They also prohibit farmers from trading/sharing seeds - something that is a centuries-old tradition in countries like India.<br><br><br><br>
While I'm not convinced GMO's themselves are horrible (aside from the superweed problem), I am absolutely convinced that Monsanto (especially) engages in borderline-corrupt behavior to push its products.