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Seeds: Foods
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Monsanto has sued hundreds of farmers over the last decade for using genetically engineered seeds without their permission. The Schmeiser case is likely the beginning of a series of complicated legal battles regarding genetically engineered seeds to take place in the coming years. Many difficult issues such as farmer liability when genetic contamination occurs have yet to be determined in U.S. courts. These liability questions are being driven by emerging evidence that genetically engineered crops are contaminating non-GE fields and the food supply at an alarming rate. According to a recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, genetically engineered DNA has contaminated traditional seeds of corn, soybeans and canola that had no history of genetic engineering. As a result, even farmers trying to grow non-biotech crops are finding their own farms contaminated.
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Many seeds are edible and the majority of human calories comes from seeds, especially from cereals, legumes and nuts. Seeds ... provide most cooking oils, many beverages and spices and some important food additives. In different seeds the seed embryo or the endosperm dominates and provides most of the nutrients. The storage proteins of the embryo and endosperm differ in their amino acid content and physical properties. For example the gluten of wheat, important in providing the elastic property to bread dough is strictly an endosperm protein.
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Jeffrey Smith is the author of Seeds of Deception, the world's bestselling book on GMOs. He is the founder and executive director of The Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) and a leading spokesperson on the risks of GM foods. Go to www.responsibletechnology.org for eater-friendly tips for avoiding GMOs at home and in restaurants.
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Other potential problems with making novel toxins in edible seeds have to do with allergenicity. The RIP toxin described earlier may not be directly poisonous to animals, but may cause allergic reactions. If the seeds are being mixed with the general food supply, it will be difficult to trace this sort of effect.
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The NS/S Seedbank houses, for future generations, the seeds of crops and wild plants traditionally used as food, fiber and dyes by prehistoric and more recent cultures inhabiting the arid southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. Learn more.
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