10 Reasons Organic Gardening Opposes Genetic Engineering

Received on January 22, 2001

John Grogan, Managing Editor, Organic Gardening

1. Superbugs: In as little as 3 years, BT-resistant insects strains could evolve.

2. Superweeds: Genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant crops cross-pollinating with wild relatives could create herbicide-resistant weeds.

3. Pollen drift: Organic farmers could lose certification when fields are contaminated by wind-born pollen from genetically engineered crops.

4. Harm to wildlife: Certain insects have died after eating genetically engineered crops or pollen.

5. Harm to soil: Residues in genetically-altered crops depress beneficial microbial activity in the soil.

6. Human health: Genetic engineered crops have been shown to be less nutritious.

7. Hidden allergies: When DNA from one organism is spliced into another, it can turn non-allergenic foods into foods that will cause allergic reactions.

8. Antibiotic resistance: Antibiotic resistance introduced into humans from genetically modified foods could render established medial treatments ineffective.

9. Religious and moral considerations: People who choose not to eat animals face an almost impossible task because many genetically engineered crops contain animal genes.

10. Indentured farmers: Farmers cannot save and use seeds from year to year and are forced into a costly cycle of corporate dependency.

Why Organic is better: "Biotechnology is merely the next rung on the chemical-farming ladder, providing yet another artificial tool to help perpetuate the shortsighted and unsustainable practices of monoculture agriculture. Smart organic practices can control erosion without the use of toxic herbicides. And organic practices can yield just as much or more as chemical farming or untested GE crops. Like the generation of chemical-based solutions before it, GE perpetuates an agricultural model far removed from nature. Those unnatural, high-tech models are steadily destroying our environment."

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