A few months back, I found a letter regarding GMOs [titled “Children and GMOs”, in the March 16-22 edition of the Mineola American] from Ms. Peters to be mildly amusing. Not only were some of her facts wrong, but she neglected to state where she obtained them from. Recently, the EPA pulled a long awaited report on the active ingredient most anti-
GMO supporters claim is a portion of the evil in GMOs and why no one should eat genetically modified foods. Apparently, the EPA doesn’t believe its own scientist. “On April 29, the EPA posted a report concluding that glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide and other products) is ‘not likely to be carcinogenic.’ The committee found no relationship between glyphosate exposure and a number of cancers, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, and Hodgkin lymphoma. The 86-page assessment was signed by the EPA’s cancer review committee back in October 2015 and marked ‘final.’”Since the beginning of time, there have been genetically modified organisms. Bacteria carry DNA to other organisms and the host adapts. Nature moves DNA, not just man. Eighteen million farmers in 28 countries grow genetically modified crops on 448 million acres. With that much GMO’s around being so harmful; shouldn’t a lot more people be dead or dying? It is purely irrational, anti-science and terribly harmful to not understand what you believe. Anti GMO proponents are denying food and nutrition without knowing the facts thus depriving the poor and undernourished an opportunity to eat. Every credible organization from the World Health Organization, the European Commission to the Society for Toxicology has declared GMO foods safe, without reservation. Look it up.
Anti-GMO supporters claim Monsanto (agriculture corporation) is trying to control the world’s food supply. Really? Monsanto doesn’t make guns or drugs. And they certainly don’t plant the seeds themselves. The farmers decide which seeds to plant. The farmers plant the seeds. With the use of GMOs, farmers have increased their yield 22 percent while reducing the use of pesticides 37 percent.
How can something that improves the lives of men, women and children be so bad? Golden rice is a genetically modified version of rice. It contains beta carotene in the grain that the normal variety does not. Beta carotene helps produce Vitamin A which prevents blindness. Right now in the world, 2 million children have died from Vitamin A deficiency. The anti-GMO crowd would rather have children die and go blind than provide them with golden rice. Go figure.
—Anne Marie Egan
