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"Abundance is the worldview of peasent women who weave beautiful designs of paddy to
hang up for birds when the birds do not find grain in the fields" (Shiva, 2000, p. 17).
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The debate over
genetically modified food has become a worldwide issue with strong arguments on both sides.
The American
Soybean Association recently announced that China agreed to grow RoundUp Ready soybeans.
“Within the last seven years, China, a genetic center of origin for the soybean, has made a dramatic transition
from being a net soybean exporting country, to the largest export market for US soybeans” (Farm Press, 2004, ¶. 5).
American consumer
support has declined, according to the World biotech approval rating, from “71 percent favorable in 1992 to 48 percent
in 2002. Still, that’s higher than in Europe, where support has fallen
to 27 percent in Great Britain and Poland” (Robinson, 2004, ¶. 1).
Lack
of knowledge regarding the issues surrounding genetic modification is prevalent. “Today
only 36 percent of American consumers know that foods produced with biotechnology are already in stores” (Robinson,
¶. 3).
Consumers are unaware, in part, of genetic
modification due to lack of labeling. At the present time, the only way to ensure
that one is not consuming GM foods is to purchase certified organic foods. It
is argued, however, that organic crops face the challenge of sharing an environment with GM foods, which threatens the
very existence of what we know as organic foods. Stephens, President of Nature Path Foods, stated, “You cannot
build a wall high enough to keep GMOs out of the environment, as pollen often drifts for miles on the wind, potentially contaminating
everything in its path” (as cited in Deneen, 2003, ¶. 27).
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In the United States, "Six out of every ten processed foods... contain genetically engineered ingredients" (Deneen,
2003, ¶. 3).
The "True Food Shopping List", created by Greenpeace, reveals "Coca-cola, Sprite, Pepsi, Hershey's bars, Campbell's
soups, Progresso soups, Quaker rice cakes, frozen dinners by Swanson and Healthy Choice, and cereals by Kelloggs and General
Mills" (as cited in Deneen, ¶. 2) are among the many items that contain genetically engineered
ingredients.
"Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, claim that any GMOs they use as raw material are eliminated in the production process"
(US News & World Report, 1999, ¶. 6). However, according to Fagan, chief officer
at Genetic ID, this statement from the corporations would not be "scientifically defensible" (US News & World Report,
¶. 7).
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| GMO test site |
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