Category Archive: GMOs

Philippines Approves Enriched Rice, Shuts Down Anti-GMO Critics

The Philippines finally shut out anti-science critics and approved the planting of “golden rice,” a vitamin-enriched rice that could help save nutritionally deficient children. As many as one in five children in the Philippines suffer from vitamin A deficiency (VAD). VAD is a brutal deficiency that can leave children blind and with weakened immune systems. Golden rice, which is enriched with vitamin A, will end the suffering of these children in a staple food that families are already used to preparing but that generally is a poor source of vitamins.  With an estimated 190 million children suffering from VAD globally, one would...

Read More

Mexico Ignores Benefits of GMOs to the Detriment of the Global Food Chain

A federal judge in Mexico upheld President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s anti-science ban on genetically modified (GMO) corn.  Obrador announced the ban on modified corn late last year. Modified crops are more resistant to pests, produce higher yields, and take up less land. There is zero credible evidence that modified crops are dangerous to consume, yet anti-GMO conspiracy theorists have demonized them as hazardous. In the same announcement, Lopez Obrador also banned the use of glyphosate, a pesticide that has been deemed safe by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for years.  The National Farm Council of Mexico filed a lawsuit to...

Read More

Anti-Science Activists Enraged By Biden Ag Secretary

Anti-science haters are upset by Tom Vilsack, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be agriculture secretary, because he supports farmers using genetically engineered crops.  Biden nominated Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, to return to his post as United States Agriculture Secretary. Vilsack served as agriculture secretary under President Barack Obama. Biden must feel like Vilsack did a good job because he wants him to pick back up where he left off in the cabinet.  Activists who oppose genetically modified crops have been lamenting the decision because Vilsack approved many GM crops for use in the United States. In fact, Vilsack approved more...

Read More

Children Go Blind as GMO Haters Block Vitamin-Enriched Foods

Each year, hundreds of thousands of children suffer blindness, stunted growth, and even death because of the misguided hatred of genetically modified crops from officials at the United Nations. According to a report from Real Clear Markets, at least 500,000 children have gone blind as a result of a fully preventable Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Vitamin A is a nutrient commonly found in fruits and vegetables that are plentiful in many countries, including carrots and cantaloupe. While these foods are easy to obtain in the United States, more than one in three children under the age of five around the world...

Read More

Anti-GMO Movement Doubts COVID-19 Vaccines

While most of the world celebrated the announcement of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, not all were pleased. The movement against genetically modified crops fumed because the vaccine was developed using genetic modification technology.  The long-awaited coronavirus vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna both use messenger RNA, a form of genetic material, to create a decoy protein that the immune system attacks, creating antibodies that can fend off future SARs-COV-2 infections. Both vaccines have been found to be highly effective and they have moved onto their final rounds of authorization in the United States. The Pfizer vaccine is already being implemented in the...

Read More

Could EU “Hostility” toward GMOs Cause Global Famine?

A senior official within the United States Department of Agriculture warned that the European Union’s aversion to genetically modified crops (GMOs) could have dire consequences. Genetically modified crops like corn have been altered to make them resistant to insects or disease and increase production rates for farmers. Scientists have also found ways to benefit consumers. Yet GMOs have faced opposition from environmental and organic food lobbies. Ted McKinney, the USDA’s undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, told Farm Europe, an agricultural think tank, that European restrictions on GMOs could lead to famine and starvation for future generations, according to a...

Read More

Putting Purchases into Perspective During a Pandemic

When disaster strikes, how much does it matter that last hand soap on the shelf is organic? Judging by the pictures circulating social media, the answer is a resounding no. As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, cleanliness and preparedness have become paramount in fighting the disease. For most, this means stocking up on everything from food to disinfectants and cleaning supplies. Cleaning products were some of the first necessities swept from shelves when the virus’ impact extended into grocery stores. The first items to go weren’t the “organic” products promising to be free of harsh chemicals made from “natural” ingredients. No,...

Read More

How One Anti-GMO Activist Changed His Mind in the Face of Scientific Evidence

One great advantage of scientific knowledge is its elasticity. Through careful input, observation, and an abundance of consistent findings, accepted truths can change. For many of us though, changing an opinion even in the face of overwhelming evidence is just plain difficult. Today, we’re taking a moment to celebrate Mark Lynas. The onetime anti-GMO activist reversed course in response to years of mounting evidence and a clear scientific consensus that agricultural biotechnology is safe. Last week, Lynas authored an essay in the Wall Street Journal describing how and why he changed his mind on GMOs. You can read an excerpt below,...

Read More

Here’s the Scoop on Glyphosate in Your Ben & Jerry’s

The New York Times is making a name for itself in the realm of sensationalism lately. First came the heavily criticized article accused America’s favorite macaroni and cheese of being laden with “potentially harmful chemicals.” Now, the Times is taking on Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream over a sensationalized report claiming 10 of 11 of the company’s flavors contain traces of a common weed killer. The report was commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association, which bills itself as an advocate of “health, justice, and sustainability.” But let’s be clear: the Organic Consumers Association isn’t concerned about the dangers lurking in your dessert. If it...

Read More

Daytime Emmys Have a Low Bar for “Informative Talk Shows”

Perhaps the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences should drop the final word from its title, after awarding “The Dr. Oz Show” a Daytime Emmy for its role as an “outstanding informative talk show.” Clearly, it doesn’t matter to the Academy that the information Dr. Mehmet Oz so “outstandingly” peddles is pure fiction. A 2014 study in the journal BMJ found that two thirds of Dr. Oz’s recommendations – including cutting salt to avoid cancer, and cutting GMOs to cure autism – were either baseless or completely contradicted by available scientific evidence. In that same year, “America’s Doctor” came under...

Read More