The following article appeared in the "Country File" section of the Dorset Evening Echo, a British regional newspaper, on 28th April 1998
(To contact the Dorset Evening Echo click
here)
Muddying the gene pool
Written and compiled by ELIZABETH WIGGINS
Dorset Evening Echo, 57 St Thomas St, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8EU. Tel 01305 784804, Fax 01305 760387
GENETIC modification of crops hits the headlines this week as, from Friday, supermarket chain Iceland introduces a guarantee that all its own-brand products will be GM free.
Two other leading supermarkets are now actively considering doing the same, as consumer opposition to interfering with nature grows apace.
With the move comes a timely warning, that if the Government gives permission for the commercial growing of genetically modified crops, it will have a major effect on the quality of life on this planet for generations to come.
The caution comes from leading environmentalist, Mark Griffiths, who was speaking in Dorset at the weekend to an audience at theWessex Healthy Living Foundation in Southbourne. Mark Griffiths has been involved in agriculture for over 20 years. He now sits on a number of nationally and internationally recognised professional land management committees, dealing with the economic and environmental aspects of rural land management and countryside policy.
He is a rural practice chartered surveyor, advising farmers and landowners on land management and has worked as an adviser to local government and national governments overseas. Mark is also the Natural Law Party's UK environmental spokesman and stood as NLP candidate for West Dorset in last year's General Election.
"Genes are blueprints for every part of an organism," he explains. "Genetic engineering is the process of modifying this information, particularly by transferring genes specific to one type of organism into another. The reason scientists do it is because they want to transfer desirable qualities from one species to another. For example, to make a crop resistant to a herbicide, or to enhance its yield value."
"Some of the engineering so far has been very unnatural, such as fish genes being put into tomatoes"
He adds: "Biotechnologists claim economic and humanitarian benefits will result. However, it is inevitable there will be side effects for farmers, the environment and cross-breeding of species."
"Importantly, there will also be severe health problem as a result, the seriousness of which may not come to the fore for 20 years or more."
" By moving one gene at a time into another organism, there is no control where it is placed in the DNA structure. Also all the other genes that would normally control it are left behind."
"The transferred gene bears no relationship to the host organism and this could result, for instance, in unwanted cross-breeding of plants. GM oilseed rape is a member of the brassica family, as are agricultural weeds such as mustard and wild radish - if farmers grow GM oilseed rape they could end up with herbicide-resistant weeds."
"Crops are also now being engineered to produce their own pesticides, which would promote resistant insects, which would rapidly and seriously disturb the whole ecosystem."
Some of the engineering so far has been very unnatural, Mark stresses, citing examples of fish genes being placed into tomatoes. "Arctic fish are resistant to cold and plant breeders are looking to breed tomatoes and strawberries that are resistant to frost."
But he warns: "Experiments of that type have already backfired. In America biotechnologists developed a new tomato called Flavr-Savr, which was bred for a longer shelf life. However, as a side effect, the tomato turned out to be susceptible to bruising; the companies had to re-invest millions in changing their production equipment and eventually the tomatoes were withdrawn from the market."
There are already genetically engineered crops in the USA on a large scale: from soya to corn, oilseed rape, potatoes, tomatoes and many others and Mark fears we will have the same here unless there is a large consumer movement against it because within the next nine months the Government is making the decision on whether or not to allow GM crop growing in Britain .
"US trials involving a Brazil nut gene in soya, resulted in nut allergy problems being transferred over"
There are also fears over the potential effects of genetically engineered produce on the population.
Says Mark: "Genetically engineered insulin was used for diabetics in the early 1980s and caused tremendous problems, from weight gain to memory loss to exhaustion. If genetically modified genes are transferred into totally unrelated species we can expect a huge proliferation of existing allergies and the development of new ones."
"GM soya is grown extensively in the US and is imported into Britain. The problem is that most of us eat soya in some form because 60 per cent of processed foods contain it."
"A GM maize recently approved for use in Europe contains an antibiotic resistant gene in it. In the light of last week's Government comments about over-use of antibiotics, you have to wonder if that new maize will spread the incidence of antibiotic resistance?"
He adds: "Where GM soya and growth hormones have been used on dairy cattle in the States, tests have later shown increases of the udder infection mastitis, which produces pus in milk, increased fat levels and other changes in the cow's biochemistry. Herd health has been effected and the fat and hormone level changes -which are in the milk people are drinking - are associated with cancer in humans when those levels are too high."
"English Nature has called for a moratorium on growing genetic crops in the UK. The Soil Association has called for a complete ban."
"Genetic engineering poses the greatest danger of any technology yet introduced. Safety testing will never be adequate enough because organisms, once introduced, can never be recalled from the environment - and their effects will spread without limit," Mark predicts.
FURTHER information on Genetic Modification is available from Mark on 01962 852122 or on the Internet at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/natural_law_wessex. NEXT WEEK - Dorset farmers give their view on this issue.
DORSET FARMERS RESPONSE TO ARTICLE
Will GM crops deliver benefits to farmers? - some
realities behind biotechnology myths
Why consumers are concerned about GM foods
Why GM crops will put farmers at legal risk
Natural Law Party condemns lack of proper information given to farmers
Natural Law Party campaign to ban genetically modified foods in Wessex
