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A Hard Look at 3 Myths about

Genetically Modied Crops

Superweeds? Suicides? Stealthy genes? The true, the false and the still unknown about
transgenic crops
May1,2013 | ByNatashaGilbertandNaturemagazine

Inthepitcheddebateovergenetically
modified(GM)foodsandcrops,itcanbe
hardtoseewherescientificevidenceends
anddogmaandspeculationbegin.Inthe

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nearly20yearssincetheywerefirst
commercialized,GMcroptechnologieshave
seendramaticuptake.Advocatessaythat
theyhaveincreasedagriculturalproduction
bymorethanUS$98billionandsavedan

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estimated473millionkilogramsof
pesticidesfrombeingsprayed.Butcritics
questiontheirenvironmental,socialand
economicimpacts.
Researchers,farmers,activistsandGMseed
companiesallstridentlypromotetheir

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PlantoEaseWorldHungerWinsatGoogle
ScienceFair

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views,butthescientificdataareofteninconclusiveorcontradictory.Complicated
truthshavelongbeenobscuredbythefiercerhetoric.Ifinditfrustratingthatthe
debatehasnotmovedon,saysDominicGlover,anagriculturalsocioeconomistat
WageningenUniversityandResearchCenterintheNetherlands.Thetwosidesspeak
differentlanguagesandhavedifferentopinionsonwhatevidenceandissuesmatter,
hesays.
Here,Naturetakesalookatthreepressingquestions:areGMcropsfuellingtheriseof
herbicideresistantsuperweeds?AretheydrivingfarmersinIndiatosuicide?Andare
theforeigntransgenesinGMcropsspreadingintootherplants?Thesecontroversial
casestudiesshowhowblameshifts,mythsarespreadandculturalinsensitivitiescan
inflamedebate.

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GMcropshavebredsuperweeds:True
JayHolder,afarmingconsultantinAshburn,Georgia,firstnoticedPalmeramaranth
(Amaranthuspalmeri)inaclientstransgeniccottonfieldsaboutfiveyearsago.
PalmeramaranthisaparticularpainforfarmersinthesoutheasternUnitedStates,
whereitoutcompetescottonformoisture,lightandsoilnutrientsandcanquicklytake
overfields.

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Sincethelate1990s,USfarmershadwidelyadoptedGMcottonengineeredtotolerate
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AHardLookat3MythsaboutGeneticallyModifiedCropsScientificAmerican

theherbicideglyphosate,whichismarketedasRoundupbyMonsantoinStLouis,
Missouri.Theherbicidecropcombinationworkedspectacularlywelluntilitdidnt.
In2004,herbicideresistantamaranthwasfoundinonecountyinGeorgiaby2011,it
hadspreadto76.Itgottothepointwheresomefarmerswerelosinghalftheircotton
fieldstotheweed,saysHolder.
SomescientistsandantiGMgroupswarnedthatGMcrops,byencouragingliberal
useofglyphosate,werespurringtheevolutionofherbicideresistanceinmanyweeds.
TwentyfourglyphosateresistantweedspecieshavebeenidentifiedsinceRoundup
tolerantcropswereintroducedin1996.Butherbicideresistanceisaproblemfor
farmersregardlessofwhethertheyplantGMcrops.Some64weedspeciesare
resistanttotheherbicideatrazine,forexample,andnocropshavebeengenetically
modifiedtowithstandit(seeTheriseofsuperweeds).
Still,glyphosatetolerantplantscouldbeconsideredvictimsoftheirownsuccess.
Farmershadhistoricallyusedmultipleherbicides,whichslowedthedevelopmentof
resistance.Theyalsocontrolledweedsthroughploughingandtillingpracticesthat
depletetopsoilandreleasecarbondioxide,butdonotencourageresistance.TheGM
cropsallowedgrowerstorelyalmostentirelyonglyphosate,whichislesstoxicthan
manyotherchemicalsandkillsabroadrangeofweedswithoutploughing.Farmers
plantedthemyearafteryearwithoutrotatingcroptypesorvaryingchemicalstodeter
resistance.

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Thisstrategywassupportedbyclaims
fromMonsantothatglyphosateresistance
wasunlikelytodevelopnaturallyinweeds
whentheherbicidewasusedproperly.As
lateas2004,thecompanywaspublicizing
amultiyearstudysuggestingthat
rotatingcropsandchemicalsdoesnot
helptoavertresistance.Whenappliedat

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Monsantosrecommendeddoses,
Image:CourtesyofNaturemagazine

glyphosatekilledweedseffectively,and
weknowthatdeadweedswillnot
becomeresistant,saidRickCole,now
Monsantostechnicalleadofweed

management,inatradejournaladvertisementatthetime.Thestudy,publishedin
2007,wascriticizedbyscientistsforusingplotssosmallthatthechancesofresistance

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of119Cases

developingwereverylow,nomatterwhatthepractice.

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Glyphosateresistantweedshavenowbeenfoundin18countriesworldwide,with
significantimpactsinBrazil,Australia,ArgentinaandParaguay,saysIanHeap,

CometStriketoBlameforCanada'sIconic
SudburyBasin

directoroftheInternationalSurveyofHerbicideResistantWeeds,basedinCorvallis,
Oregon.AndMonsantohaschangeditsstanceonglyphosateuse,nowrecommending
thatfarmersuseamixofchemicalproductsandploughing.Butthecompanystops
shortofacknowledgingaroleincreatingtheproblem.Overconfidenceinthesystem
combinedwitheconomicdriversledtoreduceddiversityinherbicideuse,Coletells
Nature.
Onbalance,herbicideresistantGMcropsarelessdamagingtotheenvironmentthan
conventionalcropsgrownatindustrialscale.AstudybyPGEconomics,aconsulting
firminDorchester,UK,foundthattheintroductionofherbicidetolerantcottonsaved

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AHardLookat3MythsaboutGeneticallyModifiedCropsScientificAmerican

15.5millionkilogramsofherbicidebetween1996and2011,a6.1%reductionfrom
whatwouldhavebeenusedonconventionalcotton.AndGMcroptechnology
deliveredan8.9%improvementtotheenvironmentalimpactquotientameasure

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thatconsidersfactorssuchaspesticidetoxicitytowildlifesaysGrahamBrookes,co
directorofPGEconomicsandacoauthoroftheindustryfundedstudy,whichmany
scientistsconsidertobeamongthefieldsmostextensiveandauthoritative
assessmentsofenvironmentalimpacts.
Thequestionishowmuchlongerthosebenefitswilllast.Sofar,farmershavedealt
withtheproliferationofresistantweedsbyusingmoreglyphosate,supplementingit
withotherherbicidesandploughing.AstudybyDavidMortensen,aplantecologistat
PennsylvaniaStateUniversityinUniversityPark,predictsthattotalherbicideusein
theUnitedStateswillrisefromaround1.5kilogramsperhectarein2013tomorethan
3.5kilogramsperhectarein2025asadirectresultofGMcropuse.
Toofferfarmersnewweedcontrolstrategies,Monsantoandotherbiotechnology
companies,suchasDowAgroSciences,basedinIndianapolis,Indiana,aredeveloping
newherbicideresistantcropsthatworkwithdifferentchemicals,whichtheyexpectto
commercializewithinafewyears.
Mortensensaysthatthenewtechnologieswilllosetheireffectivenessaswell.But
abandoningchemicalherbicidescompletelyisnotaviablesolution,saysJonathan
Gressel,aweedscientistattheWeizmannInstituteofScienceinRehovot,Israel.
Usingchemicalstocontrolweedsisstillmoreefficientthanploughingandtillingthe
soil,andislessenvironmentallydamaging.Whenfarmersstarttousemore
sustainablefarmingpracticestogetherwithmixturesofherbicidestheywillhave
fewerproblems,hesays.
GMcottonhasdrivenfarmerstosuicide:False
DuringaninterviewinMarch,VandanaShiva,anenvironmentalandfeministactivist
fromIndia,repeatedanalarmingstatistic:270,000Indianfarmershavecommitted
suicidesinceMonsantoenteredtheIndianseedmarket,shesaid.Itsagenocide.
Theclaim,basedonanincreaseintotalsuicideratesacrossthecountryinthelate
1990s,hasbecomeanoftrepeatedstoryofcorporateexploitationsinceMonsanto
begansellingGMseedinIndiain2002.
Btcotton,whichcontainsagenefromthe
bacteriumBacillusthuringiensistoward
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Seedsinitiallycostfivetimesmorethan
localhybridvarieties,spurringlocal
traderstosellpacketscontainingamixof
Btandconventionalcottonatlower
prices.Theshamseedsand

Image:CourtesyofNaturemagazine

misinformationabouthowtousethe
productresultedincropandfinancial
losses.Thisnodoubtaddedstraintorural
farmers,whohadlongbeenunderthe
pressuresofatightcreditsystemthat

forcedthemtoborrowfromlocallenders.

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AHardLookat3MythsaboutGeneticallyModifiedCropsScientificAmerican

But,saysGlover,itisnonsensetoattributefarmersuicidessolelytoBtcotton.
AlthoughfinancialhardshipisadrivingfactorinsuicideamongIndianfarmers,there
hasbeenessentiallynochangeinthesuiciderateforfarmerssincetheintroductionof
Btcotton.
ThatwasshownbyresearchersattheInternationalFoodPolicyResearchInstitutein
WashingtonDC,whoscouredgovernmentdata,academicarticlesandmediareports
aboutBtcottonandsuicideinIndia.Theirfindings,publishedin2008andupdatedin
2011,showthatthetotalnumberofsuicidesperyearintheIndianpopulationrose
fromjustunder100,000in1997tomorethan120,000in2007.Butthenumberof
suicidesamongfarmershoveredataround20,000peryearoverthesameperiod.
Andsinceitsrockybeginnings,Btcottonhasbenefitedfarmers,saysMatinQaim,an
agriculturaleconomistatGeorgAugustUniversityinGttingen,Germany,whohas
beenstudyingthesocialandfinancialimpactsofBtcottoninIndiaforthepast10
years.Inastudyof533cottonfarminghouseholdsincentralandsouthernIndia,
Qaimfoundthatyieldsgrewby24%peracrebetween2002and2008,owingto
reducedlossesfrompestattacks.Farmersprofitsrosebyanaverageof50%overthe
sameperiod,owingmainlytoyieldgains(seeAsteadyrateoftragedy).Giventhe
profits,Qaimsays,itisnotsurprisingthatmorethan90%ofthecottonnowgrownin
Indiaistransgenic.
GlennStone,anenvironmentalanthropologistatWashingtonUniversityinStLouis,
saysthattheempiricalevidenceforyieldincreaseswithBtcottonislacking.Hehas
conductedoriginalfieldstudiesandanalyzedtheresearchliteratureonBtcotton
X
yieldsinIndia,andsaysthatmostpeerreviewedstudiesreportingyieldincreases

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withBtcottonhavefocusedonshorttimeperiods,oftenintheearlyyearsafterthe
technologycameonline.This,hesays,introducedbiases:farmerswhoadoptedthe
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technologyfirsttendedtobewealthierandmoreeducated,andtheirfarmswere
as low as $14.99
alreadyproducinghigherthanaverageyieldsofconventionalcotton.Theyachieved

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highyieldsofBtcottonpartlybecausetheylavishedtheexpensiveGMseedswithcare

andattention.Theproblemnowisthattherearehardlyanyconventionalcottonfarms
leftinIndiatocompareGMyieldsandprofitsagainst,saysStone.Qaimagreesthat
manystudiesshowingfinancialgainsfocusonshorttermimpacts,buthisstudy,
publishedin2012,controlledforthesebiasesandstillfoundcontinuedbenefits.
Btcottondidnotcausesuicideratestospike,saysGlover,butneitherisitthesole
reasonfortheyieldimprovements.Blanketconclusionsthatthetechnologyisa
successorfailurelacktherightlevelofnuance,hesays.Itsanevolvingstoryin
India,andwehavenotyetreachedadefinitiveconclusion.
TransgenesspreadtowildcropsinMexico:Unknown
In2000,someruralfarmersinthemountainsofOaxaca,Mexico,wantedtogain
organiccertificationforthemaize(corn)theygrewandsoldinthehopeofgenerating
extraincome.DavidQuist,thenamicrobialecologistattheUniversityofCalifornia,
Berkeley,agreedtohelpinexchangeforaccesstotheirlandsforaresearchproject.
ButQuistsgeneticanalysesuncoveredasurprise:thelocallyproducedmaize
containedasegmentoftheDNAusedtospurexpressionoftransgenesinMonsantos
glyphosatetolerantandinsectresistantmaize.
GMcropsarenotapprovedforcommercialproductioninMexico.Sothetransgenes
probablycamefromGMcropsimportedfromtheUnitedStatesforconsumptionand
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plantedbylocalfarmerswhoprobablydidntknowthattheseedsweretransgenic.
QuistspeculatedatthetimethatthelocalmaizeprobablycrossbredwiththeseGM
varieties,therebypickingupthetransgenicDNA.
WhenthediscoverywaspublishedinNature,amediaandpoliticalcircusdescended
onOaxaca.ManyvilifiedMonsantoforcontaminatingmaizeatitshistoricorigina
placewherethecropwasconsideredsacred.AndQuistsstudycameunderfirefor
technicaldeficiencies,includingproblemswiththemethodsusedtodetectthe
transgenesandtheauthorsconclusionthattransgenescanfragmentandscatter
throughoutthegenome.Natureeventuallywithdrewsupportforthepaperbut
stoppedshortofretractingit.Theevidenceavailableisnotsufficienttojustifythe
publicationoftheoriginalpaper,readaneditorialfootnotetoacritiqueofthe
researchpublishedin2002.
Sincethen,fewrigorousstudiesoftransgeneflowintoMexicanmaizehavebeen
published,owingmainlytoadearthofresearchfunding,andtheyshowmixedresults.
In200304,AllisonSnow,aplantecologistatOhioStateUniversityinColumbus,
sampled870plantstakenfrom125fieldsinOaxacaandfoundnotransgenic
sequencesinmaizeseeds.
Butin2009,astudyledbyElenaAlvarezBuylla,amolecularecologistattheNational
AutonomousUniversityofMexicoinMexicoCity,andAlmaPieyroNelson,aplant
moleculargeneticistnowattheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,foundthesame
transgenesasQuistinthreesamplestakenfrom23sitesinOaxacain2001,andintwo
samplestakenfromthosesitesin2004.Inanotherstudy,AlvarezBuyllaandherco
authorsfoundevidenceoftransgenesinasmallpercentageofseedsfrom1,765
householdsacrossMexico.Otherstudiesconductedwithinlocalcommunitieshave
foundtransgenesmoreconsistently,butfewhavebeenpublished.
SnowandAlvarezBuyllaagreethatdifferencesinsamplingmethodscanleadto
discrepanciesintransgenedetection.Wesampleddifferentfields,saysSnow.They
foundthembutwedidnt.
Thescientificcommunityremainssplitonwhethertransgeneshaveinfiltratedmaize
populationsinMexico,evenasthecountrygrappleswithwhethertoapprove
commercializationofBtmaize.
Itseemsinevitablethattherewillbeamovementoftransgenesintolocalmaize
crops,saysSnow.Thereissomeproofthatitishappening,butitisverydifficultto
sayhowcommonitisorwhataretheconsequences.AlvarezBuyllaarguesthatthe
spreadoftransgeneswillharmthehealthofMexicanmaizeandchange
characteristics,suchasavarietyslookandtaste,thatareimportanttoruralfarmers.
Oncethetransgenesarepresent,itwillbeverydifficult,ifnotimpossible,togetridof
them,shesays.CriticsspeculatethatGMtraitsthataccumulateinthegenomesof
localmaizepopulationsovertimecouldeventuallyaffectplantfitnessbyusingup
energyandresourcesorbydisruptingmetabolicprocesses,forexample.
Snowsaysthatthereisnoevidencesofarfornegativeeffects.Andsheexpectsthatif
thetransgenesnowinusedrifttootherplants,theywillhaveneutralorbeneficial
effectsonplantgrowth.In2003,SnowandhercolleaguesshowedthatwhenBt
sunflowers(Helianthusannuus)werebredwiththeirwildcounterparts,transgenic
offspringstillrequiredthesamekindofclosecareasitscultivatedparentbutwere
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lessvulnerabletoinsectsandproducedmoreseedsthannontransgenicplants.Few
similarstudieshavebeenconducted,saysSnow,becausethecompaniesthatownthe
rightstothetechnologyaregenerallyunwillingtoletacademicresearchersperform
theexperiments.
InMexico,thestorygoesbeyondpotentialenvironmentalimpacts.KevinPixley,a
cropscientistandthedirectorofthegeneticresourcesprogramattheInternational
MaizeandWheatImprovementCenterinElBatan,Mexico,saysthatscientists
arguingonbehalfofGMtechnologiesinthecountryhavemissedacrucialpoint.
Mostofthescientificcommunitydoesntunderstandthedepthoftheemotionaland
culturalaffiliationmaizehasfortheMexicanpopulation,hesays.
Tidystories,infavoroforagainstGMcrops,willalwaysmissthebiggerpicture,which
isnuanced,equivocalandundeniablymessy.Transgeniccropswillnotsolveallthe
agriculturalchallengesfacingthedevelopingordevelopedworld,saysQaim:Itisnot
asilverbullet.Butvilificationisnotappropriateeither.Thetruthissomewhereinthe
middle.
ThisarticleisreproducedwithpermissionfromthemagazineNature.Thearticlewas
firstpublishedonMay1,2013.
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verdai

May 1, 2013, 6:29 PM

Sacred.verytrue.
and,havewefoundanygenesand/orothertracesinhoneybeesorbutterflies(thatis,flutterbys,as
pointedoutbyachild)?
aboveall,canweharvestseeds??
Report as Abuse|Link to This

AJ3457

May 1, 2013, 6:32 PM

ItisNOTjustaboutpesticides.Thealarmingsideofgeneticallyengineeredcropsisthegreed
drivenpenchantforengineeringhigherprofitsbyreducingthequalityofproducethatreachesthe
consumer.Liketomatoesthatnowhaveadesignedinmuchlargerinediblecore.They'shipbetter"
butcheatthecustomer.Andlikethedisgustingnewminiatureversionofthewatermelon,a
patheticgrapefruitsizedballthatnowhasamuchhigherpercentageofrind,andastandardprice
offourdollarsacopy.Thisisprogress?Thisisthepromiseofanengineeredbrightfuturefor
food?
Report as Abuse|Link to This

vapur

May 1, 2013, 7:15 PM

ItseemstomethattherootsfromoldplantsareleavingbehindRNAfragmentsthattheweedsare
usingfornutrition,incorporatingitintoitsownDNA.Youarewhatyoueat.
Report as Abuse|Link to This

Gord Wait

May 1, 2013, 8:17 PM

NoharmwhenyourcropsshowtracesofMonsantopatentedgenes?
TellthattothefarmersthatMonsantosuesforpatentinfringement.
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AHardLookat3MythsaboutGeneticallyModifiedCropsScientificAmerican

Report as Abuse|Link to This

Science108

May 1, 2013, 8:44 PM

ThelatestGMOfollyiswheat,whichthreatenstopermanentlydamagehumangeneticsbysilencing
hundredsofgenesthroughoutthebody.
VideoofPressConferenceonthethreatofCSIRO'sGMWheat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI7n_caiTvE&feature=youtu.be

Thenthere'sanewstudyofMonstanto'sRoundupwhichshowsittobemoretoxicthanofficially
declared
http://www.gmwatch.org/latestlisting/522013/14654roundupmoretoxicthanofficially
declarednewstudy
http://www.isis.org.uk/Why_Glyphosate_Should_be_Banned.php

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jimmybo

Gord Wait

May 1, 2013, 10:58 PM

yougotapointiwonderiftheydidn'tfindanyGMmixinMexicobecauseMonsantocan'tsue,but
couldbesued.
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blind2

May 1, 2013, 11:44 PM

Evenbasicsciencecannotsilence/reverseignoranceormediaspin.
Nor,canopinionatedemphasisorcapitalletterstrulyrefutevalid,reproducibleanddocumented
factsexceptinthemindofthelazilyuninformed.
Pity,weseebothoftheseconstantlyineveryblogonearth.
Report as Abuse|Link to This

JPGumby

May 2, 2013, 11:11 AM

Justaminorsidenote,butI'msurethereareothergeneticdifferencesbetweentheMexicanMaize
andcornplantedintheUSandelsewhere.Iftheseintroducedgenesequencescanmigrateinto
MexicanmaizeeventhoughtheplantingofGMcornisbanned,thenhowmuchmoremustthe
genesofnonGMbutnonnativeMaizehavemigratedintotheMexicanmaize?
Itseemswe'retalkingaboutanartificialandirrelevantdistinction.
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tuned

May 2, 2013, 4:21 PM

Ihavebeeneatingchickenoverhalfacentury,muchofitcanned.Moregeneticfeed(andwho
knowswhatelse)thanyoucanshakeastickat,I'msure.
Istilldonothenpeck(thoughIdocrowsometimes),doyou?
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ToNYC

May 2, 2013, 4:22 PM

Ourancestorsdeliveredourgeneswithoutintroducingexplosivegeneticmaterialattheactsof
conception.TheAlgonquinNationmembersthought3generationsaheadwithgenerosityand
gratituderatherthan3monthsaheadwithleveragefromallandextractiontotheveryfew.You
mayconsidertheproducer'sduediligenceasselfinterestedscienceandreally,whatcouldgo
wrongwiththat?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ahardlookat3mythsaboutgeneticallymodifiedcrops/

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