Are you one of those who heard about GM (Gene Modified) Food and say,

"Well, it could be good it could be bad.. I wouldn't know." ?

That is precisely the problem here.

"You wouldn't know"

Why? because the problem is invisible, it is in the gene, and not only that, it is not required by law inform us. Worse, some researches of GM food that are known to cause cancer, have been suppressed by the bio-tech industry... Suppressed? yes.

So you wouldn't have to know!

"The potatoes contained an antibiotic resistance marker gene. The institute that carried out the studies refused to release all the information. However, Greenpeace and other consumer groups mounted a protracted legal battle campaign to obtain the report. In May 2004 the Nikulinski District Court in Russia ruled that information relating to the safety of GM food should be open to the public.

The institute, however, refused to release the report. Greenpeace and Russian activist groups again took the institute to court, and won a ruling that the report must be released.

Irina Ermakova, a consultant for Greenpeace, said she had conducted her own animal feeding experiments with GM materials. "The GM potatoes were the most dangerous of the feeds used in the trials ... and on the basis of this evidence they cannot be used in the nourishment of people."

Greenpeace said the Russian trials were also badly flawed. Half of the rats in the trial died, and results were taken from those that survived, in breach of normal scientific practice."

- source The independent.

Now this was in the UK, how about here in thailand? Do you think there are local activtivist who would protest and go to court against the billion dollar industry? You may think it isn't much of a concern, but mind you, the food you are eating and feeding to your child may already contain it. Take a look at the rising of GM food production statistic.

"Global Cultivations Exceed 100 Million Hectares in 2006

Last year the agricultural use of genetically modified plants has risen again. Worldwide, the area of cultivation increased by twelve to a total of 102 million hectares. According to the ISAAA status report, which is published annually in January, 10.3 million farmers in 22 countries grew GM soy, maize, rape and cotton. GM papaya, alfalfa, squash and rice are cultivated on smaller areas"

- source: GMO compass

With the dangers, real or perceived, of GMO containing foods, do we still have the say over what we want to eat? From what we've seen so far, it looks like there's no labeling requirements here in Thailand and many of my favorite foods are tainted..

Biotech and food industry is a billion dollar business, and its role and demand over mass food production to serve

The ever increasing demand for food will always be on the rise to cope with population growth, so food are gene modified to make maximum productivity, reduce loss from pest, and other natural enymy, and increase in quantity. As long as the food looks the same, taste the same, and has less loss, farmers will take them. Unlike any other industry, the side effect can not be seen and evaluated from the 'pollution' they emit, but rather, years later in cancer hospital. The industry made their bucks, end consumer suffers. This is an invisible threat my friends.

Is the Thai government looking out for us? well, there's not even a law in thailand to labeled what is GM food and what is not, let alone how do we protect all the possible channel of these gene modified seeds to spread out. You can't use a dog to stniff this one out.

So how do we know? Well, the food plantation and or crops may have to be tested by using specific pest that they were engineered to protect from to know. How ironic that these food pest may come to our rescue in the end.

I know I may sound like an eco-extremist, but think about it. Without any studies on long term effects of GM food on people how can we really be sure that it's as safe as the ones mother nature provided? Without any labeling requirements how can we choose, one way or the other, which foods we want to buy and eat?

Grow your own food my friend, that's probably the safest. Oh, make sure that the seed is not gene modified. but then again.. how would you know?

By: Othan & Brokenpencil