by Jan Weaver
I was in the U.K. a couple of weeks ago, and had dinner at an Indian restaurant near Hampstead Heath. Posted in
the restaurant's window was a letter from their meat supplier stating that to their knowledge, none of the meat
sold to the restaurant was tainted with GM (genetically modified) agricultural products. In other words, none of
the feed given to the chickens or pigs or cattle was GM. This was just one example of a very large difference in
attitude towards GM foods between the U.S. and the U.K. (and the EU). While most Americans casually accept the
presence of GM plants in the food chain, the British don't and a number of major food retailers in Britain,
Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer and Co-op, have signed statements saying they won't carry products unless they are
GM-free.
The most frequently expressed reason for rejecting GM was food safety. People were concerned that GM
foods could affect their health because allergy causing genes might become more widespread in the food supply,
genes for antibiotic resistance used as markers might spread to pathogenic bacteria, increased hormone
production in GM animals might cause cancers or affect development, or the insertion of genes randomly into
a plant's or animal's genome could, in some as yet unknown way, produce toxic substances.
If you consider Europe's recent history with food safety issues, the average person's skepticism towards
government and scientists' reassurances about GM made a certain amount of sense. Through ignorance or hubris, the
British government continued to promote the safety of hamburgers for years after the first diagnosis of Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE - aka Mad Cow Disease) in a cow in 1984. It wasn't until several people came down
with a disease resembling the relatively rare Cruezfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD) in 1995 that they discovered BSE
could indeed be transmitted to people, causing variant CJD, and that meat processing standards instituted after
the initial discovery of BSE in a herd had failed and were failing to end the contamination of the meat supply.
Then, in 1999, the Belgian government neglected, for at least a month, to notify farmers that animal feed had been
contaminated with dioxin, allowing the dioxin to spread into the food chain. Eggs, meat, sausage, cream, milk and
other animal products had to be removed from shelves not just in Belgium, but throughout Europe.
Food safety wasn't the only issue. There was increasing concern that GM crops might have negative effects on
natural communities because of their effects on farming practices. Lord (Robert) May, President of the Royal
Society, didn't buy the food safety argument, but did point out that GM technology was a double-edged sword. It
could lead to a "Doubly Green Revolution", which would allow us to grow food not only more efficiently, but also
more in concert with nature. On the other hand it could also lead to agricultural intensification with serious
negative consequences. The government conservation agency English Nature pointed out that widespread planting of
crops engineered with herbicide resistance could lead to herbicide resistance in super weeds, requiring farmers to
return to the use of the much more toxic weed killers like Paraquat and 2,4-D. May characterized the potential
impact as "an even more silent spring" - a reference to Rachel Carson's 1962 book "Silent Spring" linking
pesticide use to the disappearance of songbirds.
Finally, President Bush's recent assertion that Europe's resistance to GM foods was contributing to hunger in
Africa was met with incredulity over there. Regardless of the impacts of GM on food safety and or the
environment, one thing is for sure, they are an extremely capital intensive approach to agriculture. Farmers,
instead of being allowed to save seed from year to year, would have to purchase new seed every year, about 25%
more expensive than non-GM seed. Plus, some GM crops rely on intensive inputs, particularly of herbicide, for
their competitive advantage. The typical African farmer involved in growing food for local consumption makes less
than $1000 per year, and is not going to be able to afford these extra capital expenses. Mostly he or she needs
appropriate technologies like pedal-driven water pumps and locally adapted seed stocks. Follow up stories
accusing the U.S. government of forcing famine stricken populations to accept GM corn when they asked for non-GM
corn (and it was available) did nothing for American credibility on the issue.
One opinion piece even suggested that if Bush really wanted to help agriculture in developing
countries,he would end subsidies to U.S. farmers ($270 billion over ten years, or 25% of the total value of
farm output) who compete with cash crop production (sugar, corn, etc.) in developing countries. Of course,
the U.S. is not alone in this behavior, the EU also provides hundreds of billions of dollars to subsidize
European farmers. The trade barrier imposed by these subsidies is equal to twice the value of aid
developing countries receive.
I don't know if the British are more risk averse than us, if they have been burned more often by the
government agencies that were supposed to protect them, are more astute at discerning self- serving
arguments, or are a bunch of eco-cranks. Whatever - it sure was different from the kind of coverage
GM gets in the U.S.
Read more about about it:
Bio Regional Quiz: What is the Missouri State Fossil?
SPECIAL EVENTS/PROGRAMS/CLASSES/TALKS
MU ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS AND SEMINARS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION MEETINGS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Answer to BioRegional Quiz: The state fossil is a crinoid or "sea lily" - Delocrinus missouriensis
.
Crinoids are
related to starfish, and look a bit like an upside down starfish stuck on a stalk. Most of the crinoid fossils in
Missouri are segments from the stalk. They look like tiny flattened donuts. Missouri was covered with shallow
seas over 200 million years ago when this crinoid was abundant. The crinoid segments can be seen in most exposed
bed rock in the Columbia area. Grindstone Park, the old Quarry at Cosmos Park and Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
are good places to look for crinoids and other fossils. Check out http://www.statefossils.com/mo/mo.html and
http://www.geobop.com/paleozoo/World/NA/US/MO/ for more information on Missouri fossils.
Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it
by
email
(envstudy@missouri. edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO
65211), or call Jan
Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's
Environmental
Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of
this newsletter may be
copied for distribution but please give us credit.
Resistance to GM Foods In Great Britain
BATS ON PARADE: month of July, bats decorated by kids on display at Boone County Public Library
July 17, 7pm Bat program at library, reservations required, call 443-3161 after July 8.
NATIVE COOL SEASON GRASSES: July 14, 7 pm Unitarian Church 2615 Shepard Blvd, Native Plant Soc.
CITY PARK PATROL TRAINING: July 17, 6-8 pm 701 E. Broadway, 874-7499 to apply
TRIP TO PAINT BRUSH PRAIRIE: July 22, call 573-474-4225 for information, Native Plant Society
KNOW THE DARK NIGHTS; July 26 or Aug 2 7:15 pm learn about bats and bat related activities - reservations
required, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park 449-7400
HA HA TONKA STATE PARK FIELD TRIP: Aug 9, carpool from Columbia, 882-6072 for details, Wild Ones
JUNIOR NATURALIST DAYS: Aug 13-15 9am-2pm experience three days of hiking, carving, nature programs, conduct a
service project - reservations required, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park 449-7400
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL: meet again in the fall
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES EXEC COM: meet again in the fall
RECYCLING COMMITTEE; meet again in the fall
STUDENT SIERRA CLUB: meet again in the fall
AUDUBON SOCIETY; 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed
7:30 pm, USGS, 4200 New Have
BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION; http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st
Wednesdays 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING; 875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/
CHOUTEAU GROTTO; http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm,
Community Room of the Boone Electric Coop
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE; 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for
information.
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS; 874-6271 or
http://www.ci.columbia.mo.us/dept/pubw/
COMMUNITY STORMWATER PROJECT:
http://www.GoColumbiaMo.com/PublicWorks/StormWater/cswp.html
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES:
http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE STATE PARK; 474-7429 or
http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Meet 4th Tuesdays, 7 pm
GREENBELT COALITION; 442-4789 or http://greenbelt.missouri.org Meet 1st
Tuesdays, 7 pm, Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
MISSOURI HEARTWOOD; 443-6832 or http://www.heartwood.org/MO
MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY; npshawth@hotmail.com Meet every other
second Monday (Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov) at 7:00 p.m., Unitarian
Universalist Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd, Columbia, MO.
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK; 443-0292 or http://mrcn.missouri.org/
PEDNET COALITION; email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK; 449-7402 or
http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION; (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or
www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB; 443-4401 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd
Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave
WILD ONES; 499-3749 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.