Dear Editor
In reference to "Information gap breeds fear of GM foods" (Regional Optimist April 18) by Jenny Walls, the information gap the writer refers to is consumers' lack of education. Unfortunately, the information gap about the safety of GM Foods is because the data supplied to our regulators by the companies is considered confidential business information. We do not have an independent source of information about the safety of said food either.
Contrary to what Walls says about GMOs saving the world's poor from hunger, by convincing peasants to go into debt to buy GM seeds every year instead of planting their own farm-saved seed, the biotech industry is causing hunger and also many suicides when farmers can't pay their bills. When non-GMO seed is replaced with the GMO system of monoculture both biodiversity and related cultural knowledge is lost. Food sovereignty is damaged when diverse, nutritional locally adapted and resilient seed crops are replaced with GMO crops.
The health effects of GMOs have not been properly studied. Health Canada looks at information submitted by Monsanto, and does not consider what happens when the whole plant is eaten over longer periods. "Long-term" feeding studies by GMO companies are only 30 days. Recently a 90-day study of rats fed on GMO corn found serious health effects. Instead of looking into why this result occurred, there was a massive public relations effort by the biotech industry attacking the researcher. Other researchers who have reported health problems have also been attacked, threatened and silenced. No wonder there is an information gap.
Consumers fears are justified. They have legitimate questions. If the companies and our regulators are unwilling to answer them, labelling of GMO products is about the only way consumers can avoid being part of a huge experiment we did not consent to. Why give Monsanto control over our food system?
Marcella Pedersen
Cut Knife
