Silly Aphids

These days it’s almost inevitable to come across news stories about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).  This controversial topic has made it into the mainstream media and many of us are unsure of what to believe these days.  

So what exactly is a GMO?  By definition, a GMO is a plan or animal that has been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. 

GMOs boast the ability to –

• Resist viruses, fungi and bacterial growth
• Grow faster than their counterparts
•  Are naturally pest resistant
• Tolerate extreme weather conditions
• Have added vitamins and minerals

This all sounds great, right? So why is this subject so controversial? Let's debunk some of the misconceptions around GMOs. 

Myth #1:  GMOs decrease pesticide use

Dr. Charles Benbrook, an agronomist, published a report using USDA data that looked into pesticide use on genetically modified crops between the years of 1996 and 2008.  The report found chemical insecticide use decreased by 64.2 million pounds on Bt maize and cotton over the 13 year period studied.  In sharp contrast, herbicide-tolerant maize, soy and cotton caused farmers to spray 383 million more pounds of herbicides than that would have done if these herbicide-tolerant seeds had not existed.  The decreased insecticide use was greatly outweighed by the increased herbicide use.

This report also showed that herbicide use on genetically modified crop fields has sharply increased.  Herbicide use on genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops rose 31.4% from 2007 to 2008.  Benbrook identified the main cause of increased pesticide use was due to the spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds.  Glyphosate, also known as Roundup, has been blamed as the cause of these super weeds as those weeds that survive being sprayed with these herbicides pass on their genes to their offspring and therefore create an increase in glyphosate resistant weeds.  Farmers have resorted to spraying more herbicides to try and control this issue but in turn are creating an even bigger issue.

Bacillus thuringienus, or Bt, is a bacteria that lives within the soil and is commonly used as a biological pesticide.  Since 1996 plants have been modified with Bt genes with the intention of having plants be able to produce proteins to protect themselves pest without synthetic pesticide sprays.  Bt was created to combat bugs so, again, this is good right? Not quite….

A study(1) from China on GM Bt insecticidal cotton have showed that GM Bt technology is failing due to increasing issues with secondary pests.  Researchers found that more pesticides were needed over time to control emerging secondary pests such as aphids and spider mites.  GM Bt insecticidal crops have Bt present in all of their cells for their entire lifetime.  This exposes pests to the toxin and is different from traditional insecticides that are sprayed as those are meant to target pests for a brief period of time.  Exposure to something over a long period of time can create an immunity and that immunity is generally passed off to offspring.

Many studies support the damaging effects of pesticides on our aquatic ecosystems and quality of our soil.  These valuable natural resources feed and support us.  They provide some of us with employment and give some of us hobbies we fully enjoy.  Pesticides have also been linked to a wide range of health issues ranging from headaches to cancer.  Evidence that exposure to pesticides can damage our endocrine systems continues to emerge.  This endocrine disruption can case infertility, birth defects, impair brain development and cause behavior disorders.  Ingesting food that has been exposed directly to these pesticides increases our risks for developing negative health consequences.  GMOs give us even more direct access.  In next week’s blog, I will continue to dispel myths regarding GMOs in hopes to provide more clarity around this issue.  

(1)    Zhao JH, Ho P, Azadi H. Benefits of Bt cotton counterbalanced by secondary pests? Perceptions of ecological change in China. Environ Monit Assess. Feb 2010; 173(1-4): 985-994.

Flight of the Bumblebee

I’ve been tasked this quarter to blog about a topic of deep interest to me.  There are a lot of things I feel passionate about and my dilemma became which topic to choose.  Should I discuss the downfalls of our financial industry?  Should I take a deep dive into animal welfare and rights?  The self-esteem issues our beauty industry promotes is disturbing and maybe I could shed more light why that industry needs to improve?  After much deliberation, I decided this quarter I will focus on the importance of organic gardening and farming. 

Why organic gardening and farming?  Well it mostly comes down to the importance of healthy and nutritious food.  Food fuels us and access to healthy and nutritious food is a cornerstone to our well-being and development.  Studies have shown that “traditional” farming methods that the use pesticides and synthetic fertilizers affect our food's nutrition and are also harmful to our environment and disrupt beneficial eco-systems.  Organic farming and home gardening represent a deeper respect for the soil and plants as it focuses on using natural solutions to control issues that we so commonly look towards bottled products to solve.   

So let me give you a little taste of the type of topics I plan to cover…

Pesticide use became popular as it is a means to control insects that damage our food crops.  But what about all those beneficial insects that get caught up in the pesticide crossfire?

Have you ever stopped to watch a bumble bee buzzing around in a flower?  Have you ever noticed that when it comes out, it’s covered with little specks of pollen? It’s actually kind of cute to the fuzzy little thing covered in the fruits of its labor.  We've all heard about the decline in bee populations through some sort of news source but what does this all mean?  Why should everyone be concerned about the disappearance bees? The simple answer is because we all need to eat.

All the experts agree that the decline in bee populations have had a devastating effect on the agricultural industry.  According to the USDA, bees pollinate 80 percent of flowering crops that make up 1/3 of everything we eat.  Losing bees would not only affect common foods such as apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries and cucumbers, but may threaten our beef and dairy industries if alfalfa is not available for feed.  Although multiple causes are sited, most of the experts agree that pesticides have at a minimum added to the decline of bee colonies (also known as Colony Collapse Disorder).  In fact the European Union has seen enough evidence to support the damaging effects of pesticide use on bees and recently banned the use of certain types of pesticides.   

The use of pesticides and how they harm bees is quite complex.  Studies conducted by the European Food Safety Administration (EFSA) found that pesticides frequently appear in the nectar and pollen of plants. Bees not only have to fear being sprayed by pesticides but also have to fear ingesting these chemicals via their food supply as well.  The research shows that pesticides damages a bee’s ability to return to its hive, decreases the number of queens that a hive breeds each year, and increases a bee’s susceptibility to disease.  All of these factors have led to the 50% drop in honeybee numbers in the last quarter century.

So what can we do as individuals to help bees? Mother Nature Network lays out a great plan to help make your life a bit more bee friendly.  These simple things are great ways to increase our reliance on organic gardening and less so on those toxic methods currently being practiced.  

Save the bees! 

No, seriously, save the bees!