He begins to list the myths he held in conjunction with the facts he has learned about GM farming:
- GMOs only benefit big companies – GM crops are actually higher yielding and lead to greater economic gains for farmers and communities
- No one wants GMO crops – GMO cotton was pirated into India, GMO soy was pirated into Brazil due to high demand; farmers are eager to use them
- Genetic modification is dangerous – It’s more precise than conventional mutagenesis
He concludes by noting that producing and consuming GM crops is ultimately a personal choice, but that limiting the availability is getting in the way of feeding the planet in a sustainable way.
We then watched the video from Vandana Shiva, an Indian physicist and philosopher, and the impact GM crops have had on her country. She says that the choices presented are distorted and not supported by facts.
Monsanto’s GM seeds have been devastating to India’s farmers, promising production far greater than actual yields. This gap has lead to thousands of bankrupt farmers who are committing suicide to spare themselves from the shame and stigma of failure and financial devastation. In one example, Monsanto claims that their seeds produce 1500 kg of cotton per acre, but only yield 400 kg (this number was independently verified by the Indian government). In addition, Monsanto’s seeds are patented, and therefore farmers cannot continue the age-old practice of seed saving to regrow their crops without having to buy seeds every year. This makes them dependant on monopolistic corporations like Monsanto. Shiva says that the current mechanistic approach to nature has left us disconnected and under corporate rule. Everyday, there are wars over land and water as corporations are able to privatize more aspects of our lives and the earth, treating air, water, and food as commodities. Shiva believes that this mentality is “dividing people from people and people from the Earth.”
Shiva points out that seeds are important to feeding the world as they are first link in our food chain. She believes that if we are able to reclaim our seeds, water, and air, we can reclaim our identity as citizens of Earth, and reclaim our common humanity.
Here are two very different perspectives on approaches to issues like nutrition, hunger, and economic prosperity on a global level. Lynas sits firm with his academic understanding of GM crops, while Shiva believes in an interconnected approach, taking science into account along with anecdotal evidence rooted in her own spiritual beliefs.
From Lynas:
“So my message to the anti-GM lobby, from the ranks of the British aristocrats and celebrity chefs to the US foodies to the peasant groups of India is this. You are entitled to your views. But you must know by now that they are not supported by science. We are coming to a crunch point, and for the sake of both people and the planet, now is the time for you to get out of the way and let the rest of us get on with feeding the world sustainably.”
For her own position on action to take, Shiva shared the following:
“There’s a very simple lesson that Krishna gives: You do not measure the fruit of your action, you have to measure your obligation for action. You find out what is the right thing to do: that is your duty. Whether you win or lose is not the issue.”
Group 5
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