There've been several discussions here, and yes people are concerned. I am, too, but not sure how much I can do about it. In my case the lack of fresh produce I can get my family (including myself) to eat will probably kill us before GMOs do. I did happen to notice a couple weeks ago when buying tofu, that everything on the shelf was certified non-GMO. Whole foods is at least beginning to label their produce, I believe. They're not far from me, but being an every day shopper they're far enough to where I won't go there often.

I was a bio major about a hundred years ago, and unless I'm missing something, I'm not sure why GMO's are so scary. I am concerned about the overuse of antibiotics in livestock and the predominance of monocultures, like in potatoes. I also am not happy about companies like Monsanto suing small farmers because their seed crops have Monsanto genes in them. But I'm not sure how genetic engineering is all that different from careful breeding. I'm also concerned about how the government subsidizes the growing of corn and soybeans at the expense of other vegetable crops.

I'm a lot more concerned about the sodium solution 'enhanced' meat products. The uproar over GMO's is, IMO, much ado about not much.

One of the reasons that GMOs are so scary is that they have taken over, the biodiversity of our food system is sadly compromised, we are using huge amounts of glyphosphates when one of the "reasons" behind GMOs in the first place was that it was supposed to reduce chemical use.

Plus, many studies have implicated GMO products and glycophosphates like Round Up in increased incidences of cancer and other illnesses. Don't say that to the government, though, since the Director of the USDA, NIFA, Roger Beachy, was the Director of the Monsanto Danforth Center. There seems to be a revolving door from Monsanto to Government Employee to Monsanto.

And now Monsanto is buying up the seed companies. Soon we will only eat what Monsanto wants us to eat as nothing else will be available. Except for rabble rousers like me, who are saving their own seeds, refusing "Round Up Ready" alfalfa in favor of grass hay, not feeding my cattle corn/soybeans/other grains that are most probably GMO in origin, buying organic whenever possible and raising my own when it's not. I stopped even buying Michigan sugar are it's mostly from sugar beets (those GMOs again) and went to cane sugar.

Monsanto is powerful (and they aren't the only company, by any means) and the politicians have been purchased by them. Here's a nice little chart.....

Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: Monsanto Goverment Employees

Well said, Annie.

I try whenever possible to avoid known GMO products, but the keyword is "known". It's hard to tell in many/most cases.

I buy only cane sugar, now too. I try to buy organic whenever possible and grow a few vegetables, although I will admit I am not much good at vegetable gardening.

GMO's may not be scary to you, but they scare the beejeebers out of me!

After reading the lengthy article I linked to here earlier this year that described pus in milk, corn and soybeans that produce their own "Round-Up-like" chemicals to kill insects, etc. I am much more careful of what I eat and feed my family and friends.

Linda

What Annie and Linda said. But honestly, I have always grown my own because it's just plain better than storebought. I save seeds for whatever I can because they do better in my climate than storebought. And when I gave up my garden in favor of work, I got sick. This GMO thing is a new consideration for me but I'm paying attention.

ci_lantro...I hear you about the spongy 'enhanced' meat products. I have homegrown sources for beef, lamb and pork, but I really wish I liked poultry...I'd be raising my own. Besides not liking the beady-eyed, pecky things, I break out when I shovel chickensh**, lol.

Funny, Dr. Oz is on and it's about GMOs and pesticides in meat.

For anybody interested there is a documentary called genetic roulette that speaks about the dangers of Gmo's. It used to be free to watch on Internet movie data base but last time I checked it was not on there anymore. I did a google search and you can watch the movie for free until November 8th directly from the movie's website. You do need to provide a first name and email but as soon as you enter that it will begin playing the movie.

Here is a link that might be useful: Genetic roulette

Thanks for the explanation about the worries about GMOs. I didn't understand that it wasn't the idea of the breeding, but the resulting traits and how they influence agricultural practices that were of concern. Yes, I'm concerned about overuse of pesticides, too. IPM is more difficult and expensive than extensive spraying with Roundup, but lots safer.

What Annie said, et al.

I have no interest in eating Round Up or other pesticides and herbicides.

Sally

But yet - people are living longer than ever before. Worrying causes stress which is much harder on the health than what you were worrying about.

Thanks for the link WOW very eye opening I had no idea.

Ah, but we've only been eating GM foods since the mid 90s. And farmers have higher incidences of various cancers than nearly any other group of people, linked to all the pesticides/herbicides/fungicides/insecticides/all other "cides" that are used.

We no longer work ourselves to death, don't die of typhoid fever or scarlet fever or the bubonic plague because of improvements in medical practices, newly discovered drugs and treatments, better diagnosis and early treatment. There are many reasons for our longer lifespans and none of them have to do with GMO foods or the continuing use of more and more chemicals.

As for stress, that's nothing new. You think the early settlers didn't have stress, between the Indians and the wild animals? The colonists who nearly starved to death? The early revolutionary war soldiers who fought the better trained and armed British? But it wasn't stress that killed them, it was starvation, illness, British bullets and cannonballs.

Sometimes we can't do anything about stress in our lives, but we certainly can control other factors, like what we eat. Or we could, if big companies like Monsanto were required to just label GM foods so we could decide whether or not we care to eat it, but they are fighting that tooth and nail with every penny they have.

Annie

How about this "Mosanto Protection Act" If it is safe why would they need this protection. So in the future they absolutely prove lock stock and barrel they are 100% harmful there is nothing the goverment can do.

Here is a link that might be useful: Article on Monsanto Protection Act