Argentine – Special Investigation “RISKS IN CONSUMING TRANSGENIC” by Alicia Vega for Bahianoticias.com – Every time it is more an appellant the term ” transgenic food “; nevertheless, and in spite of that already they are a part of our daily menus, we do not know much of them, for what later I will explain to you what sound in order that you should extract your own proper conclusions. Let’s begin for the beginning; gene is the basic unit of which alive beings are formed and which stores the characteristics that define them as such.

So what exactly are GM foods? They are those wich have been made genetically transferred from another species, especially vegetables such as tomatoes, apples, corn, rice or soyabeans, even more elaborated foods, such as flour, oil, syrups, sauces and cereals, so that they are more resistant to plagues or to have more nutritional value.

The previous think is possible thanks to advances in knowledge of the genetic material of each species as well as the application of recent advances in computer, a conjunction that aims to adequately cover the food needs in the world.

A Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is a living organism that has been created artificially manipulating their genes. The main difference with the traditional techniques of breeding is that genetic engineering can cross barriers between species in order to create new living beings wich did not previously exist in nature.

Genetic contamination supposes a serious risk to biodiversity and takes irreversible and unpredictable effects on ecosystems and as involution of the use of pesticides, development of resistance in insects and bad herbs, gene transfer to other varieties or species.

Furthermore, possible long-term health risks of GMOs present in our food or the animals that we eat, are not being evaluated and remains unknown (possible risk of allergies, increased antibiotic resistance, and so on. ) without complying with the precautionary principle, which should stop using these products until the effects on humans and the environment were known, and stop “experiment” with consumers.

GM products have been on the market for more than a decade, nevertheless that still is not known to certain science if they are sure for the human beings. The scientific world is not in conditions to affirm in definitive form that this food is absolutely innocuous for human consumption.

All foods can be the cause of various diseases and illnesses from mild reactions to those that threaten life, but how do we know whether proteins and other materials that may not be harmful to our health, would react when transferred to genetic structures of other species? .

Without this evidence, we can not be certain that the transfer of genes from one food to another does not increase the potential for adverse reactions in our bodies. This is just one of the concerns in the health field that we set to plunge into the information on GMOs.

There is evidence that markers genes for antibiotic resistance in transgenic plants are carried to other species of microorganisms such as fungi and soil bacteria. This allows them to propagate, recombining with other genes and create new pathogens.

Mutilated strains and laboratory virus survive when released into the environment may remain latent, reappear and acquire genes from other bacteria, thus increasing diseases and antibiotic resistance, creating new pathogens.

GMOs can cause resistance to antibiotics to which ingested, this resistance can come in the incorporation of bacteria through the digestive tract in humans or animals.

This is the most immediate danger as it could compromise treatment of life-threatening diseases. The development of allergies is another major risk, as it could come from the existence of foreign proteins in foods, with the consequent development of toxins and allergenic genes.

Through genetic engineering allergenic properties of certain foods are being transferred to others. Some common foods could become metabolically dangerous foods.

On the other hand, the introduction of new proteins to the food can increase the power of some toxic substances that already exist in the food. Other substances of the body that protect against cancer might turn diminished.

We must say it: it is incredible that there are so many transgenic products on market being happily consumed when their security has never been sufficiently studied. And what is worse: no one seems willing to take them out even though more and more scientists and experts -trying to silence their voices- manifest having many doubts about their safety when they do not openly warn of its danger.

The Argentine government has promoted the genetic engineering in a way that has become the second largest producer of genetically engineered plant organisms. Many foods contain genetically modified ingredients.

It is estimated that 60% of processed foods contain soya and during the last harvest the crop covered 90% of the total production in transgenic which is high probability of being consumed unknowingly transgenic soyabeans.

With respect to transgenic maize acreage represents 20% of the planted area, official statistics show. Another transgenic crop, less widely, is pest-resistant cotton.

Those who consume these crops are unlawfully deprived of their right to choose whether or not to run the risk of allergies or resistance to antibiotics. The latter two risks are currently the most discussed by the scientific community, and actually there is not strong consensus in either direction.

In Argentina, supermarkets and government authorities have not noticed it, and so far consumers can not identify between food produced by traditional agriculture or originating in the laboratories of genetic engineering.

How can be identify genetically engineered foods?

FOOD LABELS DECLINED TO SAY WETHER CONTAINING GM INGREDIENTS .

It is difficult to identify. Argentine consumers, unlike Europeans and Japanese can not choose what they eat because there is no labeling on products that warn if they contain ingredients or processed, or not, genetically engineered organisms.

The Government has provided no laws regulating this type of trafficking genes in our food, and even has not given citizens the opportunity to be aware of this. And despite the protests of consumers and Greenpeace, the Argentine authorities continue giving back to people claiming to know what they leads to the mouth. Companies, today, are not required to be labeled.

Today, in Argentina, consuming any food containing soya ingredients, is exposed to a high risk of introducing organisms in our bodies wich are designed by genetic engineering. Different Greenpeace offices around the world have confirmed in several scientific laboratories test the presence of GM soya or maize in food for mass consumption. In Argentina there are no mechanisms to detect or warn them in the food consumed daily.

RIGHT TO INFORMATION

“Consumers are entitled to greater protection and information … First we demand the authorities in charge of exercising control mechanisms do their job without giving in to commercial and political imperatives …. producers to adopt a policy of transparency for consumers and to facilitate access to information they manage on their experiments, applications, controls, etc.. ” (Consumer Adelco, Buenos Aires).

In the following link you can find all brands of products sold in the country and containing transgen :http://www.permahabitante.com.ar/alerta_medica_transgenicos.php

PRESSURE BY BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IN ARGENTINA

In 1996, after a series of pressure from officials of the Ministry of Agriculture of the United States, the U.S. company Monsanto managed that the Argentine government adopt mass market in the country a seed mutant soyabean which could resist a powerful herbicide for its own brand. In 1991 the corporation had released these seeds in Argentina for experimentation, so it began an ambitious policy on biotechnology companies over the handling of genes in living.

Thus, since 1996, Monsanto offered this manipulated cultive to allow producers to use higher amounts of the herbicide without harming the crop too and thus multiply their sales. In Argentina, the GM soya was approved by resolution of the Ministry of Agriculture.

However, the lead agency for food quality control of the Argentine state, SENASA (Servicio Nacional de Calidad Agroalimentaria) did not give opinion and GM soya was equal approved.

The warnings of Greenpeace and other experts at the time, on any adverse effects on human health and the environment, were not taken into account and Argentina began a frantic race for promoting this kind of plants, besides approving the GM soya, two maize varieties resistant to pests (including companies Novartis and Aventis) and also a variety of pest-resistant cotton, also belonging to Monsanto.

GOVERNMENT UNCONCERN AND MISINFORMATION

At that time, the Argentine government argued that it had approved the corn and soyabeans genetically engineered based on health and environmental approvals from the U.S. authorities to those seeds patented by biotech companies in that country.

However, recent documents reveal that the Food and Drug Administration of the United States, ignored warnings from its own scientists about the safety in the consumption of these organisms.

Mysteriously, so far, the scandal that showed the revelation in Washington, seems still not to alert the authorities. The population was never informed of the measure.

Society was never called to participate if desired this kind of mutated food on their tables. Companies and government authorities decided to introduce those genes without any prior consultation mechanism. Even today, ignorance is widespread. And people unknowingly eat GM.

The cultivation of GM soya in Argentina grew to such levels that in just four years has attracted more than 90% of the total area, leaving millions in profits for Monsanto, and the entirely Argentine fields totaly dependent of their herbicide .. . without the not too distant possibility that the country stop being the “breadbasket of the world” for fear of European consumers who are increasingly reluctant to buy soyabeans from Monsanto.

Now, month after month, we live in Argentina, the emergence of a new socio-environmental problem due to territorial invasion caused by the imposition of GM soya monoculture of Monsanto and a handful of landlords and business planting associations.

All this comes from the hand of the installation of a fragmented view of the problems that hide the underlying causes of these for analysis or display, often sensational way, but always isolated and produced almost as “natural phenomena”.

After thirteen years of expanding cultivation of transgenic soya in Argentina, social and environmental consequences are a real catastrophe.

Undoubtedly, the amazing advances in technology offer more solutions to the challenges confronting mankind in the future, what do we think is to what extent we will change the direction of what nature has provided for thousands of years in exchange for the benefits that may accrue.

If these processes are performed in a safe manner will be a great step in human development, but should take into account how these foods affect life cycles and how the man can consume without consequence not sorry .

Plant cloning has been developed and created by the need for better food, better quality and a lower price, but not everything is good, also has a dark side, which hardly anyone knows, is that these foods can have consequences on the health of people and the environment.

Genetically engineered foods may be the key to ending world hunger, but can also be the key to the extermination of the human race. These foods are modified at the genetic level, are best and better than any other food of this kind, but, in turn, trying to make them more resistant to pests, have been implanted in his genes necessary poison to kill them, then, the plants will have poison running through the leaves, poison that kills insects if either could do with us, or at least affect our health.

This poison, in combination with natural selection law, means that every species is increasingly strong, that is, if an insect can not resist the poison that has a certain plant, the insects evolved to the point of becoming immune to the poison, and if they put the plant more poison, insect increasingly become more and more resistant to this, and as an immediate consequence of this, it could cause destruction of the plants that do not have this kind of poison in it, left totally unprotected to normal plants, from any attack on these new super pests.

Many countries have established laws regarding this type of food, such as in Colombia, until recently were not allowed this type of food, or for example in Africa, this type of food is prohibited by the government and religion, considering them as an attack against life, environment and even to their religion .

As you can see, not everyone agrees with this type of food. The world is carried away by appearances, all coming through the eyes, everything is “rosy” as they paint their advertisements on radio and TV, but the reality is that we never take the trouble to investigate thoroughly what they tell us, we “swallow whole”.

In conclusion, we see that the society to which we are approaching, is anything but ideal society… it is a society of “zoombies” very far from everything that refers to the feelings of others, leaving us with the flow , walk to drift, not knowing what to do, not even to be either to eat.

We would be controlled even by our minds, multinationals, will both rise, which would no longer have to live, only that these companies expect us to believe and do to us their will. And the food, if by then you can call it in that way, totally lost the concept we have of it, and only a few would be those who can access them, and others, the same as the “scum of humanity “. “We walk into a hole, we know what to do but we do not do it.”

So, look … listen … investigate pursue our own crystal, choose our own crystal with freedom. Only we can vouch for the value of our life and we have the right to demand when they plot against it .-

Alicia Vega English teacher.  Principal collaborators de BN, who make their community contributions ad honorem. NewsTranslator, photojournalist and writer about health issues – Contact: alicia@bahianoticias.com–

We suggest reading the following article

TRANSGÉNICOS: EL FUTURO ROBADO A LA HUMANIDAD por PEDRO POZAS TERRADOS: http://elproyectomatriz.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/transgenicos-el-futuro-robado-a-la-humanidad/