Loading....
The threat is growing
The genetically engineered food experiment was first officially introduced to the general public in the early 1990s with the advent of the 'Flavr Savr' tomato. The tomato was created by a company called Calgene, which was later bought out by Monsanto.
Since then, the “GMO genie” has been let out of the bottle.
Study after study has shown that genetic engineering may produce unintended changes to the DNA of the plant that may result in changes to the plant chemistry, altering the nutritional composition or possibly causing the plant to produce toxins. But none of these organisms were thoroughly safety tested before being brought to market. Is it a coincidence that six in ten adults now have some form of chronic disease and four in ten adults have two chronic diseases or more? We are what we eat.
It’s not just the consumption of GMO foods that are concerning. Many environmental harms have been documented. GMO crops did not deliver on the industry promise to reduce pesticide use. In fact, since the introduction of GMO crops, farmers’ reliance on synthetic pesticides has increased and their usage has skyrocketed. The pesticides associated with GMO crops contaminate our rain and drinking water, our environment and our bodies. They harm butterflies, birds and other wildlife and push endangered species closer to the brink of extinction.
America's first GMO food, the Flavr Savr tomato, was taken off the market due to widespread consumer rejection as well as the refusal of major businesses to sell Calgene-Monsanto’s original lab-made creation. But that was only a temporary setback for an industry that was seeing a tremendous financial return on pushing new genetically engineered foods into the market with no requirement for thorough safety testing and little regulation.
Now, the question is whether another, even more controversial and potentially damaging GMO will be allowed to proliferate among the American landscape.
At stake is the genetic integrity of our forests, the short and long-term purity of our environment, and the health and safety of our ecosystems and communities for generations to come.
Genetically Modified Chestnut Trees - the Trojan Horse
After decades of being threatened by a fungus that is thought to have been brought to the U.S. from Asia, biotech proponents are pushing the genetically engineered chestnut tree as a savior for a tree they claim is nearly extinct. But the American Chestnut tree has been hybridized through traditional crossbreeding and is currently the focus of several successful regeneration projects in different parts of the country.
The GM chestnut tree is meant to open the floodgates to commercial GM trees designed for industrial plantations harvested for wood, paper, and biomass. The development of the GM chestnut was funded by the likes of Monsanto and Duke Energy… companies that stand to benefit substantially from the commercialization of GM trees.
The transgenic chestnut was created with the insertion of a wheat gene to fight blight. Given the natural drift of pollen and the work of pollinators, the GM chestnuts will inevitably contaminate and genetically alter its wild relatives — potentially giving the synthetic lab-created trees a leg up on their natural peers, which provide food and life to countless plant and animal species.
Currently, there are no long-term risk assessments to understand the environmental, social or health risks posed by releasing this GMO chestnut tree into the environment. What happens when humans eat GM chestnuts that contain wheat genes or breathe the pollen? Would there be allergic or autoimmune reactions? What happens when wildlife consumes GMO chestnuts? We need to know these details before irrevocably altering forest systems.
Judging by the track record of the GMO industry, it's highly unlikely that such analyses will ever be conducted, or that the true results would ever be shared with the general public if they were.
In response to industry pressure, the USDA is considering the approval of GM chestnut trees, which could come at any time. The GM trees could be released into both U.S. and Canadian forests soon.
GM chestnut trees are the Trojan Horse, the tip of the iceberg.
Genetically engineered trees in the pipeline include transgenic pine, chestnut, poplar, sweetgum, and eucalyptus trees, which are being spliced with new genes from unrelated species to bestow traits such as herbicide tolerance, insect and disease resistance, faster growth, and altered wood composition. Blight resistance is the first trait the industry is hoping to receive approval for, with unsupported claims that it is needed to save the American chestnut from extinction.
GMO “Regulators” Asleep at the Switch for Years
Consider the case of the GM salmon, which was the subject of a recent federal lawsuit alleging the FDA failed to accurately assess its risks to human health and the environment.
The FDA refused to release documents pertaining to the safety of these GM fish, and plans to build a $300 million facility were given the go-ahead by government officials in Ohio.
With millions if not billions of dollars at stake, the fear is that GM trees will be given the same free pass by so-called regulators.
It remains to be seen what lengths the biotech industry will go to in order to win over the hearts and minds of regulatory bodies as they have in the past, but already, the signs are concerning.
Forest Stewardship Council Considers Certification of GM Trees
Of great concern is the stance of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international organization that certifies the sustainable sourcing of paper, wood and other products made from trees. According to their website, FSC certification “ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.”
The Council has banned genetically engineered trees for 27 years. But after what appears to be infiltration of the FSC Board by the GM tree industry, the organization softened its position and is now considering certifying GM trees.
Infiltration is a tactic pro-GMO lobbying interests have used for years. This time, the genetic integrity of our forests is at stake.
“The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will begin phase one of a proposed two-phase multi-year learning process on genetic engineering (GE) in forestry outside of FSC-certified area,” wrote the FSC. The organization will be voting on the issue during their upcoming October 9-14 meeting in Indonesia.
A “panel of experts” is expected to be established to develop a “draft participation framework” that will set the stage for a multi-year collaboration of some kind.
Whether or not these experts will be unbiased or pro-GMO remains to be seen.
The Movement to Ban GMO Trees and How You Can Help
Send an email to the FSC
Click and send an email to the FSC to let them know where you stand on its genetically engineered trees “learning process.” Tell the FSC that you strongly oppose the certification of GM trees.
More reasons to care…
If the Monsantos of the world are successful, these trees could benefit industry at the cost of the health and natural integrity of our ecosystems.
David Suzuki, an award-winning geneticist and broadcaster, had the following to say about the release GMO trees into the environment:
“The rush to apply these ideas is absolutely dangerous, because we don't have a clue what the long-term impact of our manipulation is going to be.”
Suzuki makes a strong argument in the documentary film 'Synthetic Forests'.
The potential risks of GMO trees include:
- Increased fire risk due to monocultures, as has been seen in eucalyptus plantations in South America
- The unchecked, uncontrollable spread of unnatural GMO pollen
- The increased use of pesticides such as glyphosate, atrazine or other highly toxic pesticides, which may harm and feminize wildlife, contaminate drinking water, and increase cancer risks
- The almost certain contamination of all related non-GMO natural tree species within miles of GMO plantations
- Unknown and unintended effects on local plants, animals and humans
- Potential allergenicity or immune system disturbances to nearby humans
Take action before it’s too late.
There are no officials for you to contact on Twitter.
The threat is growing
The genetically engineered food experiment was first officially introduced to the general public in the early 1990s with the advent of the 'Flavr Savr' tomato. The tomato was created by a company called Calgene, which was later bought out by Monsanto.
Since then, the “GMO genie” has been let out of the bottle.
Study after study has shown that genetic engineering may produce unintended changes to the DNA of the plant that may result in changes to the plant chemistry, altering the nutritional composition or possibly causing the plant to produce toxins. But none of these organisms were thoroughly safety tested before being brought to market. Is it a coincidence that six in ten adults now have some form of chronic disease and four in ten adults have two chronic diseases or more? We are what we eat.
It’s not just the consumption of GMO foods that are concerning. Many environmental harms have been documented. GMO crops did not deliver on the industry promise to reduce pesticide use. In fact, since the introduction of GMO crops, farmers’ reliance on synthetic pesticides has increased and their usage has skyrocketed. The pesticides associated with GMO crops contaminate our rain and drinking water, our environment and our bodies. They harm butterflies, birds and other wildlife and push endangered species closer to the brink of extinction.
America's first GMO food, the Flavr Savr tomato, was taken off the market due to widespread consumer rejection as well as the refusal of major businesses to sell Calgene-Monsanto’s original lab-made creation. But that was only a temporary setback for an industry that was seeing a tremendous financial return on pushing new genetically engineered foods into the market with no requirement for thorough safety testing and little regulation.
Now, the question is whether another, even more controversial and potentially damaging GMO will be allowed to proliferate among the American landscape.
At stake is the genetic integrity of our forests, the short and long-term purity of our environment, and the health and safety of our ecosystems and communities for generations to come.
Genetically Modified Chestnut Trees - the Trojan Horse
After decades of being threatened by a fungus that is thought to have been brought to the U.S. from Asia, biotech proponents are pushing the genetically engineered chestnut tree as a savior for a tree they claim is nearly extinct. But the American Chestnut tree has been hybridized through traditional crossbreeding and is currently the focus of several successful regeneration projects in different parts of the country.
The GM chestnut tree is meant to open the floodgates to commercial GM trees designed for industrial plantations harvested for wood, paper, and biomass. The development of the GM chestnut was funded by the likes of Monsanto and Duke Energy… companies that stand to benefit substantially from the commercialization of GM trees.
The transgenic chestnut was created with the insertion of a wheat gene to fight blight. Given the natural drift of pollen and the work of pollinators, the GM chestnuts will inevitably contaminate and genetically alter its wild relatives — potentially giving the synthetic lab-created trees a leg up on their natural peers, which provide food and life to countless plant and animal species.
Currently, there are no long-term risk assessments to understand the environmental, social or health risks posed by releasing this GMO chestnut tree into the environment. What happens when humans eat GM chestnuts that contain wheat genes or breathe the pollen? Would there be allergic or autoimmune reactions? What happens when wildlife consumes GMO chestnuts? We need to know these details before irrevocably altering forest systems.
Judging by the track record of the GMO industry, it's highly unlikely that such analyses will ever be conducted, or that the true results would ever be shared with the general public if they were.
In response to industry pressure, the USDA is considering the approval of GM chestnut trees, which could come at any time. The GM trees could be released into both U.S. and Canadian forests soon.
GM chestnut trees are the Trojan Horse, the tip of the iceberg.
Genetically engineered trees in the pipeline include transgenic pine, chestnut, poplar, sweetgum, and eucalyptus trees, which are being spliced with new genes from unrelated species to bestow traits such as herbicide tolerance, insect and disease resistance, faster growth, and altered wood composition. Blight resistance is the first trait the industry is hoping to receive approval for, with unsupported claims that it is needed to save the American chestnut from extinction.
GMO “Regulators” Asleep at the Switch for Years
Consider the case of the GM salmon, which was the subject of a recent federal lawsuit alleging the FDA failed to accurately assess its risks to human health and the environment.
The FDA refused to release documents pertaining to the safety of these GM fish, and plans to build a $300 million facility were given the go-ahead by government officials in Ohio.
With millions if not billions of dollars at stake, the fear is that GM trees will be given the same free pass by so-called regulators.
It remains to be seen what lengths the biotech industry will go to in order to win over the hearts and minds of regulatory bodies as they have in the past, but already, the signs are concerning.
Forest Stewardship Council Considers Certification of GM Trees
Of great concern is the stance of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international organization that certifies the sustainable sourcing of paper, wood and other products made from trees. According to their website, FSC certification “ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.”
The Council has banned genetically engineered trees for 27 years. But after what appears to be infiltration of the FSC Board by the GM tree industry, the organization softened its position and is now considering certifying GM trees.
Infiltration is a tactic pro-GMO lobbying interests have used for years. This time, the genetic integrity of our forests is at stake.
“The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will begin phase one of a proposed two-phase multi-year learning process on genetic engineering (GE) in forestry outside of FSC-certified area,” wrote the FSC. The organization will be voting on the issue during their upcoming October 9-14 meeting in Indonesia.
A “panel of experts” is expected to be established to develop a “draft participation framework” that will set the stage for a multi-year collaboration of some kind.
Whether or not these experts will be unbiased or pro-GMO remains to be seen.
The Movement to Ban GMO Trees and How You Can Help
Send an email to the FSC
Click and send an email to the FSC to let them know where you stand on its genetically engineered trees “learning process.” Tell the FSC that you strongly oppose the certification of GM trees.
More reasons to care…
If the Monsantos of the world are successful, these trees could benefit industry at the cost of the health and natural integrity of our ecosystems.
David Suzuki, an award-winning geneticist and broadcaster, had the following to say about the release GMO trees into the environment:
“The rush to apply these ideas is absolutely dangerous, because we don't have a clue what the long-term impact of our manipulation is going to be.”
Suzuki makes a strong argument in the documentary film 'Synthetic Forests'.
The potential risks of GMO trees include:
- Increased fire risk due to monocultures, as has been seen in eucalyptus plantations in South America
- The unchecked, uncontrollable spread of unnatural GMO pollen
- The increased use of pesticides such as glyphosate, atrazine or other highly toxic pesticides, which may harm and feminize wildlife, contaminate drinking water, and increase cancer risks
- The almost certain contamination of all related non-GMO natural tree species within miles of GMO plantations
- Unknown and unintended effects on local plants, animals and humans
- Potential allergenicity or immune system disturbances to nearby humans
Take action before it’s too late.
