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ecology |
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Americans are clearly not aware of the extent genetically engineered foods have invaded the U.S. food supply. Only 24 percent of Americans believe they have eaten genetically engineered foods, while 58 percent say they have not. In fact, nearly all Americans have eaten genetically engineered foods, since 70 to 75 percent of all processed foods contain soy or corn that has been genetically engineered. Further, Americans appear to be unaware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not safety testing genetically engineered foods. According to the Pew Initiative survey, 89 percent of Americans agree with this statement: “Companies should be required to submit safety data to the Food and Drug Administration for review, and no genetically modified food product should be allowed on the market until the FDA determines it is safe.” In reality, under the current regulations, biotech companies are not even required to notify the FDA they are bringing a new product to market. The very companies with the financial interest in the products are the ones determining the safety. Not only is the FDA not safety-testing these products, the agency has determined it doesn’t even need to be notified that a new genetically engineered food is going to be consumed by millions of people.
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Are Biotechnology and GE foods the answer to world hunger? The agribusiness
and biotech companies would make us think so. Another view is in the
excellent report from 1999, "Biotechnology = Hunger". It says:
..."The biotechnology industry claims it holds the answer to world
hunger: high technology to increase production. But according to the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), this badly misstates
the problem. There is no shortage of food in the world. Per capita food
production has never been higher. The real problem is this: In a globalized
economy, the poorest countries of the world are exporting their food
to the already well-fed countries..." 