Genetic Engineering
From trees, to fruits, to fish, scientists have been tinkering with the genes of plants and animals for decades now. For just as long, environmental, public health, and consumer rights advocates have been pointing to the known and unknown risks of introducing GE organisms into our fields and wild places, and pushing for precautionary approach.
Today, many engineered species — including corn, apples, chestnuts, salmon, mosquitos, and much more — have made it into fields and forests, and onto dinner plates. But that doesn’t mean the debate on their safety is settled.
April 6, 2022 – So-called GloFish are readily available for sale online in Brazil, even though they’ve been banned in the country since 2017.
March 16, 2022 – As state regulators consider field trials, scientists and advocates point to potential risks, lack of public consultation.
October 9, 2020 – Agrochemical companies are using concerns over food security heightened by the pandemic to promote GM product, tighten grip over agriculture.
June 18, 2020 – State regulator approves the plan, despite strong objections by environmental groups who say risks have not been sufficiently analyzed.
June 3, 2020 – Researchers are making huge strides towards creating functional, light-emitting plants. But the jury is out on whether these plants will offer environmental benefits or cause unexpected harms.
March 6, 2020 – New research suggests that this technology is more error-prone than initially assumed.
October 25, 2019 –
GMOs Decoded: A Skeptic’s View of Genetically Modified Foods
Sheldon Krimsky
The MIT Press, 2019, 216 pages
June 12, 2019 – Biotech industry hopes that getting genetically engineered chestnut approved for conservation planting will soften public opposition to transgenic trees.
March 13, 2019 – But FDA's decision to lift import ban on GM salmon without labeling specifications means you might not know you are eating it
March 1, 2017 – Gene drive is a revolutionary new genetic technology that could help eradicate diseases and save species. But is it risk-free?
July 21, 2016 – Unresolved safety questions about gene-editing technologies underscore need for caution
May 20, 2016 – Move could make it the first country to have GM salmon on grocery shelves
February 23, 2016 – Draft legislation an attempt to block Vermont’s mandatory labeling law that goes into effect on July 1
February 11, 2016 – FDA approved the genetically engineered fish for human consumption last year without mandatory labeling
November 25, 2015 – Agency’s move sets a low bar for future approvals of genetically engineered animals for human consumption
August 17, 2015 – Little is known about the environmental and public health impacts of crops using a new technology called RNAi
March 11, 2015 – The gene silencing technique used to develop Arctic apples hasn’t been thoroughly studied, critics say
October 7, 2014 – Independent research shows that Chlorpyrifos, an insecticide used in Kaua‘i's GMO fields, can cause significant harm to children, but Dow Chemical is intent on convincing the EPA otherwise
November 26, 2013 – New study links GMOs to conditions that either may trigger or exacerbate gluten-related disorders
March 12, 2012 – Big Food Preparing to Fight Measure
March 1, 2008 – The Monsanto Roundup - Book Excerpt: The Food Revolution