Genetically Modified Corn!

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Genetically Modified Corn Spreading to Protected Wild Corn

Despite Mexico's 3-year-old moratorium on the use of genetically altered corn, scientists have detected genetically modified DNA in wild maize in the mountains of the state of Oaxaca.

Wayward genes from genetically modified corn that is widely grown in Canada and the United States are spreading in remote mountainous regions of Mexico.

Up to 70% of wild Mexican maize now carries transgenes that could only have come from genetically engineered crops. The transgenes, which scientists borrow from viruses and bacteria, have been engineered into GM crops.

The spread of altered genes in the birthplace of domesticated corn could have "very serious consequences."

Scientists add foreign genes to crops to boost resistance to pests and drought, or in come cases, to make them tolerant to chemicals that can kill weeds. Close to 30 million hectares of GM crops have been grown around the world, much of them in Canada.

Scientists believe it is only a matter of time before many transgenes that have been added to plants spread around the world, incorporating themselves in the DNA of non-GM crops. Potatoes, rice and cotton are sure to be affected.

The prospect is particularly worrisome when one considers some of the crops being engineered in the lab. One U.S. firm is working on corn with anti-spermicidal properties, which might have disastrous consequences if it ever spread to food crops.

The areas of diversification -- the genetic bank account of diversity -- for this crop, corn, is compromised. Oaxaca is the region where corn was domesticated. Even today most of the diversity of corn is found there.

Each year, breeders go to Oaxaca to look for beneficial genes in wild corn that could be transferred into commercial crops. For instance, wild corn might contain genes that make it resistant to pests or better able to survive environmental conditions, such as drought.

The spread of modified DNA into wild maize may represent a "cashing in on the bank account" of diversity. We were not supposed to see these moving around in the environment.

Researchers at Berkeley sampled several varieties of maize native to Oaxaca to see whether they contained material from two strains of genetically modified corn used in the US.

Five of the seven types of maize they sampled tested positive for genetically modified material. In contrast, tests on maize from Peru and a sample saved from the 1971 growing season in Oaxaca were negative.

Corn is one of the most important crops in the world. The spread of genetically modified material could be wider since the same principle applies to other crops such as rice and wheat.

Nature November 29, 2001;414:541-543

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:

Many may not realize that the journal Nature is one of the most prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals on the planet.

Folks, this genetically modified food issue is a major issue. I don't want to sound like an alarmist, but it is quite possible that the very survival of our species is dependent on keeping the genetic genie in the bottle.

First off let us recognize that Monsanto is one of the key players here and they have a demonstrated history of putting corporate profits before the health and safety of humans.

If these folks have no qualms about making huge profits and sacrificing our current health, they have even less restrictions on sacrificing the future health of our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

This study is some of the first evidence that the modified genes are starting to enter into areas where they were not anticipated. The study is not clear, but it certainly could be related to pollination of the wild crops with genetically modified corn.