North American GM crops not showing higher yields than conventional crops in Europe

If the recent projections published in the latest report from the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) turn out to be correct, the world’s population will continue to grow at a relatively high pace. With the planet’s population expected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050, which is a 33 percent increase from the estimated 7.4 billion now, many look to Monsanto’s long-standing promise to help meet the food demands of these added billions.

With the promise of increased yields and protection from pests and diseases in mind, GM crops have become a widespread feature of modern agriculture in the United States and Canada. However, Europe was not fooled 20 years ago by the deceptive promises of the GMO industry, and for the most part rejected GMO products.

An extensive examination by the New York Times that compared results on the two continents, using independent data as well as scientific and industry research, revealed something interesting.

GMO technology has fallen short of its promise

Using United Nations data, the analysis found little evidence that the introduction of these “Frankenfoods” in the U.S. and Canada has improved the yield beyond those seen in conventional crops grown in Europe. Michael Owen, a weed scientist at Iowa State University, said that while the industry had long claimed that GMOs would “save the world,” they still “haven’t found the mythical yield gene.”

Also, since the introduction of GM crops almost two decades ago, the use of pesticides to kill insects and fungi has decreased by one-third in the U.S., but the use of herbicides, which are actually far more pervasive, has risen by a whopping 21 percent. The increased use of these chemicals has led to weed resistance problems which have pushed overall usage up.

Compared to one of Europe’s biggest non-GMO producing countries, France, where the use of insecticides and fungicides has fallen by 65 percent and herbicide use has decreased by 36 percent, GMO foods seem rather pointless.

Long story short, the promise of the GMO industry to increase crop yields to feed the world’s fast-growing population, while reducing chemical use, doesn’t appear to make any sense. On the contrary, non-GMO crops appear to fare better, without adding fears about the harmful effects GMO foods may have on our health and the environment.

While there hasn’t been much research done on the long-term effects of consuming GMO crops, increased use of toxic chemicals to kill insects, fungi or weeds is definitely a reason for concern. Some of these commonly used chemicals have been linked to developmental delays and cancer.

In the industry’s defense, Robert T. Fraley, the chief technology officer at Monsanto, said that The Times had cherry-picked its data to reflect poorly on the industry. He added that every farmer is a smart businessman and wouldn’t pay for a technology that doesn’t meet its promise. According to him, biotech tools have clearly driven yield increases.

The future of farming

As time has revealed, however, GMOs will not make the world a better place. In fact, increased use of these Frankenfoods is polluting the environment and our body with harmful toxins.

The only beneficiary of the increased use of GMO seeds and pesticides is the biotech industry. As reported by The Times, it is a win for the industry on both sides. The same greedy companies that produce and sell the genetically modified seeds also provide the chemicals needed to spray the GMO crops.

If you want to avoid GMOs, buy fresh organic produce whenever possible, or opt for homegrown. Even if you only have a balcony or small garden, that shouldn’t stop you from growing your own.