What’s the Bottom Line on GM Crops and GM Foods?

1. SAFETY: To the best of our knowledge, GM foods and crops are as safe as conventional ones. Nutritionists and other scientists do not know of any unresolved safety issues.

2. REGULATION: GM crops and foods are highly regulated by the United States and other governments. The approval process requires many tests and takes many years. Scientists and agricultural biotech
companies support such regulations.

3. ENVIRONMENT: There is no evidence that GM crops harm the environment or have the potential to harm the environment any more than traditional agriculture.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS: Certain GM crops have environmental benefits because they require less pesticide to be used and less tilling of the land (and therefore less danger of erosion). GM crops can play an important role in making agriculture more sustainable and more productive.

5. BETTER NUTRITION: In the near future, GM crops and foods derived from them will have higher levels of vitamins, minerals, biologically active phytochemicals, and other nutrients.Many allergens will be eliminated.

6. FARMERS:Most farmers want GM crops because they make crop production cheaper. For their own safety, they especially like crops that require less pesticide.

7. OPPONENTS OF GM CROPS: Groups that oppose GM crops on ideological, philosophical, or economic grounds (such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club) have not brought forth scientific evidence to back up their claims of negative health consequences or environmental impact.

8. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: Plant breeders and farmers want access to GM technology to improve their crops. Everyone knows that this will not solve world hunger. It is simply another tool to increase productivity and reach that goal.


extracted from: http://www.sdcma.org/GMFoodsBrochure.pdf