{"id":2015886,"date":"2023-08-29T17:47:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T21:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-depth-questions-about-genetically-modified-crops-being-pushed-as-agricultures-silver-bullet-solution-to-climate-change\/"},"modified":"2023-08-29T17:55:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T21:55:00","slug":"in-depth-questions-about-genetically-modified-crops-being-pushed-as-agricultures-silver-bullet-solution-to-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-depth-questions-about-genetically-modified-crops-being-pushed-as-agricultures-silver-bullet-solution-to-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Are genetically modified crops really the ultimate solution to climate change in agriculture?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fin-depth-questions-about-genetically-modified-crops-being-pushed-as-agricultures-silver-bullet-solution-to-climate-change%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2015886&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>As climate change advocates continue hammering the world&#8217;s farmers, many are leveraging the opportunity to push\u2062 genetically \u200dmodified crops\u2064 as the cure.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2019, there&#8217;s \u2064been a palpable shift in the language surrounding genetically modified (GM) crops, which has reached a fever pitch.<\/p>\n<p>The internet is\u200d now flooded with university articles and research studies proclaiming GM crops are \u2062more environmentally friendly than their organic counterparts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/argentinas-gmo-wheat-approved-in-indonesia-for-human-consumption-5130072\">Argentina\u2019s GMO Wheat Approved in\u2062 Indonesia for Human Consumption<\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">3\/17\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/argentinas-gmo-wheat-approved-in-indonesia-for-human-consumption-5130072\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/health\/usda-issued-public-health-alert-for-raw-beef-sold-at-aldi-stores-5454109\">USDA\u2062 Issued Public Health Alert for Raw Beef\u200c Sold at Aldi Stores<\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/9\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/health\/usda-issued-public-health-alert-for-raw-beef-sold-at-aldi-stores-5454109\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Agricultural \u2062land use is a key component in both sides of the net-zero equation &#8230; crops can be engineered to more efficiently capture carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen or store\u2063 it in the soil,&#8221; the World Economic Forum <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/agenda\/2022\/07\/engineered-crops-can-fight-climate-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stated<\/a> on its website.<\/p>\n<p>Due to the intensity of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-depth-questions-about-genetically-modified-crops-being-pushed-as-agricultures-silver-bullet-solution-to-climate-change\/\" title=\"Are genetically modified crops really the ultimate solution to climate change in agriculture?\">drought conditions affecting key farming regions worldwide<\/a> and controversy over fertilizer usage, some governments that have had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-ambassador-visits-taiwan-for-first-trip-since-1979\/\" title=\"U.S. Ambassador Visits Taiwan for First Trip Since 1979\">long-standing bans<\/a> on GM crops are\u2062 changing their tune.<\/p>\n<p>In July, the European Commission tested the waters on a rules \u200crevision for using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-concerning-rise-of-gmo-food-animals\/\" title=\"The Concerning Rise of GMO Food Animals\">genetically modified organisms<\/a> \u2064(GMOs).<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>One \u2063member said loosening the region&#8217;s \u200cfamously strict &#8220;no GMO&#8221;\u200d policies to include some plants bred with more updated gene-editing technology would give struggling farmers more resilient crops.<\/p>\n<p>Presently, 26 countries have either \u200dpartially \u2063or entirely banned GMOs \u200din agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>Many are European nations, including\u2063 France, Germany, and Italy.<\/p>\n<p>Other holdouts include India, Russia, and China. An\u2062 additional 60 nations have also imposed &#8220;significant restrictions&#8221; on GMO use, according to a\u2062 recent analysis.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>A man tests samples of soybean \u200cand corn meal \u200bused to feed chickens at the Alifel factory laboratory in Loue, \u2062France, on Feb. 3, 2017. (Jean-Francois Monier\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The same study noted a &#8220;lack of trust and confidence by the public in \u200cregulatory processes behind GMOs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, the bandwagon is already rolling, and GM\u2063 crops are now part \u200bof \u200cthe climate change hard sell \u200dfor governments and farmers \u200baround the globe.<\/p>\n<p>But\u200b supporters of organic agriculture are speaking up amid a growing body of evidence that throws cold\u200b water on GM crops&#8217; earth-friendly claims.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We must be cautious not to view GM crops as a silver bullet for addressing all aspects of agriculture&#8217;s impact on climate change,&#8221; Zahid Adnan told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Adnan is the <a href=\"https:\/\/theplantbible.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">founder<\/a> of The Plant Bible and advocates for organic farming and gardening practices. He believes organic farming plays\u200d a crucial role in addressing climate concerns. These aspects include building \u2064healthy soils, promoting biodiversity, and minimizing external inputs.<\/p>\n<h2>High And Dry<\/h2>\n<p>One of \u200dthe alleged sell points for increasing GM crop \u200bproduction is modified plants\u200b can\u200d be engineered to require less water.<\/p>\n<p>While these assertions have floated around the scientific community for a decade, drought conditions impacting multiple growing regions over the past couple of years have put these claims to the \u200dtest.<\/p>\n<p>Some estimates say GM crops <a href=\"https:\/\/sitn.hms.harvard.edu\/flash\/2018\/thirsty-plants-can-plants-genetically-modified-need-less-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">require<\/a> up to 25 percent less water to thrive. At a glance, this is great news. Especially for drought-impacted staple foods like corn\u2064 and soy.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s just one problem.\u2063 So far, GM crops are being\u2062 crushed by drought just as hard as\u200d their organic counterparts.<\/p>\n<p>Approximately 94 percent of \u2064soybeans and 92 percent of corn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/agricultural-biotechnology\/gmo-crops-animal-food-and-beyond#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20GMO%20soybeans%20made,corn%20planted%20was%20GMO%20corn.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planted<\/a> in the United States are GM crops.<\/p>\n<p>Prolonged dry conditions are taking a toll on both of these sectors.<\/p>\n<p>In January, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) lowered its 2022 corn estimates by\u200d nearly a quarter million bushels and was 9 percent less than 2021. It was reportedly the lowest corn estimate since 2012.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Transgenic soy plants are seen in a field near Santa Fe city,\u200c some 500 km northwest of Buenos Aires, \u200bArgentina, on April\u200b 10. (Juan Mabromata\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>What began as a wildly optimistic outlook for 2022&#8217;s soy harvest\u200d ended up\u200c 4 percent<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nass.usda.gov\/Newsroom\/2023\/01-12-2023.php#:~:text=Area%20harvested%20for%20grain%2C%20at,1%20forecast.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> lower<\/a> than the previous year.<\/p>\n<p>But dismal drought predictions for the most widely \u2064planted GM crops doesn&#8217;t stop there.<\/p>\n<p>June this year witnessed 58 percent of the American Midwest struggling with moderate or worse drought conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, the USDA \u2063said 64 percent of the area&#8217;s corn production and 57 percent of soy have been affected.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, it&#8217;s not just a United States phenomenon. Gene-edited crops struggle to prove their drought tolerance in other major farming nations.<\/p>\n<p>In Argentina,\u200c GM crops comprise 63 percent \u200cof total planting. Concurrently, the South American agricultural giant is also witnessing their GM \u2063corn\u200b and soy production\u2062 wither beneath a historic drought.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the USDA slashed Argentina&#8217;s \u2062corn and soy projections in March this year. Estimates for soy were cut by\u2062 20 percent, representing the \u200cmost significant monthly hit\u200c to \u2064the nation&#8217;s soybeans in more\u200d than 10 years.<\/p>\n<p>Curiously enough, Argentina\u2064 accounts for 13 percent of the world&#8217;s total GM crops.<\/p>\n<p>On the other end of the\u2063 spectrum, Mr. Adnan said\u2062 organic crops and agricultural practices use time-tested methods of conserving water. No need to grab\u200b DNA by the reins.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Organic practices such as \u200bmulching and efficient irrigation \u200ctechniques contribute to water conservation, a vital concern in regions facing water scarcity due to climate change.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Rebranding<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;A lot of research suggests \u2062that GM crops can be engineered to use less water and emit fewer greenhouse gases than conventional crops.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;However, it is important to note that not all GM crops are created equal,&#8221; Kafi Sajjad told The \u200bEpoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Sajjad works in <a href=\"https:\/\/organicfoodcorner.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">research<\/a> at Organic \u200dFoods Corner. He says not every GM crop can deliver on the rapidly growing \u2062list of climate-friendly promises.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Some GM crops have been designed to withstand herbicides, while\u2062 others have been designed to resist\u200b pests. The environmental impact of GM crops will vary depending on the \u2063specific trait that has\u200c been engineered.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He also believes organic\u200c crops offer as \u2064many, if not more, environmentally friendly benefits.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Organic crops are\u2064 grown \u200bwithout the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which can pollute\u2064 waterways and harm wildlife. Additionally, organic crops can help to improve soil health, which helps to sequester carbon and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/buttigieg-becomes-the-first-millennial-confirmed-to-a-cabinet-position\/\" title=\"Buttigieg Becomes The First Millennial Confirmed To A Cabinet Position\">reduce greenhouse gas emissions<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This underscores another point GM crop supporters claim \u2064is an advantage over\u2062 organic: less fertilizer and chemicals are needed.<\/p>\n<p>However, as with the drought tolerance\u2064 assertion, there are holes in this argument.<\/p>\n<p>Traditionally,\u2062 organic crops aren&#8217;t grown with pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, or in the worst-case scenario, very little. In fact, most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers aren&#8217;t allowed on \u2062any crop or \u2062product bearing the coveted USDA organic<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/media\/blog\/2016\/07\/22\/understanding-usda-organic-label#:~:text=Organic%20producers%20rely%20on%20natural,three%20years%20prior%20to%20harvest.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> seal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Corporate agricultural and genetic science groups argue a\u2062 lot of the bad reputation surrounding GMOs in farming stems from a misconception of the types of chemicals used on crops.<\/p>\n<p>This brings to mind the whole Monsanto-Roundup debacle, which began in 1996.<\/p>\n<p>Back then, the now non-existent Monsanto <a href=\"https:\/\/sitn.hms.harvard.edu\/flash\/2015\/roundup-ready-crops\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">released<\/a> a GM soybean resistant to the purported cancer-causing chemical known as glyphosate.<\/p>\n<p>It was a prominent ingredient found in the company&#8217;s infamous Roundup herbicide. Monsanto released its GM \u2062glyphosate-resistant corn just a\u2064 few years later.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Monsanto\u2064 Co&#8217;s Roundup is\u2062 shown for sale in Encinitas, California, June 26, 2017. (Mike Blake\/Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Fast forward to 2020\u2014two years after \u2064Bayer purchased Monsanto\u2014the pharmaceutical giant was forced to settle more than 100,000 cancer litigation suits caused by \u200bRoundup exposure at almost<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisnerbaum.com\/toxic-tort-law\/monsanto-roundup-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> $11 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Over the span of\u2064 decades, farmers used Roundup in their \u2062fields, particularly with GM crops.<\/p>\n<p>Monsanto once claimed Roundup was &#8220;safer than table salt.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Follow the Money<\/h2>\n<p>That cuts to the core of the counterargument many have pointed out:\u2062 Corporate \u2062GM crop engineers knowingly sold a chemical linked to cancer for decades. So how \u2063is the \u200bpublic expected to trust other players in big agriculture?<\/p>\n<p>Well, the answer is they don&#8217;t have to. That&#8217;s because Bayer is one of the largest GM seed sellers in the\u2063 world.<\/p>\n<p>Other major gene-edited seed players include Corteva and Syngenta. People may know the former as the famous chemical giant DuPont, and \u2062the\u2062 latter is part of the Chinese state-owned company ChemChina.<\/p>\n<p>Bayer and Corteva\u200b alone dominate around 40 percent of \u2062the world&#8217;s seed market.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2063 is important to understand the broader \u200bcontext and long-term \u2063effects of relying on these [GM] crops to address\u200d agriculture&#8217;s role in climate change,&#8221; Robert Oates told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As climate change concerns persist, advocates are increasingly promoting genetically modified crops as a solution for farmers. The discourse around GM crops has intensified since 2019, with numerous university articles and research studies flooding the internet, emphasizing their potential benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":334,"featured_media":2015887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2015886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/334"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2015886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2015887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2015886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2015886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2015886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}