Almost overnight, genetic engineering (GE) has mushroomed into a multi-billion dollar industry with little chance for the public to examine or discuss this new technology. Recognizing the vast profit potential of this untapped field, large agrochemical and biotech companies began acquiring seed companies and conducting genetic research and field-testing in the early 1990s. Since then the field has expanded rapidly. In 1995, no genetically engineered crops were grown for commercial sale. In 1999, 28% of the corn and 54% of the soybeans produced in the U.S. were genetically engineered. Now genetically engineered crops cover more than one-fourth of America's cropland.

Unfortunately, oversight of this mass "experiment" has not developed nearly as quickly. As a result, there is no proof that GE varieties of crops and animals are safe for human consumption or the environment. While many scientists, environmentalists, and other members of the public have expressed serious concerns about the increased use of this technology, the federal government has failed to respond, instead bowing to the pressure of industry groups and corporations.

We must act now to protect public health and the environment from the dangers of this untested technology.

What exactly are "GE foods"?
Genetic engineering (GE) is a technology still in its experimental stages of development. By cutting and splicing DNA, genetic engineers can transfer genes specific to one type of organism into any other organism. By combining the genes of dissimilar and unrelated species (such as corn and bacteria), novel organisms are created. Genetic engineering is different from traditional forms of crossbreeding or hybridization that can only occur between related species or subspecies. Biotechnology companies can use this technology to produce crops with characteristics that would not occur naturally, such as tomatoes with a longer shelf life and corn that produces its own pesticide.

While research into genetics has been going on for decades, the genetic engineering of food is a recent phenomenon. Field trials of genetically engineered crops began in 1992, and the first significant commercial planting was in 1995. By 1999, over 98 million acres of genetically engineered crops were planted worldwide, 71% of which were in the United States alone. Today, over 60% of processed food in grocery stores contains genetically engineered ingredients, generally in the form of corn or soy, the most widely planted GE crops.

What's wrong with GE foods?
One of the primary problems with genetically engineered organisms is that we don't know all of the possible dangers of this technology. The techniques used to create GE organisms are imprecise and the results of combining genes from different organisms are unpredictable. The explosion of GE crops on our farms and in our supermarket aisles has happened so quickly that very little research has been done into whether or not this technology is safe. However, the studies that have been done show significant cause for concern.

RISK: New Plant Toxins
Inserting foreign genes into crops used for food can have unpredictable effects. A 1999 study in England found evidence that GE potatoes damaged the vital organs and immune system of laboratory rats. Studies on the Flavr Savr tomato in the U.S. found increased toxicity levels responsible for stomach lesions in rats.

RISK: Pollen Drift
There are several documented instances of pollen from genetically engineered crops contaminating non-genetically engineered fields. Unfortunately, farmers have no right to know what their neighbors are planting, and the location of many experimental biotech crop field trials are kept secret as confidential business information, so contamination of organic and conventional crops can occur without farmers' knowledge and end up on our dinner tables. Open-air field trials of biopharmaceutical crops, engineered to produce pharmaceutical drugs (including blood clotters, abortion inducing chemicals and vaccines) and industrial chemicals (such as plastics and enzymes), are being grown around the country in secret locations. This poses risks for contamination of conventional crops, meaning that you could be eating someone else's prescription drugs in your corn flakes.

RISK: Decreasing Antibiotic Effectiveness
Scientists insert genes for antibiotic resistance into new cells as a marker to see if the new target gene has been successfully transferred. This can lead to increased antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria. A recent World Health Organization report warned that illnesses as common as strep throat and diarrhea could become untreatable within 10-15 years due to antibiotic resistance.

RISK: New Food Allergies
Mounting scientific evidence suggests that GE foods may present serious and unpredictable hazards to human health. In 1996, disaster was narrowly averted when researchers found that a soybean engineered to contain Brazil nut genes produced an allergic reaction in individuals allergic to nuts. Hundreds of Americans have reported allergic reactions to the FDA after eating corn products likely containing GE ingredients.

RISK: Unintended Harm to Plants and Animals
Genes that have been engineered into plants and animals can be transferred to other species, threatening numerous species and possibly contaminating non-GE forms with potentially hazardous genetic material. Crops intended to kill certain pests are often toxic to beneficial insects as well. A 1999 Cornell University study found that pollen from Bt corn, corn engineered to create its own pesticide, was toxic to monarch butterflies, killing nearly 50% of the monarch butterfly larvae exposed to it. Other studies have shown toxic effects on insects that are beneficial to agriculture, such as lacewings and ladybugs.

RISK: Soil Contamination
Research on Bt corn found activated Bt emanating from the roots that bound to soil particles and remained toxic to soil insects for up to 8 months. How this will impact the long-term ecology of the soil community is unknown.

RISK: Superweeds and Superpests
Pollen flow from genetically engineered plants can transfer novel genes to wild relatives. Herbicide resistance, for example, can be transferred from crop species to weedy relatives, creating "superweeds" that are unresponsive to herbicides. Engineering plants to manufacture their own pesticides can also increase the rate at which insects develop resistance, creating a need for more potent and hazardous pesticides.

RISK: Decreased Biodiversity
Genetic engineering can also affect biodiversity by harming the natural form of an organism. A variety of salmon that was genetically engineered to grow faster was found to attract more mates because of its larger size. Unfortunately, its offspring are less likely to survive. If accidentally released into the wild, it could decimate wild populations to the point of possible extinction.

While public support for the regulation of GE Foods is high, opposition from the biotech industry and their supporters is strong. Today, five corporations control 75% of the global market for seeds. Companies like Dupont and Monsanto are making record profits every year by selling packages of genetically engineered seeds and herbicides to match them, and because of their patents on the seeds they sell, they are forcing farmers to purchase new seeds from them each year.

Globally, the public backlash against the unregulated use of genetic engineering has led to the European Union imposing a moratorium on the approval of new genetically engineered crops, Japan passing labeling laws, and 130 nations adopting the BioSafety Protocol calling for stronger genetic engineering regulations. In addition, many food manufacturers, such as Nestle, and supermarket chains like JSainsbury in Great Britain, have removed genetically engineered ingredients from their products.

In the U.S., the picture is far bleaker. The FDA, EPA and Department of Agriculture continue to drag their feet on the issue, pressured by the companies they should be regulating. Many of the same corporations that have removed GE ingredients from their products abroad, such as Kraft and Nestle, have refused to do so for American consumers.

In 1992, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to consider genetically engineered foods as "substantially equivalent" to traditional foods. As a result, the FDA does not require pre-market safety testing for new genetically engineered foods the way it would for food additives or drugs. The loose regulations for approving genetically engineered foods and plants are riddled with loopholes and threaten both public health and the environment. Among the most glaring problems with the federal regulations are:

• The corporations developing the technology control the research and conduct all safety testing and voluntarily report negative findings;
• No independent, long term safety testing is required;
• Industry research is considered proprietary and is therefore not available for public scrutiny;
• Little to no evaluation of the technology for ecological impacts is performed;
• No mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods is required.

In order to ensure that human health and the environment are protected from the risks posed by genetic engineering, regulatory agencies and corporate decision-makers must take a precautionary approach to dealing with genetically engineered plants and animals.

To that end, there must be a moratorium on field-testing and distribution of GE foods until regulations are put in place that will protect the environment and human health. Such regulations should include:

1) Testing. Independent and transparent testing of the environmental and human health impacts of GE organisms that conforms to rigorous scientific standards, requires proof of no harm, and shifts the burden of proof and cost to the manufacturer.

2) Labeling. Any GE foods or food products that contain GE ingredients must be clearly and accurately labeled, allowing an informed public the final say in determining whether or not they want to purchase these products.

3) Corporate Liability. The corporations involved in researching, developing, and manufacturing GE organisms must shoulder all liability for harm to health and the environment resulting from their products.

GE Free Dining
Each day, dining halls and cafeterias on college campuses across the country serve thousands of meals. Often times, students don't ask themselves what exactly it is that they are being served. If they did, they would find that much of it is made from genetically engineered ingredients.

By convincing your campus administration and dining service to either provide GE-free/organic alternatives or go GE-free/organic altogether, you can help eliminate demand for these untested, unsafe products, while helping to promote safe food alternatives. As more campus dining facilities eliminate foods that have been genetically engineered, the companies that produce these foods will feel pressure to do likewise. You will also be educating your campus about GE foods, while creating grassroots demand for a broader solution.

Check out the Safe Foods Campaign Guide for more information about how to get your campus to go GE-free.

FDA
Rally students on campus to send a message to the FDA that you want your food to be tested for safety before it gets to the store and to be labeled if it has GE products in it. Send the FDA letters, petitions from students, community members, and faculty.

Check out the Safe Foods Campaign Guide for more information about how you can fight genetically engineered food.

GE Food Alert - Coaltion of groups committed to the labeling and testing of genetically engineered ingredients.

Krafty.org - Website of the campaign by Free The Planet! and other groups targeting Kraft to stop using genetically engineered ingredients.