From Moms Across America
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been a serious threat to human health for decades. Aside from creating nutrient-deficient food and contributing to illness in general, the environmental perils of genetically modified agriculture have centered around the chemicals used alongside GMOs, like Roundup. This is because these chemicals cause the development of superweeds and superbugs—pests that are impossible to fully control because they have developed resistance. But are gene-edited varieties the answer?
In the case of superweeds, the crops treated with Roundup are genetically modified to resist it so that farmers can spray everything ubiquitously, but to the farmers’ dismay the weeds, in turn, genetically modified themselves to resist Roundup too—causing superweeds.
Similar to superweeds, superbugs are insects that have developed a resistance to insecticides—a major problem for farmers, as insects can cause significant damage to crops. In some cases, farmers have to use even more pesticides and herbicides to control them, which can lead to further environmental damage and more toxic chemicals on our dinner plates. Some of the notable cases of insect resistance to Bt include certain species of bollworms, pink bollworms, diamondback moths, and corn rootworms.
