skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Is 'Genetically Modified' the Future of Our Food?

play audio
Play

Thursday, February 16, 2012   

DES MOINES, Iowa - The rise of genetically modified (GMO) foods in the U.S. has put agriculture at a crossroads in Iowa and across the country. Some believe it is also putting food safety at risk. In Iowa, the use of GMO corn is now at 54 percent, and more than 80 percent of soybeans planted in Iowa are GM0 varieties.

Andrew Kimbrell, founder of the Center for Food Safety, says genetically modified crops can contaminate organic and conventional crops, hurt other organisms and affect human health. He also warns that GMO crops are becoming more resistant to pests and weeds, leading to greater use of pesticides and herbicides.

"They're ratcheting up the toxic spiral of the herbicides they're using. In the future, unless we stop these GMO crops, we're going to see more and more of these more toxic herbicides poured on our crops. That means it's in our air, it's in our water, it's in our food and it's in our bodies."

The Union of Concerned Scientists says that while genetically engineered crops have been hailed by some as critically important for ensuring adequate food supply, they have only produced small increases in yields in the United States. The group recommends that federal, state and local agencies redirect funding, research and incentives toward a more proven approach that shows more promise.

Last year, the USDA approved unrestricted use of genetically engineered alfalfa, the nation's fourth-largest crop. Kimbrell says the decision sends a message that no federal agency is looking out for food safety.

"What you are seeing with the FDA, the USDA and even the EPA is that these agencies are really working to benefit a handful of major chemical companies. They are not really acting on behalf of the American consumer, which is what they are supposed to be doing."

Polls indicate the public wants genetically engineered foods to be clearly labeled as such, Kimbrell says. Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen recently co-sponsored a bill, the "Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act," which would require such labeling.

Kimbrell cites GMO crops as one factor contributing to the larger problems of industrial agriculture. In his view, consumers and farmers need to work together and get back to basics in order to build a lasting food future.

"We need agriculture that's local, appropriate-scale, diverse, humane and socially just. That's the 'beyond organic' vision - and it's not pie in the sky. We're going to have to do this, because the other system is simply unsustainable."





get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021