by Prof. Andrew Paul Gutierrez, Dr. Hans R. Herren and Dr. Peter E. Kenmore Grand claims are often made for GMO Bt cotton in India. Proponents point to increases in national cotton production, while Dr. ...
The post The Failure of GMO Cotton In India appeared first on Independent Science News | Food, Health and Agriculture Bioscience News.
A new study, funded by the U.S. government and published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, has added to the evidence that pest resistance to genetically modified (GM) crops has been rising dramatically for decades. The study, which examines 20 years of data, focused on a specific class of GM crops that have been bioengineered to produce insect-killing proteins naturally produced by the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacterium.
Is the supposed safety advantage of GMO crops over conventional chemical pesticides a mirage? According to biotech lore, the Bt pesticides introduced into many GMO food crops are natural proteins whose toxic activity extends only to narrow groups of insect species. Therefore, says the industry, these pesticides can all be safely eaten, e.g. by humans.
Monsanto’s Kenya Ltd., a subsidiary of the larger company, is trying to push another genetically modified Bt cotton strain into Africa. Representatives have submitted an application to release GM cotton seed known as MON 15985, or Bollgard II. [1]
The biotech industry once told the world that Bt insecticidal crops were only harmful to insects and were harmless to pets and people. But a new study of the ecotoxicological risks of widespread commercial Bt spraying found otherwise. Introban®, a Bt-containing product, caused 100% lethality in amphibians.
