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Raw Paleo Diet Forums => Hot Topics => Topic started by: kurite on February 21, 2010, 08:22:08 am

Title: GMO's?
Post by: kurite on February 21, 2010, 08:22:08 am
Hi does anyone know if the company that produces GMO agricultural goods just bread different crops so they are superior in some way or do they somehow change its genes genetically? How many of you really think this is dangerous and why?
thanks
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: aunaturale on February 21, 2010, 08:39:48 am
Hi does anyone know if the company that produces GMO agricultural goods just bread different crops so they are superior in some way or do they somehow change its genes genetically? How many of you really think this is dangerous and why?
thanks

Genetically modifying foods is playing God. Man will never exceed
nature! This explains why seedless watermelon doesn't sit right
in my gut (and mind).

All you need to know is don't touch the stuff. Good question.
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: kurite on February 21, 2010, 08:44:59 am
Well what you said is kinda part of my question though. Because I know that for watermelon they specifically just chose the watermelons with less seeds and they did this more and more until they had seedless watermelons. Thats just selective breeding which in my mind is not that dangerous, im not saying that its not dangerous im just not convinced it is. But is that all they did for like corn and soy? Just selective breeding?
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: djr_81 on February 21, 2010, 12:53:56 pm
But is that all they did for like corn and soy? Just selective breeding?
No, GMOs have "beneficial" genes spliced into them to buffer existing traits or establish new in the plant.

Selective breeding can a detrimental effect on the plant because they're being bred for traits we want. You see the same issues in purebred domesticated animals like dogs.
Genetically modifying a plant definitely have a detrimental effect it IMO. It goes beyond unusual/mutant/inbred and right into "Frankenstein's monster" territory.
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: kurite on February 21, 2010, 01:37:08 pm
And this is what they want to do to asparagus now?
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: djr_81 on February 21, 2010, 08:56:23 pm
I've seen a number of altered strains of asparagus in this year's seed/plant catalogs. I'm not sure if any are GMOs or just selectively bred but with the size & speed of growth promised in the ads I wouldn't doubt they're GMOs.
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: kurite on February 22, 2010, 02:07:17 pm
Would they eventually cross breed with regular esparagus (are they infertile)?
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: djr_81 on February 22, 2010, 08:33:13 pm
Would they eventually cross breed with regular esparagus (are they infertile)?
That's the problem. Some are infertile and some are plenty fertile and invasive.
Nature needs to run it's course. Flora and fauna need to carry on the same dance they've done for millenia wherein they change to continue existing. When we alter things to suit ourselves it interrupts this dance and can have drastic & long-lasting detrimental effects on the independent viability of the plants (and animals).
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: kurite on February 23, 2010, 06:14:42 am
What kind of traits are they putting into GMOs?
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: Megan Megatoast on February 23, 2010, 06:42:45 am
My fear about GMO's is that they may release and accidental "super crop" where the crop can grow in most any condition and is immune to all plant diseases and parasites. There would be no way to get rid of it. It would be here to stay and it would screw up the cycle of things. Insects would die because this crop would begin to take over, and then insectivores would die off, and herbivores, and eventually carnivores.

Of course, this is one of those end of the world scenarios that often runs through my head, so who knows, maybe its impossible.  ;)
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: kurite on February 23, 2010, 06:45:28 am
I doubt they have come even close to creating a GMO that strong.
Title: Re: GMO's?
Post by: sanborn on April 12, 2010, 03:26:17 am
Hey!  A lawsuit has finally been won against patenting human genes!  See www.WeWant2Live.blogspot.com entry on genetics.