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Statement on Genetically Modified Organisms
in the Environment and the Marketplace
Preamble
In the mid 1980s, primary care physicians, and subsequently their rheumatology
colleagues, began to see a number of chronically ill individuals with
severe pain syndromes affecting muscle tissue, accompanied by abnormally
high eosinophil counts. In time, it became clear that a new disease entity
had arisen, which was eventually called "eosinophilia myalgia syndrome."
Some dozens of people died from this illness and several thousands remain
permanently disabled.
What took a long time to understand about this condition was its cause.
It was eventually discovered that, in the early 1980s, one of the first
industrially produced and commercially marketed amino acids, tryptophan,
had begun to be manufactured by a novel process, in Japan, utilizing genetically
modified bacteria. In an unexpected twist of fate, the genetically modified
but poorly controlled bacteria had created an undetected, and highly toxic,
dimerization of the tryptophan molecule. This toxic molecule was undetected
in pre-market testing, and so the new product was deemed "biologically
equivalent" to existing, conventionally produced tryptophan. Unfortunately
for the individuals who ingested it, their bodies responded very differently
to the altered amino acid, and they suffered severe illness and even death
as a result.
Fast forward a few years, and we discover that without any real public
input or debate, and with essentially no human trials, our infant soy
formula is now created with genetically modified plant material, our corn
chips are made from insect resistant, genetically modified corn, and our
veggie burgers contain altered soybeans. Current estimates suggest that
fully 60% of products in Canada's grocery stores have genetically modified
ingredients. Our children and our grandchildren are growing up on them.
Is this a bad thing? No one knows. There have been no significant human
trials of any size or length, nor does it appear that any are currently
funded. We do know, from studies of soybeans modified to withstand higher
doses of glyphosate pesticide, that the content of phytonutrients in those
soybeans is altered from concentrations in conventional soybeans. What
does this mean for health effects? Again, we do not know.
What we increasingly understand, however, is that the biological systems
in all of us are complex, and in children they are particularly vulnerable
and sensitive, as well as profoundly dependent on proper nutrition for
full and successful development. We believe, therefore, that if there
is any question about the safety and bio-equivalence of new foodstuffs
being brought to the market, we must not expose humans to these foods
until careful trials have been completed and their results made widely
available.
What is more, we have real concerns about the relationships among living
organisms. We are concerned about what it means to introduce what are
essentially newly created species, some of which contain a chimeric blend
of genes from entirely different creatures, into our world. We have seen
the effects of chemical and nuclear contamination of the environment,
and have real fears that biological contamination with newly minted organisms
may be even more threatening to the natural order. We urge caution. What
is the rush?
We must resist the drive for quick profit, and review the implications
of our new-found abilities. We must carefully consider the ethical implications
of patent rights being extended to our basic foodstuffs, restricting to
a few large seed producers the right to grow and produce these foods.
To be fed in a way that is truly sustainable, we must preserve not only
a stable, abundant and safe food supply, but also a safe planet to grow
it on, and safe children to enjoy it.
Statement
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) recognizes
that the use of genetic engineering and genetically engineered organisms
under carefully controlled conditions (e.g., in closed laboratory environments,
or within individual persons) offers considerable benefit for human health,
both now and in the future.
However, CAPE has grave concerns about the environmental release of genetically
modified (GM) crops and products; we call for the immediate suspension
of all such releases, and for current patents on such life forms and living
processes to be suspended or rescinded.
CAPE calls for an immediate and comprehensive public enquiry into the
effect of GM organisms on ecosystem stability, food security and human
health.
Patents on life-forms and living processes threaten equitable food distribution,
encourage biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources, violate
fundamental human rights, and impede medical and scientific research.
Patented GM crops intensify corporate control over food production, curtail
biodiversity, and limit the autonomy of farmers, obstructing the development
of sustainable, community-based agriculture that is the cornerstone of
a stable food supply around the world.
We believe, in any case, that existing life forms such as organisms,
seeds, cell lines and genes are discoveries and therefore cannot and should
not be patented. Further, we believe that such living entities are part
of the common heritage of humankind; we do not believe that any person
or persons should be allowed to genetically modify any organism, seed,
or cell line to obstruct their propagation in any way.
Current techniques for genetic modification produce novel organisms,
but these techniques are unreliable and unpredictable; many life forms
generated by them are inherently dysfunctional and disruptive. Furthermore,
the expression of any viable organisms is highly dependent on ecological
context; to date, no comprehensive analysis has been carried out examining
the influence of context on any GM organism.
Current analyses of GM crops show that they generally yield less than
conventional crops.
The real hazards of GM organisms to human and ecosystem health are becoming
ever more apparent. For example, the horizontal spread of antibiotic resistance
marker genes from GM crops can compromise the treatment of life-threatening
infectious diseases. The cauliflower mosaic viral promoter, widely used
in GM crops, may enhance horizontal gene transfer and has the potential
to generate new pathogenic viruses. GM crops containing natural biocides
(e.g., Bt toxin) harm beneficial insects, and leave residues deep in the
soil, which can selectively encourage resistance among predator species.
We urge the Canadian government to take into account all scientific evidence
related to GM organisms, and to act in accordance with the precautionary
principle in regulating their production and use. We urge the Canadian
government to negotiate a strong and effective International Biosafety
Protocol. We urge the Canadian government to ensure that biosafety considerations,
at both the national and international level, take precedence over trade
and financial agreements established by the World Trade Organization.
Finally, we urge that research into sustainable, organic agricultural
methods and techniques be intensified and extended on a global scale.
Many sustainable, community-based agricultural systems already exist around
the world, completely adapted to local ecosystems; they generate high
and sustained yields, and have neutral or positive ecological impacts.
Ongoing research reveals that organic growing methods, using conventional
seeds and crop lines, can enhance soil structure, reduce nitrogen pollution,
and generate adequate and secure income for farmers while freeing them
from dependency on costly external inputs.
We believe that the enhancement, expansion, and promotion of these methods
and techniques offers the single best hope to our global culture of engendering
a safe, equitably distributed, and secure food supply for present and
future generations. It also promises to demonstrate, once and for all,
that the creation of GM organisms is entirely unnecessary.
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