Living with a precipitous rise in world population makes it difficult to produce enough food to feed ourselves, along with our livestock and pets. Some feel that the answer to this problem is to produce genetically modified (GMO) crops. My concern is that the genome of the plant being added to the genome of another species has nothing to do with the plant in question.

Also, what really bothers me is that big companies try to convince us through advertising and lobbying that their product is safe to consume, both by humans and by our livestock or family pets. If it were safe, why would they need to convince us? It also scares me that research to prove GMO safety can be performed only with the permission of these companies. Also, if these practices are safe, why are the companies seeking legal protection from liability if there is harm?

James Andrews, writing in Food Safety News, quotes Michael Hansen as saying, “Any study you want to do with these engineered crops, you need to get the company’s permission,” The author goes on to ask, “Could you imagine if tobacco research was only done when the tobacco companies had the final say?” The truth is you wouldn’t get the real information, because the research would be biased.

I believe that in order to produce a better product through traditional genetics (crossbreeding) is a far safer, although slower plan. We can cross two plants to produce a better yielding crop, but we don’t have to use genes from another species. There are many other options to utilize, such as growing food in our yards instead of grass, sharing those crops with our neighbors and seeking organic and local options for our food.

Nancy A. Bozeman, a doctor of veterinary medicine, is a certified member of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. In 1989, she was recognized as a founding and certified member of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. Contact her at 817-572-2400 or [email protected].