COLUMBUS, Ohio — Depending on who is asked, genetically modified (GMO) seeds can be good or bad.
GMOs are plants that have genes spliced from other organisms in the hope their beneficial traits will transfer. Corn, cotton, potatoes, apples, plums, soybeans, papaya, sugar beets, alfalfa, canola, flax, tobacco and squash are among the GMO plants approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. So far, GMOs mostly enhance a plant’s defenses, giving resistance or immunity to pests and herbicides.
GMOs are notoriously difficult to discuss. The underlying technology transfers genetic material from one organism to another or, in a more recent development, "edits" a target organism’s genes. The aim is often to create animals and plants for agriculture that produce better yields, or are more resistant to disease or tolerant to pesticides.
GMOs are also the subject of much public debate including scientists, politicians and economists wrangling over their consequences on food security and the environment. Opponents say GMOs haven’t been proven safe, that the long-term effects of eating GMOs are unknown and that growing them promotes the use of pesticides.
"One of the biggest questions or uneasiness is, ‘Are they safe?’ There is a perception that they have not been well tested, and that is inaccurate," said Margaret Smith, professor of plant breeding and genetics at Cornell University. "There has been quite a bit of testing."
Smith points to a 2014 report that pooled the results of more than 1,700 recent studies on GMOs – about a decade’s worth of research – that concluded there is no evidence of danger to humans. "I feel comfortable," she said. "I don’t think there is any credible evidence of concern at this time."
Tom Burns and his two sons, who tend 1,200 acres of corn in Fayette County, Ohio, is a firm believer in GMOs. Each spring he uses a mix of purple and green corn seeds. Green means the corn is genetically modified and carries traits that repel insects and protect it from the herbicide Roundup.
Five percent of the seeds Burns plants are purple, and these are fodder for insects as they keep pests from developing immunity to the green corn’s ability to kill them.
"GMO is the way to go when planting," said Burns, who has seen an increase in his yield by 50 percent since he first planted GMOs 15 years ago. "We all want an economical food, one that’s safe. Of course, we could do it non-GMO, but we’d have to use more pesticide and labor."
Before GMOs he spent up to $60 per acre on chemicals to control weeds and insects. With Roundup he spends $4-$5 per acre. His yields have risen from 150 bushels per acre to 220.
Then there are health-conscious individuals. Jeffery Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsibility Technology in Iowa, said GMO foods "are unhealthy, contaminate by cross-pollinating, increase herbicide use, can unleash unpredictable side effects and can harm the environment."
While GMOs have outspoken critics, their integration into the food system is increasingly widespread. Since their introduction in 1996, GMO corn, soybeans and cotton have taken over 80 percent of land devoted to these crops. According to the USDA, more than 90 percent of corn and soybeans grown in the United States are genetically engineered.
Scientists often seem to struggle with how to communicate complicated science without oversimplifying. For them, jumping into the fray can be frustrating, and attempting to make the science intelligible is often construed as oversimplifying the issue.
"There is no evidence to suggest from a food-safety perspective that we should be concerned about GMOs," said Jeff Lejune, director of the Food Animal Health Research Center at The Ohio State University.
Most scientists in a survey agree with Lejune. The Pew Research Center released a poll in January that asked several questions of scientists connected with the American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science. More agreed that GMOs are safe to eat (88 percent) than agreed that climate change is mostly caused by human activity (87 percent) or that childhood vaccines should be required (86 percent).
"When you see an adoption as quickly as GMO corn and soybeans, it is an obvious benefit," said Michael Langemeier, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University. "That means that there has to be some very strong advantages. For one, the yield increases have been pretty big."
Some farmers still choose to go non-GMO, and all organic crops are non-GMO, but they are aiming for specialty markets, Langemeier said. "They are able to market it to people willing to pay for it," he said.
Some companies do pay for it. Chipotle has pledged to rid its food of GMOs, and Whole Foods is rolling out mandatory labeling of products containing GMOs. Snowville Creamery in Meigs County pays its dairy farmers more to use non-GMO feeds when supplementing their grass-fed cows.
Then there are some critics of GMOs who contend that seed companies produce such crops because they can grow rich doing it.
Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, for instance, netted nearly $15 billion in 2013. The financial incentive is obvious, critics claim, so any research funded by seed corporations should be considered suspect.
In the end, farmers are looking at their bottom line.
"Why do I grow GMO crops? If I don’t make a profit, I’m not going to be here," Burns said. "Why would I grow something detrimental to my family? That’s against everything."
