Stories abound about GM crops

After decades of the anti-GMO industry misinformation campaign, it is not a surprise many are misinformed and afraid of GE crop technology. The letter by Allan Finney on July 11 is a great example.

More often critics claim Monsanto is trying to take over the world’s food supply but when it came to light that Whole Foods makes more money than Monsanto that fear story morphed into the GMO industry.

Patenting of new plant varieties is not unique to biotech crop as demonstrated by the patents on many types of seeds including certified organic seeds. Patents allow for companies, who have invested large sums of money to develop new varieties of crops, to recoup that money. Patents expire and the some of the first GE crops are now off patent and free to be planted by anyone. Monsanto has never sued anyone for adventitious presence of their products in non-GE fields. The lawsuit by the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association vs. Monsanto clearly demonstrates this fact.

The public is bombarded with fear stories about this technology and does not know where to turn for accurate information. There are two excellent free on-line documents that can help - the U.S. National Academy of Sciences 2016 report and the European Academies Science Advisory Council 2013 report. I also encourage everyone to attend the movie Food Evolution when it is screened nearby.

Robert Wager,

Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, B.C.