The Truth About GMOs

Irish population suffered catastrophic famine 1840s when late blight fungus destroyed potato crops causing one million deaths representing approximately 15 percent of population.

Agricultural monoculture systems planting genetically uniform crop varieties create vulnerability where single pathogen can devastate entire food supply lacking resistance diversity.

Phytophthora infestans fungal pathogen attacks potato and tomato plants creating persistent five billion dollar annual problem for global potato industry despite 170+ years since Irish Famine.

Some potato varieties can be bred conventionally for partial late blight resistance but this process requires decades of selective breeding making it impractical for rapidly addressing agricultural disease threats.

Conventional potato farmers must spray crops with heavy fungicide applications every week throughout growing season indefinitely to prevent late blight fungal infection devastating yields.

Scientists developed Innate genetically modified potato 2015 using blight-resistant genes from wild potato species creating variety capable resisting late blight fungal disease.

Genetically modified resistant crops provide farmers huge time and money savings through eliminating most pesticide purchase and application costs while protecting yields from pest damage.

Genetically modified pest-resistant crops can reduce environmentally damaging pesticide spraying by 80-90 percent compared to conventional varieties requiring weekly chemical applications.

Ireland implemented GMO cultivation ban attempting to prohibit all genetically modified crops including blight-resistant potato despite nation’s catastrophic famine history killing million people.

GMO public discourse characterized by ever-present hysteria producing polarized extreme positions claiming GMOs either represent absolute salvation or complete destruction lacking nuanced middle ground.

GMO issue presents far more nuance than polarized debate suggests, representing neither miraculous salvation ending hunger and climate change nor apocalyptic threat destroying health and environment.

Genetically modified organisms represent organisms altered using genetic engineering methods following systematic four-step process manipulating hereditary traits.

BT maize represents genetically modified corn producing proteins derived from soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis providing resistance to devastating caterpillar pests.

European corn borer caterpillar nicknamed billion dollar bug because it cost growers over one billion dollars annually in insecticides and lost crop yields representing most damaging corn pest.

Corn farmers relied almost exclusively on chemical insecticides for years protecting crops from European corn borer and other devastating pests representing billion-dollar annual industry expenditure.