Farm Talk Tuesday-GMO in livestock feed
We still have a few Farm Talk Tuesday questions to answer so we're tackling the next one on our list this week.
"Should I be worried if cows eat GMO corn?"
Simply put, no, you shouldn't. There are a ton of misconceptions out there about GMOs but they have been in existence and have been widely used and researched for a LONG time.
What is a GMO?
A GMO is a crop that was developed through genetic engineering/biotechnology. This allows plant breeders to transfer desirable traits like drought tolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance, and herbicide resistance to our crops. For example, you may have heard of the widely used "Roundup Ready" trait in many crops like corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. This trait allows producers to spray Roundup herbicide on our crops that will kill weeds, but not our crops.
Here is some additional basic information about GMOs: https://gmoanswers.com/gmo-basics
Note, GMO Answers is considered a biased initiative because it is funded by many of the big biotech companies. However, they do a good job explaining what GMOs are and how they are used.
Perhaps one of the most common misconceptions we hear from consumers is that foreign DNA from genetically modified crops ends up in the food we consume and will somehow affect our bodies after consumption. I don't quite understand this thought process because every bite of food we eat contains DNA! We eat the DNA of a strawberry and aren't fearful that we'll turn into a strawberry, for example.
Harvard put together a nice compilation of public concerns around GMOs and responded with widely accepted scientific research that addresses each concern. Read more here: https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/.../will-gmos-hurt-my-body/
GMO-derived foods provide the same nutritional value of non-GMO foods. They are safe. They help farmers manage diseases and pests effectively. They even "saved" certain foods in some parts of the world, like the papaya! Read more about that here: https://foodinsight.org/how-gmo-technology-saved-the.../....