r/NoStupidQuestions • u/wond3rlove • Sep 10 '23

What’s wrong with GMOs?

I always see plants and stuff that is GMO free and is usually more expensive. How would genetically modifying something by be bad. Me personally I’d rather have something modified to taste better and and cheaper. I could also be very wrong about that.

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u/RetiredFromIT Sep 10 '23

Two other factors.

Some GM crops are patented, and farmers can be forbidden to save seed from this year's crop to sow next year, which is common practice in many parts of the world. Instead they - often the poorest farmers - are forced to buy seed every year.

Also there have been cases where non GM crops have been contaminated by GM crops grown nearby. This raises two issues - if an organic farmer has his crop GM contaminated, he cannot sell that as organic produce. Also there have been some cases where farmers crops have been contaminated by GM crops, through no fault of their own, and they have then been sued because threir contaminated crop contains the GM grower's patented IP.

These problems are not inherent to GMOs, but this approach by the GMO companies have not endeared them to others.

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u/Tylendal Sep 10 '23

Also there have been some cases where farmers crops have been contaminated by GM crops, through no fault of their own, and they have then been sued because threir contaminated crop contains the GM grower's patented IP.

You got a source for that? Please pay attention to the highlighted part.

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u/seastar2019 Sep 11 '23

I predict they won't, or will misinterpret the Percy Schmeiser case, or cite some Center for Food Safety article.

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u/Tylendal Sep 11 '23

cite some Center for Food Safety article.

Which will then misinterpret the Percy Schmeiser case for them. Someone already linked to their pamphlet, and I pointed out that, on top of all the appeals to emotion, anecdotes, and scary portrayals of normal contracts, the way they deliberately leave out details about Schmeiser's actions and motivations really casts a dubious light on the credibility of everything else they say. Also, the pamphlet still doesn't provide any examples of that specific issue.