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AGRICULTURE

GENE EDITING

UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE

Genome editing, also known as gene editing, is the science of modifying the genetic code of living plants, animals, and humans. While it offers hope for curing disease, gene editing is still imprecise, which could lead to inadvertent and undesirable changes to a genome, and is rife with ethical and scientific concerns, including its unknown, long-term safety.

GET THE FACTS

  1. There is a high chance of errors during the gene editing process, with devastating consequences—from the accidental deletion of a gene, to errors that get passed on from generation to generation.

  2. The gene-edited material contained in pollen cannot be controlled. When spread by pollinators and wind, these patented organisms can entirely re-engineer ecosystems, create fast spreading extinctions, and intervene in living systems at a scale far beyond anything ever imagined.

  3. The technology is extremely costly, which, when used for modifying food, gets passed down as higher food costs.

  4. Gene editing will not have the same regulatory oversight as GMOs, because the USDA says it is nearly impossible to detect whether an organism’s DNA has been edited or not. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that was signed into law in early 2020 reportedly includes provisions to support gene editing.

  5. The same process of gene editing that could get rid of diseases in plants could just as easily enable "custom created" humans—based on the desires of wealthy parents, armed forces, or even dictatorships.

  6. There are significant ethical issues surrounding humanity's ability to customize living things. Should corporations have the right to modify our food? Should corporations, governments, or people have the right to choose sex, skin color, or IQ that outweigh the rights of the living being born with no say in those choices?

Learn More

Science Courses

BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION

  1. Sign petitions and write letters to Canada's Ministry of Health, your local representatives, the U.S. Department of Agriculture expressing your opposition to gene editing for all the reasons listed above.

  2. Choose Organic:  100% / USDA Certified Organic-labeled products do not use gene-edited techniques. 

  3. Click on our "Learn More" link above to watch a movie, read a book and visit other websites to educate yourself, your family, and your friends.

  4. Spread the Word. Tell your best friend. Tell your mom. Tell your doctor. Every open mind adds up.

  5. Keep abreast of genetic engineering by subscribing to our twitter, instagram, or facebook page, and/or to a monthly emailed newsletter— we love the ones from GM Watch and the Institute for Responsible Technology​ (click the "subscribe" button at the top).

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