Empty promises: Monsanto's newest GM maize does not increase yields or reduce pest crop losses

Christina Sarich
Natural Society
Thu, 10 Dec 2015 00:00 UTC

Monsanto promised that its latest and greatest GM crop, MON810, a genetically modified (GM) insecticidal maize banned by most of Europe, would increase yields and stop crop loss due to pests. A new report from the government of Aragon in Spain says those promises are empty. ^[1]

There is an inserted gene in the DNA of MON810 which allows the plant to make a protein that harms insects that try to eat it. The inserted gene is from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces the Bt toxin that is poisonous to insects in the Lepidoptera order, including the European Corn Borer. Three quarters of the corn grown in Aragon, Spain is currently genetically modified, but conventional varieties were tested against GM Maize varieties in 2014.

"Helen," "Zoom," and "Kayras" - the non-GM isogenic (parent) lines (plant varieties) - were compared with the GM varieties derived from each line. The genetic insert was the MON810 construct from the US company, Monsanto.

The report found that:

"Per hectare, from 12.6 to 14.3 kg of maize were harvested. The GM varieties and the non-GM conventional comparator had very similar yields - the difference was between 0.2 and 0.3 kilos."

This means the GM maize did not produce more than conventional strains of maize.

Comment: One of the consistently propagated myths of GM enthusiasts is that we need these crops to feed our ballooning populations. It is on only very rare occasions that sound scientists debunk these myths:

GMO's will not feed the world "If anyone tells you that GM is going to feed the world, tell them that it is not... To feed the world takes political and financial will." - Steve Smith, head of GM company Novartis Seeds UK (now Syngenta), public meeting on proposed local GM farm scale trial, Tittleshall, Norfolk, UK, 29 March 2000.

• The fallacy of feeding the world
• GMO's: Setting the record straight
• Debunking the myth: 'We need GMOs to feed the world'

The data also shows that the corn borer, the pest targeted by the Bt insecticide in MON810 maize, has caused no significant damage in the past 5 years, either to GM or non-GM varieties.

Spain is currently the EU leader in the cultivation of GM maize, though many countries including France have banned Monsanto's GM crops.

In other EU countries almost no genetically modified maize is sown.

Last year, official figures say that 131,000 hectares were grown, around one-third of the country's total maize production. A total of 41 percent of this was grown in the region of Aragon, where the maize crop is 76 percent GM.

The authors of the report conclude: "This information should help us reflect deeply about the continued use of transgenic crops on farms."

Perhaps Spain will join the other EU countries who see no need to continue growing Monsanto's seed.

Sources:
(in German): Keine-gentechnik.de
GMWatch
[1] Aragon.es

Comment: Monsanto's pesticide-producing GM maize, known as MON810 has been found to be detrimental to human cells. It is no wonder countries are banning these toxic GMO crops: Study: Genetically Engineered Bt Protein Toxic to Human Cells

Insecticidal Bt toxins such as those produced in genetically engineered plants can be detrimental to human cells. This is a result of recent research led by researchers at the University of Caen (France). Their experiments showed that toxins produced in, for example, the genetically engineered maize MON810, can significantly impact the viability of human cells. The effects were observed with relatively high concentrations of the toxins, nevertheless there is cause for concern. For the first time, experiments have now shown that they can have an toxic effect to human cells. According to companies like Monsanto, which produces genetically engineered maize with these toxins, the toxins are supposed to be active only against particular insects and should have no effect on mammals and humans at all. The investigation of effects of Bt toxins on human cells is not a requirement for risk assessment in Europe or in any other region.