Genetically Modified Organism (GMO):

an organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favor the expression of desired physiological traits or the generation of desired biological products.

Our rapidly growing global population has become a rationale for the global rollout of genetic engineering and CRISPR gene editing technology. In recent decades, we have justified the nearly universal acceptance of genetic engineering among regulatory agencies, scientists, and farmers. The result has been a direct and indirect rewriting of the biology of life on earth. The manipulation of food sources has become so commonplace the terms ‘GMO’ and ‘Non-GMO’ have supplanted the public’s understanding of health implications from genetic engineering and gene editing.

The fact that we have developed the ability to pluck single genes out of the vast DNA libraries held within every cell and reinsert those in other species is an extraordinary technological accomplishment. Those species have never been permitted to carry these genes in their billions of years of development. One could imagine many ways that we might use such a technology to benefit the planet. Take our crops for example: what if we had turned this technology toward improving transport of nutrients from mycelium to root fibrils, to human consumers with genes that improve the bioavailability and metabolism of such nutrients? Or we could have focused the attention on reducing drought susceptibility to resolve the massive hunger throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing cultures.

Instead, we turned this technology almost wholly to improve the delivery of harmful chemicals into our food production systems.

In the US, over 90% of the soybeans and over 85% of the corn grown are genetically modified to tolerate direct application of Roundup and other glyphosate containing herbicides.