The topic of GMOs is certainly a recurring theme here at CE, as we now feature over 200 articles relating to the scientific process that is impacting so much of what we consume. Despite the information being relatively widespread and well-known at this point, GMO use continues to rise worldwide and the impact it’s having on our health is becoming more and more prominent.

However, this article focuses on another impact genetically modified seeds and crops are having on us, one which effects our overall human experience. The topic of conversation this time around is the destruction of certain crop varieties, as we turn our focus to the mass production of particular GMO crops rather than the stability in production of all crops possible.

The wonderful people behind PBS Food have put together an awesome 3 minute video that shows exactly how we are limiting our growing potential and how we can help combat it. Check it out:

Turning The Human Experience Grayscale

To me, the limiting of our crops is equivalent to turning the naturally colourful human experience into grayscale. We opt for productivity over creativity, boxing ourselves into a comfort zone of staple foods that really aren’t all that comfortable – especially when genetically modified.

I recently had the opportunity to visit a piece of land that is – for now – over 90% occupied by plants of GMO corn. The plants themselves are “thriving,” however the land they are growing on is very clearly, at least from my perspective, barely surviving.

Not a single insect or bird could be heard or seen anywhere near the field, whose ground literally felt equivalent to concrete. While the absence of insects may sound delightful, it really was overshadowed by an intense feeling of unnaturalness. I’m used to gardens where the soil is luscious and soft, so to see extremely strong corn stalks cracked out of this rock hard earth was quite the odd sight.

Seed Sovereignty

As the quote from Vandana Shiva reminds us in the video, seed sovereignty truly is “the farmer’s right to breed and exchange diverse open source seeds which can be saved and are not patented, genetically modified, owned or controlled by emerging seed giants.”

It is great to see that a global movement has begun to combat these corporate seed giants and to protect the diversity of our crops. I hope that this article will help in further spreading the awareness of this movement, allowing it to continue to grow so that one day our 200+ articles relating to GMOs will be part of a historical archive chronicling our global transition back to a more natural mode of food production.

I encourage you all to look into any local seed swaps in your community. If none exist, this website is a pretty cool resource on how to potentially get one going to help maintain biodiversity and health.