Greenpeace, a longstanding international organization committed to activism relating to environmental issues, has

 taken a firm stance against genetic engineering. Greenpeace feels that genetic engineering is detrimental to the

well being of the earth and its inhabitants for a number of reasons.

 Their issues with GE...          

Biotech companies

Greenpeace feels that Biotech companies care less

about  safety and the environment, and more about

profitability of their products. They feel that it is wrong

for a company like Monsanto to have numerous

patents for different plant genes. One of their major

 points is that many Agbiotech companies were once

pesticide producers and switched over to biotech

only because ofpotential profits.

           

Consumer safety

As discussed in other areas of this project, there are

many who feel that GM foods are a very real danger to

 human health, while others disagree, asserting that

there is no link between GM foods and illness.

Greenpeace would have to disagree with the later, as

they feel that the unknown dangers and mysteries

behind GE crops make them too risky to

be widely marketed.

Consumer Awareness/Labeling

One of Greenpeace’s biggest objections to GE is the lack

 of consumer awareness of the presence of GMO’s in  

 processed foods. They claim that there could be GMO’s

 in almost all products purchased at the grocery  store,

 but consumers are unaware because companies are

not required to label foods as GM. There is no

legislation in the United States that requires food

manufacturers to label foods as containing GMOs, and

according to Greenpeace, “In Spring 2000, the

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that

labeling of GE foods would remain voluntary.” It makes

 sense that companies would be reluctant to voluntarily

 label foods as GM, considering the negative

associations the public has with the potential dangers

 of GMO’s. In addition, Greenpeace mentions that  The

 United States  may soon be the only country in the

world that does not require labeling of genetically

engineered food.”


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