GLP Podcast: Activists dump grain during food shortage; The mirror lies to you; Anti-GMO study debunked

Last week, French activist group Extinction Rebellion destroyed 15,000 tons of wheat to prove its anti-GMO bona fides. The grain it targeted wasn’t genetically modified—but it was meant to feed people in poor countries. The image you see in the mirror probably doesn’t reflect reality, recent research shows. Are GM crops really safe? A new “study of studies” says no, though it’s been blasted by independent experts.

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 162 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

As the world braces for food shortages, well-fed activists affiliated with Extinction Rebellion are dumping grain destined for countries hardest hit by the effects of war in Ukraine. The environmental group stacked cinder blocks in front of a train carrying 15,000 tons of wheat, then dumped every last ounce of the crop after the locomotive came to an abrupt stop. The kicker: Extinction Rebellion thought they were targeting a shipment of GM corn.

Disappointed by the image you see in the mirror? The problem may not be your physical appearance, psychologists say, but your distorted self-perception that misinterprets sense data you take in from your surroundings. What can this conclusion tell us about our understanding of ourselves? Perhaps a little caution is in order before we rush headlong into conclusions about the world around us.

Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Thousands of studies have shown that GM crops pose minimal risk to human health and the environment. So when a recent review, a “study of studies,” suggested that biotechnology had introduced dangerous products into our food supply, experts took notice. The authors of the new analysis badly misinterpreted the research they reviewed and ignored studies that didn’t fit their narrative—a classic case of cherry-picking. Let’s examine a few of the review’s fatal flaws.

Kevin M. Folta is a professor, keynote speaker and podcast host. Follow Professor Folta on Twitter @kevinfolta

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow ACSH on Twitter @ACSHorg

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}
screenshot at  pm

Are pesticide residues on food something to worry about?

In 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring drew attention to pesticides and their possible dangers to humans, birds, mammals and the ...
glp menu logo outlined

Newsletter Subscription

* indicates required
Email Lists
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.