A common argument that you may read about the dangers of GMOs is how different countries around the world have banned them or have legislation around them. Here’s an example from the Non-GMO Project’s website:
“Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In more than 60 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs.”
You can see how this can lead to a conspiracy theory with the following narrative: GMOs aren’t properly tested in the United States. In Europe, scientists have discovered that GMOs can be harmful and they’ve been banned. But in the US, the FDA is in bed with Monsanto, which is why we’re eating these toxic poisons and we aren’t being told the truth.
In terms of “bans”, there’s actually only one country in the world that has an outright ban: Kenya. Recently, there have been calls to lift the ban due to farming losses.
All other countries have laws and regulations surrounding biotech crops.
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The four countries I examined—Canada, Israel, Venezuela and Iran (all countries to which I have a personal connection)—are extremely diverse in terms of economic status and development, as well as their relationship with the U.S. Despite these differences, I think that the common thread is that laws for and against GMOs are economic or political in nature, and have little to do with safety. If it were genuinely about safety, then they’d ban the import of GMOs and join the ranks of Kenya.
Read full, original article: The Life and Times of BioChica as Told Through GMO Legislation Around the World
