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Vandana Shiva is one of the loudest anti-GMO voices. To her, GMOs are part of a world of death, while opposing GMOs is all about joy and freedom.
Recently Shiva wrote an article titled: 5 GMO Myths Debunked by Vandana Shiva.
Right off she makes the claim that the green revolution actually decreased crop yields in India. But a recent review of actual evidence shows, “the production of cereal crops tripled during this period, with only a 30% increase in land area cultivated.”
Regarding Golden Rice, Shiva claims small gardens can provide enough vegetables to combat vitamin A deficiency and “Syngenta owns Golden Rice. It’s promotion as… public sector research are a blatant lie.” But the rice is not owned by any corporation, it is a humanitarian project. And attempts to address vitamin A deficiency by providing vegetables have been helpful, but they are nowhere near addressing the problem.
Shiva claims GMOs are leading to an “epidemic of cancer” and suicides. But here the data is mixed but mostly negative. Further, organic farming allows for pesticides, just “natural” pesticides which may be more toxic than synthetic. The claim that GMOs are linked to farmer suicide is a myth manufactured by Shiva and addressed here.
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Based on only two flawed studies, Shiva claims GMOs are unsafe to consume. But science and health organizations from the AAAS to the WHO have reviewed the evidence and found current GMOs to be safe.
Shiva asserts GMOs are not about science but “an unscientific and illegal takeover of our seeds and food.” She has no actual evidence for this, just her assertion.
The facts don’t paint a flattering picture of Shiva. And yet she remains the darling of the anti-GMO movement, which speaks volumes.
Read full, original post: The Myths of Vandana Shiva
