Cottoning on to the truth behind GM

There are currently no regular GM crops grown in the U.K., although there are no legal restrictions on applying to do so. The controversy that surrounds GM has kept these crops out of our back yards but, despite this, we still inadvertently purchase products which contain GM in our supermarkets. GM foods have to be labelled by law, but there is no such protocol for cotton, thus providing a loophole for GM importers.

The two varieties of GM cotton make up 43% of all cotton production. The first variety is herbicide tolerant. The farmer is able to indiscriminately spray herbicide onto his fields to destroy all weeds whilst protecting the cotton. The GM seeds and agrochemicals are bought in synergy, which are patented and controlled by a small number of multinationals. Over a period of 11 years, after GM crops were introduced in the U.S., there was a fifteen-fold increase in the use of herbicide in soy beans, maize and cotton. Such high levels have created concerns about the effects upon wildlife and soil quality. Because cotton is primarily a non-food crop, some of the most toxic chemicals are applied to the crops. The purpose of this is to make production less labour-intensive and therefore cheaper. It is a common misconception that GM crops produce higher yields. Figures from the Xinjiang province in China, for example, show the highest yields come from non-GM cotton.

The second variety is designed to be insect resistant. The cotton plants excrete their own toxin – Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) - which specifically targets certain pests and reduces the need for pesticides. Although there have been short-term drops in pesticide use in certain areas, there have also been unintended consequences, such as an increase in the numbers of pests in Northern China. This suggests that research into the environmental effects of GM needs to be more rigorous.

The danger of both herbicide tolerant and insect resistant cotton crops is the increased likelihood of other species developing genetic resistance to them. The high exposure of weeds to herbicide or of insects to pesticide encourages advantageous characteristics to proliferate, creating “superweeds” and pesticide-immune insects. Stronger and more toxic chemicals will be needed to protect crops and will thus create worrying environmental consequences.

At Rawganic, we say no to GM. By using 100% organic cotton in our facial wipes, we are supporting a more sustainable way of farming, which is in harmony with the environment and uses no synthetic pesticides or herbicides.