How could something so new, wreck so much havoc on the Earth and its inhabitants? That very question led scientists and environmentalists to research the effects of pesticides and herbicides on crops, which science calls genetically-modified organisms, or GMOs. Well, their findings were shocking in that GMOs affect not only individual health, but also the health of the planet. Those findings have been outlined below:

1. GMOs cross-contaminate natural crops Since GMO crops grow in open air near natural and organic crops, there is nothing to stop GMO crops from pollinating and contaminating natural or organic crops
2. GMOs pose additional challenges to the farming industry As if farmers do not struggle enough in maintaining crops, harvesting, and earning a profit, GMO crops actually put farmers deeper in debt. This is because farmers think that GMOs guarantee greater yields and fewer losses, but that is not true
3. GMOs kill essential insect populations Pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals applied to crops ultimately transfer to pollinating insects that visit those crops, such as bees and butterflies. As a matter of fact, honeybees, which make up 80 percent of the world’s pollinators, are dying at a rate of 30 percent per year.
4. GMOs change insect and plant genetics As a result of any living thing’s will to survive, several insects and weeds have developed resistance to the very agents that are supposed to kill them. This means that the pesticides and herbicides being dumped on GMO crops are not 100 percent effective in deterring insects or weeds.
5. GMOs boost farmers’ overhead and dependency With natural or organic farming, farmers can purchase seeds once and reuse them year after year. However, GMOs demand that farmers purchase seeds every year from global corporations that can inflate prices at any time.

Needless to say, GMOs are capable of damaging your internal and external environment. So, ‘Ask a Naturopath’ for tips on how to avoid GMOs at all costss.