Can GMOs spread their genes to non-GMO plants?
Yes, they can and they do. Most of the world’s major crops naturally hybridize with wild relatives. A crop that has been genetically engineered to be herbicide-tolerant for instance could transfer these new genes to their wild relatives making them also more herbicide-tolerant. What makes the problem even worse is the fact that genetically-engineered crops have been found to be even more likely to interbreed with other plants than regular crops. This is troubling from a biodiversity standpoint, as well as from a farmer’s rights standpoint. Farmers who want to raise non-GMO crops and save seeds, can no longer be sure the seeds aren’t contaminated by GMO genes. The corporations that manufacture the GMO crops have been allowed to patent the genes, and use the patent rights to sue farmers whose seed crops have been contaminated with their GMO genes. www.veganpeace.com/organic/sources_and_resources.htm www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/files/seedreport_fullreport.pdf For more inform