Textbox: Cross-Contamination, Genetic Drift, and the Question of GMO Co-existence with Non-GM Crops

Abstract

Genetically Modified Crops (GMOs or GE crops) cannot co-exists with organic and heirloom crops. GMOs decimate their organic ancestors at the expense of agrobiodiversity and with little regard for environmental consequences. The pollen of monoculture plants cross-pollinates plants of the same species that may be quite far away in a process called genetic drift. This would be natural and necessary if it were not for the unnatural and dangerous traits that are inserted into GMOs through human hands, thereby often recklessly infiltrating organic or heirloom plants with GMO traits.