
Say 'NO' to GMO Apples
Where do we even begin with this one??? A biotech company by the name of Okanagan Specialty Fruits is currently in the process of getting commercial approval for genetically modified apples called Arctic Apples that "have more eye appeal: no yucky browning". No "yucky" browning... are we in kindergarten?! There is something horribly wrong with our society if the natural process of a browning apple has become an eyesore, an inconvenience and/or a problem of any sort.
There's a reason why Mother Nature puts certain things into play; it is there to give us an indication of something else. Think about it... do we really want to be eating an apple that may look fresh but is actually going bad or rotting? Polyphenol oxidase, the enzyme responsible for causing the browning of apples, is there to help us assess the current state of the fruit.
With the insertion of "a synthetic gene that sharply reduces production of polyphenol oxidase" GMO apples like these won't just distort the natural process the fruit should go through, but it can potentially have an affect on the apple industry from an economic and export standpoint and cause problems for farmers who don't wish to grow GMO crops.
It is up to us, the consumers, to not allow Big Ag's skewed sense of ethics have an impact on our environment and immediate lives. The industrialization of nature disrespects natural laws and does not take into consideration the long term effects these decisions may have on the future. The only thing biotech companies are concerned with are the profits they will see at the end of the line. Actions like these suggest that the recognition for life to function in cycles, where all things are intricately linked to one another, have been lost.
Help keep apples from going down this detrimental path and say NO to non-browning Arctic Apples.
