On November 16, 1999, Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced the "Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act" into the U.S. House of Representatives. When passed into law, this legislation will require the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods.
Congressman Kucinich's opposition to modern plant breeding approaches threatens America's security, world peace and the improvement of the plight of the third world nations.
Some of the benefits of engineered plants are:
Better yield and less use of chemical fertilizers
Drought resistance
Better insect resistance and less use of chemical pesticides
Better nutrition and taste
Use in medicine, clothing and fuel
The American Society of Plant Physiologists, an organization representing over 5000 plant physiologists, comments on the benefits of custom engineered plants:
"Plants are the first step in every food chain, therefore, humans and animals are dependent upon plants for their survival. Increases in plant production are needed to meet growing demands for food. Use of modern plant biotechnologies, including gene transfers into crop plants, offers significant advantages over traditional plant breeding in developing improved crops. The tremendous advances made possible through genetically engineering plants are key to achieving crop production gains needed to meet increased world food demands. A stable world food supply preserved through increased crop production is vital to U.S. national interests. Prevention of food shortages in vulnerable developing nations through increased crop production, averts a dangerous destabilizing threat to the governments of those nations. Genetic engineering of plants will also lead to development of more nutritious and better tasting foods. In addition to the advantages offered in food production, plant biotechnology will contribute to development of life-saving new medicines; more efficient production and use of biofuels (addressing the growing U.S. dependence on imported oil); and improved production of fiber for use in clothing and building materials. Plant biotechnology is being used to produce plants capable of hyperaccumulating toxic metals from soil and water, thus contributing to a cleaner environment. In summary, genetic engineering of plants will help America and the world meet human demands for food, energy, medicine, shelter, clothing, and a cleaner environment."
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