LEBEN AUSSER KONTROLLE

Public awareness of genetic engineering has been steadily growing in the past few years. But while most people still have trouble accepting that the food they eat may contain genetically manipulated substances, the biotechnology industry is advancing rapidly and making enormous profits while it’s at it.

The multinational Monsanto company sells its creations like magic beans all around the world, promising indestructible crops and ever-abundant harvests. These “determinator seeds” are replacing local kinds, often wrenching from the farmer’s what control they have over their own crops. This was the case in India, where farmers took out loans in order to buy supposedly worm-resistant cotton. Instead the traditional seeds were altered by the industrial seeds – as a result all crops were ruined.

This is just one example for the genetic contamination these developments are causing. As “Life Science” spreads around the world, its effects on nature become more and more devastating.

Eco-friendly crops in Canada are mixed with genetically engineered seeds; swarms of cultured salmon, carrying human growth-genes are released into the sea. Iceland is selling off its peoples DNA and in Peru and Ecuador scientists take samples from indigenous tribes who are dying out – their genes are supposedly the purest in the world and will secure valuable patents for the pharmaceutical companies.

Only a small handful of scientists are facing up to the industries mindless hunger for profit. Their independent research concentrates on the effect that transgenetic animals and plants have on their surroundings – and on us humans, the top of the Gene-Food-Chain.