I have no problem with GMO products and consider them very safe.
I do have a problem with SOME farming methods when using GMO seeds.
GMO plants have a gene introduced so the plant then becomes resistant to perhaps an insect or pest, sometimes weeds that compete for moisture and nutrients, sometimes to improve on the quality, size, or volume of the product being grown.
That in itself is all fine.
However, some farmers either are not educated properly about the use of chemicals they can now use with the plants they are growing or they perhaps think that more is better.
Take for example canola. It is a broad leaf plant so prior to it being GM to be resistant to Round-Up, you could not use chemicals to control weeds growing alongside canola.
If a chemical is being used, I consider Round-Up to be one of the safest ones out there, if of course, used as labelled. I don't use any chemicals in my veggie garden but I am not overly concerned about Round-Up if it is used properly.
Some farmers though have used Round-Up in excess of what is recommended and now the very weeds that used to be controlled by Round-Up are now becoming resistant to that same product, case in hand being dandelions.
So now you have chemical resistant weeds and in order to control them by the no-till method, new chemicals will have to be developed with the risk that they are not as safe as the present products being used.
The no-till method has pros and cons.
Certainly the land is disturbed less, which is a plus. However, more fertilizer now has to be used or else the land simply will deplete itself of nutrients very quickly. Summer fallowing lets the land rest and replenish itself. However, there is more risk with the land itself being depleted through wind, erosion, and the like.
Certainly not as much energy is consumed by implements that the farmers are using, which is a plus.
However, more chemicals are used to control weeds and chemicals can have long term side effects, and this is definitely a con.
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