Organic Farming and BT Crops

The genetic structures of most life changes consistently to adapt to the changing environment, some life forms change faster than others.

Concerns about BT crops, or crops with genetically implanted Bacillus thuringiens (BT) a common organic pesticide, focus on the possibility of creating "superbugs, immune to BT.

The issue is far from hypothetical. The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University reports that "over 500 cases are documented where insects have developed resistance to conventional broad-spectrum insecticides".

If insects become immune to convention insecticides, logic suggests they can become immune to BT fron BT crops.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been conducting research studies since the first BT crops were registered in 1995 to determe proper crop management plans for farmers who opt to plant BT crops.

That research may help conventional farmers, however it does little to address organic farmers concerns. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) responded that movement to BT crops poses the potential of eliminating one of the organic farmers' best pest management tools.

The OTA also expressed concerns about possible organic contamination by BT crops.

"This has already resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of dollars worth of product. The organic producer Terra Prima's organic corn chips were rejected when testing discovered GMO-contaminated content."

© 2000. Patricia A. Michaels.