June 20 through 22 is celebrated as National Pollinator Week, and GMO Answers is marking the occasion by releasing a new resource page on GMOs and Pollinators.
We know people have a lot of questions about bees, butterflies, and other insects and how GMO crops have an impact on them, which is why we've created this new resource.
Here are some highlights from the new webpage:
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There is no evidence that GMOs have caused a decline in bees or other pollinators. The sudden and widespread disappearances of adult honey bees from hives, termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), became a national concern more than 10 years ago. Claims circulated that certain GMO crops harm bees. These assertions have been refuted by the mainstream scientific community.
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Monarch populations have been dwindling, which seems to be related to a few major causes: disruption of migratory patterns due to climate change, loss of overwintering grounds in Mexico due to deforestation, and reduced acreage of their summertime milkweed habitat, especially in the mid-western U.S. Again, the decline of milkweed is not related to GMO crops, but to a wide variety of complex factors.
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Insect-resistant GM crops are utilized by farmers because of their ability to help control harmful pests more efficiently. These insect-resistant crops incorporate one or more proteins from a common soil bacterium, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), that kill target insects like the corn borer, but not other non-target insects, mammals, or humans. The goal of every farmer is to keep beneficial insects while eliminating pests like the corn borer.
Learn more about GMOs and pollinators in our short video:
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