Genectically modified bananas are set to undergo trials in the US.  This will consist of human consumption and then testing to see how well the bananas raise the Vitamin A levels of the participants.  The bananas are modifed to contain higher levels of alpha and beta carotene, which the body converts to Vitamin A.  The so-called “super banana” was developed at the Queensland University of Technology with a $10 Million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the goal being to aid Central African countries where bananas are already a dietary staple, but populations suffer from Vitamin A deficiencies.

“Good science can make a massive difference here by enriching staple crops such as Ugandan bananas with pro-vitamin A and providing poor and subsistence-farming populations with nutritionally rewarding food,” said project leader Professor James Dale of The Queensland University of Technology.  

As I have written before, the populations most likely to benefit from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are the worlds poorest.  And those opposed to GMOs are the worlds richest… and most ill-informed.  In this Yahoo News article on the subject, the comments of concern among the readership are just inane.  Why can’t the Africans just eat sustainably farmed fair trade arugala?  It has vitamin A.  

Beware! It’s coming to get you!!

There are NO studies or evidence that GMOs are harmful to those consuming them. GMOs have been in the marketplace for decades now without a single incident of ill effect.  The movement against GMOs is at it’s heart simply an anti-corporate movement, and guess who invented GMOs?  Monsanto (allegedly).  That’s right.  A Corporation!!!  Corporate greed is starving the planet!!!1!!  Oh wait.  And I don’t think the Queensland University of Technology qualifies as a corporation.  Bill Gates (Microsoft) is so greedy he has created a foundation tasked with giving away most of his money.  And they’re feeding the planet.

There may be many problems in our imperfect world – but GMOs ain’t one of ’em.

Cross posted at Men Out Of Work Blog