Thomas Cels

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl I am happy to hear that, and I say that without a sense of sarcasm. I am also happy that we could have a civil discussion where we don't necessarily agree on everything. Have a nice day Jay!

@ThomasCels @simonmaechling @BonkoEl We did think things through. Every GMO trait that comes to market is the result of a lot of thinking things through.

🇺🇸 The US embraced GM crops. 🇪🇺 The EU restricted GM crops. Now: 🇺🇸 More food, less pesticide use. 🇪🇺 Lower yields, more imports. 🇺🇸 Corn yield: 10.8 tons/ha 🟢 🇪🇺 Corn yield: 5.9 tons/ha 🔴 The problem isn’t GMOs. The problem is bad policy.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl You want to have it both ways

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl So you are saying that Simon Maechling is deliberately misleading us with his tweet.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl As I said before, I am not necessarily against GMOs, not even corn GMOs, but we have to think things through. I am not interested in this pro/contra debate that we are having now.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl Minimal effect on yields? Explain this:

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl I don't think you understand how the food industry works!

@ThomasCels @simonmaechling @BonkoEl Obesity in America is tied to individual dietary choices and preferences. There is zero factual basis for blaming it on GMOs, and there is no logical reason for it to be connected to a plant breeding technique.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl Obesity also already existed in antiquity.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl I know that!

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl Basically what you are saying is that the introduction of GMOs did have no effect on our food chain.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl 90% of corn produced in the USA are GMOs, but there is no connection with corn syrup. With all due respect, but I am leaving this debate.

@marchionatus Indien je hem meermaals hebt laten weten om hiermee te stoppen, dan is dat idd problematisch.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl Leading to the USA becoming one of the most obese countries in the world, with many people suffering from diabetes.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl It is not as predictable as you think. The introduction of GMO corn led to such an abundance of corn that the food industry turned it into syrup and added it to as many foods as possible, creating a competitive advantage over healthier options.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl 😅 at least we agree on that!

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl Putting a gene of a bacillus in a plant is not the same thing as when a boar put his penis in a female pork.

@ThomasCels @simonmaechling @BonkoEl I understand what you thought you were saying, but suggesting that a breeding technique that changes 1-3 genes creates altered organisms, while breeding techniques that change thousands of genes create unaltered organisms, is inaccurate and misleading.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl Most people are or pro or contra GMOs, while I believe the only correct answer is: it depends, and it depends on a lot of things. Unfortunately for crop science companies it mostly depends on how much money they can make with it.

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl I understand what you want to say, but you also understood what I was saying.

@simonmaechling @BigJayRobertson @BonkoEl Saying that all GMOs are better or will be better then non altered organisms is a dangerous viewpoint IMO.

@simonmaechling @BigJayRobertson @BonkoEl I am not necessarily against GMOs, it just depends what is actually altered in the plant or animal. I think you also agree on that?

@BigJayRobertson @simonmaechling @BonkoEl The problem that I have with GMOs is that we are actually speaking about a wide range of applications ranging from fixing a single point mutation to swiping genes or introducing completely foreign genes. Somehow it feels like opening a box of Pandora.

@ThomasCels @simonmaechling @BonkoEl This is a fair point, but that also represents a benefit of GMOs. Herbicides like glyphosate and glufosinate, which are often used in GMO crops, are among the more benign pesticides available.