90% Of The Tobacco Market Is Genetically Modified

in health •  8 years ago 

In 1982, Luiz Herrera Estrella developed the first genetically modified organism by altering the genome of a tobacco plant.

Today, 90% of the tobacco market is genetically modified to be virus, herbicide, and insect resistant. 

These crops are heavily sprayed with chemicals, which ends up in a large portion of the 6 trillion cigarettes produced annually. For good measure, Big Tobacco throws in another 600 or so additives to make modern cigarettes highly addictive and toxic. 



Organic, homegrown tobacco is a completely different story.

 In fact, tobacco is well respected throughout indigenous cultures as a "master plant" with important communal, health, economic, and spiritual significance. 

We'll go deeper into this topic and share healthier options and perspectives in upcoming posts.

A better way is possible. 

www.intothegardenofeden.com


Sources:

Cao, J., Ibrahim, H., Garcia, J. et al. "Transgenic tobacco plants carrying a baculovirus enhancin gene slow the development and increase the mortality of Trichoplusia ni larvae." Plant Cell Rep (2002) 21: 244. doi:10.1007/s00299-002-0499-z

Deshayes, A, L Herrera-Estrella, and M Caboche. “Liposome-Mediated Transformation of Tobacco Mesophyll Protoplasts by an Escherichia Coli Plasmid.” The EMBO Journal 4.11 (1985): 2731–2737.

Global Tobacco Trends. http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/infographics/Infographic_Tobacco_2014.pdf

"History of Genetic Engineering". AmericanRadioWorks.com.

Russell, Andrew and Elizabeth Rahman. The Master Plant: Tobacco in Lowland South America. Bloomsbury Academic.

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Why did you downvote this post @ranko-k?

Perhaps @ranko-k has a day job working for cigarette companies...?

I would guess anti-tobacco in general. Probably the same type of person that is against ecigs because they look too much like smoking.

Watching the transformation of smokers who come to the GOE and make the upgrade to natural tobacco is impressive. They say it tastes better, feels better, and they love the other herbs from our garden mixed in. Mint makes a great addition for a menthol experience. And, on top of their personal experience, they are supporting small home growers not the global elite! So many wins!!

It does taste better and feel better, and the herbs are just as impressive

I don't understand why the images are hidden either.

It was because someone downvoted our post, but thankfully there are more powerful users who see the value in what we're bringing to the Steemit table! The images are visible once again!

@midnas-howler to the rescue!! Steemit is AWESOME!!!

Im so grateful that the Garden of Eden provides healthy and sustainable solutions. New paradigm tobacco for the win ;D

If you're going to smoke, its best to smoke something straight from gaia. The energy and health benefits of it would be COMPLETELY different.

Sick and poisoned people are worth a lot of money. Disgusting stuff I am sure we are about to learn in upcoming posts. I'm bracing myself.

Something tells me cigarette smokers aren't terribly concerned about the genetic origins of their fiberglass-filtered tar-gas ;-P

Hahahahaha unfortunately your probably right!

Very interesting, I didn't know this was the first GMO crop. Somehow, it doesn't surprise me a bit.

It wasn't, a tomato was.

Edit: Nope I'm wrong. Tobacco was indeed first. An antibiotic resistance gene was added to a tobacco plant as a proof of concept, this didn't serve any relevant purpose other than to show it could be done, and because the tobacco plant is easy to manipulate. Guess I need to brush up on my science history a bit more! Always learning.

Thanks for the additional info. The question that interests me most is what was the first commercial gmo.

Read my blog post on it, I talk about it some.

One thing you can count on from our posts is that they will be VERY accurate and cutting edge.
Grateful to prove you wrong and grateful you acknowledged it on your own!
A sign of an honorable being!
Blessings~*~

This is why I do not use tobacco products produced by big manufacturers. I smoked Camel Lights when I was a teenager. One day, I was smoking under a very bright light in an otherwise dark room. The smoke as purple. That couldn't be good, I thought!I gave up cigarettes years ago, but I do enjoy pipe and cigar smoking, with most (or all) of the tobacco being imported from ether Central America or Europe.