Just eat 3 bananas you will have 900 USD, the problem is you dare to eat?

Behind these sweet words is something hidden.

Recently, the University of Iowa, USA announced plans to restart a research that has been delayed since 2014. In it, they will recruit 12 girls and pay each person $ 900 just to eat 3 bananas. .

Of course, behind these sweet words is something hidden: one of the three bananas in the diet is genetically modified bananas.

Each female student will be paid $ 900 to eat 3 bananas.

The research was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and was delayed for a long time by community concerns. However, Professor Wendy White, who represents the University of Iowa, said they will still conduct the test this year.

900 USD for 3 bananas

While it seems like a ridiculous thing, paying for volunteers to participate in scientific research has precedent. That's even thousands of dollars in compensation, according to CenterWatch, a website that tracks clinical trial activity in the United States.

Previously, an eye ointment test in California paid each applicant 1,840 USD. Meanwhile, a tested tobacco product in Florida also helped each volunteer receive $ 1,980.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, tests of this type need to be rigorously planned for risks. Remuneration for volunteers is not a benefit, it is considered a recruitment motive.

Concern about safety

Genetically modified bananas are developed at Queensland University of Technology.

Genetically modified bananas used in research were developed at Queensland University of Technology, Australia, under the sponsorship of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It is regulated to contain a large amount of beta carotene , a nutrient that helps the body produce vitamin A.

Researchers want to target this banana in Africa. It will help some countries solve the problem of people suffering from severe vitamin A deficiency , typically Uganda.

"Here and other African countries, a lack of vitamin A is responsible for the large proportion of children who die from infectious diseases. It would be great if rejection could prevent preschool-age children. died of diarrhea, malaria or measles, " said Professor White.

The question is why research is done in the US?

The reason given by Uganda is a member who signed the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety. In particular, a part of the agreement between 127 countries does not allow a "risky health human experiment ".

The United States does not participate in this protocol. And in fact, they have a rather loose management mechanism for genetically modified food. The safety of genetically modified plants in the United States has only been determined by proving that it contains the same amount of nutrients and toxins as normal plants.

The United States has a rather loose policy for the genetically modified food industry.

In Europe, countries also require testing genetically modified plants with animals before being approved for human use. However, the United States does not have a clear distinction between normal food and genetic modification.

Objections

The transgenic banana trial has been scheduled since 2014. At that time, Professor White's team sent an email to all students at the University of Iowa. In it, say they are looking for female volunteers for research. Each volunteer will be paid $ 900 to eat a menu of 3 bananas. Just one of them is genetically modified bananas.

Their diet then was strictly controlled. The study was conducted in 3 stages lasting every 4 days. Volunteers will be responsible for providing blood samples for testing. Professor White said more than 500 volunteers have registered for the trial program and they have selected 12 suitable people.

However, information about the experiment sparked a strong protest. Activists sent an open letter to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the research leader and the Iowa State Human Rights Review Board. This makes the experiment delayed until now.

In the open letter, the activists argued that the study was not transparent, especially in terms of risk control. They collected more than 57,000 supporters to continue to pressure the University of Iowa.

"We sign below, asking the head of the University of Iowa's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, to answer questions about the testing of transgenic bananas on humans , " the letter said. write.

The questions include "How are safety issues resolved? What are the risks for volunteers when they agree to participate and research? Who owns or will own modified banana technology?" this gene? ".

It seems they are more concerned about the threats that appear around transgenic bananas, rather than addressing the vitamin A deficiency problem in Africa.

The trial has a lot of lack of transparency.

Ignore public opinion

While protests for the experiment have been going on for the past two years, the University of Iowa simply dismissed all voices from the public. A meeting was held last year by uninvited activists joined by any of the University of Iowa leaders.

This is a good example of genetically modified agriculture, generously supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Developers will ignore any concerns towards negative aspects of their program.

Genetically modified bananas seem to be developing so that people in Uganda can get more vitamin A. However, the project is widely suspected that it contains a profit and monopoly of food supply. Developers only pretend to care about the health of people in developing countries, while ignoring the dangers of their trials.

Looking at the state of genetically modified agriculture, we will also see the shadow of threats. The herbicides they use relate to cancer. Meanwhile, the fact that insects are also destroyed disturbs the natural balance of the ecosystem.

Conclude

The story of getting $ 900 to eat 3 bananas is not simple.

One thing is clear: genetically modified bananas are not the only way to improve vitamin A deficiency in Uganda. The lack of transparency from the reactions of the University of Iowa also raised a lot of doubts around the program.

According to NPR: "Although this banana has any impact, governments will have to accept it. Farmers will have to grow it and consumers are convinced to eat orange bananas ( color allusion of beta carotene) ".

If so, genetically modified agriculture seems to be deviating from the interests of people, animals and the environment in general.

This industry is being built to make profits and enslave peoples? It seems that the story of getting $ 900 to eat 3 bananas is not simple.