It seems to me that whenever there is a post on Civil Beat or on the Star Advertiser about GMOs, there is repetitive comment that I frequently see there.  Many anti-GMO activists have made the statement that because papayas are GMOs, they are “drenched with pesticides.”

Apparently, it seems to me that these activists don’t quite know about the the growing of food and why papayas were GM to begin with.  Watch this video to get a good understanding of the modification made to papayas.

When people think that biotech papayas are “drenched with RoundUp,” it really shows the lack of understanding of agriculture in general.  RoundUp is for weeds that are found on the ground that will compete for nutrients that the tree needs.

Weeds create stress on plants and affect the quality of the produce one is trying to grow.  Try to grow some plants among a brush of weeds and see what happens.  It won’t grow or give you any produce.  If you get rid of the weeds by digging it up or tilling it, you reduce the stress on the plant and you get better fruits.  Tilling does disrupt the soil and can lead to run off problems.

Also note that herbicides like RoundUp costs money.  Just take a look at how much it actually cost to buy in the gardening store.

This stuff is not cheap at all and if you think a farmer would wantonly waste it, you’ve got to out of your mind.  Farmers are resourceful with their supplies and equipment.  They have very tight margins and if you think they’d waste this stuff, you don’t know a farmer.  They need to make money, not spray it away.

So if you should read a comment that papayas are drenched in pesticides, please note the truth to it.  Weeds are on the ground and papayas are up on the trees.  The fruit isn’t drenched in RoundUp because it isn’t a weed.