logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Have genetic engineers modified food to cause Black people to become infertile?

By Marlo Lee
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

A Facebook video claims that genetic engineers have "found a way to cause food crops to grow RNA fragments that can be specifically targeted like bioweapons." Supposedly this RNA would cause Black people, and only Black people, to become infertile.

Is this possible?

Well, the RNA would have to be eaten, not be digested by the enzymes in the digestive tract and then cross membranes into the reproductive tract. Those are very harsh conditions for RNA and it would not be able to survive to make it to the reproductive tract, according to the executive director of the Genetics and Genomics Academy.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
North Carolina State University Fred Gould named Executive Director of NC State Genetics and Genomics Academy
New York Times Do Races Differ? Not Really, Genes Show
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.