U.S. using food crisis to boost (GMO) bio-engineered crops

[FrankRep]

U.S. using food crisis to boost (GM) bio-engineered crops

U.S. using food crisis to boost bio-engineered crops

Chicago Tribune
May 14, 2008

The Bush administration has slipped a controversial ingredient into the $770 million aid package it recently proposed to ease the world food crisis, adding language that would promote the use of genetically modified crops in food-deprived countries.

The value of genetically modified, or bio-engineered, food is an intensely disputed issue in the U.S. and in Europe, where many countries have banned foods made from genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

Proponents say that GMO crops can result in higher yields from plants that are hardier in harsh climates, like those found in hungry African nations.

"We certainly think that it is established fact that a number of bio-engineered crops have shown themselves to increase yields through their drought resistance and pest resistance," said Dan Price, a food aid expert on the White House's National Security Council.
...


Full Story:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-food-crops_14may14,0,7229990.story



scary.

 

[torchbearer]

Why are GMOs bad?

 

[FrankRep]

Why are GMOs bad?

Changing the genetic structure of foods have ill side effects on the body.


Dangers of Genetically Engineered Foods
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/AboutGMFoods/DangersofGMFoods/index.cfm

 

[torchbearer]

Changing the genetic structure of foods have ill side effects on the body.


Dangers of Genetically Engineered Foods
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/AboutGMFoods/DangersofGMFoods/index.cfm

YOu do realize we've been genetically altering plants for 100s of years to produce better varieties.
The only difference is now we are more precise.
I grew up on the farm. All grain seeds were enhanced in some way or another.

 

[yongrel]

Good. It's about damn time.

 

[RSLudlum]

Why are GMOs bad?

some GMO seed companies have been charged with implementing non-reproductive/infertile 'programming' into some of it's seed stock, ie if you use some GM'd seed to grow corn, the actual corn seed you're crop produces will be unable to produce another generation. The corn is still edible, but if you are the farmer with the GM'd seeds then you will have to buy more corn seed for next seed instead of keeping some of your crop for seeding.

Also, parts of the e.coli bacteria's DNA have been used in the past to facilitate 'modification' of some food crop's DNA. Although it is just a very small part of e. coli's coding, which does not necessarily mean it represents itself as e. coli in final form, it is quite un-nerving to think about the possibility of it having sometype of accidental, ill effect on the consumers of such food produced with the technique. I don't know if they're still employing the use of the e. coli. Could be a non issue, and just hyperbole but I do remember reading a few articles on the subject a few years ago.

Some GM seed companies have used 'patent rights' against small, non-GM using farmers by claiming these farmers have violated the companies' claim to the genetic code showing up in the farmers' crops, of which obtained the 'genetically modified' code due to wind pollination into the non-GM farmers' fields.

Genetic modification has been going on for a long time, just not on such a drastic molecular scale as it's done today. Didn't our ancestors pick the best, biggest, and hardiest (sp?) producing crops by culling out the least desirable? Did Gregor Mendel really fathom the enormous impact his discoveries would have?

 

[PeterWellington]

If by "scary" you were talking about genetically modified foods, I still haven't seen any convincing evidence that they pose a health threat.

If you were talking about the huge sums of money that the government continues to steal from us and give away to "good causes" as being scary, then I completely agree.

 

[FrankRep]

We don't know yet what the long-term side effects will be with genetically modified food.

 

[satchelmcqueen]

YOu do realize we've been genetically altering plants for 100s of years to produce better varieties.
The only difference is now we are more precise.
I grew up on the farm. All grain seeds were enhanced in some way or another.

Really? i wish i was. maybe ild be more keen on things farm wise.

 

[amy31416]

If you're scared of GM food, if you don't like it, if you think that it's part of an evil plot to take over your mind, body and soul--then for crying out loud, don't eat it.

It is a good thing in areas where people are starving and lacking in vital nutrients, areas that generally can't grow crops. Golden rice is a GM food that was modified to have a higher content of vitamin A. Yeah, that sucks ass. More vitamin A for poor starving people--evil sons of bitches!

The only thing I don't like is terminator seeds, anyone who produces them or encourages them ain't getting my support.

 

[RSLudlum]

The only thing I don't like is terminator seeds, anyone who produces them or encourages them ain't getting my support.

QFT!

Do you know of a listing of companies and their seed products that utilize 'terminating' technology?

 

[amy31416]

QFT!

Do you know of a listing of companies and their seed products that utilize 'terminating' technology?

I asked the same question and all I know for sure is Monsanto. But like so many other big companies, they own a lot of other smaller companies that don't have that name on the products, yet are produced by Monsanto.

So, it'll take some research, but in the meanwhile, make sure that if you buy seeds, you always buy the heirloom type. I'll post back when I find anything relatively definitive or interesting.

 

[torchbearer]

We never seeded our fields from our own stock.
We didn't have anywhere to safely store than much seed over the winter.

It was more cost effective to buy the treated seeds, plus you'd get better yeild with the bought seeds. They were made to be resistant.

Even cotton plants were altered to help fight bole weevels.

 

[amy31416]

We never seeded our fields from our own stock.
We didn't have anywhere to safely store than much seed over the winter.

It was more cost effective to buy the treated seeds, plus you'd get better yeild with the bought seeds. They were made to be resistant.

Even cotton plants were altered to help fight bole weevels.

I don't protest terminator seeds because I think that all farmers should store seeds over the winter or even say that I will do so. I protest them because of two reasons:

1. I like tinkering with plants, if they have terminator seeds, that trait is likely passed on to any hybrids, thus screwing up any genetic manipulation that an amateur such as myself might like to do.

2. If the majority of crops are from terminator seeds, that puts the whole food supply in danger if some shitty things happen. It also makes a farmer more dependent on the producers of seeds whether they like it or not.

I want to do what I can to see that that isn't the case. I fully support GM foods, but definitely not terminator seeds.

 

[pinkmandy]

Amy, thank you for pointing out that difference (okay v terminator seeds). You just enlightened me a bit, or clarifed things for me. Something. I watched that Monsanto video a few weeks ago and literally FREAKED OUT over the whole gmo thing. The thing that scared me the most was wiping out indigenous food supplies and being forced to buy seed, pay royalties, buy fertilizer, herbicide...all that jazz.

Torch, you should check out the Monsanto vid. http://www.livevideo.com/video/embe...C9/580798/the-world-according-to-monsant.aspx

 

[torchbearer]

Our seeds weren't terminated.
The grain that fell on the field would try to grow before the winter frost killed it.
But they were still enhanced seeds.
If we wanted, we could have kept our own stock, but it would have cost us a lot of money to build and maintain a dryer.

 

[mizrae]

I would suggest you read the following article at Natural News:
Genetically Modified Organisms - A Dangerous Experiment

or watch the movie: BAD SEED - The Truth about our Food

Even the farmers interviewed in the King Corn documentary are calling the GM corn they grow "crap"

You really do not want to eat foods that are made with GM produce.

 

[Dr.3D]

I was talking to some Mexican farmers who always saved seed from the last crop to use again the next season. They have said the U.S. corn has been cross pollinating with their corn and now they are getting a lot of seed that does not grow the next season. They also said the flavor of the corn has been going down hill and they think it is because of this cross pollination.

What is going to happen if all of the heirloom crops become contaminated through cross pollination and through time, year after year, less and less seeds are produced that are viable for the next years crop. Seems like a road toward world famine to me.

 

[Agent CSL]

If you're scared of GM food, if you don't like it, if you think that it's part of an evil plot to take over your mind, body and soul--then for crying out loud, don't eat it.

Great advice, major flaw. There's no need to label GMO food. Most GMO food we eat is not labeled as such. How then can we choose not to eat it?

When I hear about humans tampering this much with nature it irks me. Torchbearer, I don't think you understand. Yes we've been "altering" our seeds for better crops BUT we did this through collecting the stronger seeds, cross-pollinating different varieties, and discarding the weaklings. This is evolution with human intervention at it's best. It IS NOT the same as "genetically modified" which forces seeds to take on unnatural characteristics foreign to it's own genetic family.

We place the cauliflower mosaic virus into the gene to expand the effect of the "roundup resistant" gene. Do you even know what CMV does? It can latch on to bacteria or radical cells and cause it to rapidly spread. Luckily most people have enough antibodies to keep it down.

GMO labeled as all this X-resistant is a farce. Have you even considered the farmers in India who are forced to suicide after their crops have failed? Dozens of cases. They thought GMO would be their golden ticket, but all their crops failed. They couldn't pay the banks. They were forced to sell their farms or die (whilst their families were left with the responsibility).

Then there's the terminator protocol they've put into the seed. I don't know about you, but, I don't want my children growing up in a world where we learn where our seed comes from........ multinational corporations. The concept of a seed that doesn't produce after 1 year is scary. The potential consequences are great. Since this gene is manipulated to be a dominant gene, I am afraid that it will spread to other plants.

Then we have the farmers being sued over patents of genetics.


There are so many wrongs about GMO and yet they remain unlabeled.

 

[amy31416]

I was talking to some Mexican farmers who always saved seed from the last crop to use again the next season. They have said the U.S. corn has been cross pollinating with their corn and now they are getting a lot of seed that does not grow the next season. They also said the flavor of the corn has been going down hill and they think it is because of this cross pollination.

What is going to happen if all of the heirloom crops become contaminated through cross pollination and through time, year after year, less and less seeds are produced that are viable for the next years crop. Seems like a road toward world famine to me.

Ahh, that's another issue with terminator seeds that I hadn't thought of. It's just incredibly stupid to intentionally or unintentionally destroy the sustainability inherent in crops.

Thousands of years of humans modifying crops to produce better quality, yields, etc. and a few companies could destroy that with this terminator technology.

It's up to people like us along with farmers to stop this type of thing and reverse it. I'll do some research when I get a chance and see what I can find out about it.