151 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

What's your take on them?
http://gmo-journal.com/

[sculptor]

GMO
hmmmmmmmmmm
heck, i even avoid processed foods, and try'n eat mostly raw
so, frankenfoods are something i think best avoided

then there are second tier frankenfoods when used as feed for livestock

and --- antibiotics and growth hormones, and.....................etc (eeeeeeeeekkk ohhhhh noooooooooooo)

my hope, is that there will be no negative repercussions down the road, but i think that we'll see negative effects on the biosphere(Monsanto) and in people and livestock who consume the food.

from yours:
"Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) has once again introduced a bill that would require require the labeling of all foods that contain or are produced with genetically engineered material. It is a counter-balance to another pending legislation that could strip USDA of some of its authority to approve to biotech crops"

(one of my heroes)

here's another link:
http://mercola.fileb...GMObrochure.pdf
more of a "how to" approach

my approach:
eat as close to paleo as possible, and you've the advantage of millions of generations of evolution
because we have far exceeded the natural carrying capacity of the biom, pure paleo diets are no longer within the realm of possibility for the majority of the population
but------i've never needed pesticides nor manufactured fertilizers in my garden, and i fish and hunt and have partially free range chickens for most of my protein

bonadventure
rod

[sculptor]

please see:

http://articles.merc...11210_DNL_art_1

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Countries are standing up and saying NO to monsanto/dow and gmo's.
http://current.com/c...lth-freedom.htm

[Shortpoet-GTD]

And a bit off topic but the "big 6" were prosecuted-

"The verdict was handed down to the six largest pesticide corporations — Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, BASF, Dow and Dupont — collectively known as the “Big 6,” for their human rights violations, including internationally recognized rights to life, livelihood and health. The agrichemical industry is valued at over $42 billion and operates with impunity while over 355,000 people
die from pesticide poisoning every year, and hundreds of thousands more are made ill.
In addition, pesticide corporations have put livelihoods and jobs in jeopardy, including those of farmers,
beekeepers and indigenous peoples."
http://www.panna.org.../guilty-charged

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Frito-Lay (parent company-pepsi) is being sued for labeling their snacks "natural" when in fact, they are gmo's.
Talk about greenwashing; they take the cake.

"Less than a year after Frito-Lay announced plans to make half their products without “any artificial or synthetic ingredients,”
the $13 billion company was sued last week in federal court for fraudulently marketing the snacks that
contain genetically modified ingredients.
Real foods?  All natural?
Even Monsanto defines genetically modified organisms as unnatural, which the lawsuit quoted:
“Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) – Plants or animals that have had their genetic makeup
altered to exhibit traits that are not naturally theirs.”

On Dec. 20, Frito’s “Naturally Delicious” webpage still boasts:
“All Frito-Lay snack chips made with natural ingredients start with all-natural corn or potatoes and healthier oils. For our flavored LAY’S®, TOSTITOS® and SUNCHIPS® products, we are using all natural seasonings that don’t have artificial or synthetic ingredients.”

But because they contain GMOs from genetically modified corn and genetically modified soy, in five separate counts,
plaintiff charges Frito-Lay with
fraud, deception,   unfair competition   and false warrants
under several laws including the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act."

http://foodfreedom.w...as-all-natural/

[Shortpoet-GTD]

This article speaks to the fact of insects becoming resistant to build in toxins in gmo corn crops.
That's bad enough, but this section caught my eye.

"The hybrid was such a swift success that it and similar varieties now account for 65 % of all U.S. corn acres;
grain that ends up in thousands of everyday foods such as cereal, sweeteners and cooking oil."
http://www.msnbc.msn...usiness-retail/

[Mon-Jes]

I don't like GMOs, but since I haven't been able to buy all-organic for some time, I pretty much have no choice but to eat them occasionally. If I willingly buy a non-organic snack (hey, sometimes you need that comfort food when things get tough), I assume it's got GMOs and all in it.

I once tried discussing this with a relative who took the side that since we have no evidence that GMOs will be a problem, we should just eat them and be fine. I wonder if he would take the same tack with medicines that haven't been tested.

[mariaandrea]

Mon-Jes, on 18 January 2012 - 10:40 PM, said:

I don't like GMOs, but since I haven't been able to buy all-organic for some time, I pretty much have no choice but to eat them occasionally. If I willingly buy a non-organic snack (hey, sometimes you need that comfort food when things get tough), I assume it's got GMOs and all in it.

I once tried discussing this with a relative who took the side that since we have no evidence that GMOs will be a problem, we should just eat them and be fine. I wonder if he would take the same tack with medicines that haven't been tested.

Well, people used to think asbestos was just fine. And DDT was a miracle product that killed insects that carried diseases, so it was fine. History is rife with chemicals and products that people thought were just fine that turned out to be deadly over the long-term for our health. Apparently your relative hasn't thought of that.   Sorry.

I have a bottle of "pure" vegetable oil in my cupboard that rarely gets used because even though it is made only of soybean oil - it's the Kroger brand - you just know it's made with GMO soybeans. Almost all soybean oil of any brand is made with GMO soybeans these days, and we have no way of knowing it because it isn't labeled. What we need to do is push really hard for labeling of GMO products so we can make our own informed decisions.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Mon-Jes, on 18 January 2012 - 10:40 PM, said:

I don't like GMOs, but since I haven't been able to buy all-organic for some time, I pretty much have no choice but to eat them occasionally. If I willingly buy a non-organic snack (hey, sometimes you need that comfort food when things get tough), I assume it's got GMOs and all in it.

I once tried discussing this with a relative who took the side that since we have no evidence that GMOs will be a problem, we should just eat them and be fine. I wonder if he would take the same tack with medicines that haven't been tested.

Fyi-just because a veggie/fruit is labeled "organic" does NOT mean it isn't a gmo.
You may find an organic seedless watermelon for instance, but it's been altered so it doesn't have seeds.
Organic refers to the way it's been grown, chemical free. It can still be a gmo.

[Mon-Jes]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 19 January 2012 - 04:51 AM, said:

Fyi-just because a veggie/fruit is labeled "organic" does NOT mean it isn't a gmo.
You may find an organic seedless watermelon for instance, but it's been altered so it doesn't have seeds.
Organic refers to the way it's been grown, chemical free. It can still be a gmo.

Organic foods can't be GMOs (unless you're talking about accidental drift of GMO pollen, but that's not what produces seedless watermelons). GMOs have altered DNA through gene splicing. Choosing specific parent plants (or even treating the individual plant with a chemical) for breeding isn't GMO work. http://ohioline.osu..../5000/5058.html

[Shortpoet-GTD]

http://www.foodincmo...ut-the-film.php

[Mon-Jes]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 19 January 2012 - 10:22 AM, said:

http://www.foodincmo...ut-the-film.php

http://www.wholefood...-engineered.php (Look toward the bottom at the last section.)

http://www.ces.ncsu....icoverview.html

http://www.cascadian...ic/default.aspx

Basically, if you find a GMO watermelon labeled as organic in the U.S., either the pollen drifted over without the company knowing, the seed seller the company did business with is lying, or the company is lying.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

“Society stands on the precipice of forever being bound to transgenic agriculture and transgenic food”
reads the first sentence in the amended complaint filed by farmers, environmentalist, researchers and consumer
groups against Monsanto.

If Organic farmers, seed growers, and companies have no assurance that technology they have never asked for,
never signed a licensing agreement to use, have no desire to be a part of, and in fact, go to great lengths to avoid, can still trespass on their farms and subject them to a lawsuit by the patent holder who seemingly escapes all
liability for that trespass, then it is not only morally wrong, ethically unjust, but also legally perverse.

These sentiments, uttered by plaintiff Marty Mesh, Executive Director of Florida Organic Growers, concisely sum up the suit against Monsanto. This effort has recently gained twenty-three new members as the broad coalition seeks protection against suits by Monsanto for patent infringement on the company’s transgenic seed (a.k.a. genetically modified).  “Through this action, Plaintiffs ask the Court to declare that, should [farmers' fields] ever be contaminated by Monsanto’s transgenic seed, [farmers] need not fear being sued for patent infringement.”
(part of the lawsuit reads)-

"Monsanto’s patents would also not be infringed by Plaintiffs because, amongst other things, Plaintiffs do not intend to use Monsanto’s transgenic seed, any seed possessed by Plaintiffs that may be contaminated by Monsanto’s transgenic seed is not covered by any valid and properly construed claim of any patent in suit, and Monsanto’s patents rights in transgenic seed exhaust upon the authorized distribution by Monsanto to its customers. Monsanto’s patents are also unenforceable because, among other things, Monsanto has committed misuse, Monsanto is equitably estopped from enforcing them, and Monsanto  commits trespass when its transgenic seed contaminates another."

"Among them are family farmers, organic dairies, food safety advocates, seed companies, agricultural research interests and environmental organizations representing hundreds of thousands of members, including several thousand certified organic, biodynamic, or otherwise non-transgenic family farmers who do not want their farms contaminated by genetically modified seeds."  




http://gmo-journal.c...ainst-monsanto/

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"Also, just because something says "organic" on it does not mean that it does not contain GMs. In fact,
it can still contain up to 30% GMs, so be sure the labels say 100% organic."
http://www.wikihow.c...-Modified-Foods

[Ecodisaster]

GMOs are the worst invention in the food field.
Shortpoet, I didn't know about the organic thing. I always get organic, does that mean unless it says 100% organic it can still contain GMOs? Isn't one of the points of being officially organic the lack of use of GMOs?

I see you 2 guys are going back and forth with the topic, but it is hard to believe organic can have GMOs. Not surprised if true though.

[jasserEnv]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 20 January 2012 - 03:46 AM, said:

"Also, just because something says "organic" on it does not mean that it does not contain GMs. In fact,
it can still contain up to 30% GMs, so be sure the labels say 100% organic."
http://www.wikihow.c...-Modified-Foods

At the same time, Wal-mart has been working to actively undermine the definition of organic so that they can have "organic" offerings at a slightly higher price. (I have talked to people in the organic industry so I don't have a link ) So far the maintainers of organic standards have maintained a quality standard but if the definition of organic gets undermined in other ways such as the pollution of GMOs then the standards could ultimately be unraveled to a level that serves corporate interests over public food security.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

It boils down to big biz verses the government-as it is in all things it seems; to that dreaded word-lobbyists.
Big ag producers like basf, tyson, del monte; and their chemical running buddies-monsanto, dow are
able to "persuade" congress/senate to do their bidding and to write laws that favor them.
Until we fundamentally change insider trading (among other things) and get rid of the lobbyists, it will
remain the same or get even worse. Money talks too loudly in our government.


(btw-the forbes rating of companies, has wm in the top 5-so you know they can do pretty much anything they want.)
http://www.forbes.co...tes_10Rank.html

[sculptor]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 21 January 2012 - 04:15 AM, said:

It boils down to big biz verses the government-

verses? hmmm
i think maybe that is too singular
it's kinda like my right hand and left hand,
when it comes to doing a task,
the left hand wants my body in one position to optimize it's strength and tactility
while the right hand wants me in a different position,
and the back and knees object to many of the desires of the hands
so, we compromise, and the task gets done

Bill Clinton once said that the art and basis of politics is compromise
nobody gets all they want, but everybody gets some of their requests

lobbyist have a presence in the halls of government, and offer up many of the paragraphs found in many of our codes and laws
the ideal(for us) would be to make the job an outlawed profession
a good compromise would be to make public all their activities

and
if we all contact our representatives about our concerns, we too can have a voice
but only if we are willing to stay informed and speak out
democracy is a royal pain in the arse
it takes lots of time, sitting through one boring meeting after another, seeking that one shining gem of something that actually matters to YOU
and voicing you postulated solutions and directions

[jasserEnv]

I am certainly not convinced about the power of us little people voicing our concerns. I have been involved in campaigns and you can make changes happen but it means organizing and coordinating a large group ever time. At the same time, you really can only get a yeah or nay change. It is very difficult to get focused policy based on the crowds. In contrast the business lobbyists are running all the time on salary and have their points well-defined. My view is that you actually have to change the way democracy works so that voters are voting many times in a year. That is the only way that the politicians will be under the control of the people.