Monsanto releases another genetically engineered beast on the earth |
9 Comments |
| By Matt Mayer in Business, Dumb Ideas, Organic | January 23, 2008 | |
A news story today discusses Monsanto and how they have obtained approval to release a genetically engineered sugar beet onto the market. You’ll be shocked to hear that the beet has been modified to live when Roundup is sprayed on it.
From the article:
“The law requires the government to take a hard look at the impact that deregulating Roundup Ready sugar beets will have on human health, agriculture and the environment,” said Greg Loarie, an attorney at the Earthjustice law firm, which is helping represent the plaintiffs. “The government cannot simply ignore the fact that deregulation will harm organic farmers and consumers, and exacerbate the growing epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds.”
I’d like to know who the hell is approving these things? How can they slee
p at night? The article says that Monsanto tried to do this with Alfalfa recently too, and I remember a story I read about Canadian flax (I believe) that got infected with Monsanto’s patented genes and the farmer was sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It’s amazing what these people will do. I feel like anyone who tries to fight against these people is fighting a constant battle of good vs. evil.
Thanks to Bob for the heads up!
Joe said,
Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Sugar beet is a biennial crop; that is, it takes two years for it to complete its life cycle and produce pollen and seed. Because of its growth pattern, sugar beet grown for sugar in the United States will never produce pollen or seed. Furthermore, the genes that are used to confer resistance to Roundup are not present in the sugar, as sucrose is not a protein.
Matt Mayer said,
Joe, I can’t claim to be an expert on crop genetics, but I do have some really basic thoughts on this. Here is how I see this picture. In order to get sugar beet seeds (from non-GE beets) the beets have to be allowed to go to seed. In order for Monsanto to get their seed I would assume that they would then have to do the same thing. Since most crops in America are grown in mono-culture, and normally close to each other because certain soils grow those crops the best, there is definately a risk for cross pollination, as I see it. Even if the crops are miles and miles apart bees and such don’t really know to not go to a certain plant after they’ve gone to this other plant. Do they?
Either way, I do not have any interest in eating genetically altered food. So yes, I think this is a big deal. Not to mention all the farmers who would now be indebted to Monsanto for their seed each year.
So far we’ve had a lot of GE seeds released on the market that are “safe” and not be able to cross pollinate. This has not been the case. So you’ll have to excuse me if I’m a little skeptical of their statement that the beets are safe and not able to cross pollinate.
As for your statement that the gene that is spliced won’t end up in the sugar. I guess you’re right, I don’t really know that one. But I would guess that after beets are processed the remains are either used as a compostable material or feed to animals. So it would seem likely that the spliced gene does end up in the food supply. I don’t know this exactly, but most meat producers will feed an agricultural waste product to an animal they can. Why would beet remains be any different?
By the way, I was noticed your e-mail is from Michigan State. Any chance you’ve been involved with all the reserach that’s been done up there for Roundup Ready Sugar Beets? I’m just curious.
Matt Mayer said,
Joe, I can’t claim to be an expert on crop genetics, but I do have some really basic thoughts on this. Here is how I see this picture. In order to get sugar beet seeds (from non-GE beets) the beets have to be allowed to go to seed. In order for Monsanto to get their seed I would assume that they would then have to do the same thing. Since most crops in America are grown in mono-culture, and normally close to each other because certain soils grow those crops the best, there is definately a risk for cross pollination, as I see it. Even if the crops are miles and miles apart bees and such don’t really know to not go to a certain plant after they’ve gone to this other plant. Do they?
Either way, I do not have any interest in eating genetically altered food. So yes, I think this is a big deal. Not to mention all the farmers who would now be indebted to Monsanto for their seed each year.
So far we’ve had a lot of GE seeds released on the market that are “safe” and not be able to cross pollinate. This has not been the case. So you’ll have to excuse me if I’m a little skeptical of their statement that the beets are safe and not able to cross pollinate.
As for your statement that the gene that is spliced won’t end up in the sugar. I guess you’re right, I don’t really know that one. But I would guess that after beets are processed the remains are either used as a compostable material or feed to animals. So it would seem likely that the spliced gene does end up in the food supply. I don’t know this exactly, but most meat producers will feed an agricultural waste product to an animal they can. Why would beet remains be any different?
By the way, I was noticed your e-mail is from Michigan State. Any chance you’ve been involved with all the reserach that’s been done up there for Roundup Ready Sugar Beets? I’m just curious.
http://www.greeen.msu.edu/Portals/green/Sweeter_Sugar_Beets.pdf
IssueTalk said,
Scientists Estimate That Pesticides are Reducing Crop Yields by ONE-THIRD Through Impaired Nitrogen Fixation – July 2007
Drawing on their recent work and other published studies, the team projected that pesticides and other contaminants are reducing plant yield by one-third as a result of impaired SNF. This remarkable conclusion suggests one mechanism, or explanation of the yield-enhancing benefits of well-managed, long-term organic farming systems. http://www.organic-center.org/science.hot.php?action=view&report_id=99
Furthermore this is all about monopoly not science :
On 17th December 2007 Monsanto was found guilty of contempt of the South African Advertising Authority (ASA) for publishing false claims about the safety of GM foods.
In January,2007, Monsanto was fined 15,000 euros (US$19,000 ) in a French court for misleading the public about the environmental impact of herbicide Roundup.
A former chairman of Monsanto Agriculture France was found guilty of false advertising for presenting Roundup as biodegradable and claiming that it left the soil clean after use. Monsanto’s French distributor Scotts France was also fined 15,000 euros.
In 2005 Monsanto was caught smuggling South African produced GM Bollgard cotton seed into Indonesia disguised as rice. Monsanto was fined for bribing Indonesian officials.
In 2006 Monsanto suppressed evidence of serious damage to the liver and kidneys of rats in their MON 863 GM maize trials until ordered to release this evidence by a German Court.
In June, 2007, a second peer-reviewed case involving another variation of Monsanto’s GM maize, namely, NK 603, has been shown by studies to be potentially toxic to humans. NK 603 has been approved for food, feed, processing, and propagation in Europe and the Philippines The new research, carried out by the French scientific research institute CRIGEN, involves biotech firm Monsanto’s NK 603 GMO corn (marketed commercially under the name Round-up Ready).
Rats that were fed GM maize showed significant differences in measurements, as well as significant weight differences compared to those fed with normal maize. Almost 70 statistically significant differences were observed and reported – 12 for hematology parameters, 18 for clinical chemistry parameters, nine for urine chemistry parameters, six for the organ weights (brain, heart, liver), 14 for body weights and body weight changes, and eight for food consumption. toxicity, The most alarming was the diminished brain size. Scientists warned that diminished brain size sent out a urgent danger warning for growing children fed `GM food.
Bobolink-January 29, 2008 » GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow said,
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[...] Stop buying vegetable oils from GM seeds. Use organic cotton. Monsanto is trying to make inroads on GM sugar beets, and if they do start buying organic sugar. Even better, let the candy companies know that you [...]
Stella said,
I see 4 problems with the release of Monsanto’s GM beets.
1. The beets are destined to be sprayed with toxic chemicals, they will no doubt suck that up and contaminate the sugar produced from them.
2. Having Round-Up-Ready beets will encourage the use of this pesticide and may kill crops in neighboring fields.
3. If you want to switch to a non-Round Up Ready crop, how long is the ground going to be too poisoned to grow a decent crop?
4. And the most compelling reason not to plant this stuff, when it does go to seed (as Monstanto most likely will to propagate it), when the pollen crosses with other people’s beets, Monsanto will then viciously attack and drive out of business those farmers, claiming they are violating their patent. Monsanto seems to be out to destroy all the competition by knowingly producing plants that will contaminate others plants so the seed they hold back contains their genes. They have a bunch of lawyers backed by 15 million dollars just for the purpose of nailing farmers to the wall for growing their patent protected crops, they don’t even care if your seed was contaminated and you grew it unknowingly. To me THAT is a real crime. They control about 90% of the seed market already and non-GM seeds for some crops at a commercial level are hard to find and almost impossible to certify free of GM contamination.
Many farmers have already been bankrupted by Monsanto’s lawsuits in the US and Canada. Not to mention the over 200,000 farmers in India that have committed suicide after being driven into bankruptcy by Monsanto…….. GM is good in theory, but in practice is being used as a tool to get rid of all the small farmers and may be an attempt to control the world food supply. Buy non-GM whenever possible!!!
Dud3man said,
Take Europe’s idea, and sabotage all of the trial fields. It seems to work for public awareness, and it sends a message to the companies.