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Soaring food prices and global grain shortages are bringing new pressures on governments, food companies and consumers to relax their longstanding resistance to genetically engineered crops…
In the United States, wheat growers and marketers, once hesitant about adopting biotechnology because they feared losing export sales, are now warming to it as a way to bolster supplies. Genetically modified crops contain genes from other organisms to make the plants resistance to insects, herbicides or disease. Opponents continue to worry that such crops have not been studied enough and that they might pose risks to health and the environment…
Even in Europe, where opposition to what the Europeans call Frankenfoods has been fiercest, some prominent government officials and business executives are calling for faster approvals of imports of genetically modified crops. They are responding in part to complaints from livestock producers, who say they might suffer a critical shortage of feed if imports do not accelerate.
In Britain, the National Beef Association, which represents cattle farmers, issued a statement this month demanding that “all resistance” to such crops “be abandoned immediately in response to shifts in world demand for food, the growing danger of global food shortages and the prospect of declining domestic animal production.”
Most of the “resistance” to genetically modified crops is political and cultural. It’s been perfectly acceptable to refuse to examine scientific studies if they don’t cater to peoples’ fears. Fears, after all, of what our governments and corporations might do in the name of profit.
I remember the European rabid resistance to genetically modified foods, and how they though the Americans were so foolish and crazy to risk their health on these foods.
I have seen nothing but good come from genetically modified food, now that I’ve grown that third testicle I’ve always wanted.
[Doesn't that chafe? - ed.]
The USA grows over 1/3 of our crops to go to OTHER nations…
Why cant they feed their own..
then we will have HEALTHY NATURAL crops and be able to change CROPS to Fuel..
#2
By all means stop exporting food. What’s the worst that could happen?
… besides making a further hash of the balance of payments, devaluing the dollar to the point of junk paper, and making it impossible for the economy to recover this side of the next century.
Over-engineered crap that on average produces 10% less than “natural” selected strains.
… If I eat genetically modified foods do I not then become genetically modified – disregarding vaccines and flu shots of course.
#1 You should change your username to Triorchid.
3,
so you believe in a WORLD economy??
People are afraid for 2 reasons, 1 they don’t get the science and don’t understand the food supply shortage, 2 these products come from companies that have been globalizing food resources and hurting local agricultural interests. Companies like Monsanto have been very agressive about seed distribution, they’re like an agricultural Microsoft. On the other hand what’s to keep these mega companies from playing the same games as the OPEC, creating shortages to later raise prices.
Oh, BTW I forgot to mention that many modified grains do not seed, so you’re obligated to get your seed grain from them intead of growing your own.
#8 – that particular criticism is little out-of-date. Monsanto tried that when they were the only game in town. Like MSoft, they still would love to continue that road; but, there are too many competitors who allow normal seed collection.
In practice, many farmers would rather repurchase new genetically-guaranteed seed, anyway. Bigger, resistant yields that don’t require expensive petro-based fertilizers are a heck of a motivator for cash crops.
Eidard said: “Fears, after all, of what our governments and corporations might do in the name of profit.”
Sorry Eidard, but I fail to see the logic here. If any, genetically engineered food helps you get more profit, not the other way around.
#8 so, you’r solution to food shortage is population reduction then?
#4 man, you’re really a green mess. Let us know when there no more food. Or better yet, be true to your word and stop eating.
Moss (#9),
You are wrong about needing less fertilizer, they need just as much as ever. The GM crops are for pest management, so the farmers spray less pesticide (in theory).
http://tinyurl.com/5gvj45
http://tinyurl.com/6xc6j5
A couple of filmmakers rented an acre of land and made a documentary that appeared on PBS this last week. They used genetically engineered corn. It was in the midwest, I think Missouri. This genetically engineered corn there is now mostly used to make fodder (food for the cows) in which they grind up the entire plant, and extract corn syrup for such yummy void of nutrient treats like soda pop and the corn oil for deep frying of potatos and chicken parts. The interesting thing is that once the high yield crop matured, they tasted their harvest, munching in the field on one of the ears of corn, and spit it out cuz it tasted like crap. It is worthless for food. They feed this garbage to cows. In contrast, healthy and happy cows graze on grass. Most American cows are now penned up, and fed this genetically engineered junk. This is why most beef is loaded with fat they discovered, this genetically engineered corn is not nutritious. Grass fed cows, which are getting harder to find in America, are lean and tasty. Even those who produce them say they don’t eat the genetically engineered corn, they eat the good organic stuff. There is so much energy wasted on generating these foodstuffs that are derived from “fake corn” and in the treating of diseases that are caused by the excessive consumption of corn syrup (like diabetes) and beef fat (heart disease) that if the world was to revert back to natural organic seed and farming, IT WOULD SAVE SO MUCH ENERGY that it would be like taking 1 billion cars off the road.
#11 – not interested in wasting the morn on a Googling match. There are non-agribiz farmers in my neck of the prairie who acquire their GM seed choosing for less fertilizer as well as less pesticide. Your point works for some of agribiz types; but, it changes all the time. Your links are AG101 stuff.
As petro-based fertilizers rise in price, alternatives will push the market. And potash is a finite resource, as well.
#10 – that’s the problem with English as a 2nd language. I believe Eideard was describing the fears of the Vegetarian Left – not defining what’s profitable or not.
Not that the fears grounded in distrust of government and corporate greed are unfounded. But, the function of challenges based on reality rather than spooky misconceptions is a better way to be certain we’re not being poisoned, a more reasonable way to fight for safety.
The chemtrail crowd ain’t any sharper than the family values nutballs.
#13, moss,
There are non-agribiz farmers in my neck of the prairie who acquire their GM seed choosing for less fertilizer as well as less pesticide.
Can’t be. Any plant needs food in order to grow. Using less fertilizer will result in smaller plants and reduced yields. FarmBio 101.
Corn, in particular, is hard on the soil. It depletes most nutrients quite quickly. That is why most farmers rotate corn with other crops such as soy.
#10 – make a point. Til then you’re nub.
I’m with Moss. for some reason, I don’t feel like googling this morning.
I thought less fertilizer is always a goal of plant dna manipulators as in creating self fixing nitrogen and looking for other water, air, sunlight maximizing mechanics.
I’d be surprised if 1-2-3 plants don’t require less fertilzers.
#14–catshit==you might be confusing “nutrients” with fertilizer. Not everything comes in a bag.
Some people will never get out of the trick bag they’re in…
My advice:
Don’t fear the reaper
lol
My body cannot handle hormon-enhanced and genetically-modified foods and cooking oils, such as standard USDA Beef loaded with growth hormones, and soybean-based cooking oils.
The only beef I can digest is the more expensive non-modified Angus and higher quality/higher priced beef products, and I cannot eat any beef/poultry/pork that has been cooked/baked/broiled in genetically-modified U.S. Vegetable Oils.
My theory is that genetically-modified and hormone-enhanced foods and cooking oils are the most likely the primary reason, besides overindulgance, for the huge outbreaks in gastrointestinal diseases, obesity, and colon cancer in the USA.