US Will Officially Legalize Genetic Pollution of Crops

[DustMolecule]

<snip>

WASHINGTON, DC (US) / BRUSSELS (BELGIUM), November 23, 2004 ­ A new proposal to allow contamination of human food crops with biotech or genetically modified (GM) experimental crops grown on "test" sites will be published tomorrow (Wednesday) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <1>.

<snip>

It is already impossible to test for the presence of experimental GM food crops in foods imported from or processed in the US, because over two-thirds of US experimental GM crops contain genes classified as confidential which therefore can't be detected.

Juan Lopez from Friends of the Earth International said: "The Bush Administration, with the active support of the biotechnology industry, is about to force their untested genetically modified experiments into the world's food supply. This proposal should be ringing alarm bells in every consumer, every food company and every food agency of the planet."

Adrian Bebb of Friends of the Earth Europe added:
"Because of the secrecy behind experiments in the United States, no one ­ not food companies, not even governments ­ will be able to test food products or food imports for contamination because they won't know what to test for. This will leave consumers worldwide exposed to new risks from genetically modified foods."

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http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/legal.cfm

[jhain]

1. these people have shit for brains

god damn, this pisses me off.

[CrispyQ]

2. Every day I feel things get more & more out of control! eom

[whosinpower]

3. Up here in Canada

There was a lawsuit with a farmer, allegedly growing GM canola without purchasing the seed from Monsanto.

If there is known contamination, then it is up to the farmer to "clean" up his field or face charges of patent infringement.

To me, far more insidious, is that this could be a back door way to eventually control vast sections of farmland to the corporations. A person cannot hold back a portion of GM crop to grow the next year. All seed must be purchased from the developer - such is the patent laws.

[LeftHander]

7. Monsanto....

Has plans to do exaclty what they did in Canada to canola to wheat in the US.

Other companies like Dole have devastated natural Bananna species with GM species. The result is that thier GM plant takes over and replace the indiginous species that have millions of years of genetic variability in them. the result is a VERY unstable species suseptable to pests and disease. And patents are enforced on WILD plants...

So more chemicals are sprayed.

It is a horrible circle done under the guise of increasing food production to feed the world. Where as it really is all about profit.

[genieroze]

4. They should not be able to sell this without letting the public know

first. Let people choose to be guinea pigs

[DrWeird]

5. No fear mongering in that article.

No siree.

[Mother Jones]

6. If the average human being truly understood this,

we would (should) be seeing major protests all over the place.

a) The bio-tech industry has NO business controlling the world's food supply.

b) Greenpeace (et al) have been pleading for more tests on GMOs before we let them loose on our world. That's not much to ask, considering the risks.

[China_cat]

8. One of the biggest problems

with this is that legacy seed is no longer being stored. What happens when the genetic line plays out or is decimated by disease? There will be nothing left to replace it.

This is nothing less than eating our seed corn.

[this_side_up]

9. Quote: Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe

the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in
selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its
safety is the FDA's job.

Phil Angell, Director of Corporate Communications,
Monsanto, quoted in the book Genetically
Engineered Food: Changing the Nature of Nature

[SpiralHawk]

10. you are what you eat

You big ugly mutant, you.