Terrifying new disease linked to genetically altered crops

good stuff:

René, I like this story. It's good stuff. One of the most frightening things about genetically engineered crops is, due to their content, with many engineered to contain pesticides to make them immune to insects and to specific plant diseases, etc., these characteristics allow the engineered plants to overgrow 'average' plant life. Conceivably, depending on how this goes, these plants near the potential to replace many other crops.

Thanks for the words on this. Unless I see it wrong the people who developed these foods have at least given them a weak link that people can rely on. They make the seeds sterile, if I remember rightly. That means one generation then out. At least we have that to be thankful for.

As a side thought, I wonder what if the people who manufacture this feed it to themselves and their own families?

Wrong, Mikasi.

And part of the problem is that Monsanto-altered crops often cross-pollinate with neighboring native crops, and the company's investigators will take samples, test the DNA and accuse the neighbors of 'stealing' or 'seed piracy', and sue them. So even farmers who never buy Monsanto's seeds become their victims. But this is a kind of piracy also cuz that process steals the honest crops of farmers who do not wish to use Monsanto's seeds, as well as genetically altering the native seeds. This is not good.

Some scientists fear that monocrops could eventually fall victim to something, like a bug or bacteria or even a plant virus, causing a real castastrophe: a gigantic crop failure.

These people are playing god with our food. globally.

Oh the panic merchants are out again, and still hiding behind popularist magazine articles...shame there has been no independant research done for this post.

They make the seeds sterile, if I remember rightly. That means one generation then out. At least we have that to be thankful for.

This has always been the case, even for non-gm crops .... it part of plant breeding - NON biotech plant breeding - go read up on it. (essentiall no different to breeds of cows, dogs etc - they will REVERT back given the opporuntiy in just 9 generations)

Monsanto-altered crops often cross-pollinate with neighboring native crops,

Only if the neighboring crop is the same species, like canola/canola.  It certainly won't cross polinate with grass, flowers cabbages or carrots - again go read up on basic plant breeding.

Also go and read up on what GM actually is. In all this scare-mongering post I have not seen one correct use of the terminology.

GM is merely using biotechnology to skip some steps that are part of any normal plant breeding process (if you don;t like the result of plant breeding give up all wheat, barley, oats, corn products today - they are all genetically modified from their origin stock - this modification STARTED 3,000 years ago - again, go read up on it.

Roundup ready is one altered gene and the result is called TRANSGENIC, that is something from another species etc. And no, it cannot escape.....

Like to be healthy and use Soy based products?? Soy milk better for you??  Do you know how much NON genetically modified soybean is grown in the world today?  Less than 20%. Almost all soybean and cornj grown in the USA has been 'doctored'.

Start cleaning out the pantry folks, soybean and corn is in virtually EVERYTHING

Of course, Matte, they do cross-pollinate with the same type crops. I didn't mean to imply otherwise. but there is a tendency to grow only one type of corn, etc. and that does make the food supply more vulnerable if some pest develops that decimates it. Biodiversity is a preventative to total loss in that event.

Personally I'm allergic to corn, so I eat very little of it, and tend to avoid anything with high fructose corn. I do not like soy products, especially tofu. Go ahead and eat it, Matte, if you like.

And I am offended that you call me a fear-mongerer or a panic merchant. I guess you think it's okay to ingest all the antibiotics, hormones and other additives they add to our food. Did you know there were over 2000 food additives in products on supermarket shelves back in the 70s? How many more do you think there are now? It's no wonder people develop allergies, sensitivities and diseases as a result. And even die from it.

Oh, yes it does. And I've been hearing these stories for years, from people who have seen it happening, not the media. I think Vanity Fair and its staff have more credentials than you.

Vanity fair...c'mon.....

I worked in a plant research organisation - I KNOW the science and I wrote about it. I don't rely on hearsay evidence - or some rumours repeated in some magazine.

Your report would have been much better if supported by scientific evidence.

I am as open to opinion as the next person, but I have done the reading, I have seen the scientific processes, I have done dozens of interviews,  I have seen the safeguards. I do not rely on emotive hyperbole.

This post needed to have the other side of the argument given. Now it is. Personally I would prefer my food that has not had all sorts of sprays on it, by using gene discovery to identify those genes that resist insect attack and having the plant bred so that this gene was evident.

Here is some good reading, in simple English. It it worth educating yourself on this, otherwise, yes, you will come across as a fear monger and panic merchant, just like Vanity Fair. Report from both sides.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040418222504/http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/biotechnology/

 and the links from this page http://web.archive.org/web/20040418224506/www.dpi.qld.gov.au/biotechnology/7513.html

Monsanto is one scary psychotic corporation for sure…

PROOF OF CONCEPT

Americans have been drinking pus filled milk for years now…

Milk: America’s Health Problem

Monsanto Co., the manufacturer of rBGH, has influenced U. S. product safety laws permitting the sale of unlabeled rBGH milk. (Monsanto would lose billions ...
www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/milk.htm

Monsanto's Genetically Modified Milk Ruled Unsafe by The United Nation...

The Codex Alimentarius Commission, the U.N. Food Safety Agency representing 101 nations worldwide, has ruled unanimously in favor of the 1993 European moratorium on Monsanto's genetically engineered hormonal milk (rBGH). This unexpected ruling, revealingly greeted by the U.S. press with deafeningsilence, is a powerful blow against U.S. global trade policies which are strongly influenced by powerful multi-national corporations, such as Monsanto.

Battle the Monsanto Milk Beast

SORRY IF YOU HAVE TO READ THIS WHILE ENJOYING YOUR COFFEE :)

Thanks for stepping in, White Noise. Monsanto is now going after alfalfa and sugar beets, but this time farmers are fighting back. See the stories on EnvironmentalNews

Remember, Hillary Clinton is on Monsanto's payroll and has been for twenty years.  Imagine if she gets into the Whitehouse!

Artificial Foods and Corporate Crops: Can We Escape the 'Frankenstate'?:  Taking a technological approach to agriculture has put the future of the world's food supply in jeopardy.
http://www.alternet.org/environment/83301/