Wandering around the net and saw this.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/danger-lies-on-the-gm-food-road-20110209-1amy1.html
It tells about the some problems of farming organically.
Felt I'd throw it out there.
Monsanto will hijack the food supply and Big Oil got the fuel. We just supply the money.
What a life.
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4 comments:
There is of course always more to the story. For example the Northwest fight over roundup resistant sugar beets was reportedly funded by a huge sugar beet producer in Brazil who is using GM beets but wanted to put the US out of the business.
I want to grow GM alfalfa as it really works.
But, I don't like monsanto.
I think if they are promoting their GMO seeds that they should pay compensation for contaminating other people's crops. Especially if they make the claim that it will not cross pollinate. Instead they sue people for stealing the gene!
My second issue is the consolitation of the seed industry. The GM seed works so well that everyone uses it and all the small local seed companies go broke.
SO, I'm pretty conflicted about the whole GM seed issue. I use it but I'm not happy about it.
Budde, The story is multi faceted. I find that the more I look, the more I don't understand. Crop contamination should be compensated. There shouldn't be a question of how it happened, but how much will it cost to fix the problem.
I remember Monsanto from years back. I believe they had a show/ride/exhibit at Disney world back in the 60s/early 70s. Something to do with how they could make things better.
Basically they only showed the good, without showing their bad side. They were big on carpet back then.
The GM seeds sound like a good deal, until you realize you have to keep buying them over and over. Sterile, right? Heritage seeds can be gotten year after year. Sustainable. Tell me if I'm wrong.
Ma Bell had a monopoly and the government broke them up. Didn't that improve our way of life?
When we moved my mother in law here, we turned in her phone. She had been paying rental fees on that phone from since my wife had lived there. (40-50 years) It was a good phone, but I don't think it was that good.
I'm sure Ma Bell didn't line the pockets of the politicians like Monsanto does.
jmo
The saving seed argument is not that relative. It is only important if you were raising a crop that you wanted to save the seeds for certain characteristics. No one replants hybrid corn as it reverts back. I think you can replant wheat but it doesn't matter as it needs to be cleaned and is mostly from certified stock and so most people just sell it in one big lot.
People were saving soybeans and replanting and got in trouble for that.
In this area we raise specific varieties of grass for seed. That seed is owned by the company and you sign an agreement not to replant it or if you do you can't claim the patented variety. You have to sell it as "variety not specified" or VNS.
If you buy special seed and you sign the agreement you have to abide by the agreement.
It is a problem when there is no other alternative to plant, or when cross contamination ruins your own seed stock and Monsanto sues you for it. This is what they have done. I think they have violated the good will of their customers and I hate buying anything from them.
Oh yes, growers will be compensated when their non gm crops are contaminated by gm seeds. But not by monsanto. It will come from the poor illiterate farmers like myself who signs the monsanto tech agreement every year that I want to plant gm canola. Just found that out recently and not too happy about it.
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/225030
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