"Food Safety Modernization Act" (S510). Is this a new threat to civil liberities?

Let me start by offering a Summary Of The Bill

I was reading FSK's Guide to Reality when I ran into this new article...
On his blog it was his opening statement that caught my attention.

The Food Safety Modernization Act

Evil laws are always given noble-sounding names. One example is the proposed "Food Safety Modernization Act" (S510). It should be called the "The Ban Small Farms And Heirloom Seeds Act" or "The Monsanto Corporate Welfare Act". (The Senate didn't have a final vote on S510 before adjourning.)

He goes on to say.
Monsanto sells seeds, they sell "terminator seeds". The plant has no seeds or infertile seeds, so the farmer must buy seeds again next year. "Terminator seeds" are completely unnatural. They're the product of an evil corporate cartel in a non-free market.

With "heirloom seeds", the farmer can keep the seeds to plant next year. Monsanto executives would prefer to have heirloom seeds declared illegal. The Food Safety Modernization Act is vague enough that the FDA could do this.

Wouldn't be the first time a government agency was approached by a powerful lobbyist and with some cash to make their argument more persuasive Pass laws as silly as what FSK eludes too...

Is he right?
I don't know...
He is right in that The law itself is actually vague. granting the FDA sweeping new powers making it ripe for abuse.... and it does sound like The Food Safety Modernization Act is a typical corporate welfare law, disguised as a safety law.



what's going to happen with this bill is anyone's guess but it is one to watch...
FSK's Guide to Reality

This wouldn't be the first time the FDA protects corporations instead of the consumer.


www.rawstory.com...

FDA won’t allow food to be labeled free of genetic modification: report

"Extra labeling only confuses the consumer"

Originally posted by Jezus
This wouldn't be the first time the FDA protects corporations instead of the consumer.


www.rawstory.com...

FDA won’t allow food to be labeled free of genetic modification: report

"Extra labeling only confuses the consumer"

Very good point and so people know what your talking about
it's illegal to sell corn labeled as "non-GMO corn" (not genetically engineered). The FDA says "GMO corn is safe, so that label is unreasonable." However, the FDA is denying people the right to choose. If some people (irrationally?) prefer non-GMO corn, then they should be allowed to buy it.

Okay, I'm all on-board the Monsanto is the devil train.

HOWEVER, does anyone ever check references and read the text of Bills anymore before jumping on a bandwagon making wild accusations?

First off, this is an old Bill that was referred, almost immediately, to a Senate Sub-Committee on March 3rd, 2009. The Senate Sub-Committee reported their findings to the Senate on Nov 18, 2009. It sat for almost a year until the Senate had a Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the bill presented in Senate on Sep 29, 2010. So, the Senate has agreed to hear the Bill, as reported and modified by the Senate Sub-Committee, but it has yet to be put on the docket.

However, the big sticker is that there is no provision, in either the original proposal of the Bill (Food Safety Modernization Act (S510.IS)) that pertains to seeds at all. Nor does the Reported Bill which the Senate has agreed to hear (Food Safety Modernization Act (S510.RS)) which has no additions, but rather has two-thirds of the introduced Bill struck out.

Most of what is in there is common sense ideas, although costly to food packagers and manufacturers, and there doesn't appear to be anything nefarious that furthers the agenda and profit-margin of Monsanto.

Don't take my word for it. Read the Bill yourself.

Seriously, Monsanto doesn't need Federal Legislation to control Heritage Seeds. They personally have bought up the majority of Heritage Seed companies in the world, with DuPont owning almost the same amount, with Mitsui, Syngent, Aventis and Dow controlling the remaining 2%.

reply to post by DaddyBare


I'll play devil's advocate, here.

What is wrong with a company protecting its intellectual property? Many 'terminator seeds' are genetically altered or unique hybrids that extend beyond the infertility. If a company can patent the QA process for that hybrid, why should they not be able to secure that hybrid, as well?

When you buy a blender - you use that blender until it breaks (generally) or you no longer want it. However, the blender doesn't regenerate itself, sit in your cabinets and reproduce, etc. If you want another blender, you have to buy it from a company that makes blenders.

So, applying this logic to seeds - what is so bad about making seeds that make the plant and produce, then die - and the produce is not good for replanting?

Or, let's think of it this way... how can you possibly create a successful business out of selling a product that reproduces itself? A farmer would buy seeds once and never return (what sense would it make from his perspective to buy something he can get as a biproduct of his usual business?).

I won't argue that I wouldn't rather make a garden that I can replant from last year's seeds... but that's because I don't want to have to buy the seeds again.

As for the bill - I'm not quite sure how it could be extrapolated to mean heirloom seeds would become an illegal market. I do not see how it could be enforced in a practical manner - seeing as most of the botanical life on this planet would exist and persist in disagreement - I could cultivate some wild raspberries and sell the seeds without much threat of the seed-police coming to get me.

I have placed a link to this, your thread on a thread of my own titled..

Serge Monast, the NWO and Project Blue Beam.

the information you posted in your OP fits well into Monasts original disclosure document of 1994.

those who visit my thread will visit yours to see the info you have posted.

respects

The Monsanto Boggie Man

-method-

If a bill comes up that is not in monsanto's favor,
release the attack dogs, by spreading rumor that
the bill is evil and gives everything to Monsanto.

If it is one of Monsanto's bills,
make sure no one ever hears about it.

-end method-

My feeling is that the avid home growers are
Monsanto's shock troops in the vox populi.

I mean why are we not calling for the repeal of all food laws,
and not only the specific little ones that pop up, now and then.


David Grouchy

reply to post by fraterormus


Thank you for pointing this out. I too looked through the bill and there is not one mention to seeds or for that matter home gardens. Im openminded but come on there is a think called going way to far. Read it first.