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Europe urged to embrace GM foods

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posted on Sep, 12 2004 @ 07:06 PM
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BBC: Europe urged to embrace GM foods


A major conference on genetically-modified crops has opened in Germany with calls for Europe to embrace GM food more enthusiastically.

So far, speakers said, there is no evidence that GM food poses any danger to human health, which is broadly true.

Earlier this year, the European Union ended its five year moratorium on new GM foods. Last week, it approved for the first time a variety of GM seed for planting throughout EU territory.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Some GM crops are resistant to certain worms and insects. These worms are also food for some animals. By allowing GM food, we could mess up the eco-system. This can start a chain-reaction which we can't control. There are positive effects and there are negative effects. GM food might or might not be dangerous to humans directly....

Is this just about profit and some yes-sayers just been paid to support it? Should we continue to mess with nature and experiment?


[edit on 2006/4/30 by Hellmutt]



posted on Sep, 12 2004 @ 11:08 PM
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Some GM crops are resistant to certain worms and insects.
These worms are also food for some animals.


So what, they'll eat them out of some other place. Do you think that huge fields of corn grow naturally anyway? There aren't any creatures that exist soley from eating the worms from corn anyway.



posted on Sep, 12 2004 @ 11:12 PM
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What's wrong with regular food? I don't see a world food shortage approaching anytime soon.

What in the corn makes pests not like it? Regular corn can be safeguarded with chemicals that wash off, but what's wrong with the GM corn that worms don't find it as tasty as people do?



posted on Sep, 12 2004 @ 11:25 PM
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Originally posted by taibunsuu
What in the corn makes pests not like it?


Many GM products are engineered to express certain chemicals that pests find toxic. One example is Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) which is one of the only natural pesticides around. It can also be sprayed onto crops. Unfortunately, it kills both good and undesireable bugs, and can lead to insects becoming immune to the stuff over time.



posted on Sep, 12 2004 @ 11:33 PM
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Hmmm, I don't think people are wise enough yet to start spreading GM crops (and of course their pollen and seeds) all over the world.



posted on Sep, 12 2004 @ 11:41 PM
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It's playing with genetics, and anytime you do that, you might not know the true outcome for quite a while. It's a big argument in human gene manipulation, too. We *think* we know what a gene does, but who knows what goes along with it. An example would be a gene for hair color - you change it to create bright red haired kids, but you don't realize you wiped out the resistance to some type of normally harmless bacteria or you just guaranteed your red haired baby will develop Alzheimers 60 years later. This kind of thing can go along with what we're doing to food, also.

GM products get into the food supply in many ways. Even if you swear off all GM food, the hamburger you're eating might have been ground from a cow who ate GM foods.

It's a frightening thing so early in the game. There is a lot we do know about the foods and their safety, but it's what we don't know that could be the problem.



posted on Sep, 20 2004 @ 07:25 PM
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Originally posted by RedBalloon
It's playing with genetics, and anytime you do that, you might not know the true outcome for quite a while.

There is a lot we do know about the foods and their safety, but it's what we don't know that could be the problem.


Right on, RedBalloon.
Man seems to like to act like God.
Using Mother Earth as his experiment-lab.
Our children might pay for it in the end...
Too bad he can�t turn back the time if he make an error.
I don�t believe there will be exclusively positive results from this experimenting.
I want to believe it, but in reallity there will be errors.
The question is, how bad the negatives will be...



posted on Sep, 20 2004 @ 07:41 PM
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Originally posted by Hellmutt


"A major conference on genetically-modified crops has opened in Germany with calls for Europe to embrace GM food more enthusiastically.

So far, speakers said, there is no evidence that GM food poses any danger to human health, which is broadly true.

Earlier this year, the European Union ended its five year moratorium on new GM foods.
Last week, it approved for the first time a variety of GM seed for planting throughout EU territory."

Source: BBC: Europe urged to embrace GM foods



Some GM crops are resistant to certain worms and insects.
These worms are also food for some animals.
By allowing GM food, we could mess up the eco-system.
This can start a chain-reaction which we can�t control.
There are positive effects and there are negative effects.
GM food might or might not be dangerous to humans directly....

Is this just about profit and some yes-sayers just been paid to support it?
Should we continue to mess with nature and experiment?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You play the role of second Goering ...or what










posted on Sep, 20 2004 @ 10:02 PM
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Were spreading our crops with tons of chemicals to keep certain insects/worms off of them as it is so the argument that it could disrupt the ecosystem anymore than pesticides have/can seems a bit far reaching to me.

If we have a major climactic change in the future that causes crop shortages worse than we already have or if population growths further outstrip our ability to provide enough food it may become a matter of necessity. The arguments against it may go out the window.



posted on Sep, 20 2004 @ 10:05 PM
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There's enough food in the world to feed the population more than adequately. We're not running out of food, the things that cause starvation are entirely social and economical.

And that's without turning on genetically altered corn cobs and whatnot.


E_T

posted on Sep, 21 2004 @ 01:43 AM
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Originally posted by taibunsuu
There's enough food in the world to feed the population more than adequately. We're not running out of food, the things that cause starvation are entirely social and economical.

You forgot politics.
Controlling food is good way to control people.
(grains with one "feature"... seeds produced by them won't germinate)


With about 5 billion dollars we could provide clean water and food for those who are in need.
But what these most richest "civilized" western countries are doing? Using hundred times more money for weapons.
So before that's corrected there's no need to talk about "allmight power" of GM-food.
(selling which would sure provide good profits for multinational corporations)

[edit on 21-9-2004 by E_T]



posted on Sep, 21 2004 @ 01:48 AM
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i dont think they should mess with nature. its a bad 50's twilightzone episode waiting to happen for sure....



posted on Sep, 21 2004 @ 01:50 AM
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Very true, E_T.

Considering Kansas alone produces 90% of the world's wheat, and Texas produces more rice than Asia, I don't think we need genetically altered crap to feed the world.

Load of baloney.



posted on Sep, 21 2004 @ 10:45 PM
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I seriously hope that Europeans reject GM foods. GM foods were forced down the throats of north americans for so many years. I'm glad Europe has by and large rejected them. I just wonder how much testing companies have done when it comes to GM foods. We all know how much testing pharmaceutical companies did when it came to Thalydamide.



posted on Nov, 27 2005 @ 10:57 PM
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Originally posted by BeMoreCynical
I seriously hope that Europeans reject GM foods.

The Swiss just said no. Or actually they just supported a five year-ban on the farming of genetically modified crops. But Switzerland is not a member of EU. Still good


European Union Member States

ATS Thread:
Swiss Ban Genetically Modified Crops (by carlwfbird)



posted on Nov, 27 2005 @ 11:14 PM
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Genetically modified food and seeding is of utmost importance to nations that cannot otherwise grow proper, sufficient, and/or a adequate self-sustaining amount of crops. Be it because of environment conditions, etc., such as arid areas, etc. Furthermore, genetically enhanced seedings and crops allow for crops to be grown when and where they normally can not be grown by normal seeding and crop seasons or conditions. Something to think about people.

Many here are overlooking, whether purposely or unintentionally, the benefits to be gained from genetics in relation to seeding and crops. Basically, taking a negative approach. I understand that the tampering with and of genetics has the implications of "playing God," even I feel that way, but in looking at the estimated future population growths and the amount of food that will be needed to feed the ever-increasing world population growth, etc., the benefits of genetically enhanced seeding and crops will continue to look viable.

I predict that inevitably, the countries that now abstain from or frown upon genetically enhanced seeding or crops will eventually come around to acceptance and tolerance in the near future.




seekerof

[edit on 27-11-2005 by Seekerof]



posted on Nov, 27 2005 @ 11:49 PM
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Good point Seekerof


But is this the only way to solve these problems or is it just the cheapest way? I mean, is this a question of money and profit or is it the only way of survival? The World population can´t continue to grow forever anyway. "Unlimited food" is not the only solution to allow unlimited population growth. Do we want "unlimited population growth" anyway? I agree starvation is a "problem" many places on earth but much food could also be distributed differently. Lots of food gets thrown away.

Btw, because Switzerland is not in the EU they were allowed to make this decision for themselves. Otherwise this would have been decided for them in Brussels.



posted on Nov, 27 2005 @ 11:52 PM
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I'm with ya RedBalloon, we just don't know all the results that could occur as a result of these foods.

The concept does seem kind of neat, vegetables that you don't have to guard from pests, less disease, but there are still too many unanswered questions. And what effects would eating a GM food have on you?

I think more testing on GM food is needed.

Seeds that won't germinate, now that's a scary idea. That means we couldn't take the seeds from an apple, for example, and plant it in our yards. This idea, if it was brought into existence, could take the food supply completely out of our hands, and put it in the hands of those in controll of producing the GM plant. That's damn scary, if the wrong person got controll of technology like this. What if farms and orchards converted over to GM plants? You had better hope that you have some non-GM seeds lying around, or you might just have your food supply taken away, rationed, prices raised or whatever. In other words food could be completely controlled by one organization, and that organization might be an evil organization. And if you don't have germinating seeds to grow on your own land, then you could no longer grow your own garden.

After the paragraph I just wrote, I don't know if I like the idea of GM foods.
It takes food, and could kind of give it a copyright.

Still it may end up being a good thing, just like any technology, you don't want it in the wrong hands.

Troy



posted on Nov, 27 2005 @ 11:57 PM
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Originally posted by Hellmutt
But is this the only way to solve these problems or is it just the cheapest way? I mean, is this a question of money and profit or is it the only way of survival?

Assuming here, but probably a combination of both.





The World population can´t continue to grow forever anyway. "Unlimited food" is not the only solution to allow unlimited population growth. Do we want "unlimited population growth" anyway?

Are you, like the UN, advocating population control?
Hellmutt, that is a conspiracy related topic within itself. You know, New World Order type thinking, etc.







seekerof



posted on Nov, 28 2005 @ 12:06 AM
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Originally posted by Seekerof

Are you, like the UN, advocating population control?
Hellmutt, that is a conspiracy related topic within itself. You know, New World Order type thinking, etc.

I have no idea what the UN is doing. Are they advocating population control? Ok, I guess I am then. "Just like the UN"
. If people were allowed to multiply like crazy and without any kind of control I think we would very soon have a major problem and not just foodwise.




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