Huge GMO News

www.commondreams.org...

Just three days ago, Mexico banned genetically engineered corn. Citing the risk of imminent harm to the environment, a Mexican judge ruled that, effective immediately, no genetically engineered corn can be planted in the country. This means that companies like Monsanto will no longer be allowed to plant or sell their corn within the country's borders.

At the same time, the County Council for the island of Kauai passed a law that mandates farms to disclose pesticide use and the presence of genetically modified crops. The bill also requires a 500-foot buffer zone near medical facilities, schools and homes -- among other locations.

And the big island of Hawaii County Council gave preliminary approval to a bill that prohibits open air cultivation, propagation, development or testing of genetically engineered crops or plants. The bill, which still needs further confirmation to become law, would also prohibit biotech companies from operating on the Big Island.

Viva Mexico

Las abuelas están bailando en las calles.

I remember the last days before the vote on GMO labeling here in California (the referendum lost by a narrow margin) when the grandma's with their tamale carts were lobbying for passage on the streets everywhere. Encouraging everyone to vote.

It didn't start soon enough to turn the tide then but has sunk in.

There's more good news from the GMO front:

But perhaps the biggest bombshell of all is now unfolding in Washington state. The mail-in ballot state's voters are already weighing in on Initiative 522, which would mandate the labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Knowing full well that 93 percent of the American public supports GMO labeling, and that if one state passes it, many others are likely to follow, entrenched agribusiness interests are pulling out all the stops to try to squelch yet another state labeling effort.

Voting is already underway in Washington, and the final ballots will be cast on November 5. The "yes" side is ahead in the most recent polls, but supporters of the right to know fear that a barrage of heavily funded and misleading ads could sour voters to the initiative.

They remember that just last year, California's Proposition 37 was well ahead in the polls until Monsanto and its allies spent more than $46 million on their campaign in the Golden State.

All this label fighting and money laundering leads to some very significant questions. Why are Monsanto and the junk food industry willing to spend many tens of millions of dollars every year trying to keep you in the dark about your food? What doesn't big food want you to know? And what are they afraid might happen if you did?

(emphasis mine)

Sometimes there is good news!!!

Just three days ago, Mexico banned genetically engineered corn. Citing the risk of imminent harm to the environment, a Mexican judge ruled that, effective immediately, no genetically engineered corn can be planted in the country. This means that companies like Monsanto will no longer be allowed to plant or sell their corn within the country's borders.

False. Monsanto does not plant corn in Mexico and never has. Monsanto does not sell corn in Mexico and never has. Mexico does import GM corn from the U.S. and will continue to do so because this ruling applies only to field trials of GM corn, not importation. It is also a temporary suspension, not a "ban".
Why does the anti-GMO crowd have to invent and distort the facts so much?

Why are Monsanto and the junk food industry willing to spend many tens of millions of dollars every year trying to keep you in the dark about your food? What doesn't big food want you to know? And what are they afraid might happen if you did?

The obvious answer is because people will think "Gosh, if the government says it has to lable it, there must be something wrong with it." Added to the disinformation of the Anti-GMO crowd (see above), it's a reasonable concern.

BTW, Washington's initiative is unlikely to survive legal challenges if it does pass. It is a very flawed law. www.abovetopsecret.com...

Good news. This means I will probably trust the food from Mexico more than USA grown foods in the future. These big corporations have brainwashed American farmers into thinking these changes in food on a large scale are beneficial. They are creating changes in food chemistry that is contributing to the problem of people getting sick. We can't blame the farmers unless greed is the only reason behind their actions, some are just worried about losing what they have worked hard to get. Most are living season to season and worry about their ability to provide food for others. They do not realize that the food they are producing could be harmful.

Changes in the food can cause a lot of problem if it happens too fast and is too broadform. We need to slowly introduce changes in our diet, our bodies cannot handle a lot of change quickly. The Western diet is plagued with problems with too much change. This causes rationality problems and immune system problems.

I'll take it as good news whether or not it's permanent. Mexican farmers have spent thousands of years developing hundreds of different varieties of corn unique to their locale and culture. This is an agricultural heritage worth protecting, just as you would art in a museum imo.

Hawaii is interesting too - why the exclusion zone near certain places that have nothing to do with agriculture? Would it be because of the necessary spraying of chemicals?

I would just like to point out that there are two threads recently posted that mention this.

reply to post by Phage


Phage , I love the capacity you demonstrate to debunk nonsense.

This topic however, people have the right to know what there food is, mild exaggerations, enthusiasm I do not mind...

I'm not actually against GMO foods, however, it should be the GMO's that get the special low cost supermarkets, not over priced for natural. AND I wish to know specifically what the modifications are, listed and the EFFORT needs to be the designing of legitimate super foods, Apples with enough Resveratrol to make me live an extra 10 years and stuff, not roundup resistance etc... or at least have the choice.

Like most things, this is being born amid corruption, lack of choice and with profits as a motive over health, people should have a right to opt out of this stage.

reply to post by penninja

Like most things, this is being born amid corruption, lack of choice and with profits as a motive over health, people should have a right to opt out of this stage.

I have said many times that if a majority wants labelling they should have it.
I have also said that mandatory labeling of GM products is not as effective in giving consumers a choice as a voluntary "GM free" labeling system is.

Which do you think is more effective?
1) A small print notice (along with the listing of ingredients) which says "May contain GM material" whether or not it actually does contain GM material.

2) A bold announcement on the front of the container saying "Non-GM!"

Sales of Non-GMO Project Verified products have gone from $0 in 2010 (when the label launched) to over $3.5 billion just three years later.

www.nongmoproject.org...

reply to post by Phage


I agree.

GMO foods are not going away, no matter how much some may wish for that end. It is just an unrealistic goal at this point.

I will be perfectly happy with a little non-gmo sticker on the product I am buying.

In the end this comes down to a lobbying/govt corruption issue.
Just like most everything else.

Phage
reply to post by penninja

 

Like most things, this is being born amid corruption, lack of choice and with profits as a motive over health, people should have a right to opt out of this stage.

Which do you think is more effective?
1) A small print notice (along with the listing of ingredients) which says "May contain GM material" whether or not it actually does contain GM material.

2) A bold announcement on the front of the container saying "Non-GM!"

Definitely:

3) A bold announcement on the front of the container saying "CONTAIN GMO" !

Kurius

3) A bold announcement on the front of the container saying "CONTAIN GMO" !

Except non of the proposed labeling laws require that, nor do any existing laws. And what if the manufacturer accidentally had a batch that did not contain GM material? They could be sued for false labeling!

watchitburn
reply to post by Phage

 

I will be perfectly happy with a little non-gmo sticker on the product I am buying.

In the end this comes down to a lobbying/govt corruption issue.
Just like most everything else.

Do you realize it would cost consumers extras for the "non-gmo" certification/labels? It would render non-GMO products more expensive for consumers eventually. We ought to insist on big "Contain GMO" labels instead.

Phage

Kurius

3) A bold announcement on the front of the container saying "CONTAIN GMO" !

And what if the manufacturer accidentally had a batch that did not contain GM material? They could be sued for false labeling!

Are you saying you prefer the non-GMO manufacturers getting sued for accidentally having a batch that contain GM materials instead???

reply to post by rickymouse


Just don't drink their water.

Considering their vegetables are watered with it I saw good luck to you and stock up on the TP.

Phage

Kurius

3) A bold announcement on the front of the container saying "CONTAIN GMO" !

Except non of the proposed labeling laws require that, nor do any existing laws. And what if the manufacturer accidentally had a batch that did not contain GM material? They could be sued for false labeling!

I'm sorry - are you suggesting that we pity the poor mega-corps? They should be responsible to the public and the courts for mislabeling in any case.

Phage

Just three days ago, Mexico banned genetically engineered corn. Citing the risk of imminent harm to the environment, a Mexican judge ruled that, effective immediately, no genetically engineered corn can be planted in the country. This means that companies like Monsanto will no longer be allowed to plant or sell their corn within the country's borders.

False. Monsanto does not plant corn in Mexico and never has. Monsanto does not sell corn in Mexico and never has. Mexico does import GM corn from the U.S. and will continue to do so because this ruling applies only to field trials of GM corn, not importation. It is also a temporary suspension, not a "ban".
Why does the anti-GMO crowd have to invent and distort the facts so much?

I'm sorry, are you saying that Mexico didn't ban genetically engineered corn? Where is your source?

Even Monsanto doesn't 'plant' corn, yadda, yadda, I doubt they plant corn anywhere but their test fields.

Oh - I see Mexico 'imports' GMO corn - how obtuse and wise of you.

Again - no sources, backup of any kind.

FyreByrd




Oh - I see Mexico 'imports' GMO corn - how obtuse and wise of you.

Again - no sources, backup of any kind.

I know that is for Phage but it was real easy to verify.

Known as the ‘‘cradle of corn,’’ the Tehuaca´n Valley insoutheastern Puebla, Mexico, is considered one of the possible sites of maize domestication some 5,000 yearsago (MacNeish, 1972; Salvador, 1997). It is also one of the sites where recent Mexican government tests con-firmed the finding of transgenic varieties in producers’landrace cornfields in early 2002. It is most likely that GM corn, imported from the United States to serve asanimal feed, grain for tortillas, or for industrial process-ing, made its way to regional markets where small-scale.Mexican cultivators unknowingly purchased and then planted the grain (INE-CONABIO, 2002). This finding(among others) amplified an international debate about the extent to which corn imports from the United States pose a threat to maize biodiversity in the crop’s center of origin, domestication, and biological diversity.

link

Grimpachi

FyreByrd




Oh - I see Mexico 'imports' GMO corn - how obtuse and wise of you.

Again - no sources, backup of any kind.

I know that is for Phage but it was real easy to verify.

Known as the ‘‘cradle of corn,’’ the Tehuaca´n Valley insoutheastern Puebla, Mexico, is considered one of the possible sites of maize domestication some 5,000 yearsago (MacNeish, 1972; Salvador, 1997). It is also one of the sites where recent Mexican government tests con-firmed the finding of transgenic varieties in producers’landrace cornfields in early 2002. It is most likely that GM corn, imported from the United States to serve asanimal feed, grain for tortillas, or for industrial process-ing, made its way to regional markets where small-scale.Mexican cultivators unknowingly purchased and then planted the grain (INE-CONABIO, 2002). This finding(among others) amplified an international debate about the extent to which corn imports from the United States pose a threat to maize biodiversity in the crop’s center of origin, domestication, and biological diversity.

link

edit on 20-10-2013 by Grimpachi because: (no reason given)

Yes and thank you for the link.

However the deflection based on a word was distracting and irrelevant; however, it was effective. And that is what I've experienced as Phage's supposed brilliance.

reply to post by FyreByrd

However the deflection based on a word was distracting and irrelevant; however, it was effective.

The "deflection" was not mine.

This means that companies like Monsanto will no longer be allowed to plant or sell their corn within the country's borders.

"No longer". Has Monsanto ever been allowed to sell seed or plant corn in Mexico?
Has the selling of GM corn for food or feed been prohibited in Mexico?

reply to post by Phage


Pure pretzel logic... We should not tell people what is inside, which might lead to proper scientific investigation, because by labeling things the public will think something is bad because we are labeling...

Where is the BS meter when you need it.....?

reply to post by Phage


I agree with you 100%, they didn't invest hundreds of billions into this program to get rid of it over night. Fighting GM foods is a waste of time, it will be forced upon us all in the near future. NON GM print in bold on the front of the package would be the most effective method at this point in time.

I feel your pain, no matter how much you try to explain it, your words will go unheard. Certain people still believe they're in control of the world and the policies that govern us.