Monsanto // Current

Obama Picks Pesticide Lobbyist For Agri-Trade Rep

The Obama administration has nominated a senior executive from the pesticide... more

The_Global_Report
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14 hours ago
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8 comments

Monsanto steps back on two GMOs. Why?

I don't think it has anything to do with commercial reasons and everything to do with... more

JanforGore
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1 day ago
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21 comments

Sorry Monsanto, You're Wrong: More GE Crops Mean More Pesticides | PEEK | AlterNet

The whole 'green revolution' is a sham being played out on us by Monsanto and our... more

Monkey_Films
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3 days ago
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Biotech crops cause big increase in pesticide use-report

And just how much of it is in your stomach? These companies don't care. The only thing... more

JanforGore
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4 days ago
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8 comments

A message from Dr. Vandana Shiva: help us fight for the truth

ttp://truefoodnow.org/campaigns/messagefromvandanashiv/

Have you seen this advertisement? Couched deep within the green-washed rhetoric of a recent Monsanto ad is an egregious claim:

Producing more. Conserving more. Improving farmers’ lives. That’s sustainable agriculture. And that’s what Monsanto is all about.

Oh, really?

While the mainstream media and Big Ag pundits seem all too happy to watch how Monsanto and other biotech companies spin and co-opt the term “sustainability,” we at the Center for Food Safety (CFS) are on the front lines fighting against the corporate take-over of our food, farms, and future; advocating for REAL, sustainable, solutions to the problems of the biotech industrial agriculture model.

Over the next month, CFS will be bringing you videos from some experts with whom we work closely in the trenches—Michael Pollan, Vandana Shiva, Anna Lappé, and CFS’s Executive Director Andrew Kimbrell—to help us tell you the real truth about the false claims put forth by Monsanto and other biotech companies. We’ll share with you why these leading activists support the work of the Center for Food Safety.

CFS has been fighting on your behalf since 1997. We have accomplished a lot – we’ve stopped GMO crops including wheat, rice, and alfalfa, and also dangerous pharmaceutical-producing crops. We’ve beat Monsanto in the courts, but they have the substantial resources to continue to challenge CFS; just this week, they asked for the U.S. Supreme Court to consider yet another appeal of our successful lawsuit stopping GMO alfalfa.

We can only accomplish these victories with the support of members like you. Please join Vandana Shiva in supporting our work, to raise the funds we need to continue to fight Monsanto in the courts, and to combat the twisted version of “sustainability” biotech company marketers are trying to foist on the world. We need your help, right now, to raise our goal of $100,000 this Fall — less than the amount Monsanto spent on just ONE AD on the back page of The New Yorker (about $140,000), to support our important workttp://truefoodnow.org/campaigns/messagefromvandanashiv/ Have you seen this... more

JanforGore
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16 days ago
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3 comments

Monsanto's False PR Campaign On Public Radio

Monsanto’s money buys the “truth” even on public radio so that it too spreads... more

GMOJournal
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1 comment

Processed foods linked to depression

And heart disease, and cancers and almost every other illness the human body can get.... more

CarolineS
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19 days ago
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9 comments

You May Be Arrested Soon For Growing A Tomato | FriendsEAT.com

Now when we need it the most, growing our own food may be against the law and... more

GoodGodGuy
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23 days ago
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Corporate patents on plants and animals threaten freedom and biodiversity

I was going to add a title saying I was stripping for sustainable agriculture to get more attention, but I decided not to. But seriously, is that really what we have to stoop to in order to get people to pay attention to such an important issue? When will this be considered important to media? When you are not able to buy or plant a seed without a corporation owning it? When you will not be able to eat anything but what they tell you to eat? When the number of crops grown dwindles down to 10 and biodiversity is all but gone? When the worldwide famine hits or we completely poison this planet into unsustainability?

Excerpt:

A global civil society coalition sent a public warning to the UN General Assembly that a new class of patents covering plants and animals endangers both innovation and food security, echoing the sentiments of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.

The "Global alert against Monstantosizing' our food" was released on 21 October by the "No Patents on Seeds" coalition, coinciding with the presentation of similar concerns by the UN Special Rapporteur, Olivier de Schutter, on the Right to Food, at the Third Committee (dealing with Social, Humanitarian and Cultural issues) in New York.

The alert was initiated by the organisations Berne Declaration, Swissaid, Misereor No Patents on Life (Switzerland), Greenpeace and The Development Fund (Norway), supported by farmer organisations from Europe, South America and Asia. They include Coldiretti in Italy, COAG in Spain, dairy farmers from Germany, Federacion Agraria Argentina and Bharat Krishak Samaj, an Indian farmer organisation.

Directed at governments, parliaments and patent offices, the alert warns about a new class of patents covering plants and animals derived from conventional breeding. "These patents even claim harvests and derived food products such as milk, butter and bread," the report revealed.

By speaking of "Monsantosizing", the signatories to the alert warned that the whole chain from seed to food production might be controlled by a few big international corporations like Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta, leading to a process of oligopolies and increasing concentration.

"A radical change in both patent legislation and the practice of patent offices is needed to eliminate patents on plants and farm animals," said Francois Meienberg of the Berne Declaration.

"Corporations should not be allowed to continue to misappropriate and monopolise seeds, plants and farm animals via patent law. If they are, these patents will become a major threat to global food security, food sovereignty and innovation."

"The big companies are about to control seed, harvest, trade and even food production," warned Luis Contigiani at Federacion Agraria Argentina.

"We can see how Monsanto tries to license fees on soy production, imposing embargoes on European importers of Argentinean soy and derivatives based on patents that are not valid in our country. This is an example of the consequences when genetic resources are subjected to the logic of monopolisation by patent rights."

The alert quotes from the background report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (A/64/170), de Schutter, which also raises concerns that seed patents might increase food crises. Citing de Schutter, "The oligopolistic structure of the input providers' market may result in poor farmers being deprived of access to seeds, productive resources essential for their livelihoods, and it could raise the price of food, thus making food less affordable for the poorest."I was going to add a title saying I was stripping for sustainable agriculture to get... more

JanforGore
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24 days ago
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1 comment

BBC - Today - Getting GM back on the agenda

The latest in the battle against Monsanto and GM's from England.

quanta
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25 days ago
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GM food can cause cancer: French scientist

French scientist Gilles-Eric Seralini unmasked the dangers of genetically modified brinjal, almost approved for commercial production in India. He shared with Savvy Soumya Misra his findings on Bt brinjal and Roundup Ready soybean

*On the data submitted on Bt brinjal by Mahyco for approval from the Indian government

The data submitted to the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (geac) of the Union environment ministry is not valid; it has not been signed by the scientist who conducted the tests. What is more scandalous is that the studies on the effects of Bt brinjal were conducted for just three months.

If the product is to be consumed by humans, the tests should have been for a period of at least two years—the lifespan of a rodent.

Worse, Mahyco tried to cover up the side-effects by jumbling data on various types of brinjal in a way that it was hard to compare Bt brinjal with normal brinjal. I am sorry to say people in the geac did not carefully assess the data. It is also not clear how the geac overlooked the fact that Bt brinjal has a protein that induces resistance to antibiotics. Mahyco has not studied hormonal impacts of Bt brinjal—Bt toxin found in it could lead to reproductive health problems.

*On his findings on Roundup Ready soybean that tolerates herbicides

Our study found that even minute doses of Roundup (a natural herbicide) disrupt sex hormones like androgen and estrogen. The inert ingredients in Roundup Ready (RR) soybean like polyethoxylated tallowamine kill human cells and disrupt the synthesis and action of human sex hormones. The research was published in this year’s July edition of the journal Toxicology. Some pregnant women who consumed RR soybean developed disorders. This combined with certain studies on animals in labs (conducted by others) made us conclude that Roundup is an endocrine disruptor.

*On claims that GM plants reduce the need for pesticides

This is a false projection. Bt plants, in fact, are designed to produce toxins to repel pests. Bt brinjal produces a very high quantity of 16-17mg toxin per kg. They affect animals. Unfortunately, tests to ascertain their effect on humans have not been conducted. RR soybean that makes up 63 per cent of GM plants in the world contains high amounts of Roundup. The US food and drug administration (usfda) has allowed up to 400 ppm Roundup residues in animal feed. It is much more than what we recommended. There was a paper published in June in Scientific American saying usfda would review the approval accorded to RR soybean because of our study.French scientist Gilles-Eric Seralini unmasked the dangers of genetically modified... more

JanforGore
added this
27 days ago
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2 comments

Obama supports Food Inc's world domination, and all we get is the White House garden?

I’ll admit it. I’m an unabashed fan of the First Lady. I read every article about the White House organic garden and I go to Michele’s farmers’ market every Thursday. I’m a fan and I’m a little jealous, too. She’s managed to educate DC school children and provide farm fresh food to state dinners. The garden I started at my daughter’s DC public school this spring was abandoned to the office and maintenance staff this summer, then plowed under in a schoolyard renovation before school started in the fall, and has yet to feed any students.

Because I admire the First Lady’s good example, I am shocked by the chemical agribusiness and biotech cheerleading of her husband’s administration. From USDA and FDA appointments of biotech and chemical industry insiders, to support for the preposterous idea that genetic engineering can feed the world, it is obvious that the Obama Administration is happy to assist agribusiness in its quest for world domination.

World domination sounds a little histrionic, doesn’t it? But, there’s no other way to describe the profit-at-any-cost business model of companies like Monsanto that seek to patent and control access to seeds and food and decide for the world what we can eat. The question that faces humanity today is, “Shall we let Monsanto, Cargill, McDonald’s and a handful of other multinational corporations decide the future of food?”

Proponents of the so-called Second Green Revolution, led by the chemical, biotech and industrial biofuels lobby, are spending millions each year on advertisements and donations to politicians, universities, and non-profits to convince us that the only way to feed the world and survive climate change is through high technology—relying on factory farm animal production, genetic engineering, toxic pesticides, nitrate chemical fertilizers, and compliant farmers, farm workers, and consumers.

With far fewer resources, the organic movement is generating the science to support an alternative view. Organic agriculture can feed the world, turn back climate change and make food production more resilient to droughts and floods. Organic agriculture can do it with biodiversity instead of biotech, greenhouse gas sequestration instead of emissions, integrated pest management instead of toxic pesticides, humus-rich compost instead of fossil fuel fertilizers or sewage sludge, more family farmers and better conditions for farm workers.

The question of which agriculture model will dominate food production is a question we only have one opportunity to answer. Once a seed or animal variety is extinct or contaminated with foreign genes, we will never get it back. In an age when a billion people are stuffed while a billion people are starved, most people on the planet suffer from either poor nutrition, exposure to toxic ingredients, diet-related diseases, or all three. Agriculture is a life and death issue for all of us.

So, which side is the Obama Administration on? The first answer to that question is, well, who’s in the Obama Administration?

Let’s start with the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. While Iowa Governor, Vilsack was a leading advocate for Monsanto, genetic engineering, and factory farming.

The senior adviser to the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner on food safety is Michael Taylor. The Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto Corp. from 1998 until 2001, Taylor exemplifies the revolving door between the food industry and the government agencies that regulate it.

Rajiv Shah is the USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and Chief Scientist. Agricultural policy experts initially expressed concern that Shah, Director of Agricultural Development Programs at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, lacked real experience in agriculture. Shah was the founding director of the Gates Foundation's agriculture program, which has donated $37 million to GM research.

much more about GMO cronyism at the link.I’ll admit it. I’m an unabashed fan of the First Lady. I read every article about... more

JanforGore
added this
29 days ago
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21 comments

US wheat industry reiterates support for GMO wheat

"...food industry and export players have made it clear that they will need to have clear marketing channels that allow for a choice between non-genetically modified wheat and biotech varieties."

The word "choice" is especially interesting here. Choice is the whole crux of the problem with GMOs. Lack of choice. Consumers don't have the choice to avoid GMO's in conventional products because our food supply has been adulterated with out our permission, and labels aren't required. The only way to avoid GMOs is to eat organic.

Farmers don't have the choice to avoid GMO crops either. Time has proven over and over that it is nearly impossible to contain the modified varieties. Plants reproduce all the time without our permission. It's very difficult to avoid GMO contamination.

The "choice" these industry folks speak of is illusion. Marketing designed to make everyone believe that GM Wheat is a harmless crop with no long term consequences.

Visit OCA's Genetically Modified Wheat Resource Center for more information.]

KANSAS CITY, Oct 14 (Reuters) - A coalition of U.S. wheat industry leaders said on Wednesday that they were pushing ahead to gain acceptance for genetically modified wheat, despite continued concerns and at least a decade of research and development work ahead.

"This is going to be a win-win for everybody," said Daren Coppock, chief executive of the National Association of Wheat Growers.

Coppock was one of a group of wheat industry participants meeting Wednesday in Kansas City to discuss key issues impacting the industry and how to press for acceptance of a genetically modified wheat.

Among the other attendees were representatives from the North American Millers' Association, the National Wheat Improvement Committee and the Grain Growers of Canada.

Officials from the organizations said in a conference call following the meeting that no active research for a specific type of biotech wheat was underway at this point and the industry still needed to gaining widespread market acceptance at home and abroad.

Coppock said food industry and export players have made it clear that they will need to have clear marketing channels that allow for a choice between non-genetically modified wheat and biotech varieties."...food industry and export players have made it clear that they will need to have... more

JanforGore
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1 month ago
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8 comments

Think Before You Pink

Milking cancer

ras_menelik
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1 month ago
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4 comments

Sustainable Agriculture Group: Monsanto Round Up 3

The third reporting of Monsanto news, GMO news, and news you need to know to stay... more

JanforGore
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1 month ago
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31 comments

BT brinjal biosafety assessment a disaster for India

"I have never seen less professionalism in the presentation and quality assurance of... more

JanforGore
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1 month ago
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3 comments

Canadians challenge Smartstax approval

Canadians Join Global Day of Action Against Monsanto: Challenge approval of new eight-trait GM "SmartStax" corn

Today Canadians opposing Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) crops will join the first "International Day of Action Against Multinational Corporations" that has been initiated by the global farmers' movement called La Via Campesina. Canadians will support this year's focus on Monsanto and GM crops by inundating the Minister of Health with letters and calls asking for the immediate withdrawal of approval for Monsanto's GM "SmartStax" corn, authorized without safety assessment from Health Canada.

Canadians are calling and writing the Minister of Health to ask that she immediately halt the introduction of Monsanto’s new eight-trait GM corn called "SmartStax" because it was not assessed for safety by Health Canada. "SmartStax" corn was authorized this summer by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for planting next year but was not examined by Health Canada for human health safety.

La Via Campesina is calling multinational corporations the "main threat to peasant and indigenous families and humanity" because corporations are privatizing land, biodiversity, water, and seeds. Monsanto is the world's largest seed company and owns almost 90% of all the GM crops sown globally.

"It's extremely significant that La Via Campesina is focusing their World Food Day action on Monsanto and GM crops. It shows us that farmers around the world see GM crops as a major threat to their survival," said Devlin Kuyek, a Montreal-based researcher for the international group GRAIN.

"Monsanto and Dow together own eight patents in 'SmartStax' corn and will charge higher prices and take deeper control over seed," said Benoit Girouard, President of Union Paysanne, a member group of La Via Campesina.

"Health Canada must stop Monsanto's 'SmartStax' corn before farmers start growing a GM crop that was never assessed for human consumption." said Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. "The Minister of Health is supporting Monsanto ahead of safeguarding the health of Canadians."

"Monsanto is still pushing GM wheat and GM alfalfa regardless of the major environmental risks and despite the fact that consumers and farmers have soundly rejected both," said Arnold Taylor of the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate’s Organic Agriculture Protection Fund.

"Contamination by GM crops is causing deep financial harm to Canadian farmers," said Terry Boehm, Vice-President of the National Farmers Union, also a member group of La Via Campesina. "Right now we see that Canadian farmers face the loss of their most important flax market in Europe due to GM contamination."Canadians Join Global Day of Action Against Monsanto: Challenge approval of new... more

JanforGore
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1 month ago
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6 comments

Deforestation and the true cost of Europe's cheap meat (video)

"Cheap meat has become a way of life in much of Europe, but the full price is being... more

lookatmypix
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1 month ago
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5 comments

DOJ Begins Monsanto Probe

This should be interesting...

DOJ begins Monsanto probe
On October 8, the seed and agrochemical giant Monsanto revealed that it is being questioned by the Department of Justice for a possible violation of anti-trust laws related to its control of much of the genetically engineered seed market, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The timing of the investigation coincides with an announcement in late August from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about a series of workshops to hear farmers' concerns about corporate consolidation in the agricultural industry. Christine Varney, the Justice Department's antitrust chief, also recently announced a commitment to investigate competition issues within the agricultural industry.

Monsanto is characterizing the investigation as an informal, "business as usual" questioning, rather than a formal probe, but that may well be because it is no stranger to being investigated on anti-trust charges. In 2007, the Peoria Journal Star reports, Monsanto acquired the cottonseed company Delta and Pine Land, which gave them control of more than half of the U.S. cottonseed market. In order to approve the deal, federal regulators required Monsanto to divest itself of another cottonseed company that controlled about 12% of the market, as well as amend its licensing policies to allow other companies to "stack" or combine Monsanto's patented genetic traits with their own. This meant billions of dollars in licensing fees for Monsanto. In May of this year, Monsanto sued DuPont, one of its largest competitors, for intellectual property right infringement. DuPont promptly counter-sued, accusing Monsanto of unlawful anti-competitive behavior. Monsanto is the world's biggest seed company and fifth largest agrochemical company (thanks largely to its ubiquitous herbicide, Roundup). DuPont is the world's second biggest seed company is also the sixth largest agrochemical company. All of the genetically engineered traits involved in the litigation between the two companies relate to herbicide tolerance.This should be interesting... DOJ begins Monsanto probe On October 8, the seed and... more

SeaJade
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1 month ago
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Vilsack earns moans, groans, hisses, and even boos

With a packed house, and time for only one more question, author Jeffrey Smith stepped... more

NonGMOTalk
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1 month ago
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tagged w/ Monsanto

Obama Picks Pesticide Lobbyist For Agri-Trade Rep

Monsanto steps back on two GMOs. Why?

Sorry Monsanto, You're Wrong: More GE Crops Mean More Pesticides | PEEK | AlterNet

Biotech crops cause big increase in pesticide use-report

A message from Dr. Vandana Shiva: help us fight for the truth

Monsanto's False PR Campaign On Public Radio

Processed foods linked to depression

You May Be Arrested Soon For Growing A Tomato | FriendsEAT.com

Corporate patents on plants and animals threaten freedom and biodiversity

BBC - Today - Getting GM back on the agenda

GM food can cause cancer: French scientist

Obama supports Food Inc's world domination, and all we get is the White House garden?

US wheat industry reiterates support for GMO wheat

Think Before You Pink

Sustainable Agriculture Group: Monsanto Round Up 3

BT brinjal biosafety assessment a disaster for India

Canadians challenge Smartstax approval

Deforestation and the true cost of Europe's cheap meat (video)

DOJ Begins Monsanto Probe

Vilsack earns moans, groans, hisses, and even boos

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