experimental biotechnology crops

I just read CNN's article "Report slams USDA biotech experiments" saying...

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- In a report released quietly just before Christmas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's investigative arm disclosed that the department failed to properly monitor thousands of acres of experimental biotechnology crops.

It goes on to say that ..."Still, many scientists worry that biotechnology crops will inadvertently cross-pollinate with conventionally grown crops. That poses a particular problem for organic farmers who charge a premium to guarantee customers their groceries are free of genetic engineering."

This is the first I have heard about the possibility of these mutant crops cross-polinating with our home grown organic foods. I find this information to be really scary. Especially when the Dept. of Ag doesn't even know where all the experimental crops are!!

Here is a link to the article http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/01/16/bad.biotech.oversight.ap/index.html

oh, sadly, this doesn't surprise me at all. MANY companies are allowed to "not disclose" where their test GMO crops are being grown "for fear of sabotage", and so other organic farmers [and non gmo] may easily plant their stuff right next to it!

did you know that some cross pollinations have already occurred with weeds, and invasive species???? there is concern now that it will increase the hardiness of these species, since the crossing makes them resisitant to herbicides!!!

what next???

Imagine a new generation of Kudzu?? Even more resistant to everything?

Seriously, we don't really know what affects over time will be from their mutated veggies, what if we find out that the GMOs cause cancer or something - and it is too late to stop the propogation?

by the time the general population finds out, it generally is too late for some ;-(

Probably most of the cross-pollination is with wind pollinated crops like the grass family which includes corn. Then too if biotech moves into bee pollinated types, we are more hard put to keep them pure.

Still, if time goes on, [I say this because I believe in the soon appearing of Christ] we will better find out if Frankenstein is real or not. I tend to believe that it will be a mixed bag as has all science since the Garden of Eden....the knowledge of both good and evil.

a mixed bag, INDEED! well said Indy.

They have developed GMO seeds for ALL grain now. China has been working on rice for quite some time, and recently had to stop because of some negative test results. they have GMO tomatoes, which pollinate rather closely, so hopefully those are not in as much danger. But, we don't really know what else they have up their sleeves, nor where it is planted...

I read that basically all yellow corn in the US has been contaminated by GMO corn pollen. That means the only corn products that you can assume are really non-GMO are made from colored corns. :( I like corn a lot. This summer for the first time I am actually going to try to grow some (colored) corn. I have never bothered with corn before.

oh, you must try triple play sweet corn, by Seeds of Change. it is tri colored, was developed by them, and is Certified Organic, which is also tested NON-GMO.

they can't call things GMO FREE, so they hav e to use the term NON-GMO.

triple play is my favorite short season corn.

I did a report for a graduate-level conservation biology class about the spread of modified genes into the environment. I was happy to see that there are a lot of scientists working on the issue. Modified crops that are liable to spread to relatives in the fields have built-in checks (like sterile pollen) so that the likelihood is reduced. Even where modified genes do spread to relatives, it is very unlikely-- and there are NO documented cases and lots of studies-- that the gene could persist in the relative population. Although I don't have a lot of faith in industry, and mistakes have been made, I have faith in the scientific community to monitor and "police", in a way, what is being done. Genetic engineering has been around since the seventies and has been extensively studied since then. I am a concerned citizen who is getting a graduate degree in environmental studies and knows a lot about the biology of humans and genetic engineering. I buy a lot of organic products and refuse to use manmade chemicals on my property. However, after looking extensively into the issue of GMOs, I can't find any reason to be scared of or against them. I realize this is a personal realization not shared by everyone, but hopefully this perspective can shed a different light on the subject.

Thank goodness genes are not carved in stone. They mutate, and any undesirable alterations that escape will be selected out either intentionally by seed savers or by failure.

Hmmm . . . . I guess you could say I have faith in the way this whole business of life works. :-)

Cindy

According to Monsanto, it takes 20 years of plant generations for the genes in a GMO plant to become so diluted that it no longer will call the plant a Monsanto plant. That's a long time, and a lot of pollen. After reading and hearing about the stuff that Monsanto has done in India and that it arranged in Iraq, I have no faith in their honesty whatsoever. But then, I have never been impressed by corporate honesty in general.:)

TamaraFaye, wish I had known about that Triply Play corn before I ordered the corn seed I did. I got Bloody Butcher and Oaxacan Green Dent.

oh, it is a short variety, you could still plant it!

Having a science major myself--a lot scientists actually work for big business so I'm not sure I would necessarily trust their results either.

I'm with you paracelus and Tamara--too big a skeptic here to trust alot of their results too.

I'm not talking just about those scientists. You can see on an article where the scientists are employed, and even sometimes where their grant money comes from. The government and industry people are sometimes questionable, and biases are sometimes apparent (government people even more, from what I've found). But if you've looked much into the hard science on the issue, I think you'd be surprised. I've done more than one Master's paper on this, and I'm convinced that a lot of people are being alarmist (which is what the public is being exposed to!). The hard science is much more encouraging. There are also scientists acting as "skeptics", doing the studies to test their skepticism, and calling for precautionary uses of the technology (granted, this is also a bias).

well, i was relieved to find out that Japan [or was it China?] ceased their development of a GMO rice because of bad results with laboratory tests [rats, i think]

i still don't buy it.[literally and figuratively] and there is SOME reason that the E.U. is fighting against it so hard. if nothing else, it puts farmers back in the ancient position of being owned. oops, let not digress that way. but, anyhow, ;-), i am glad that i know how to search for what foods are NOT gmo. i was surprised to find what contains GMO ingredients, including teething biscuits for babies! just this week we found a favorite new cereal, called Uncle Sam Cereal. it's REALLY good...

call me an alarmist.....I also believe in global warming.

Where there's power & money, there's corruption, and if large biotech firms don't have power & money, I don't know who does. Maybe it's from reading history, or stumbling over drug reps in doctor's offices, or bumping into political reps in church offices, or the increased deforestation of the country as I fly over it yearly, or the decrease in wildlife I see as I hike or monitor a stream, but I've seen enough to make me doubt most of what any organized group says. And it ain't the "media" telling me this; it's my wee little brain.

what a wise lassie/laddie you are! My wee little scottish brain tells me the same thing! lol

Well, then that explains it. Scots (you) and Irish (me)... cynicism's been battered into our heads over past centuries.
Zeppy (lassie)

along with oppresion....and suppresion of the truth! lol
Debbie

There is a lot more I'd like to say but feel is inappropriate here, suffice to say I feel this discussion has touched on only a portion of the problems or perceived problems of GM crops, depending on your view.

I felt I ought to say that the EU, as in the governing body, accepts GM crops, it has to honour the trade agreements with the countries developing these crops, GM crops are part of that. There are some countries within the EU umbrella that are refusing to accept their trade obligations and others that are compromising by accepting GM crops as experimental only, not commercial crops.

One of the reasons for the refusal of some countries to accept GM crops is because they feel GM crops are a threat to their agricultural industries as well as not trusting the research etc.

thanks Baa, i got that backwards. i am really proud of the contries that have stepped forward and are trying to protect their industry. sadly, i feel many countries look on us [USA] for what NOT to do. sigh, i hate being a guinea pig...

hey, Irish here too!

tf

Tamara--I just knew you were good people!
Indy--very good....do you listen to coast to coast am too?

back on the subject of food... please email or dmail me for some non-DG stuff...

edited to clarify, i mean for info about food lableing laws being passed in the house. it is kinda too political for DG, but if you are interested i will be happy to take the time to give you the info you need to make a decision and contact your congressmen, etc...

tf

This message was edited Mar 3, 2006 7:37 PM