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The Ethics of GM Food
Genetically Modified Food |
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Should a handful of people (unbeknown to most) have the right to start the contamination of Australia with Genetically Modified
crops and GM food when 90% of people have never heard of GM food?
From March 2008 the plan is to start contaminating our crops and food with GM.
In Canada and the US, farmers whose crops are found contaminated by Monsanto’s patented DNA are taken to court for theft and then fined. For example, the Percy Schmeiser family of Saskatchewan, Canada, had been breeding canola and selling their non-GM seeds for years. A Monsanto GM crop was planted close by. The GM pollen contaminated the Schmeiser’s crop that they wanted to keep GM free. Monsanto sued the Schmeisers for stealing the DNA. Because the DNA is patented, Monsanto claims ownership of the crop. Is this what we want happening to Australian farmers who don’t want to plant GM? Percy’s story is at: www.percyschmeiser.com. Have our Premiers or even our Prime Minister given a thought to such a scenario for Australia. With GM if your crop is contaminated with patented DNA you’re guilty; it’s the law. Then there is the Terminator Gene to consider; a property of the giant US chemical company Monsanto and there is also a Swiss company called Syngenta who claims to be working on Terminator technology. The Terminator gene ensures that when the crop is ripe all the seeds will die. Monsanto have already said that their plan is to control the food of the world - patented DNA and chemicals. Monsanto will not release for ‘peer review’ its research results on the safety of GM food; how responsible is that? The misinformation from Monsanto is well documented. Their history is out there in the public domain for all to see, but they spend a fortune on mercenary lawyers and the media to do their bidding and they will send any a person broke who dares to challenge them. Strangely, those so-called ‘fact finding missions’ to Canada never report what the farmers are saying, because they never talk to the farmers. Like our government they only talk to the corporate silver tongues working for giant chemical corporations such as Monsanto and Bayer. Monsanto has a product called Roundup that is very good for killing weeds (plants). They have developed a genetically engineered strain of canola - ‘Roundup Ready Canola’ - it is immune to Roundup. In Canada, farmers have been growing Roundup Ready Canola for about a decade, but, as was predicted by scientists, the weeds have built up a resistance to Roundup. Where lots of Roundup has been used, the farmers can grow nothing but canola and Roundup resistant weeds such as wild mustard. A person at the Farmer’s Union in Canada told me that Monsanto’s new plan is for a stronger chemical than Roundup to kill the weeds. In Canada and the US there was a slight increase in yields from GM crops for a couple of years, but now yields per acre are lower than the yields for non-GM crops and chemical use is higher than ever before. If you don’t believe that GM costs farmers more, talk to those who have been duped. Ask them about the pathetic patented crops that are now legally owned by Monsanto. You can phone the National Farmer’s Union of Canada; find their number at: www.nfu.ca, as i did. If GM crops give lower yields, then what is this story that we need GM to feed the world? Perhaps an honest person could read pages 240 – 242 of Genetic Roulette; then start to ask questions. It appears that the Australian Farmer’s Federations who say that most farmers in Australia want to go GM are not listening to our farmers either. Most farmers are suspicious of GM yet they are never told about what is systematically happening to farmers in Canada and the US as a consequence of GM. Animals won’t eat GM when given a choice; so why should we? Europe does not want GM food and Japan is fast turning away from it. The US and Canada are so contaminated with GM that they find it hard to export their produce; if we contaminate Australia who will buy ours? US farmers are subsidised to overproduce, so the only market in the US is for non-GM produce. Yet some people want to start contaminating Australia with GM and its patented DNA as soon as possible. Independent results on animals fed GM food are frightening to say the least and it appears that ‘just coincidently’ allergies in the US have been rising since the introduction of GM food and crops. Genetic engineering creates novel proteins and toxins never before consumed by creatures. So, why do some comfortably ignorant politicians and a few shock-jock spin-doctor journalists avoid the obvious questions? GM crops are about narrowing our gene pools by contamination. To purposefully narrow our gene pools is highly irresponsible and dangerous. The problem with most politicians is that they would not know the difference between a gene pool and a swimming pool, let alone the difference between a Broadly based or a Narrowly based gene pool and it appears that there are a few scientists who don’t give a damn. Why do the media take such people seriously? Some people say that as we learn about GM we will accept it. The truth is that as people discover the dark side of GM they will never touch it. Learn what farmers and scientists around the world are actually saying about GM - you will then wonder why there is so much nonsense praising GM in Australia. Sadly, many concerned scientists refrain from speaking out against GM for fear of offending their colleagues. Perhaps their colleagues could just come clean? For now, GM food is too dangerous – see the evidence; maybe one day it will be ok; but not yet. The whole world is not going GM. Canada and the US tried it and are now so contaminated that it will cost a fortune to clean up just part of the mess. There is some contamination in Argentina, Brazil, China and Spain. Certain GM crops can be cleaned out if there are no closely related plants near by in the wild - if there are, re-contamination is assured. Indian farmers tried Bt cotton, it was such a dismal failure many farmers were sent broke and left destitute; thousands committed suicide; so why won’t Monsanto, the Department of Primary Industry or the National Farmers’ Federation talk about that? We need a ROYAL COMMISSION before we even consider contaminating our food crops with GM. The food of a nation is very much the security of that nation. Anybody who sells out the food security of a nation to a foreign power or corporation could be guilty of treason. Patented DNA is about control; why give the control of our food to a chemical company? Non-GM food is not new - 50 years ago all we ate was essentially organic. If chemical companies get their way we will never eat such food again - chemical dependence is their plan. $Billions in corporate profits are at stake with the control of our food supply with genetic engineering. Those responsible for this charade will attack you personally when you demand answers about GM - it is called character assassination. That’s how they work. However, enough voices will save our farmers and the genetic integrity of our food and seed supplies. If you have only heard the corporate story, find out what they are not telling you at:
Business people, farmers and politicians please note:
Ask both your State and Federal members to read ‘Genetic Roulette’; every politician in the country already has a copy of this book; ask them what they are doing about the serious GM issue. We all live on this planet, so to spend just 5 minutes pro-actively for our kid’s future will not hurt you. |
 PDF Version available here.
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