Monday 14 October 2013

[wanabidii] With GM you cannot fire ............Be Warned .......!!!

 
 
Good People,
 
 
With Genetically modified food, ok inyal chiwo mach........you cannot fire........that is why former PM is campaigning to transfer GM from US to Kenya and the whole of Africa.  You must say big NO NO NO NO................Africa Must Fire.............and GM is an enemy of Nature............It is also a Crime against Humanity...........!!!!
 
 
Those who have taken GM foods or work in the farm of GM long enough have their body system function  and behavior changed.  Many even begin to have sex with animals because their urge is transformed........
 
 
Because the world has rejected Genetically food, its theorists are now looking for a damping site in Africa because it has been rejected in America and it is another reason for Africas Land Grabbing.  This is the unfinished business that has kept former PM Raila on his toes; which is why, he frequent visits to US with different groups of Governors.................!!! 
 
 
Is this the Emerging Markets Kenya and Africa look for???  The new Agricultural way of doing farm business???  To go for GM that make Africans stop firing???  Is this it???  What is wrong with former PM of Kenya???
 
 
 
 
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
 
 
 
 
 
 
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  1. www.slideserve.com/fuller/health-and-environmental... Cached
    ... and to pass on these genes to the next generation Rats GM to ... Health and environmental risks of food ... is a Genetically Modified (GM) Food?.
  2. www.owenfoundation.com/Health_Science/Pusztai/GM/GMHuman... Cached
    The conclusion of the ENVIRON panel that feeding rats on GM ... GM crop is easily measured. There are now ... in genetically modified novel foods. Food ...
  3. www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2205509/Cancer...
    Cancer row over GM foods as study says it did THIS to rats... and can cause organ damage and early death in humans. French team claim bestselling brand of GM corn ...
  4. intentblog.com/negative-impacts-genetically-modified-gm... Cached
    Negative Impacts of genetically modified (GM) Foods on Human and Animal Health and the Environment
  5. www.science20.com/.../problems_biotechnology_gm_foods-94650 Cached
    In my previous article, the fundamental equivalence of foods was discussed recognizing that there is a difference in assessing problems with the food, versus problems ...GM ... are many health risks and huge environmental effects ...
  6. www.raw-wisdom.com/50harmful Cached
    Genetically modified GM food, ... pollution would cause so much vast environmental harm. Now nearly 1/3 rd of all species are ... male rats were fed GM ...
  7.  
 
 
 
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Tanzania committee says billions lost to corporate tax evasion

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation - Mon, 14 Oct 2013 09:48 AM
 
More on: Corruption and governance
Zitto Kabwe, Public Accounts Committee chairperson, presents a letter addressed to Prime Minister David Cameron to the British High Commissioner Dianna Melrose in Dar es Salaam, May 2013. Photo by Muhidin Michuzi
 
DAR ES SALAAM (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — The Tanzanian parliament, eager to curb a rising tide of corporate tax evasion and avoidance, has launched an inquiry into the extent of illicit financial transfers in Tanzania and ways to stop the flow.
The probe follows a parliamentary declaration last year that called on the government to investigate individuals suspected of stashing away ill-gotten wealth in offshore bank accounts.
Zitto Kabwe, chairman of the parliamentary committee on public accounts, has said Tanzania is losing about $1.25 billion a year in revenue – equivalent to five percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) – through corporate tax avoidance, evasion and corruption.
The money Tanzania loses through these "illicit transfers" would have a significant impact on the economy, especially if spent on improving infrastructure, education and health services, he told a recent conference in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania was losing enormous revenues due to 'bad' contracts, said Kabwe, as he presented a paper called 'Curbing illicit financial transfer: a role for parliaments' at the conference organised by the Tanzania Policy Forum and the Financial Transparency Coalition.
The outflow stems partly from bilateral investment treaties Tanzania signed with other countries up to half a century ago when it was newly independent and had little experience of government or finance, he said.
Some of the biggest multinationals operating in Tanzania aggressively avoid paying tax there by using tax havens such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands, he added. Several of them are registered in London.
"Tanzania has agreements with more than 19 countries, some of them very old. With the United Kingdom, (we agreed) a tax treaty and investment treaty in 1963. We only had 12 graduates. Part of the campaign should be to review all these agreements," said Kabwe, whose committee will present its report in February next year.
AGGRESSIVE TAX EVASION
Seven of Tanzania's top 10 taxpayers in the extractive and communications sectors use tax havens to the detriment of the country's economy, he said. Two of the three largest mobile phone companies in the country are registered in the tax havens of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, costing Tanzania a large amount of revenue.
In a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron in June this year before a summit of the Group of Eight most developed economies hosted by Cameron in Northern Ireland, Kabwe urged global leaders to intervene over what he called the aggressive tax evasion and avoidance carried out by multinational companies, most of them registered in the United Kingdom.
"This is a constant challenge for our country – a challenge that undermines the same foundation of accountability that we are striving to strengthen and uphold," wrote Kabwe, who is also deputy leader of the opposition in parliament.
Africa lost between $597 billion and $1.4 trillion in net resource transfers away from the continent between 1980 and 2009, according to a joint report issued in May by Global Financial Integrity and the African Development Bank.
The data shows that the outflow – the proceeds of bribery, theft, kickbacks and tax evasion and avoidance – far exceeded the roughly $80 billion that flowed into Africa in combined Foreign Direct Investment and aid.
Some experts argue that Africa is a net creditor to the world as there is more African money stashed in offshore bank accounts and tax havens than the total of Africa's foreign debt.
"It is hard to overstate the urgency of this issue. A large number of African countries are now on the point of issuing new licences for the exploration of significant oil, gas and mineral reserves," said Semkae Kilonzo of the Policy Forum, a think-tank.
The extractive industries sector is central to the illicit outflows of money from Africa, according to Kabwe.
Africa lacks a mechanism to enforce standards of rules to combat money laundering and tax evasion in eastern and southern Africa, said a Financial Transparency Coalition (FTC) press statement.
"The encouraging thing is, we have a real opportunity to introduce new policies that will significantly reduce the profound damage corruption and aggressive tax avoidance inflict on hundreds of millions of people." said FTC Manager Porter McConnell.
 
 
 
 
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Make corruption a crime against humanity – US lawyer

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation - Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:32 AM
 
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir leaves after the Extra Ordinary session on the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union on the case of African Relationship with International Criminal Court (ICC), in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, October 12, 2013.
 
 
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Some financial crimes should be made crimes against humanity, a respected U.S. lawyer specialising in money laundering told a conference of experts, calling on them to bring "criminal" governments to account.
"There are cases where corruption, rottenness and theft of public funds do become a crime against humanity," Jack Blum told 200 experts at the Financial Transparency Coalition's conference in Tanzania.
"In a case like Equatorial Guinea, what goes on in terms of the transfer of wealth out of the country, and the resulting oppression of most of the citizens of that country, is a crime against humanity in my view," added Blum, who worked as a Senate investigator for many years, as well as a United Nations expert on corruption.
The Central African nation of 700,000 people is the third-biggest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its wealth, the majority of its population lives in extreme poverty.
Equatorial Guinea's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is equivalent to some of the world's top-tier economies but it has the 19th highest child mortality rate in the world, according to 2010 United Nations and World Bank statistics.
"There are more children dying in infancy as a result of that lack of money than you want to count. And to me, it's on a par with a kind of genocide," said Blum, who is chair of the advocacy group Tax Justice Network USA.
HOLDING PRESIDENTS TO ACCOUNT
Blum also railed against traditional principles of national sovereignty that thwart efforts to bring international justice.
"When you have a criminal government, what the hell do you do?" he asked. "The question of how to bring about some proper method of holding people accountable when they are heads of states is really an essential problem for us to deal with in the years ahead."
On Saturday, the African Union called for the prosecutions of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be halted. They are both facing charges of crimes against humanity for 2007 poll violence.
The Ethiopian government, hosting the meeting, said it was an infringement of national sovereignty to try sitting presidents.
Bashir, who has been charged with genocide by the ICC, continues to travel the world despite the court's order for his arrest.
Similarly, those accused of financial crimes remain at large.
Teodorin Obiang, the son of Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Nguema Obiang, faces money laundering charges in France and the United States. France has issued an arrest warrant for him.
Investigators suspect he embezzled public funds to buy real luxury estate in Paris and Malibu, a private jet and a stable of exotic sports cars.
Last year, French police seized a $200 million Parisian building allegedly owned by Teodorin, revealing millions of euros of art, antiques and fine wines – in addition to a nightclub and hairdressers.
Obiang, who is Equatorial Guinea's agricultural minister and second vice-president, says the wealth was amassed legitimately through successful business dealings.
His father has been in power for 34 years, making him the longest-serving African leader following the demise of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.
"How do we deal with these characters who are running a country who in essence say: 'Yay. So what? I stole all the money. It's mine. Do something. I'm president'," Blum asked.
"This kind of system that allows that sort of nonsense is a system we have to really challenge and say everybody has to be subject to justice for what they do."
Blum played a central role in the 1970s Lockheed Aircraft bribery investigation, which led to the passage of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the investigation of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.
 
 
 
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Nigeria: Govt Urged to Consult Small Scale Farmers in Policy Making

 
The Nigerian government has been urged to consult small scale farmers in its policy making, signing of treaties, and conventions.
This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of a workshop on Stopping the False Nutritional Kite and Understanding the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD, in Abuja.
Participants at the workshop noted that small scale farmers are the largest aggregate investors in agriculture in Nigeria and in the world.
They also noted that large scale land grabbing was happening in the country without the consent of farmers and communities.
Participants urged government to make available initiatives that would enhance agricultural and food preservation techniques.
"Government and civil society groups should embark on intensive education of grassroots farmers on the provisions of the CBD and related conventions, treaties and policies," read the 11 point resolution presented after the workshop.
"The provisions of the CBD should be fully explained to farmers and citizens as a key tool for biodiversity protection. Government should ensure that GMOs are not brought into Nigeria in the absence of a strict Biosafety Law and in line with the precautionary principle of the Cartagena Protocol."
While calling for strict penalties for defaulters of the provisions of the CBD, the resolution further urged policy makers to ensure that only safe products were allowed into Nigeria and to ensure a strict implementation of the CBD.
The resolution also stated that the current Nigerian Biosafety Bill, pending signature of the President, should be open to farmers and the public for inputs.
"The Nigerian President should not assent to the National Biosafety Bill in its current form (in order) to give opportunity for citizens' and critical stakeholders input in line with the provisions of the Cartagena Protocol which Nigeria is signatory to.
"There should be full transparency on the part of government and her agencies in the labelling, liabilities and redress in the Biosafety laws and in the promotion of practices that support food sovereignty," the resolution added.
The workshop was convened by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, to build knowledge of participants on the Convention on Biological Diversity process as a foundational tool for defending the environment.
Among the observations by participants at the workshop include the need to educate the average Nigerian farmer on the CBD since it is "technical and not an easy convention to be understood" by them.
Participants also observed that there were unauthorised genetically modified organisms, GMOs, and foods in Nigeria and that Nigerians were not aware of their health and dietary risks.
 
 
 
 
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Africa: Make Corruption a Crime Against Humanity - U.S. Lawyer

 
Some financial crimes should be made crimes against humanity, a respected U.S. lawyer specialising in money laundering told a conference of experts, calling on them to bring "criminal" governments to account.
"There are cases where corruption, rottenness and theft of public funds do become a crime against humanity," Jack Blum told 200 experts at the Financial Transparency Coalition's conference in Tanzania.
"In a case like Equatorial Guinea, what goes on in terms of the transfer of wealth out of the country, and the resulting oppression of most of the citizens of that country, is a crime against humanity in my view," added Blum, who worked as a Senate investigator for many years, as well as a United Nations expert on corruption.
The Central African nation of 700,000 people is the third-biggest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its wealth, the majority of its population lives in extreme poverty.
Equatorial Guinea's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is equivalent to some of the world's top-tier economies but it has the 19th highest child mortality rate in the world, according to 2010 United Nations and World Bank statistics.
"There are more children dying in infancy as a result of that lack of money than you want to count. And to me, it's on a par with a kind of genocide," said Blum, who is chair of the advocacy group Tax Justice Network USA.
HOLDING PRESIDENTS TO ACCOUNT
Blum also railed against traditional principles of national sovereignty that thwart efforts to bring international justice.
"When you have a criminal government, what the hell do you do?" he asked. "The question of how to bring about some proper method of holding people accountable when they are heads of states is really an essential problem for us to deal with in the years ahead."
On Saturday, the African Union called for the prosecutions of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be halted. They are both facing charges of crimes against humanity for 2007 poll violence.
 
The Ethiopian government, hosting the meeting, said it was an infringement of national sovereignty to try sitting presidents.
Bashir, who has been charged with genocide by the ICC, continues to travel the world despite the court's order for his arrest.
Similarly, those accused of financial crimes remain at large.
Teodorin Obiang, the son of Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Nguema Obiang, faces money laundering charges in France and the United States. France has issued an arrest warrant for him.
Investigators suspect he embezzled public funds to buy real luxury estate in Paris and Malibu, a private jet and a stable of exotic sports cars.
Last year, French police seized a $200 million Parisian building allegedly owned by Teodorin, revealing millions of euros of art, antiques and fine wines - in addition to a nightclub and hairdressers.
Obiang, who is Equatorial Guinea's agricultural minister and second vice-president, says the wealth was amassed legitimately through successful business dealings.
His father has been in power for 34 years, making him the longest-serving African leader following the demise of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.
"How do we deal with these characters who are running a country who in essence say: 'Yay. So what? I stole all the money. It's mine. Do something. I'm president'," Blum asked.
"This kind of system that allows that sort of nonsense is a system we have to really challenge and say everybody has to be subject to justice for what they do."
Blum played a central role in the 1970s Lockheed Aircraft bribery investigation, which led to the passage of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the investigation of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.
 
 
 

Friday, October 11, 2013

Vandana Shiva's video message to March Against Monsanto marchers





History Repeats Itself; #MAM Readies For 2nd Global Event!

Hello MAM supporters and participants!!


In mere hours, MAM events will start in New Zealand and revolve around the world as we embark on the second March Against Monsanto. This cause has truly united the world! Over 400 cities in 57 countries will take place as we, the citizens of the world, say NO to poison! 3 million people will stand up for the food supply, the environment, and our planet's sustainability. Join an event near you and be a part of this moment in time: http://bit.ly/Oct12MAM This will go down in history books and we would like to thank YOU for supporting a cause that is very much one of the most important of our lifetimes. We would like to express our deep gratitude for all at the national level. MAM has an awesome team that has spent countless hours working hard to make these events an international victory!! We would also like to give a very special thank you to all of our local organizers, whose hard work and selfless dedication has been instrumental in the global success of MAM.

We would like to give a very special thank you to Dr. Vandana Shiva and the Fortnight of Action For Seed & Food Freedom. Dr. Shiva has worked tirelessly for seed sovereignty and food freedom and it an honor to have her speaking at MAM London.

This time, MAM has teamed up with the Children of Vietnam Veterans Heath Alliance. Agent Orange, a deadly toxin manufactured by Monsanto, has destroyed the lives of millions. MAM has teamed up COVVHA to allow the survivors of this horror a platform to tell their stories. Never before will so many Children of Vietnam Veterans be speaking out at the same time, on the same day, about how Agent Orange has affected their health, and the health of their families.

As we set the course of history in motion, please keep in mind that the third March Against Monsanto is already planned for May 24, 2014. Get this information out there so we can all start building our events for Spring. Start promoting while you have an intrigued audience. Contact www.facebook.com/monstanto to set up an event for 5/24/14.

Please be mindful that MAM is a peaceful movement and there will be kids and the elderly in attendance. Have a good, safe time tomorrow!! Take lots of pictures that you can submit to the MAM facebook page.

The world will be watching tomorrow as we take a stand. We will not stand for poison. We will not stand for cronyism. And we thank you for standing up for what is right and marching against Monsanto.

"Believe with all of your heart that you will do what you were made to do."
-Orison Swett Marden


Please forward this email to all of your contact, friends and family and please share and retweet the posts below
 
 
 


Please Retweeet this:

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Stepping Up & Speaking Out, MAM Helps To Empower Agent Orange Survivors

Agent Orange Awareness

October brings visions of cider, warm sweaters, shorter days and time with our families. The colors of foliage quickly turn to yellows, reds, and orange. For people suffering the long lasting effects of the herbicide Agent Orange, which was sprayed as a part of Operation Ranch Hand during the Vietnam War, October is a yearly reminder of the need for continued Agent Orange education. October is Agent Orange Awareness Month.

Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA) members are speaking out in cities all across the United States at the worldwide March Against Monsanto (MAM) rallies correlating close to World Food Day, Saturday, October 12.

Never before will so many Children of Vietnam Veterans be speaking out at the same time, on the same day, about how Agent Orange has affected their health, and the health of their families. Monsanto was one of the seven chemical companies who manufactured Agent Orange which was laced with one of the most deadly chemicals known to man, dioxin. Monsanto, the other six companies, and the U.S. government, are responsible for the slow burn genocide of Vietnam Veterans, their children and grandchildren. Today, fifty two years after the beginning of spraying in Vietnam the effects of the chemical are still being felt here in the United States, Australia, and in Vietnam.

Children of Vietnam Veterans feel it's their responsibility to speak out against Genetically Modified Foods manufactured and grown by a chemical company that has killed and sickened their fathers, and created havoc in their own lives. Almost as soon as Vietnam Veterans came home and started their family, reports began to surface about multiple miscarriages and birth defects in their children. Their plea has mostly been ignored. Currently, the only acknowledged birth defect in the children of male Vietnam Veterans is Spina Bifida (not Occulta). However, thousands of Vietnam Veteran's children believe their father's exposure is to blame for their birth defects and chronic illnesses and their children's birth defects and illnesses. Yes, the grand children of Vietnam Veterans suffer in high numbers as well. Children of Vietnam Veterans do not want the horrible legacy they must carry to be repeated in the lives of another innocent population.

Tami Canal, of Salt Lake City, Utah, Founder of March Against Monsanto, invited Kelly L. Derricks, of Philadelphia, PA, Co Founder of Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance to consult with MAM, as the head Agent Orange Educator for the MAM organization. Connecting past history, which is still devastating those Agent Orange has touched, with current concerns over rights to know what is in the food the country is digesting, is a way to build perspective on the dangers of mixing Agrichemical companies and government regulation or lack of regulation.

COVVHA was started for the purpose of Agent Orange Education and empowerment. One of their primary goals are to empower children of Vietnam Veterans to be their own voice in a world that has moved on and forgotten them. The group was started by two children of Vietnam Veterans who have both lost their fathers from Agent Orange illnesses, and themselves suffer from birth defects and illnesses. Matching COVVHA members to local MAM rallies was a natural step encouraging collaboration and information sharing.

COVVHA members went through a short process requiring them to write their own Agent Orange story, become knowledgeable about the history of the chemical herbicide Agent Orange , and current benefits available to children of female Vietnam Veterans (18 + birth defects recognized) and children of Male Vietnam Veterans (one, Spina Bifida, not occulta). They used the information to write a 15 minute speech. Many will be speaking publicly for the first time about their experiences as an Agent Orange survivor. When the COVVHA member completed the necessary requirements, they became COVVHA Certified Speakers. This event is starting the groundwork for a nationwide speaker's bureau where organizations interested in having an Agent Orange speaker at their event or meeting will be able to find someone locally.

Several COVVHA members wrote speeches, but are too ill to travel. Their speeches will be sent to MAM local events that requested a speaker, but did not have a local COVVHA member. Some of the illnesses children of Vietnam Veterans are suffering from in large numbers include, auto immune diseases, spinal problems, endocrine disorders, cancers, muscle skeletal problems, fertility issues and mental illness. COVVHA has a large private support community made up of only children of Vietnam Veterans to connect members with each other so they can finally know they are not alone.

Agent Orange has left many families grieving through the five decades since the beginning of chemical spraying in Vietnam in 1961. Currently, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes 14 different illnesses and cancers as presumptive and compensated illnesses for Vietnam Veterans. Any Vietnam Veteran who was in Vietnam anytime between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, including brief visits, or service aboard a ship that operated on the inland waterways has been presumed as exposed to Agent Orange. A veteran may also be eligible if they served along the Korean DMZ between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971. Some of the presumed illnesses Veterans can file for, include Type II Diabetes, Hodgkin's Disease, Prostate Cancer, Ischemic Heart Disease and others. Please contact a local service officer to file a claim for disability, and or survivor benefits. A veteran or family member may reach out to the Vietnam Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion, or a county service officer to file a claim.

So when your thoughts return to fall and the color orange, remember the children and grandchildren of Vietnam Veterans who continue to fight a war they weren't drafted for or signed up for. The innocent ones who have been maimed and forgotten, who as adults must now stand up and speak out or continue to be denied until they die like many of their fathers before them. October is Agent Orange Awareness Month; please support those trying to make a difference in their own lives.

Several cities will have COVVHA certified speakers at their MAM event:

San Diego California, Denver Colorado, Hartford Connecticut, St.Petersburg Florida,

Tampa Florida, Rockford Illinois, Ann Arbor Michigan, Kansas City Missouri, St. Louis Missouri,

Princeton New Jersey, Charlotte North Carolina, Columbus Ohio, Coos Bay Oregon,

Lancaster Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Austin Texas,

Salt Lake City Utah, Madison Wisconsin

Author: Heather A. Bowser, LPCC

For More Information:

www.covvha.net

www.march-against-monsanto.com

www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/claims-postservice-agent_orange.asp

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Ground Breaking Study Could Spell the End For GMOs

It sounds like science fiction or even quackery. However the results of this latest study conducted by Warrenstown Horticultural College and the Chemical & Environmental Science Dept., University of Limerick, Ireland, say otherwise.
Image: Raw For Beauty

This 35 page report tested the effects of "Vi-Aqua," a system that electro-magnetically charges water, on a cross-section of vegetation from Rye Grass to ornamental plants of various species. The plant experiment confirmed enhanced vigor of growth and stronger plant structure, which increased damage resistance in the treated specimens.

The study explains, "All vegetation-derived energy on this planet is solar in origin. Only approximately 1% of the solar energy, which impinges on the Earth, is captured. This is through the agency of Chlorophyll in most forms of plant life. Animal life on this planet is critically dependent upon the continued availability of energy donating vegetation for its survival. Since all living organisms have evolved in the presence of a strong natural geomagnetic field the possible influence of magnetic fields on living organisms increasingly has become the subject of research endeavors. The possibility of enhancing plant growth utilizing a natural activity such as magnetism has stimulated research over at least the past six decades."

The study highlights the effects of the changes of the plants. "Sophisticated tests which measure hydrogen bonding properties indicated that EM radiation reduced the size of hydrogen bonded water networks. In particular the changes in the hydrogen bonding networks affected the solution of naturally dissolved gases in the water. This hydrogen bonding modification slowly decayed to undetectable levels several hours after the treatment was stopped. Modifying hydrogen bonding has had several possible consequences for live plants loosening the hydrogen bonding in cell walls permitted the faster growth of plants due to reduced resistance to cells elongating during the growth process."

The implications for this technology are optimistic to say the least. If this study can be replicated we could see a major decline in the proliferation of GMOs, because this system can produce very similar resistance in plants simply by making them healthier, hardier and less prone to damage from insects and drought.

by Matt Agorist, REALfarmacy.com
Read more at http://www.naturalcuresnotmedicine.com/2013/09/ground-breaking-study-could-spell-end.html#16Gmh6VS16Q1VHO8.99
It sounds like science fiction or even quackery. However the results of this latest study conducted by Warrenstown Horticultural College and the Chemical & Environmental Science Dept., University of Limerick, Ireland, say otherwise.

This 35 page report tested the effects of "Vi-Aqua," a system that electro-magnetically charges water, on a cross-section of vegetation from Rye Grass to ornamental plants of various species. The plant experiment confirmed enhanced vigor of growth and stronger plant structure, which increased damage resistance in the treated specimens.

The study explains, "All vegetation-derived energy on this planet is solar in origin. Only approximately 1% of the solar energy, which impinges on the Earth, is captured. This is through the agency of Chlorophyll in most forms of plant life. Animal life on this planet is critically dependent upon the continued availability of energy donating vegetation for its survival. Since all living organisms have evolved in the presence of a strong natural geomagnetic field the possible influence of magnetic fields on living organisms increasingly has become the subject of research endeavors. The possibility of enhancing plant growth utilizing a natural activity such as magnetism has stimulated research over at least the past six decades."

The study highlights the effects of the changes of the plants. "Sophisticated tests which measure hydrogen bonding properties indicated that EM radiation reduced the size of hydrogen bonded water networks. In particular the changes in the hydrogen bonding networks affected the solution of naturally dissolved gases in the water. This hydrogen bonding modification slowly decayed to undetectable levels several hours after the treatment was stopped. Modifying hydrogen bonding has had several possible consequences for live plants loosening the hydrogen bonding in cell walls permitted the faster growth of plants due to reduced resistance to cells elongating during the growth process."

The implications for this technology are optimistic to say the least. If this study can be replicated we could see a major decline in the proliferation of GMOs, because this system can produce very similar resistance in plants simply by making them healthier, hardier and less prone to damage from insects and drought.

by Matt Agorist, www.REALfarmacy.com

Source: realfarmacy.com
Read more at http://www.naturalcuresnotmedicine.com/

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Global #MarchOct12 #TwitterStorm Planned for Tonight at 9PM EST

The March Against Monsanto is launching a global 'Twitter storm' at 9PM EST on Saturday 10/5/13. The goal of this Twitter storm is to get the March and info about GMOs trending on Twitter and Facebook and to build awareness about Monsanto and their dangerous products and policies. We are asking people to tweet and post certain hash tags as frequently as possible between the hours of 9PM EST and 10PM EST(6-7PM PST).

Proposed Tweets: Main hashtags: #Hashtag, #MarchOct12

NOTE: Please make new posts instead of retweeting or sharing. New tweets and new status updates are best

October 12, 2013 #MarchAgainstMonsanto planned for over 52 countries - See more at:
http://bit.ly/MAMpress #O12 #MAM @MarchAgainstM #MarcOct12

Monsanto and GMOs: What you need to know in 2 minutes
http://tinyurl.com/p6be2r3 #MarchOct12 #MAM #O12 @MarchAgainstM

Children's Vitamin contains Aspartame, GMOs & more...
http://tinyurl.com/olxf9h2 #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12 @MarchAgainstM

The Monsanto 71: Senators Who Betrayed Constituents in Favor of Biotech Dollars
http://tinyurl.com/p8hao93 #MarchOct12 #MAM @MarchAgainstM

The One Ingredient Americans Eat That Is Banned in Most Other Countries
http://tinyurl.com/qyldbmq @MarchAgainstM #MarchOct12 #MAM

Organic & Heirloom Seed Companies List
http://bit.ly/1ge55Ng @MarchAgainstM #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12

The original Truth Teller Digital Monsanto connection map. Find out all of their corporate ties with this map. http://covvha.net/?p=2709 @MarchAgainstM #MarchOct12 #MAM
Robyn O'Brien on Kids and Food Allergies from GMOs http://tinyurl.com/nvwkf8n #MarchOct12 #MAM #O12

American Academy of Environmental Medicine Position Paper on GMO #MAM #O12 #MarchAgainstMonsanto
http://tinyurl.com/q3cvgx @MarchAgainstM #MarchOct12

Alfalfa crop contaminated with GMOs, Monsanto suspected -
http://tinyurl.com/n6vyagy #MarchAgainstMonsanto #MAM #O12 @MarchagainstM #MarchOct12

#MarchAgainstMonsanto Oct 12 - Because either mankind will #StopMonsanto or Monsanto will Stop Mankind. #MAM #O12 #MarchOct12

#MarchAgainstMonsanto to protect our food supply, spread awareness about #GMO's and support local farmers #MAM #O12#MarchOct12

#MarchAgainstMonsanto because "He who controls the food supply controls the People" - Henry Kissinger #MAM #O12#MarchOct12

Monsanto is the symptom; Capitalism is the disease, rEevolution is the cure #MAM #O12 #MarchAgainstMonsanto #MarchOct12

#MarchAgainstMonsanto – Worldwide, October 12 2013 - list of events
http://bit.ly/16GeWdx #MAM #O12 #MarchOct12

October 12 call to action video:
http://youtu.be/Gae8u4OWD4Q #MAM #O12
#MarchAgainstMonsanto #MarchOct12

Why is our food being made & modified by the world's largest pesticide manufacturer? #MarchAgainstMonsanto #MAM #O12 #MarchOct12

How to Win a GMO Debate: 10 Facts on Why #GMO's are Bad
http://goo.gl/zDfSG #MarchAgainstMonsanto #MAM #O12 #MarchOct12

#MarchOct12 #Monsanto doesn't allow #GMO' in their cafeteria, WHY?
http://youtu.be/XOINXMp_VjQ October 12, 2013 #MarchAgainstMonsanto

Ain't nobody got time for GMO, March Against Monsanto!
http://tinyurl.com/csyetxb @MarchAgainstM #MarchOct12 #MAM #O12

GMO has got to go! Hell no, G-M-O!
http://tinyurl.com/csyetxb @MarchAgainstM #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12

You serve me GMO food, I'll pay you with monopoly money.
http://tinyurl.com/csyetxb @MarchAgainstM #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12

GMO Food?? No thanks, I like my reproductive organs just the way they are. #MAM #MarchOct12
http://tinyurl.com/csyetxb @MarchAgainstM

We will not stand for cronyism. we will not stand for poison.
http://tinyurl.com/csyetxb #MarchAgainstMonsanto #MarchOct12 @MarchAgainstM

The Monsanto Menace: feds see no evil as a strongman seeks control of US food supply
http://bit.ly/15Ju0l3 #MarchOct12 #MAM @MarchAgainstM

Monsanto Found Guilty of Chemical Poisoning in Landmark Case
http://bit.ly/181czkc #MarchOct12 #MAM #MarchAgainstMonsanto @MarchAgainstM

Monsanto wins landmark patent case in Supreme Court
http://bit.ly/13UpkIU #MAM #O12 #MarchOct12 @MarchAgainstM

Monsanto Protection Act': Chemical monopoly writes its own law
http://bit.ly/ZhUPrx #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12 @MarchAgainstM

Genetically modified democracy: Monsanto moves to obliterate states' rights to label GMOs
http://bit.ly/10P6yiM @MarchAgainstM #MarchOct12

Why Does Monsanto Need an Army of Mercenary Soldiers?
http://bit.ly/18ihqek @MarchAgainstM #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12

Former Monsanto employee put in charge of GMO papers at journal
http://bit.ly/10lLlkc @MarchAgainstM #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12

India Farmer Suicides Linked To Crop Failure, Climate Change (VIDEO)
http://huff.to/hSa4wZ @MarchAgainstM #MAM #O12 #MarchOct12

Will Monsanto destroy Mexico's corn?
http://bit.ly/TZQ6vs #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12 @MarchAgainstM

Total Disinformation Awareness: Monsanto Suppresses Research On GMO Crops
http://bit.ly/1351Fal @MarchAgainstM #MAM #MarchOct12 #O12

Anniversary of a Whistleblowing Hero
http://huff.to/9NJ0lp @MarchAgainstM #MAM #O12 #MarchOct12

GMO Scandal: The Long Term Effects of Genetically Modified Food on Humans
http://bit.ly/11RB8wL #MarchOct12 #MAM #O12 @MarchAgainstM

#MarchOct12 The mustard, the okra, the bringe oil, the rice, the cauliflower The World According to #Monsanto
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/ #NoGMO

#MarchOct12 #noGMO 2 million people world-wide #MarchedAgainstMonsanto May 25! Will it B 20 million Oct,12, 2013
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/

#MarchOct12 #noGMO Of the $1.3 billion of taxpayers' money earmarked for Plan Colombia, Monsanto rcvd 25 million
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/

#MarchOct12 Over past century, global water supplies have been contaminated with full gamut of Monsanto's chemicals
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/

#MarchOct12 Monsanto polluting world's freshwater resources privately taking ownership filtering it & selling it back
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/

#MarchOct12 This is a Call to Action for a Non-Hierarchical Occupation of Monsanto Everywhere
http://occupy-monsanto.com/
#MarchAgainstMonsanto

Participants:
@MarchAgainstM
@regulargrrrl
@newsrevo
@globalrevlive
@audiovisiol15
@acsacollective
@djvjgrrl
@DBarbarella
@AO2GEN

#MarchOct12
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COPPER IS THE NEW SILVER!

Doctors Warn Avoid
Genetically Modified Food

By Jeffrey M. Smith
7-22-9
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine states,"Genetically Modified foods have not been properly tested and pose a serious health risk. There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation."
Last May the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on "Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks." They called for a moratorium on GM foods, long-term independent studies, and labeling.
AAEM's position paper stated, "Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food," including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. They conclude, "There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation," as defined by recognized scientific criteria. "The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies."
More and more doctors are already prescribing GM-free diets. Dr. Amy Dean, a Michigan internal medicine specialist, and board member of AAEM says, "I strongly recommend patients eat strictly non-genetically modified foods." Ohio allergist Dr. John Boyles says "I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it."
Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM, says, "Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions." World renowned biologist Pushpa M. Bhargava goes one step further. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, he concludes that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans.
Among the population, biologist David Schubert of the Salk Institute warns that "children are the most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and other dietary problems" related to GM foods. He says without adequate studies, the children become "the experimental animals."
The experience of actual GM-fed experimental animals is scary. When GM soy was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks-compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy. The GM-fed babies were also smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.
When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles actually changed color-from the normal pink to dark blue. Mice fed GM soy had altered young sperm. Even the embryos of GM fed parent mice had significant changes in their DNA. Mice fed GM corn in an Austrian government study had fewer babies, which were also smaller than normal.
Reproductive problems also plague livestock. Investi-gations in the state of Haryana, India revealed that most buffalo that ate GM cottonseed had complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died. In the US, about two dozen farmers reported thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.
Food Designed to Produce Toxins
GM corn and cotton are engineered to produce their own built-in pesticide in every cell. When bugs bite the plant, the poison splits open their stomach and kills them. Biotech companies claim that the pesticide, called Bt (produced from soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis) has a history of safe use, since organic farmers and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect control.
The Bt-toxin produced in GM plants, however, is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic, has properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the plant.
Moreover, studies confirm that even the less toxic natural bacterial spray is harmful. When dispersed by plane to kill gypsy moths in the Pacific Northwest, about 500 people reported allergy or flu-like symptoms. Some had to go to the emergency room. The exact same symptoms are now being reported by farm workers throughout India who have handled Bt cotton. In 2008, based on medical records, the Sunday India reported, "Victims of itching have increased massively this year related to BT cotton farming."
American Academy of Environmental Medicine states, "Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation," in-cluding increase in cytokines, which are "associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation"-all on the rise in the US.
According to GM food safety expert Dr. Arpad Pusztai, changes in the immune status of GM animals are "a consistent feature of all the studies." Even Monsanto's own research showed significant immune system changes in rats fed Bt corn. A November 2008 study by the Italian government also found that mice have an immune reaction to Bt corn.
GM soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic properties, GM soy has up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor-a known soy allergen-and skin prick tests show some people react to GM, but not to non-GM soy. Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Perhaps the US epidemic of food allergies and asthma is a casualty of genetic manipulation.
In India, animals graze on cotton plants after harvest. But when shepherds let sheep graze on Bt cotton plants, thousands died. Post mortems showed severe irritation and black patches in both intestines and liver (as well as enlarged bile ducts). Investigators said preliminary evidence "strongly suggests that the sheep mortality was due to a toxin most probably Bt-toxin." In a small follow-up feeding study by the Deccan Development Society, all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days; those that grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy.
In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died within 3 days. Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in the Philippines.
In lab studies, twice the number of chickens fed Liberty Link corn died; 7 of 20 rats fed a GM tomato developed bleeding stomachs; another 7 of 40 died within two weeks. Monsanto's own study showed evidence of poisoning in major organs of rats fed Bt corn, according to top French toxicologist G. E. Seralini.
Worst Finding of All-GMOs Remain Inside Us
The only published human feeding study revealed what may be the most dangerous problem from GM foods. The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside of us. Put more plainly, eating a corn chip produced from Bt corn might transform our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, possibly for the rest of our lives.
When evidence of gene transfer is reported at medical conferences around the US, doctors often respond by citing the huge increase of gastrointestinal problems among their patients over the last decade. GM foods might be colonizing the gut flora of North Americans.
Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned about all these problems even in the early 1990s. According to documents released from a lawsuit, the scientific consensus at the agency was that GM foods were inherently dangerous, and might create hard-to-detect allergies, poisons, gene transfer to gut bacteria, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged their superiors to require rigorous long-term tests. But the White House had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the FDA responded by recruiting Michael Taylor, Monsanto's former attorney, to head up the formation of GMO policy. That policy, which is in effect today, denies knowledge of scientists' concerns and declares that no safety studies on GMOs are required. It is up to Monsanto and the other biotech companies to determine if their foods are safe. Mr. Taylor later became Monsanto's vice president.
American Academy of Environmental Medicine states, "GM foods have not been properly tested" and "pose a serious health risk." Not a single human clinical trial on GMOs has been published. A 2007 review of published scientific literature on the "potential toxic effects/health risks of GM plants" revealed "that experimental data are very scarce." The author concludes his review by asking, "Where is the scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe, as assumed by the biotechnology companies?"
Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki answers, "The experiments simply haven't been done and we now have become the guinea pigs." He adds, "Anyone that says, 'Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,' I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying."
Dr. Schubert points out, "If there are problems, we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop." If GMOs happen to cause immediate and acute symptoms with a unique signature, perhaps then we might have a chance to trace the cause.
This is precisely what happened during a US epidemic in the late 1980s. The disease was fast acting, deadly, and caused a unique measurable change in the blood-but it still took more than four years to identify that an epidemic was even occurring. By then it had killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 people to fall sick or become permanently disabled. It was caused by a genetically engineered brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan.
If other GM foods are contributing to the rise of autism, obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, allergies, reproductive problems, or any other common health problem now plaguing Americans, we may never know. In fact, since animals fed GMOs had such a wide variety of problems, susceptible people may react to GM food with multiple symptoms. It is therefore telling that in the first nine years after the large scale introduction of GM crops in 1996, the incidence of people with three or more chronic diseases nearly doubled, from 7% to 13%.
To help identify if GMOs are causing harm, the AAEM asks their "members, the medical community, and the independent scientific community to gather case studies potentially related to GM food consumption and health effects, begin epidemiological research to investigate the role of GM foods on human health, and conduct safe methods of determining the effect of GM foods on human health."
Citizens need not wait for the results before taking the doctors advice to avoid GM foods. People can stay away from anything with soy or corn derivatives, cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets-unless it says organic or "non-GMO."
If even a small percentage of people choose non-GMO brands, the food industry will likely respond as they did in Europe-by removing all GM ingredients. Thus, American Academy of Environmental Medicine's non-GMO prescription may be a watershed for the US food supply.
Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, is the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of GMOs. His first book, Seeds of Deception is the world's bestselling book on the subject. His second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, identifies 65 risks of GMOs and demonstrates how superficial government approvals are not competent to find most of them. He invited the biotech industry to respond in writing with evidence to counter each risk, but correctly predicted that they would refuse, since they don't have the data to show that their products are safe. Spilling the Beans, the institute's monthly column, is available at <http://www.reliabletechnology.org>www.reliabletechnology.org. The website also offers eater-friendly tips for avoiding GMOs at home and in restaurants. Contact American Academy of Environmental Medicine at (734) 213-4901; environmentalmed@yahoo.com; <http://www.aaemonline.org>www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html.
http://www.sentienttimes.com/09/June_July_09/doctors.html
 
 
 
 
Monday, May 27th 2013 - 05:10 UTC

Millions take to the streets world-wide to protest against Monsanto and GM

The United States biotech giant Monsanto says it respects people's rights to express themselves, but that its genetically-modified seeds improve farm productivity and food quality.
 
 
 
Protesters marched peacefully on Saturday in over fifty countries
 
 
 
 
The US Senate rejected a bill making it compulsory to label GM foods. Some consumers are worried about possible health risks.
Demonstrations against the company took place in over fifty countries on Saturday. Organisers say two million people took part.
"People have a right to know what they're eating, most people do think that they have the right, but those rights will never be upheld as long as corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money to influence the outcomes of elections," said one protesters in Kansas.
"They have no right to mess with our food, you don't turn food into a lab experiment," added another.
The 'March Against Monsanto' Movement was started in February.
There are also arguments that genetically-modified crops can harm the environment.
Monsanto argues that tests show its food is safe. The same assessment has been made by the US government and many scientists.
 
 
 
 
 
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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Monsanto and Biotech Giants Launch Website to Combat Anti-GMO Sentiment

A group of biotech seed companies have launched an online forum to rebuff disapproval of genetically modified foods across the world. Activists and consumer groups are skeptical, saying the industry has a 'track record of being anything but transparent'.
The website is said to be partly backed by the biotech US giant Monsanto, DuPont and Dow AgroSciences, according to Reuters, as well as by other companies whose products feature ingredients that have been genetically altered in ways the companies claim improve food production.
Founders of http://www.gmoanswers.com/ say the website was created "to do a better job answering your questions — no matter what they are — about GMOs." Its launch is part of the biotech industry's campaign to respond to concerns for GMO food labeling and tighter regulation in the US.
One user from Newtown, Pennsylvania identified as Sorgfelt posted a question on the website asking whether he could trust any research done on GMOs that has the imprimatur of the Missouri-based Monsanto. His query was prompted after learning "from practical experience that, in order to get a job with Monsanto, or do any research that is supported by Monsanto, or even to publish research on Monsanto seeds, that all of my work would have to be approved by Monsanto."
"This makes it very difficult to have legitimate third-party research to rely on," Sorgfelt, whose question has yet to be answered, added.
Meanwhile, biotech industry players say all they want is dialogue on the issue.
"This… is an effort to increase the dialogue. That is all we want," Paul Schickler, president of DuPont Pioneer told Reuters. "Dialogue is good. Over time I think we'll come to a common understanding."
People hold signs during a demonstration against agribusiness giant Monsanto and genetically modified organisms (GMO) in front of the White House in Washington on May 25, 2013. (AFP Photo / Nicholas Kamm)
People hold signs during a demonstration against agribusiness giant Monsanto and genetically modified organisms (GMO) in front of the White House in Washington on May 25, 2013. (AFP Photo / Nicholas Kamm)
Activists argue that the newly established website won't help stop the consumer backlash against genetically engineered foods that has been brewing for years.
"…the industry has a track record of being anything but transparent. They spend millions in marketing and lobbying against popular GMO labeling efforts. Their control of patents has prevented research from being done on the long-term impacts of biotech crops and food products. This latest public relations blitz is just more of the same from an industry that is struggling to combat popular sentiment that genetically engineered foods are unlabeled, untested and unsafe," Executive Director of Food & Water Watch, Wenonah Hauter, said on Monday.
"More claims from the biotech industry about the safety of genetic engineering are not a replacement for the clear labeling that consumers are demanding," he added.

Concerns over safety of genetic engineering

Protests against Monsanto have become a frequent event across the globe. Earlier this month the world's largest seed-maker said it would drop its bid to grow some of its genetically modified crops in Europe after a number of European countries, including France, Germany and Italy, established bans against genetically modified organisms.
Protesters march on the Meir in Antwerp on May 25, 2013 during a protest against the American multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto. (AFP Photo / Jonas Roosens)Protesters march on the Meir in Antwerp on May 25, 2013 during a protest against the American multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto. (AFP Photo / Jonas Roosens)
The company's corporate spokesman explained that Monsanto would offer its biotech crops only to those who want them.
"We're going to sell the GM seeds only where they enjoy broad farmer support, broad political support and a functioning regulatory system," Thomas Helscher told Reuters in May. "As far as we're convinced this only applies to a few countries in Europe today, primarily Spain and Portugal."
The company is also looking to gain its share in the corn market in Ukraine. Eastern Europe, as well as South America, are currently the key growth areas for Monsanto.
Another issue raising public concerns is the labeling of GMOs products, which usually go onto supermarket shelves unmarked.
Last year, Monsanto and other industry members spent $40 million to defeat a ballot initiative in California to require labeling of GMO food, Reuters reported.
The Natural Products Association, the nation's largest association for natural products representing 1,900 food industry players, has recently called for all foods containing genetically modified organisms to be accurately labeled under a uniform standard, so consumers can "make educated decisions about foods they purchase".
In March, grocery retailer Whole Foods announced that by 2018, all products in US and Canadian stores must be labeled if they contain GMOs. This is the first national grocery store to set a deadline for genetically modified ingredients labeling.
"We are putting a stake in the ground on GMO labeling to support the consumer's right to know," co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, Walter Robb, said. "The prevalence of GMOs in the US paired with nonexistent mandatory labeling makes it very difficult for retailers to source non-GMO options and for consumers to choose non-GMO products. Accordingly, we are stepping up our support of certified organic agriculture, where GMOs are not allowed, and we are working together with our supplier partners to grow our non-GMO supply chain to ensure we can continue to provide these choices in the future," he added.
In June, Chipotle Mexican became the first US restaurant chain to reveal GMO ingredients after it begun labeling all the ingredients the grill burrito group uses that contain genetically modified organisms.
Source:
 
 
 
 
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Op-Ed: Thousands march against Monsanto, GM food

Posted Jun 3, 2013 by Jessica Geyer
Over the last few weekends, thousands of protesters have taken to the street to march against the seed company Monsanto. The protests occurred in over 400 cities and 50 countries worldwide.
Monsanto and other corporate giants have been fighting to keep GMO foods unlabeled. People want to h...
Monsanto and other corporate giants have been fighting to keep GMO foods unlabeled. People want to have the right to know what they are eating. Many other products are required to have labels in the U.S.
I understand the anger. Just this month, a farmer in my state lost $84,000 to Monsanto for replanting soybean seeds back in 1999. Like a lot of people, patented genes and mega-corporations remind me of a dystopian sci-fi novel. I completely understand protesting shady business practices that harm the growers of our produce.
What I don't understand is protesting GM foods.
Monsanto does not represent all GMOs. In fact, many GM foods are being developed to eliminate preventable hunger-related deaths in some of the poorest parts of the world.
Take, for example, the Philippines, where a large amount of children suffer from vitamin A deficiency. This type of malnutrition can lead to blindness and death. A product called golden rice, a food genetically modified to provide beta-carotene, was developed to alleviate this deadly problem.
The scientists who created this life-saving food don't work for Monsanto. They don't want to sue farmers who reuse their seeds. They don't want to kill people with toxic food. They have a very noble mission. Yet their efforts to supply golden rice to areas that needed it were blocked for 12 years because of GM opposition, during which millions of children died due to vitamin A deficiency.
Yet during these protests, people still waved signs with slogans like "ban GMOs" or claims that GM foods are poisonous. That's bad science, and it harms the image of anti-Monsanto marchers in the eyes of skeptics who equate them with anti-vaccination activists or climate change deniers.
Protesters should also keep in mind that what they do has an impact. Monsanto recently backed out of European expansion, for example. Protesters also seem on a sure track to make GM food labeling mandatory, which will allow consumers to make informed choices about what they eat.
But protesters can also have a negative effect, delaying important research on GM foods that aren't out solely for profit in places of the world who don't have the privilege of debating the health benefits of organic produce. If GM food and research were banned in a country like the United States, it could stop funding to these important scientific breakthroughs.
No, GM foods won't solve world hunger, and there is still some question about their effects on humans. Still, anti-Monsanto protesters should be careful not to confuse the issue of food ethics with GM foods in general. After all, humans have been modifying their food since the dawn of agriculture. GM foods, too, can be grown safely. And they can be grown in a way that doesn't hurt our farmers.
 
 
 
 
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1 Fido Dido (#)May 27th, 2013 - 06:26 am
"The United States biotech giant Monsanto (who ownes the house and senate on both sides, GOP and DEMS) says it respects people's rights to express themselves, but that its genetically-modified seeds improve farm productivity and food quality..and help the "poor"...which is bull crap.

More "poor" farmers are losing their land and lifes (see India) through monsanto than the fake global warming (another hype sponsored by monsanto through climate gate eugenics clown bill gates, major share holder of ..yes, Monsanto).
"The US Senate rejected a bill making it compulsory to label GM foods. Some consumers are worried about possible health risks"

The US senate rejected the bill, because Monsanto ordered them to reject the bill, because they are afraid that people WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY EAT AND DON'T WANT TO BUY THEIR CRAP ANYMORE.
2 Ayayay (#)May 27th, 2013 - 06:35 pm
Except, the 30 year Rodale study showed organic farming outyeilded gmo conventional.

Also, if it's really soil enriched, YOU get enriched too!
permaculturenews.org/2011/10/13/the-rodale-institutes-30-year-farming-systems-trial-report/
 

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