I will admit that I have planted some GM sweet corn. It is Roundup ready and has a BT gene. I saw it and had to try it. It is not GMO food that bothers me it is the pesticides and herbicides. I just had to experiment.
I don't really know enough about it to say one way or another, but I can speculate. I know that GMO foods have been a great boon to humanity because they allow us to feed the population, and grow foods where they might not ordinarily grow. But I have also heard that farmers have been taken to court for using seeds from their last harvest, and lost, because they are not allowed to do so. They're supposed to buy new seeds every year, as far as I know. When I put on my psychopath/politician hat, I think it would be a good long term strategy to get everybody dependent on my product so I can jack up the price or cull the population when necessary. I don't think Putin is a stupid man, so maybe he sees the same trap. Why else would anybody do such a thing? I can see how not allowing GMOs is difficult in the short term, but it's a good strategic move in the long term, if my reasoning is correct. Yes, America has abundant, inexpensive food, but have we made a deal with the devil? There is a great book that tangentially touches on this subject called "The Windup Girl" by Paulo Bacigalupi (I'm sure I butchered the spelling). I highly recommend it.
GMOs are harmless and that is fact. they are in fact necessary to feed the worlds population. Russia is simply backwards again by taking this stance. They are free to do so of course but it is still backwards
GMO crops are extremely vulnerable to various infestations. Perhaps all types of monoculture are vulnerable. The section in this film about what is happening to the Florida citrus industry may be the most sobering. Infestation - Full Documentary - Season 1 Episode 1
No more so than any other crop. Incidentally nearly everything you and I and the russians eat is a GMO. For example corn is a GMO even if it is organic which is nothing more than a term for low quality. Humans have been eating GMOs for thousands of years and what the ruskies are trying to ban is simply better than whatever else is available
But... there is GMO..... and then there is ..... http://www.etcgroup.org/es/node/160 Broken Promise? Monsanto Promotes Terminator Seed Technology
For one thing... farmers become dependent on one company for seeds and cannot re-use the seeds from the harvest. http://www.etcgroup.org/es/content/usda-says-yes-terminator
This can greatly increase costs for farmers in third world nations. This can also further bankrupt North American farmers whose crops get contaminated with genetic code from these seeds....... then their seeds become sterile and Monsanto sues them for stealing their technology...... https://nature.berkeley.edu/srr/Alliance/novartis/sterile.htm
Monsanto sues small farmers to protect seed patents, report says. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/12/monsanto-sues-farmers-seed-patents
A GM organism has spliced genes. That is much different than hybrids or anything else that has been done before. So, no people have not been eating GMO foods for thousands of years. I am not saying GMO foods are bad but they are new.
You got that right on.....the chickensh.t governments in the USA and Canada refuse even to label foods that contain frankenfood ingredients (GM) substances...obviously they are in the pocket of Monsanto the evil contaminator of the planets food supplies...Bravo Russia for your stand against these evil people.
This company is getting away from them. Desert Farm Grows 17,000 Tons Of Food Without Soil, Pesticides, Fossil Fuels, or Even Groundwater
A lot of well informed people do think this way........... but a paradigm shift in central banking and taxation policy in both the United States and Canada that is so good that it is emulated in other nations......... could alter the formula in many positive ways. http://www.politicalforum.com/index.php?threads/jamie-baillie-nova-scotia-israel-and-jordan.506627/
Feed the world until the population doubles and then triples? Wouldn't that be fun...let's all watch Soylent Green tonight.
My experiment with GM corn is complete. This spring I planted GM sweet corn with the BT gene. It was also roundup ready. I have never seen better sweet corn. The ears were full, two ears per stalk and no insect damage. We planted a half pound of seed and got three large wheelbarrows full to overflowing. We have enough corn to last us a year and we gave away 9 dozen ears. If I can find it, I will plant GM corn next year. The taste was excellent.
Well, that's wonderful. What about long-term health? Time will tell. Sounds like much of the civilized world isn't buying it. If Monsanto is involved, that should send off alarms everywhere.
Considering just about every product contains GM organisms. I really don't know. Besides I ain't asking you to eat it. But I am pretty sure you do.
Do you actually believe what Putin says ?? Amazing. Russia is undoubtedly deeply involved with genetically modified foods to increase yield, increase nutritional value, cost savings from less fertilizer and insecticide, and labor savings.
Thank you for letting me know this. I tend to look at the other side to this subject more so it is good to get some feedback that helps me to understand the large group of people who think differently.
So far they have found zero evidence of any ill effects in humans or animals. But there has been very positive effects in reducing soil erosion, reduced fuel consumption, and reduced pesticide use. So it could very well be a healthier alternative. People must remember that no agriculture is natural.
i voted dangerous, but clarify *potentially* dangerous. The technology itself isnt bad (no tech is 'bad') but the potential for misuse via negligence or agenda is immeasurably high. The potential benefits to mankind of crops that can be engineered to grow anywhere and turn even the poorest quality soils into carbs and protein is very important if you value less children starving to death like most of us do. But the dangers of a profit driven industry substituting QUALITY crops full of the other 88 nutrients we need for the GMO ones that are often nutrient deficient endanger even those of us who arent starving or impoverished with the caucophony of health issues associated with malnutritiin and obesity. The possibility of these effects being intentional or becoming intentional in the future given the dynamics of profit driven medicine and the tendency of our dependence on both food and healthcare to be used as social control mechanisms means we must be ever vigilant of what, exactly, they're engineering our food to do. Monsanto, for example, is quite fond of inserting its 'ex'-executives into oversite positions such as in the FDA, potentially negating our quality control systems. We can't just trust that we're being protected from danger.
