News regarding the dangers of GMOs and biotech, and the advantages of organic sustainable agriculture.
GM in your cornflakes? Food fears as U.S. approve new genetically engineered maize
By Sean Poulter
MailOnline
Breakfast cereals, including corn flakes, bread and snacks are under threat after the US authorities approved the growing of a new GM maize.
The warning is significant because it comes from the North American Millers’ Association, a food industry trade body, rather than green campaigners.
Read the Full Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1359109/GM-cornflakes-Fears-U-S-approve-new-engineered-maize.html#ixzz1EcAakXw8
Monsanto, Dow to begin pushing dangerous 2,4-D herbicide as ‘solution’ to superweeds
by Jonathan Benson
NaturalNews
(NaturalNews) It is something that many farmers of genetically-modified (GM) crops are already trying to do and failing to succeed in, but that the chemical companies responsible for the problem may soon be pushing as an alleged “solution.” The Dow Chemical Company has sponsored a study that aims to position the […]
Alfalfa Farmer Sues Monsanto
by Cassandra Anderson
Phil Geertson is a conventional alfalfa seed grower who has been involved in efforts to stop GE (genetically engineered) alfalfa since 2003 resulting in a Supreme Court decision in 2010 on Forage Genetics/Monsanto’s GE alfalfa.
Mr. Geertson began his career as a Registered Civil Engineer but later changed his life’s work to farming […]
Why Aren’t G.M.O. Foods Labeled?
Health Impact News Comment:
Mark Bittman of the New York Times has written a good commentary on the labeling of GMO foods. While pointing out that foods in Europe containing more than 0.9 percent G.M.O.’s must be labeled, he concludes:
“A majority of our food (here in the US) already contains G.M.O.’s, and there’s little reason […]
Oregon Department of Agriculture demands eradication of escaped GMO bentgrass
By MITCH LIES
Capital Press
SALEM — Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba has asked The Scotts Co. and USDA to reveal their plans for eradicating genetically modified bentgrass that escaped several years ago from Idaho trials sites into Eastern Oregon.
Read the Full Article Here: http://www.capitalpress.com/oregon/ml-coba-letter-021111
GMO Crops: Biotech Companies Block Independent Research
Health Impact News Editor Comments:
The Los Angeles Times has printed a very good op-ed article today by Doug Gurian-Sherman, a plant pathologist and senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington. He correctly points out how biotech companies can legally block independent research on the safety and efficacy of genetically modified seeds, […]
Vilsack clears industrial biotech corn for ethanol – Angers food companies
by Philip Brasher
DesMoinesRegister.com
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today approved a biotech corn variety that was engineered solely for producing fuel ethanol. Companies that mill corn for breakfast cereals and other foods have been fighting the move for fear the grain will contaminate their supplies.
Read the Full Article here: http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/02/11/vilsack-clears-industrial-biotech-corn/
Raging Debate in Australia as Monsanto’s GE Crops Contaminate Organic Farms
Illustration: Harry Afentoglou
by Elizabeth Farrelly
The Sydney Morning Herald
The West Australian Minister for Agriculture, Terry Redman, wants to redefine “organic” to accommodate genetic engineering. Well he might wish it, since the legal battle brewing there over contamination of organic crops by genetically modified ones could easily blow right back onto his turf. Far scarier, […]
STOP GMO Campaign – BILL C-474 in Canada
by CitizensForRealFood
About 30 people, comprised of a few families and friends from an elementary school in Toronto, gave their time and skills to this project with the goal of informing Canadians of the growing prevalence of GMO’s in Canada. Bill C-474 proposes to create a regulatory obstacle to any futher approval of GMO seeds […]
Seventeen Agrifood Giants and Bill Gates Want to End Poverty: What’s Their Motive?
Onward Corporate Food Crusaders!
by Eric Holt Gimenez
Huffington Post
Excerpt from this article:
Seventeen agrifood monopolies (ADM, BASF, Bunge, Cargill, The Coca-Cola Company, DuPont, General Mills, Kraft Foods, Metro, Monsanto Company, Nestlé, PepsiCo, SABMiller, Syngenta, Unilever, Wal-Mart Stores and Yara International) rolled out a new report financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation […]
Monsanto Linked Seed Companies to Avoid
by FarmerCathy
Mothering.com Forums
I was thinking we should make a list and have it as a sticky so we could make it easier to avoid these seed companies if you so desire.
To give a little background about Monsanto if you don’t already know. They develop and sell GMO (genetically modified organisms) seeds. Seeds that […]
Friends of Family Farmers Introduce Food Bill in Oregon
by Taylor Leake
As anyone who frequents this site knows, our food system is becoming increasingly industrialized, with factory farms quickly replacing family and small-scale farms at a frighteningly fast pace. Using cheap and environmentally harmful farming practices and friendly government policies, massive corporate farming operations are wiping thousands of small farmers off the map (just like Walmart […]
The USDA’s Organic Deception
by Barbara H. Peterson
Farm Wars
Organic is organic, or is it? It would seem that it is all a matter of perspective when one takes a stroll through the mountains of documents on the FDA and USDA websites.
The word “organic” is fast becoming a high-dollar money-maker for corporations smart enough to jump on the bandwagon […]
A Conversation with Dan Imhoff: An Introduction to the Farm Bill
by Cooking Up a Story
In part 1, Daniel Imhoff explains the historical roots of the federal Farm Bill, arguably the single, biggest piece of legislation that effects land use in the U.S., and as he himself notes, most average citizens know little about this important bill.
The current farm bill is […]
GMO mosquitoes may be a catastrophic mistake
by Humayun Kabir
Free Malaysia Today
SUNGAI SIPUT: The use of laboratory mosquitoes to fight dengue may turn out to be a catastrophic mistake, according to Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar, who is a respiratory physician.
The biggest danger, he said, was that the release of large numbers of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes into the environment […]
Tell Obama to say NO to GMOs
by Food Democracy Now
Over the past 12 days, the Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve two biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified (GMO) alfalfa and Roundup Ready genetically modified (GMO) sugar beets. While the planting of both crops had been temporarily halted due to court decisions, Obama’s recent approval of them will allow […]
Couple turns swimming pool into aquaponics system to feed family of four: Now 100% self sufficient
We created GardenPool.org to document our journey of converting an old backyard swimming pool in to a way to feed our family and live more self-sufficiently. When we purchased our first home in Mesa, AZ on October of 2009, it came with a large, empty, and run-down pool. Rather than spending […]
The Last Thing our Hungry World Needs is More Food
Comment from Health Impact News editor: Fred Pearce of MailOnline in the UK has written an excellent piece today looking at the current food crisis. He makes a good claim that the last thing we need is more food. His article does a good job of pitting the biotech solution to world hunger against small-scale […]
USDA Approves Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets Without Ample Review
Without issuing an environmental impact study, the USDA is going to allow permitting that would allow some farmers to grow genetically engineered sugar beets this spring.
By Leah Zerbe and Emily Main
Rodale
RODALE NEWS, STATE COLLEGE, PA—In an unprecedented, and what some food safety groups call an illegal move, the United States Department […]
Mexico, Cradle of Corn, Finds its Noble Grain Under Assault from GM Contamination
By Tim Johnson | McClatchy Newspapers
GUELATAO, Mexico — Yank the husks off ears of corn grown in the mountains of southern Mexico, and you may find kernels that are red, yellow, white, blue, black or even variegated.
It’s only one measure of the diversity of the 60 or so native varieties of […]