Monsanto

[Green08]

May 6

Farmers Beware - Monsanto Is Taking Global Control of Your Livestock & Seed

America’s giant Monsanto corporation is currently lodging patent applications in 159 countries to patent the Pig.

Unbelievable I know, but if Monsanto is granted the patent in the USA every other country may follow. That means farmers across the world will have to pay Monsanto a fee every time they sell a pig.

Patenting living organisms is already settle case law in the USA.

They already have this sort of control with genetically modified seed and plants. Patenting is all about control. Monsanto wants to own the world wide patents for our food. The patent is not just for pigs it is for their offspring. Every time a pig has a piglet it is a ‘patent violation’ and the farmer has to pay Monsanto for it.

http://www.agmates.com/blog/category/organic-farming/

Most farmers in NSW don't want to use Monsanto stock. Some have planted Mansonto crops and wished they hadn't. They are aware of what is happening in the States, yet are being pushed to 'produce more food' for the world's growing population.

Interested in your views on global food patenting.

 

[prawn_86]

Monsanto is one very clever organisation and are slowly ensuring that they become a global food and chemical monopoly.

Good on them.

 

[jono1887]

Monsanto is one very clever organisation and are slowly ensuring that they become a global food and chemical monopoly.

Good on them.

Not necessarily a good thing. By having monopoly control over any resource, you control supply. Imagine the power they have in the control over supply of food... they can produce artificial famines for financial gain, this power should not be held by anyone.

 

[prawn_86]

Not necessarily a good thing. By having monopoly control over any resource, you control supply. Imagine the power they have in the control over supply of food... they can produce artificial famines for financial gain, this power should not be held by anyone.

Yeh but then it should be up to govs, regulators and courts to stop this happening. Monsanto is simply doing what you or I do on a daily basis, making the most of opportunities presented to us.

Govs will complain, and yet do nothing about it, so i have no sympathy at all if they are not willing to actually make a decison.

 

[Green08]

Yeh but then it should be up to govs, regulators and courts to stop this happening. Monsanto is simply doing what you or I do on a daily basis, making the most of opportunities presented to us.

Is this the USA last stand to be the greatest countryby ultimate control of the food supply? This is beyond normal judical work. The powers that be heading government always have a hand in the money pot.

What next, cattle, sheep, water?

Making the most of opportunities presented to me does not mean megalomaniac tactics.

 

[Buddy]

Not sure you are correct green. There is always 2 sides to the story. Here's the other side:-
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto_today/for_the_record/pig_patent.asp

 

[jono1887]

Not sure you are correct green. There is always 2 sides to the story. Here's the other side:-
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto_today/for_the_record/pig_patent.asp

hahaha.. thats good to know

 

[Green08]

True there are two sides to each story.

Monsanto began the interest in the pig patent. If they were really concerned about food supply being open to all they should have destoryed the information they had - ha but no - there was money to be made. What I read is perhaps true though I believe I could safely assume there is alot more going on.

Why would Monsanto do all the work and let is go surely the lure of money from a disposed of stream is too tempting. Piggy royalities

 

[theasxgorilla]

Not necessarily a good thing. By having monopoly control over any resource, you control supply. Imagine the power they have in the control over supply of food... they can produce artificial famines for financial gain, this power should not be held by anyone.

And it's barely the tip of the iceberg. They genetically modify food. The health consequences of which are not know. Increasing crop yields is one thing...

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.”[15] Even Monsanto’s own research showed significant immune system changes in rats fed Bt corn. A November 2008 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.

http://fooddemocracy.wordpress.com/2009/05/21/doctors-warn-avoid-genetically-modified-food/

 

[jono1887]

And it's barely the tip of the iceberg. They genetically modify food. The health consequences of which are not know. Increasing crop yields is one thing...



http://fooddemocracy.wordpress.com/2009/05/21/doctors-warn-avoid-genetically-modified-food/

I dont think GM foods are all that bad... it has allowed for pesticide resistant breeds, more disease resistant, and larger yields... its increasing efficiency. I dont see a significant problem with that. Its just accelerating the evolution process to our benefit. The real problem comes if they were to patent live organisms.

I've thought more about that link to the Monsanto site about their attempt to put a patent on the IVF process for breeding pigs. Isn't there a patent for the human IVF?? does that mean babies that are born by IVF are technically owned by the company that owns the patent??

 

[theasxgorilla]

I dont think GM foods are all that bad... it has allowed for pesticide resistant breeds, more disease resistant, and larger yields... its increasing efficiency. I dont see a significant problem with that. Its just accelerating the evolution process to our benefit. The real problem comes if they were to patent live organisms.

That is one perspective. You should ask an informed allergy sufferer for their point of view. You're only focussing on the desired outcome, not the unwanted side effects.

 

[Green08]

GM food is what it says modified. How much is anyone’s guess. It isn't natural and more than likely is detrimental to your health.

They did form new links of protein in one project.

Sterile animals, still born birth or birth of water sacks when animals are given GM food to eat. We eat them what are the consequences to us?

Either most of you are unconcerned, don't understand the full implications of eating this for the last 10 - 15 years, accept it as evolution.

It doesn't necessarily mean increased crop yield or plants that can survive better climatic change. But it does mean money. I wonder if we are so complacent these days as a global populus to accept the push from one company to control our food?

 

[theasxgorilla]

Either most of you are unconcerned, don't understand the full implications of eating this for the last 10 - 15 years, accept it as evolution.

It doesn't necessarily mean increased crop yield or plants that can survive better climatic change. But it does mean money. I wonder if we are so complacent these days as a global populus to accept the push from one company to control our food?

Take a look at what people put into their shopping trolleys at the supermarket. 2 litre bulk packs of Coke, as much as you can carry bulk packs of 2-minute noodles, bulk packs of crisps. If that's not enough evidence, take a look at how fat Australia has become. No, I would say the large majority of people are not concerned with what they're eating.

 

[Green08]

Agree asxg,

I am always curious at the check out to see what they are checking out. Says an awful lot. Unless it is that time of the month and a chocolate binge is on the cards.

The rubbish people eat is shocking, but it's their body.

They are finding it increasing difficult to locate GMO free corn to feed pigs in Scandinavia. The price is going up and making the commercial aspect of it unviable. What do you see over there? Has the skill of culinary art been lost to instant gratification?

 

[moXJO]

I think all canola oil is gm now. I think they used rapeseed(which is toxic) dna.
And now have just read another article that says its ok for you, and the toxic thing is bs. Also canola oil is made from the seeds of rapeseed plants.

 

[theasxgorilla]

They are finding it increasing difficult to locate GMO free corn to feed pigs in Scandinavia. The price is going up and making the commercial aspect of it unviable. What do you see over there? Has the skill of culinary art been lost to instant gratification?

Sweden is like an oasis for good old fashioned cuisine. I suffer from allergies and it got to the point where I struggled to get from day to day without being affected by the food on offer in Aust. I mean, how can you hope to win when they add MSG to wheat flour but don't have to disclose it as an ingredient because it was added by the suppliers supplier so it doesn't appear on the end product's label as an ingredient???

When I moved to Sweden I thought I was in heaven (still do!)... by and large food is still made the way it used to be... even the manufactured stuff. I pick up packet of Falukorv (big thick old fashioned Swedish sausage) and the packet proudly proclaims to be egg, soya, pea, milk etc. etc. protein free. That's right, just meat and spices! As if it was ever meant to be anything else!?!?

Moving to Holland was like going back to Aust in a sense... a more packet/processed/additive food culture. Back to the old days of trying to find the 1 in 100 ham or salami that doesn't contain hydrolised vegetable protein aka. soy, aka. meat-extender (yes, it's about profit, not yield).

 

[theasxgorilla]

I think all canola oil is gm now. I think they used rapeseed(which is toxic) dna

Best we tell the Scandinavians... rapeseed is all they grow/use up here!

 

[Smurf1976]

Asbestos was supposedly safe.

So was smoking.

So was leaded petrol.

So was hydrogenated vegetable oils (still very widely used - do some research and you sure won't want to eat that stuff).

And so, for now, is GM food.

It's unproven. It might be safe or it might not be. But I'd rather not have MY body used for the experiments.

 

[jono1887]

Asbestos was supposedly safe.

So was smoking.

So was leaded petrol.

So was hydrogenated vegetable oils (still very widely used - do some research and you sure won't want to eat that stuff).

And so, for now, is GM food.

It's unproven. It might be safe or it might not be. But I'd rather not have MY body used for the experiments.

where do you go to get the non-gm stuff??

 

[beerwm]

there are benefits;

if a crop is made pest-resistant
-then you're no longer spraying it with pesticides.

i'd rather eat a non-toxic pest deterant derived from nature than artifical chemicals.

i dont know the full argument though