Banning of genetically modified crops

[Janus]

Originally posted by AP
Poland's parliament has passed a law which removes genetically modified seeds from a national register, effectively banning their sale.

"This should be interpreted as a ban on the sale in Poland of genetically modified seeds," Wojciech Mojzesowicz, head of parliament's agriculture commission, told AFP.

But according to Poland's European affairs ministry, such a ban goes against European Union directives. Poland joined the EU in May 2004.

The law has to be endorsed by President Lech Kaczynski before it takes effect.

Around 76 percent of Polish consumers are against genetically modified organisms, according to a poll conducted by the international environmental activist group Greenpeace.

Perhaps there were safety problems with the GMO crops? Overall, GMO crop use is still increasing quite remarkably an ISAAA official said.

[apathy maybe]

I personally don't have any problem with genetically engineer crops, that are properly tested in a laboratory and have no possible problems on anything. In a post-capitalist society where scientists who are making it are doing it for the good of people, rather then profit.

In this society I feel that there are too many dangers from the commercial use of genetically modified organisms outside of a lab.

[VermontLeft]

there way too much attention on this GMO foods issue. really, i mean yeah OK, so their "genitically modified", well what fucking isn't nowadays??? :huh:

All of our foods been modified. "natural" is complete bullshit anyways.

Banning GMO is just a cheap way for governmentrs to pretend that there helping the environment when what there really doing is protecting local industry. :o

This is an economic issue not a fucking political one!!

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

The only problem I have with GMOs is the frightening ease in which they can be used to screw over subsistence farmers. But then again, that is a fault of capitalism and not technology.

[Red Axis]

I think we need to follow Poland's suit, genetically modified foods are contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Originally posted by Red [email protected] 30 2006, 03:30 PM
I think we need to follow Poland's suit, genetically modified foods are contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.
I thought that was caused by an excess of fatty foods and lack of exercise.

[Dark Exodus]

Originally posted by Red [email protected] 30 2006, 03:36 PM
I think we need to follow Poland's suit, genetically modified foods are contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.
Kids aren't getting fat on tomatoes.

[redstar2000]

As in many other respects (sexism and homophobia, for example), Poland is the "Iran" of Europe.

The Christian Fascist government there probably considers "genetic modification" the "work of the devil".

Humans have been genetically modifying their plants and animals for at least 7-10,000 years. It's simply being done faster now.

I hope the EU "kicks ass" on this one! :angry:

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[pedro san pedro]

Humans have been genetically modifying their plants and animals for at least 7-10,000 years. It's simply being done faster now.

you're confusing genetic modification / engineering with selective / cross breeding. humans have employed selective breeding for generations - examples of this include breeding for specific traits in dogs, crossing roses for specific colours/smells or the vast strains of maize that have been developed.

Genetic engineering is a processed developed in the 1970's the takes DNA from one species and implants it in another. So, instead of crossing one variety of corn with another, DNA from scorpians are forced in.... something that could never occur naturally and creates novel organisms never before seen on the face of the planet

[barret]

The major issue with Genetically modified crops has absolutely nothing to do with the 'safety' of the food itself. The reason why many agrarian nations are banning them is because all of the crops are essentially clones of the same plant. Thus, a simple disease which may effect that plant will effect the entire crop yield, thus killing or debilitating the entire crop. Its a good step, because of the fact that the amount of biodiversity has a direct relationship to the population of plants, due to the fact that they're usually situated in one place.

There's a big difference between what farmers have done for centuries and what is going on now. Farmers had always tried to grow their crops using the seeds of the best plant's availble. But they still needed the process of actually mating the seeds, thus not all of the plants would be the same. With genetic engineering, all of the seeds produced are basically clones, thus one plant is exactly the same as the next, the only differences being from the amount of nutrition/ sunlight they recieve.

[Body Count]

I'd have to know exactly how much of this has to do with economics and how much of it has to do with health/safety before I can pass judgement.

But, for the record, if we can SAFELY grow a pumpkin big enough to feed the planet, then I'm all for it.

[Sentinel]

I'm for the genetic modification of anything, as long as it's done absolutely safely. Excessive testing on small scale is a must before any risks are taken.

My general opinion is that genetic modification is a powerful tool, able to crush the boundaries of what's possible for humans to achieve. Something we'd be really stupid not to fully explore, because of fear or retarded moral principles.

[Connolly]

Another factor in the GM debate, from our perspective, is that it allows for the patenting of seeds - while, on the other hand, natural phenomenon (seeds) cannot be patented.

This has drastic effects on developing nations, further losing their ability to control their own resources, and giving this control to those who "own" the patents for these GM seeds.

For example, of the 73 patents for beans, three quarters are controlled by just four corporations. Two swiss companies control most of the alfalfa and sorghum seed supply. *info from "America rules" by Tom Hanahoe

This allows for thirdworld nations to be completely dependent on seed supplies from transnationals, giving them further control over world food supply, in the name of profit.

With these patented seeds, farmers can no longer just plant their seeds freely, but for them to do so, they must pay royalties to the bourgeois.

From this direction, we should not support patentable GM foods.

Just last year (I think), Bush done a tour of Africa, looking for third world leaders to take on american GM crops completely. One leader I know of who refused to accept these deals said something like "Our nation would rather starve than eat and grow these modified foods" - president of Zimbabwe, Mugabi.

Im no massive fan of Mugabi, but he just might have a supportable point here?

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Associated Press
Rice with Human Gene Causes Furor

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—A tiny biosciences company is developing a promising drug to fight diarrhea, a scourge among babies in the developing world, but it has made an astonishing number of powerful enemies because it grows the experimental drug in rice genetically engineered with a human gene.

Environmental groups, corporate food interests and thousands of farmers across the country have succeeded in chasing Ventria Bioscience's rice farms out of two states. And critics continue to complain that Ventria is recklessly plowing ahead with a mostly untested technology that threatens the safety of conventional crops grown for food.

"We just want them to go away,'' said Bob Papanos of the U.S. Rice Producers Association. "This little company could cause major problems.''

Ventria's rice produces two human proteins found in mother's milk, saliva and tears, which help people hydrate and lessen the severity and duration of diarrhea attacks, a top killer of children in developing countries.

The World Health Organization reports that nearly 2 million children succumb to diarrhea each year.

But overcoming consumer skepticism and regulatory concerns about feeding babies with products derived from genetic engineering is a tall order. This is especially true in the face of continued opposition to biopharming from the Grocery Manufacturers Association of America, which represents food, beverage and consumer products companies with combined U.S. sales of $460 billion.

http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/ap..._rice_gene.html (http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/ap_060515_rice_gene.html)

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Disgusting. I do notice that these anti-biopharma people consistently fail to bring up specific concern and instead rely on fear, uncertainty and doubt to get their message across.

I hope one day we will no longer be held back by ignorant fuckers such as these.