Beyond the GMO [gentically modified] crops that are Round Up ready - modified so "Round Up" herbicide can be sprayed on them - some GMO crops are grown to produce drugs for the pharmaceutical industry, actual drugs growing in the plants.
These include protiens, vaccines, and anti-bodies{link:
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=1373
These special crops are, of course, contaminating other crops that are intended to be eaten {link: http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=1372
quote: "Seeds of traditional crop varieties are contaminated with genetically engineered (GE) DNA. Among the many implications of this finding, one has potentially serious human health consequences—the possibility that DNA from crops engineered to produce pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals ("pharma" crops) may contaminate the seed supply for food crops."
K - Paxil in your corn flakes anyone?
Monsanto and the Pharmaceutical industry work together on these projects, and dare I say they conspire with the FDA to allow this to happen 'on purpose'? A great experiment to get us all on drugs, or just a lack of concern about consumer choice to facilitate using the cheapest development costs for these "drug plants"?
quote: "The federal government's regulations of pharma crops do not address the possibility that pharma crops could contaminate seed production. Without stronger federal oversight, the contamination scenario depicted in this example is likely to come to pass."
K - Its not like contamination isn't a well-known issue, its been in the papers and the legal system. There is that case of the Canadian seed producer who was charged by Monsanto for "stealing" their GMO seed, which was found in his canola seed crop.
The farmer says he didn't put it there, Monsanto denies that contamination can occur.
The case went to court several times, and ultimately the farmer lost his farm over it, which had been producing high-quality canola seed for his neighbors for over 40 years. They never did declare the potential of contamination or not, legal fees wiped him out.
Monsanto now owns that farm. Monsanto is the biggest land owner in North America, with the bulk of its aqusititions coming in the past 20 years.
So we can expect no protection from the government
...but we can expect phamaceutical substances showing up in our food supply.
Even if we stick to eating organically produced foods, there is a risk of contamination, but it is much much less since organics are grown with about a 3km[?] barrier from anyone using chemicals. [GMo crops are sprayed, so that barrier would include GM croplands].
Consumers could protest by demanding labeling of Gm foods, and boycotting anything without that kind of label. That would really hit them hard if we could possibly do it, but what would we buy? - it would have to be food products with voluntary "NON-GM labelling, and "whole foods" [which are best for health anyhow].
------------------------------
Some of the compounds we will be eating besides pharmaceuticals and anti-bodies are:
Industrial Chemicals
Compounds used in the manufacture of products such as paper, plastics, personal care items, and laundry detergents.
Examples are trypsin and laccase.
Research Chemicals:
Substances used in investigative and diagnostic laboratories. Examples are avidin and beta-glucuronidase.
Vaccines
against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, rabies, cholera, piglet diarrhea, and foot-and-mouth disease, hepatitis B, measles, polio, and various types of viral diarrhea.
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=1561
Karlin
These include protiens, vaccines, and anti-bodies{link:
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=1373
These special crops are, of course, contaminating other crops that are intended to be eaten {link: http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=1372
quote: "Seeds of traditional crop varieties are contaminated with genetically engineered (GE) DNA. Among the many implications of this finding, one has potentially serious human health consequences—the possibility that DNA from crops engineered to produce pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals ("pharma" crops) may contaminate the seed supply for food crops."
K - Paxil in your corn flakes anyone?
Monsanto and the Pharmaceutical industry work together on these projects, and dare I say they conspire with the FDA to allow this to happen 'on purpose'? A great experiment to get us all on drugs, or just a lack of concern about consumer choice to facilitate using the cheapest development costs for these "drug plants"?
quote: "The federal government's regulations of pharma crops do not address the possibility that pharma crops could contaminate seed production. Without stronger federal oversight, the contamination scenario depicted in this example is likely to come to pass."
K - Its not like contamination isn't a well-known issue, its been in the papers and the legal system. There is that case of the Canadian seed producer who was charged by Monsanto for "stealing" their GMO seed, which was found in his canola seed crop.
The farmer says he didn't put it there, Monsanto denies that contamination can occur.
The case went to court several times, and ultimately the farmer lost his farm over it, which had been producing high-quality canola seed for his neighbors for over 40 years. They never did declare the potential of contamination or not, legal fees wiped him out.
Monsanto now owns that farm. Monsanto is the biggest land owner in North America, with the bulk of its aqusititions coming in the past 20 years.
So we can expect no protection from the government
...but we can expect phamaceutical substances showing up in our food supply.
Even if we stick to eating organically produced foods, there is a risk of contamination, but it is much much less since organics are grown with about a 3km[?] barrier from anyone using chemicals. [GMo crops are sprayed, so that barrier would include GM croplands].
Consumers could protest by demanding labeling of Gm foods, and boycotting anything without that kind of label. That would really hit them hard if we could possibly do it, but what would we buy? - it would have to be food products with voluntary "NON-GM labelling, and "whole foods" [which are best for health anyhow].
------------------------------
Some of the compounds we will be eating besides pharmaceuticals and anti-bodies are:
Industrial Chemicals
Compounds used in the manufacture of products such as paper, plastics, personal care items, and laundry detergents.
Examples are trypsin and laccase.
Research Chemicals:
Substances used in investigative and diagnostic laboratories. Examples are avidin and beta-glucuronidase.
Vaccines
against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, rabies, cholera, piglet diarrhea, and foot-and-mouth disease, hepatitis B, measles, polio, and various types of viral diarrhea.
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=1561
Karlin
