The
global resistance against Genetically Modified Crops is growing at an
exponential rate. A few years ago, you were almost ridiculed for
suggesting that GM foods could be a problem, and now scientists and
researchers are presenting information that has 19 new countries joining
an already long list of nations to completely ban, or have severe
restrictions on, GMOs — as well as the pesticides that go with them.
These countries will not allow
genetically modified crops to be grown in their country. The opt-out
countries are requesting that biotechnology companies exclude their
territories from GMO seed sales, and some countries, according to RT news, are simply putting things to a halt until more research is conducted.
For those of you who do not know, GMO
crops have had their DNA artificially altered, which is a process that
would not happen in nature, that being said genetic modification does
happen in nature, just of a different type. What we have done, is
introduce genes from a completely different species in oder to boost the
plant’s resistance to pests or herbicides, or create some other desired
effect.
For those of you who do not know, GMO
crops have had their DNA artificially altered, which is a process that
would not happen in nature. This is done by introducing genes from a
completely different species in order to boost the plant’s resistance to
pests or herbicides, or create some other desired effect.
“By slipping it into our food
without our knowledge, without any indication that there are genetically
modified organisms in our food, we are now unwittingly part of a
massive experiment. The FDA has said that genetically modified organisms
are not much different from regular food, so they’ll be treated in the
same way. The problem is this, geneticists follow the inheritance of
genes, what biotechnology allows us to do is to take this organism, and
move it horizontally into a totally unrelated species. Now David Suzuki
doesn’t normally mate with a carrot and exchange genes, what
biotechnology allows us to do is to switch genes from one to the other
without regard to the biological constraints. It’s very very bad
science, we assume that the principals governing the inheritance of
genes vertically, applies when you move genes laterally or horizontally.
There’s absolutely no reason to make that conclusion.”
Again, we are talking about more than
three dozen countries countries. That’s more than half of the countries
within the European Union, some of which include: Germany, France,
Scotland, France, Italy, Austria, Greece, Poland, and Belgium. The
magnitude of this resistance cannot be ignored.
Here is a current list of countries
that have banned the growth of these crops. Other countries not on the
list have restrictions on them, and some still allow the import of these
crops. But the trend seems to be a complete ban as the years move on.
It’s a complicated issue, especially when you ponder the fact that
science has now been heavily politicized. More on that later in the
article.
Health/Environmental Concerns Mixed With Scientific Fraud
So why are these countries doing this?
Two of the main reasons have to do with environmental and health-related
concerns. Alongside all of these troubles (according to Reuters),
some countries simply want to take time to do proper research — flying
in the face of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) decree that GMOs
are completely safe. There are many who disagree with this assertion.
“As part of the process, they
portrayed the various concerns as merely the ignorant opinions of
misinformed individuals – and derided them as not only unscientific, but
anti-science. They then set to work to convince the public and
government officials, through the dissemination of false information,
that there was an overwhelming expert consensus, based on solid
evidence, that GMOs were safe.”
The quote above from Goodall comes from
Steven M. Druker who, in 1996, did something very few Americans were
doing then — learn the facts about the massive venture to restructure
the genetic core of the world’s food supply. The problem of unawareness
still exists today, but it’s getting much better thanks to activists
like Druker.
Druker, being a public interest attorney
and the Executive Director of the Alliance For Bio-Integrity, initiated
a lawsuit in 1998 that forced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to divulge its files on genetically engineered foods. In 2015 he published a book on the lawsuit. In the book, Druker provides details of his experience, and he’s also released the documents on his website showing the significant hazards of genetically engineering foods and the flaws present in the FDA’s policy.
The book has some very impressive
reviews. For example, David Schubert, Ph.D., molecular biologist and
Head of Cellular Neurobiology at the Salk Institute for Biological
Studies, said that this “incisive and insightful book is truly
outstanding. Not only is it well-reasoned and scientifically solid, it’s
a pleasure to read – and a must-read.”
Stephen Naylor, Ph.D., CEO and Chariman
of Mai Health Inc., an individual who spent 10 years as a professor of
biochemistry and molecular biology and pharmacology, stated that
Druker’s “meticulously documented, well crafted, and spell binding narrative should serve as a clarion call to all of us.”
Joseph Cummins, Ph.D. and professor
emeritus of genetics at Western University in London, Ontario, believes
that Druker’s book is a “landmark” and that “it should be required reading in every university biology course.”
In publishing his book and filing this
lawsuit, Druker exposed how the agency covered up the warnings of its
own scientists about the risks, lied about the facts, and then ushered
these foods onto the market in violation of federal law.
It’s also noteworthy to mention that
Druker has actually served on the food safety panels at conferences held
by the National Research council and the FDA, presented lectures at
numerous universities, met with government officials throughout the
world, and conferred at the White House Executive Offices with a task
force of President Clinton’s Council on Environmental Quality.
Let’s not forget all of the science cited by these other countries.
A great example is a study that was published in the journal Evironmental Sciences Europe. The
WHO has never cited any long term studies that prove the safety of
GMOs. When a study was finally conducted, it found severe liver and
kidney damage, as well as hormonal disturbances, in rats fed GM maize in
conjunction with low levels of Roundup — levels that were below those
permitted in most drinking water across Europe. The rats also developed
large cancer tumours.(source)
Other studies have found instances of
adverse microscopic and molecular effects of some GM foods in different
organs or tissues. They also determined that no standardized methods to
evaluate the safety of GM foods have been established. Many studies have
emphasized that more scientific effort is needed in order to build
confidence in the evaluation and acceptance of GM foods. (source)(source)
Studies have also linked GMO animal feed to severe stomach inflammation and enlarged uteri in pigs. (source)
Here’s what Irina Ermakova, VP of
Russia’s National Association for Genetic Safety, said last year when
Russia was mulling over the decision to ban GMOs:
It is necessary to ban GMOs, to impose moratorium (on) it for 10 years. While GMOs will be prohibited, we can plan experiments, tests, or maybe even new methods of research could be developed. It has been proven that not only in Russia, but also in many other countries in the world, GMOs are dangerous. Methods of obtaining the GMOs are not perfect, therefore, at this stage, all GMOs are dangerous. Consumption and use of GMOs obtained in such way can lead to tumors, cancers and obesity among animals. Bio-technologies certainly should be developed, but GMOs should be stopped…. [We] should stop it from spreading. (source)
Keep in mind that we are talking about
GM crops, which are sprayed with billions of pounds of toxic chemicals
every year. These chemicals have been linked to a number of diseases,
ranging from autism, to cancer, to Alzheimer’s disease and more.
“Children today are sicker than
they were a generation ago. From childhood cancers to autism, birth
defects and asthma, a wide range of childhood diseases and disorders are
on the rise. Our assessment of the latest science leaves little room
for doubt; pesticides are one key driver of this sobering trend.”
A new study published in the Journal of Organic Systems last
September examined US government databases, and researchers searched
for GE (Genetically Engineered) crop data, glyphosate application data,
and disease epidemiological data while performing a “correlation
analysis” on a total of 22 different diseases.
Researchers reached an alarming conclusion:
These data show very strong and highly significant correlations between the increasing use of glyphosate, GE crop growth and the increase in a multitude of diseases. Many of the graphs show sudden increases in the rates of diseases in the mid-1990s that coincide with the commercial production of GE crops. The probabilities in the graphs and tables show that it is highly unlikely that the correlations are a coincidence. The strength of the correlations shows that there is a very strong probability that they are linked somehow.” (source)
Correlation doesn’t mean causation, but using the Bradford Hill criteria, it’s easy to see why so many scientists/countries are opposing GMOs.
The shift toward organic food is strong
and growing; it’s what consumers are demanding. After all, who wants
pesticides accumulating in their body, especially ones that have been
incontrovertibly linked to several diseases?
For example, a recent study conducted by researchers from RMIT university, published in the journal Environmental Research, found that an organic diet for just one week significantly reduced pesticide exposure in adults by 90%. (source)
Another study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, indicated
that among individuals eating similar amounts of vegetables and fruits,
the ones who reported eating organic produce had significantly lower OP
pesticide exposure than those who normally consume conventionally grown
produce. You can read more about that here.
These chemicals are manufactured by big
bio-tech corporations like Monsanto, and the fact that they’ve been
caught lying doesn’t help their credibility one bit. For example, a new
study published in the journal Biomedical Research International shows that Roundup herbicide is 125 times more toxic than its active ingredient glyphosate studied in isolation. (source)
Roundup was also (finally) linked to cancer recently by the WHO,
although a number of scientists had already provided tremendous amounts
of proof for this:
“There is convincing evidence
that glyphosate also can cause cancer in laboratory animals. On the
basis of tumours in mice, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (US EPA) originally classified glyphosate as possibly
carcinogenic to humans. A US EPA report and several more recent positive
results conclude that there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity
in experimental animals. Glyphosate also caused DNA and chromosomal
damage in human cells, although it gave negative results in tests using
bacteria. One study in community residents reported increases in blood
markers of chromosomal damage (micronuclei) after glyphosate
formulations were sprayed nearby.” (source)
Political Agendas?
Studies that link Genetically Modified
(GM) food to multiple human health ailments are not the only thing that
has millions of people questioning the production of GM food. There is
fact that previously classified secret government documents exist which
show how the Bush administration developed ways to retaliate against
countries that were refusing to use GM seeds. If information about our
food needs to be concealed from the public domain, then something has
gone seriously wrong with the food industry. It’s great to have an
organization like WikiLeaks shed some light into a world that’s been
hidden from us for so many years.
The cables reveal that the State
Department was lobbying all over the world for Monsanto and other major
biotech corporations., and that American diplomats requested funding to
send lobbyists for the biotech industry to meet with politicians and
agricultural officials in “target countries.” These included countries
in Africa, Latin America, and Europe.
A non-profit consumer protection group called Food & Water Watch published a report showing
the details of the partnership between the federal government and a
number of biotech companies who have pushed their GMO products on
multiple countries for a number of years:
In the past decade, the United States has aggressively pursued foreign policies in food and agriculture that benefit the largest seed companies. The U.S. State Department has launched a concerted strategy to promote agricultural biotechnology, often over the opposition of the public and governments, to the near exclusion of other more sustainable, more appropriate agricultural policy alternatives.Agricultural development is essential for the developing world to foster sustainable economies, enhance food security to combat global hunger and increase resiliency to climate change. Addressing these challenges will require diverse strategies that emphasize sustainable, productive approaches that are directed by countries in the developing world.The U.S. State Department has also lobbied foreign governments to adopt pro-agricultural biotechnology policies and laws, operated a rigorous public relations campaign to improve the image of biotechnology and challenged commonsense biotechnology safeguards and rules — even including opposing laws requiring the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods.
Here is one cable (out of many) from Morocco.
Here is
a 2008 cable that summarizes a French documentary called “The World
According to Monsanto,” which attacks the U.S. biotech industry and the
fact that Monsanto and the U.S. Government constantly swap employees and
positions.
This is just one example that clearly
shows how giant corporations essentially dictate government policy.
These food corporations are responsible for pushing independent
agriculturists out of business. They control the world’s seed supply,
forcing farmers to become dependent on their seed. Monsanto and
corporations like it have created patented GMO seeds and are preventing
farmers from seed saving and sharing, resulting in a dependence on their
genetically modified product.
“Between 2007 and 2009, the
State Department sent annual cables to ‘encourage the use of
agricultural biotechnology,’ directing every diplomatic post worldwide
to “pursue an active biotech agenda” that promotes agricultural
biotechnology, encourages the export of biotech crops and foods and
advocates for pro-biotech policies and laws.” (source)
“The US Department of State is
selling seeds instead of democracy. This report provides a chilling
snapshot of how a handful of giant biotechnology companies are unduly
influencing US foreign policy and undermining our diplomatic efforts to
promote security, international development and transparency worldwide.
This report is a call to action for Americans because public policy
should not be for sale to the highest bidder.”
– Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch Executive (source)
One of the most revealing cables is from 2007, and it looks at French efforts to ban a Monsanto GM corn variety. Here is
a cable that shows Craig Stapleton, former ambassador to France under
the Bush administration, asking Washington to punish the EU countries
that did not support the use of GM crops: “Country team Paris
recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some
pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that
also focuses in part on the worst culprits. Moving to retaliation will
make clear that the current path has real costs to EU interests and
could help strengthen European pro-biotech voices.”
The U.S. government was not only working
for the biotech industry. They were also threatening other governments
who did not comply. Think about that for a moment. Over the years, the
United States government and Monsanto have collectively pushed their GMO
agenda upon the rest of the world. Why? Do you really think it is to
help feed the world? This could easily be achieved if we came together
and pooled our resources. The entire planet could have access to organic
food and it could be done for free.
A Shift in Consciousness Encompasses Everything
It’s quite amazing to see what
has happened over the past ten years alone. The birth of social media
networks has brought forth a wealth of new information in the form of
alternative media. While there may be many “fake news” sites out there,
there are also many valid information sources that have created
awareness and sourced their work properly. They shared information that
mainstream media would not share. After all, mainstream media is owned
by a handful of corporations, and also heavily influenced by government and corporate agendas.
Our world has been drenched in secrecy,
and more people are having a hard time trusting mainstream media
networks. It’s simply best to let people decide for themselves and
examine the sources for themselves, rather than having somebody on
television telling the world “what is.”
The fact that billions of people every
year were accessing information about corporate and government fraud,
and information that is not always presented to the world, just goes to
show how big this shift in consciousness is. New ideas are being
presented that challenge old beliefs, and more people are starting to
question the world around them and the entire human experience.
What are we really doing here? A lot of
people see a clear need for change, and recognize that if we continue to
follow our ways with regards to politics, finance, health, environment,
education, and more, we’re not really going forward.
Our souls are craving a new human
experience, and creating awareness about several aspects of that human
experience, like GMOs, for example, plays a key role in changing it. So
when it comes to GMOs, vote with your dollar!
Don’t let “fake news” labels determine
your truth. Don’t let someone else make your decisions for you. Examine
the sources for yourself, think critically, and make your own decisions.
We do not need another entity, like Snopes, telling us what is and what
isn’t. It’s time to think for ourselves, and stop letting the
government, corporations, and politicians do it for us.
We can’t continue to put change in their hands; we have to put it in our own.
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