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.”
– October 2012 report by Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) (
source)(
source)
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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