Government launches bid to allay fears over GM food
PM hopes to gather enough evidence to prove genetically modified crops are safe
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The Government has asked its top scientist to investigate the merits of genetically modified food in the hope that his verdict will allay public fears about so-called "Frankenstein foods".
Officially, Gordon Brown and his ministers remain neutral on the issue of GM because of public hostility, saying that they will be "guided by the science". But they have quietly ordered a major research project, which they hope will provide the launchpad for a campaign to persuade people that GM food is safe.
The study will be led by Professor John Beddington, the Government's Chief Scientific Officer, and carried out by the Foresight Institute, a science and technology think-tank that looks into long-term issues for the Government.
The group's remit – how to feed a world population which could rise to nine billion by 2050 – makes no mention of the GM issue. But Jane Kennedy, the minister for Farming and the Environment, told The Independent yesterday that the group's work would include the potential for GM crops and food.
She said that she was "cautious" about allowing GM products in Britain, but added: "My own opinion is less important than what John Beddington might come up with. When the public are deeply concerned and hold strong views, they tend not to listen when ministers express a view. But they will listen to those who have the experience and knowledge to be able to offer solid advice."
Ms Kennedy said that she would welcome GM crop trials in Britain. None is currently taking place because all projects have been vandalised by opponents but the Government may fund an experiment at a "secure" location.
The minister said another reason why the issue had to be addressed was that animal feed, such as soya, was increasingly made using GM products. "The options for those countries which want to stay GM-free are reducing, therefore the price of non-GM animal feed is going up. If that trend continues, it means meat products in countries which choose not to use GM becoming more and more expensive. There are clear implications for the UK," she said. Britain is backing moves by the European Commission to relax EU rules on importing GM animal feed but a majority of member states remain cautious.
Several Cabinet ministers are convinced that GM technology will help to solve the world's food crisis. One said: "Gordon Brown wants a debate about the issue. But he wants it to be led by the scientists, not by politicians. We have now put the ball in the scientists' court."
Environmental groups accused the Government last night of trying to sneak in GM food, despite accepting the findings of a four-year international study involving 400 scientists last year which failed to give GM the green light.
Clare Oxborrow, the senior food campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "[The Government] is obsessed with GM as a techno-fix solution to problems in food and farming which are much more complex."
The official remit for the Government's study says that"the project will look out to 2050 and take a global view of the food system [and]... how new science, policies and interventions could best address future challenges".
Also on the agenda will be the pressures on land used for non-food purposes such as biofuels.
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Comments
You can be certain that none of it is about solving world hunger, since the Green Revolution is at the point of catastrophic failure for more reasons than can be listed in this forum.
The green movement needs to stop insulting people's intelligence; if there is a problem with unsustainable farming and overconsumption, say so, but don't lump these issues in with the unrelated issue of GM for marketing purposes.
Unfortunately there a are big parallels between the climate-change-denier people and the all-GM-is-bad people. Both cherry-pick data and distort the science to make their points. Both refuse to accept the majority opinion of the experts in the field. Both claim a giant conspiracy on the basis of scant evidence. They are on opposite sides of the political divide but both share a contempt for science and evidence-based policy.
If they add into the equation, as they must, global warming (a good example of how little we understand the world we live in and on), the impact of water shortages and politics, what expectation of the outcome would any rational person have? The government really expects the public to listen to those who have the knowledge and experience to offer solid advice! These people do not exist. Enough said.
GOD HELP US ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GM technology was maybe once a good idea, started off on work developed by a batty old Colonel in Brighton, it is now in the hands of a very evil corporation who is exerting enormous pressure on every nation on this planet to take up its terminator technology and GM stocks.
We are apparently supposed to be alleviating world poverty, this corporation I mention wants such as poor African farmers be denied the right to keep their own seeds and only use the seeds that have to be bought from this company, the implications on control is horrendous as suddenly this company if it gets its way will gain a massive control on every plate in the planet... It is no mistake that US corporations are looking to control the basic necessities of life, from buying swathes of land that sit on top of aquifers to controlling every method of cereal and corn production, it would be a coup that this planet could not recover from.
Money is the only interest of Bio Technology companies( the don't give a damn about the human race) and if they are so interested in feeding the world and especially third world countries why do they invent seeds that will not be able to be reused after the first crop. Its a no brainer, because they want the poor people of third world countries to buy more seed at inflated prices and use the vile chemicals which are supposed to fertilise the ground but end up killing every living thing in the soil, thus leading to dust bowl fields.
This is not the way to go, Organic growing on a huge scale will be beneficial and is far more healthy than seeds with built in antibiotics and vitamins, If we want good healthy food that doesn't literally kill the earth this is the only way we can go.
damage our health and human rights.
As Treebeard said in Lord of the Rings, there is no curse great enough in the tongues of Elves, Men and Dwarves to describe such treachery.
GM food won't solve economic boundaries and trade negociations!
there is enough food in the world. it's just that we in the west eat 9 times more than those in developing countries. our greed is killing the planet.
GM food relies on oil to supply fertilisers etc
We need to use permaculture not mon-culture!
It is all about control: Control the food chain and you have total control.
http://www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/co
GM food is patented food. There is so much I want to say about this. Coming from a farming community in Canada. But I can't put words to my hatred of GM foods. True it has existed alot longer than we think, with hybridization/cross breeding etc..
The main problem with GM foods, is that, in a lab yes they grow yes, they are resistant to disease (if you use other products to spray them). The current GM attitude does not help poor farmers in countries that need the food. The plants grow, they produce (whatever it is). The product is sterile, therefore instead of saving a few seeds to sow the next year. The poor farmer has to buy more. With a sterile product, what are the health benifits to the consumer? Might as well eat plastic. I'm no expert. But look at how GM food has slowly been introduced into our diets (it'll be hard to find, but it's there), and look at the modern 'epidemics' of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, ADHD, cancers and on and on.
Even our very lives (as detailed in massive databases) will eventually surely be available to the highest bidder.
With gradual privatisation of government departments comes a form of dictatorship, I don't think that is too strong a word for what is going on.
You can see why New Labour would be keen on the GM concept, the concept is ownership of food of course and has nothing to do with "feeding the world". Controlling people is the real point.
It's like all the social development of the last few hundred years is being reversed before our very eyes.
It's a return to the absolute power of the monarchs, just very very slowly.
Since American company Sammontana developed GM plants years ago, they have tried many methods to hid the true facts on the safety and after effect to the humane race and the earth, just check on the Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.
furthermore when Mandy was European Commissioner he tried to fast track regulations to pass the use of GM plants/food into Europe' plus the America authorities passed 1000 tons of GM rice into Europe disguised as non-GM??
If Brown wants GM plants/food, then let him put GM products in his home country Scotland.
Once the ground has had GM plants in the ground, after the earth becomes useless.
GM food is all about big money controlling more and more. Iit is about centralisation of farming and seed production. The idea that we cannot grow enough food to feed us all naturally is total rubbish and propaganda.
In the 1930' depression of America tens of thousands of small farms went bankrupt and the big boys came in and took their place. This must not happen again.
Look at the current fluoride situation (another poison) where local authorities in Southampton have stormed ahead with adding to the water supply against the wishes of over 70% of the local population. And it seems that Bristol is about to follow suit. Read up on fluoride and its potential impact on human health.......
GMO foods have been flowing on and off our supermarkets shelves for many years without a single trail.
It will be high time that the Chief Medial persons of every country takes a closer look at what is really going on with regard to these GMO seeds, pesticides and subsequent foods.
A concerned person on this planet earth.
Claiming there's a giant conspiracy on the basis of no evidence? Check.
Links to dubious, non-peer-reviewed studies, blogs and opinion pieces? Check.
Emotive overhyped language (ALL GM IS POISONOUS!!! OMG OMG OMG)? Check.
In my experience, anti-GM arguments fall into three categories.
1) Arguments that corporate control of food, patenting of genes, and unsustainable agriculture is bad ..which is all true, but would be (and is) happening with or without GM.
2) Arguments based on cherry-picked data or minority opinions of some scientists (which is a valid argument until you deliberately ignore any data or opinions which you don't agree with, which is always)
3) Arguments that the earth spirit will cry or that mixing the life force of species is wrong (despite the fact that species swap genes all the time and that you share most of your genes with a cabbage) or that GM food is soulless or that they aren't "natural" .. essentially religious positions that just can't be argued with.
he also has broken the 'GM free' zone of wales and handed more seeds out to unknown farmers.
his name is j harrington of Pen-Y-Lan , Tregoyd, Brecon, LD3 0SS.
his details are freely available on the internet,as he hasnt taken the time to hide himself and DOES want to be well known for his outlandish antics of frankenstein farming.
this farmer is a 'consultant' for a company who promote the growth of GM crops which is directly funded by the biotech companies who want so desperately to break into the GM crop market in the UK.
as all farmers state its for a better yield etc so we can feed the starving millions on this planet.
so then,how many farmers export from the UK to these under nourished countries???
dont accept GM crops in the UK otherwise you will end up being recipe farmers for the biotech companies.these companies dictate to the farmers in canada and usa how,when and where they grow 'their' crops.
We need an election to dump this useless lot of liars.
Once this GM crap is all over the world, there is no going back, all plants will be contaminated, no more organics, no natural food. Why you think they call it contamination! There is enough food on this planet to go round for all. No but the GM lobbyist have you believe otherwise. Take the case of Indian farmers who were told to grow GM cotton. It produce less cotton and the goats that ate it died. You noticed there are less birds, insect today, the blues skies have chemtrails. and so on
GM will make the world sterile. I believe in Karma, and these people who enforce on us for profits will one day and to reap the consequences, that people are suffereing. All these allergies are around because of there experimnets. (Dont give in fight this time)
The reason "they" call it contamination is that the anti-GM organic types need some sort of red herring to throw into this argument to justify the tactic of litigating the competition out of business, as opposed to out competing them. Face it, the only real problem you folks in the UK have had with contamination (in the real sense), was the organic corn meal that got pulled a few years back. Of course, you might not remember, the press kind of swept that under the rug ;)
You have no control over your police.
You have no control over corporate giants.
And now you will have no control over your farming.
Isn't a living in a free democratic society wonderful? It's a lie.
'The World According to Monsanto' on Google Video is an excellent Documentary into why Genetically Modified Food is dangerous - nutritionally, economically and politically.
Journalists should be investigating and reporting on Codex Alimentarius - The Food Code, devised by the WHO back in the early 60's which if introduced by the EU (Dec 2009) would mean the forced sale of GM foods, plus the banning of vitamins and minerals (apart from worthlessly small dosages >35 mg), irradiation of all food, necessary use of antibiotics in all livestock, plus the discarding of food labeling, so the consumer can't see whether he/she is buying GM/Cloned or normal meat. Result = the death of the Organic Food and naturopathic industry by stealth and nutritionally a much poorer and sicker population = greater reliance on allopathic medicines and big pharma
The answer then is to stop eating meat. The future is vegetarian, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/s
"Several Cabinet ministers are convinced that GM technology will help to solve the world's food crisis."
So they think they know better than the 400 scientists from 60 different countries working over 3 years to produce the UN report which concluded that GM crops are not a solution for poverty, hunger or climate change.
dON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID, AND DON'T SWALLOW THE POISON!
There is a new paradigm shift.. it is TRUTH.. the liars are being exposed and are PANICKING...
Join the TRUTH brigade... do your homework and spread the word peacefully!
The honeybees in N. America are dying off from eating GM crop pollen.. we're next
dON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID, AND DON'T SWALLOW THE POISON!
There is a new paradigm shift.. it is TRUTH.. the liars are being exposed and are PANICKING...
Join the TRUTH brigade... do your homework and spread the word peacefully!
The honeybees in N. America are dying off from eating GM crop pollen.. we're next
Mogellon's disease is becoming wide-spread here in the USofA and abroad. You can check out the bizarre symptoms online yourself, but a prominent independent biologist has claimed that people with this new disease have flesh that is immuno-suppressed and resembles the chemical conditions of soil, allowing plant-attacking fungi and parasites to grow in human skin. Think there's a connection? Don't let anger or fear control you, stay logical and focused. Verify, understand, and take non-violent action against this horror. This is your life, NOT theirs... at least do it for your kids (and mine), please...
Follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swVjzIVq