Our Heritage and the right to Save Seed
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 10:16 pm
This post was prompted by John Walkers post on the modified superspud thread. and I posted here because I did not want to hijack the other post
I agree with John when he said
Just because GM is gaining popularity doesn't make it right
and his 2 links -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... griculture
http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 89974.html
I believe farmers and gardeners should have the right to save and replant their seed from year to year, period. That's a political position, not an anti-science one. If genetically modified seeds cross pollinate with normal seeds then we will lose that right if they are allowed to go
ahead and cross pollinate. If they include a terminator gene that renders it impossible for GM to cross pollinate with normal seeds then as far as I'm concerned that's fine if folk want to pay for their product.
I originate from seed, we are all the fruition of seed, we produce seed, all life is interconnected, interdependent, from simple beginnings it has evolved with amazing diversity and evolution so far without our help, we would be wise to oppose all patents on plants, animals and humans, as well as patents on their genes. Life is not an industrial commodity and when we force life forms and our world's food supply to conform to human economic models rather than their natural ones, we do so at our peril. Where do we stop? Patented human beings ? Natural seed is our heritage and has been freely passed down the generations for thousands of years, it is not a commodity to profit from. The natural balance between species of animals and plants are fine tuned and it doesn't take a lot to unbalance it, global warming is having some effects on this synchronicity already , for example, when insects would pollinate flowers, some flowers are coming out earlier than the insects are available, and we know this is happening. Some pests are adjusting to earlier spring quicker than their predators.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6688649.stm
To swallow all the benefits of GM foods, without considering the risks and criticisms of the technology, seems foolhardy. There are concerns Regarding GM Foods for instance, there are numerous qualms regarding the environmental impact of GM foods. This type of technology can impact other organisms despite the best of intentions to avoid any scatter effect. GM seeds can be blown by the wind to other crops and organisms, which may then suffer ill effects. There may also be unexpected results from the combination of GM crops and other, non-GM crops and weeds, when crossbreeding occurs.There are also ethical and economical concerns in terms of profits that farmers can accrue from GM foods that grow in their fields but are also unknown to them. In fact, this was shown in a case with the company Monsanto. A farmer was sued when he claimed that seeds from a nearby field blew into his field. Monsanto argued that the farmer stole the seeds. The judge ruled that it was not important how the seeds got into the farmer's field, even if it was a case of the wind blowing in the seeds. The fact remained that it was an infringement on Monsanto's patent on the GM seeds. Thus, the farmer was forced to pay his profits from that year to Monsanto and go to court again, if GM seeds are inadvertantly blown there it seems the gardener or farmer masy have a battle on their hands to prove contamination not theft
http://www.percyschmeiser.com/DVD.htm
Still another argument against GM foods is that insects may be able to resist toxic products from GM foods. This means that eventually, they may grow to difficult levels and we will be unable to handle their numbers and effects years down the line. Perhaps one of the most worrisome aspects of GM foods is the concern that they may harm human health. Worries of allergic reactions from mixing genes are a reality, particularly if it involves, for example, a gene from a common allergen such as a nut.
In June 2009 EFSA published a consolidated overview on the use of antibiotic resistant marker genes in GM plants, including a joint scientific opinion by the GMO and BIOHAZ Panels. The Panels concluded that, according to information currently available, adverse effects on human health and the environment resulting from the transfer of the two antibiotic resistance marker genes, nptII and aadA, from GM plants to bacteria, associated with use of GM plants, are unlikely. Uncertainties in this opinion are due to limitations related, among others, to sampling and detection, as well as challenges in estimating exposure levels and the inability to assign transferable resistance genes to a defined source. Two members of the BIOHAZ Panel expressed minority opinions concerning the possibility of adverse effects of antibiotic resistance marker genes on human health and the environment. Bear in mind that plants grow in soil and soil contains most bacteria, humans too have bacteria on skin, in gut etc, it would seem to me that those two opinions might just be proved right in the long term and we should proceed with more caution doing more long term studies. Areas where GM can impact health.
http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopressrelease.html
I agree with John when he said
Just because GM is gaining popularity doesn't make it right
and his 2 links -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... griculture
http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 89974.html
I believe farmers and gardeners should have the right to save and replant their seed from year to year, period. That's a political position, not an anti-science one. If genetically modified seeds cross pollinate with normal seeds then we will lose that right if they are allowed to go
ahead and cross pollinate. If they include a terminator gene that renders it impossible for GM to cross pollinate with normal seeds then as far as I'm concerned that's fine if folk want to pay for their product.
I originate from seed, we are all the fruition of seed, we produce seed, all life is interconnected, interdependent, from simple beginnings it has evolved with amazing diversity and evolution so far without our help, we would be wise to oppose all patents on plants, animals and humans, as well as patents on their genes. Life is not an industrial commodity and when we force life forms and our world's food supply to conform to human economic models rather than their natural ones, we do so at our peril. Where do we stop? Patented human beings ? Natural seed is our heritage and has been freely passed down the generations for thousands of years, it is not a commodity to profit from. The natural balance between species of animals and plants are fine tuned and it doesn't take a lot to unbalance it, global warming is having some effects on this synchronicity already , for example, when insects would pollinate flowers, some flowers are coming out earlier than the insects are available, and we know this is happening. Some pests are adjusting to earlier spring quicker than their predators.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6688649.stm
To swallow all the benefits of GM foods, without considering the risks and criticisms of the technology, seems foolhardy. There are concerns Regarding GM Foods for instance, there are numerous qualms regarding the environmental impact of GM foods. This type of technology can impact other organisms despite the best of intentions to avoid any scatter effect. GM seeds can be blown by the wind to other crops and organisms, which may then suffer ill effects. There may also be unexpected results from the combination of GM crops and other, non-GM crops and weeds, when crossbreeding occurs.There are also ethical and economical concerns in terms of profits that farmers can accrue from GM foods that grow in their fields but are also unknown to them. In fact, this was shown in a case with the company Monsanto. A farmer was sued when he claimed that seeds from a nearby field blew into his field. Monsanto argued that the farmer stole the seeds. The judge ruled that it was not important how the seeds got into the farmer's field, even if it was a case of the wind blowing in the seeds. The fact remained that it was an infringement on Monsanto's patent on the GM seeds. Thus, the farmer was forced to pay his profits from that year to Monsanto and go to court again, if GM seeds are inadvertantly blown there it seems the gardener or farmer masy have a battle on their hands to prove contamination not theft
http://www.percyschmeiser.com/DVD.htm
Still another argument against GM foods is that insects may be able to resist toxic products from GM foods. This means that eventually, they may grow to difficult levels and we will be unable to handle their numbers and effects years down the line. Perhaps one of the most worrisome aspects of GM foods is the concern that they may harm human health. Worries of allergic reactions from mixing genes are a reality, particularly if it involves, for example, a gene from a common allergen such as a nut.
In June 2009 EFSA published a consolidated overview on the use of antibiotic resistant marker genes in GM plants, including a joint scientific opinion by the GMO and BIOHAZ Panels. The Panels concluded that, according to information currently available, adverse effects on human health and the environment resulting from the transfer of the two antibiotic resistance marker genes, nptII and aadA, from GM plants to bacteria, associated with use of GM plants, are unlikely. Uncertainties in this opinion are due to limitations related, among others, to sampling and detection, as well as challenges in estimating exposure levels and the inability to assign transferable resistance genes to a defined source. Two members of the BIOHAZ Panel expressed minority opinions concerning the possibility of adverse effects of antibiotic resistance marker genes on human health and the environment. Bear in mind that plants grow in soil and soil contains most bacteria, humans too have bacteria on skin, in gut etc, it would seem to me that those two opinions might just be proved right in the long term and we should proceed with more caution doing more long term studies. Areas where GM can impact health.
http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopressrelease.html