GreenWatch

B. McPherson The development of genetically modified field crops is a lucrative business. Monsanto corporation is often cited as the entity responsible for the proliferation of GM field crops. It is a leader in this industry, but there are many others eager to cash in on the bonanza. Sometimes that eagerness combined with crop losses in normal plants pushes GM seed release before it has been independently tested for health and environmental risks. Information is now available that puts a shadow on the Bangladeshi government’s approval of four varieties of GM eggplant(brinjal) seeds. That eagerness to release Bt brinjal(eggplant) to farmers may come with health impacts. The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute(BARI) has admitted that there were no independent health/toxicity tests done before the release of the seed. The reason, or excuse, given was that there were no suitable labs available. Instead, BARI relied on information released by the corporation that had p...

B. McPherson Is glyphosate on your food slowly poisoning you? Over the past decade many people have discovered that they are intolerant to the protein gluten. Gluten found in wheat, barley and rye that are staples in many western based diets. It seems as if an epidemic of gluten intolerance has broken out. Some people have mused that people are using the gluten intolerance as the latest fad. But these people really are sick. The question arises as to whether there are more sick people or better diagnosis of symptoms. Maybe a bit of both. Now a troubling new paper published online by Interdisciplinary Toxicology draws possible connections between trace amounts of glyphosate in the gut and gluten intolerance, a condition that now affects about 5% of the N. American and European population. Scientists have had glyphosate on their radar for a while now, suspecting it of causing birth defects and cancers. While it is not particularly toxic to humans, small amounts over ...

B. McPherson A group of 85 scientists, academics and physicians have issued a statement that there is no consensus on the safety of GM foods. This move was prompted by claims from some scientists and GM Corporations that the food is safe. The statements made by the supporters of the biotech food are not scientifically based. Here is what one scientist had to say about the claims: Another signatory, Professor C. Vyvyan Howard, a medically qualified toxicopathologist based at the University of Ulster, said: “A substantial number of studies suggest that GM crops and foods can be toxic or allergenic, and that they can have adverse impacts on beneficial and non-target organisms. It is often claimed that millions of Americans eat GM foods with no ill effects. But as the US has no GMO labelling and no epidemiological studies have been carried out, there is no way of knowing whether the rising rates of chronic diseases seen in that country have anything to do with GM food consumption ...

B. McPherson GM Corn linked to cancers in independent study GM corn has been banned in Mexico. Both Pioneer and Monsanto have been given notice that they are no longer welcome to plant their transgenic corn in that country. A federal judge has ruled that the GM corn poses an imminent threat to Mexico’s agriculture and food. This ruling suspends the planting of transgenic corn seeds. Herbicide resistant corn varieties have been found to pollute the genetic makeup of native varieties of corn, the birthplace of that important crop. There is well founded fear that the genetically altered varieties will damage the biodiversity of the many varieties of maize(corn) developed over thousands of years, each adapted to differing soil and climate conditions. This comes as good news to those who have engaged on a class action suit to keep the artificial corn varieties from damaging Mexico’s corn. As more years of GM field crops have been grown, evidence is mounting that transgenes have b...

B. McPherson Troubling research  Starlink corn(maize) developed by Aventis and taken over by Bayer has been banned for more than ten years, yet testing of food in Saudi Arabia shows its unwanted presence. Starlink was never approved for human consumption because of its potential to set up allergic reactions. It was approved only for cattle feed and industrial uses. Starlink was developed to have a built in pesticide that would kill corn ear worm and root worms. The whole plant then engineered to be poisonous to the pests. Unfortunately, it had a possibility that humans would react badly to the corn as well. The bacterial gene inserted into the corn DNA is labelled  Cry9C. Approval for widespread US planting was granted by the EPAin 1998 . Testing in 2000 showed the presence of the modified corn in taco shells, indicating that the Starlink had entered the human food supply. Aventis promptly withdrew its production of the GM corn. The FDA became involved and test...

B. McPherson Mexican honey producers in the Yucatan Peninsula have lost their legal bid to keep out widespread planting of GM Soybeans in their area. The honey industry in Mexico supports the economy to the tune of about $90 million per year. Much of the Mexican honey is exported to the European Union. This industry has now been thrown into jeopardy. Most countries in Europe require the labeling of produce and products that contain genetically modified ingredients. Honey is made by bees that gather nectar from flowers. Some pollen from the plants inevitably finds its way into the honey. With the widespread planting of GM crops, the honey producers can no longer market their honey without labeling it GM contaminated. Mexico is a major world producer of honey. The fourth largest producer has about 16 000 people directly dependent on the industry. The widespread planting of GM crops threatens the livelihood of the honey producers in ruining their lucrative European mar...

B. McPherson There’s an arms race going on in N. America’s cornfields. The race is developing genetically modified crops to resist ever more lavish spraying of herbicides. An early winner in the weed race was Monsanto, a corporation that developed seeds containing weed genes that could resist the spraying of that other Monsanto product, Roundup. Roundup was an effective weed/plant killer for many years, but gradually as Nature will do, some weeds survived Roundup to reproduce. So farmers sprayed Roundup(or the generic glyphosate) in ever heavier doses. The effect has been to breed a wide number of SuperWeeds that will not die when sprayed with the herbicide. Now rival Agro company Dow AgroSciences has developed a GM corn that carries a gene resistant to Dow Chemical’s herbicide 2,4-D. It is seeking to be allowed to start widespread planting of the genetically altered seeds in time for the 2013 crop year. Fields planted with the new corn, dubbed Enlist, could be ...

B. McPherson Currently genetically modified alfalfa is not released in Canada, but is probably will be soon. The US approved it about this time last year with no restrictions. A farmer can plant Roundup Ready alfalfa next to an organic farmer and ignore the inevitable genetic pollution of the organically grown crop. Monsanto has developed a patented seed that will allow farmers to spray their fields with Roundup or glyphosate to kill weeds. As with other GM seeds, if the modified plants are found growing in a neighbouring field, the farmer with the intrusive plants is in trouble and all kinds of hurt comes down on him from the corporation owning the patents. A few GM plants in an organic farmer’s field are enough to disqualify him from using the organic label and consequently his crop losses mount as his crop loses value. Because farmers who do not qualify for the organic label, but eshew GM seeds cannot label their product as GMO free, people can only be sure that they...

B. McPherson A French court ruled today that Monsanto is guilty of chemical poisoning. In a landmark ruling the court ruled that farmer Paul Francois was harmed by inhaling Monsanto’s weedkiller Lasso. Lasso is now banned in France. The incident took place in 2004. Francois maintained that there were inadequate warnings on the Lasso container. He suffers from neurological damage – memory loss, headaches, stammering. This weedkiller also goes by the name of Alachlor,Lasagrin, Lassagrin, Lazo, Metachlor, Pillarzo, Alanox, Alanex, Chimichlor. According to the Environmental Protection Agency this plant poison is the second most widely used plant poison in the US. “ Alachlor is the second most widely used herbicide in the United States, with particularly heavy use on corn and soybeans in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin. ” EPA The EPA allows for a maximum of 2 parts per billion in drinking water. It also lists damage to humans exposed...

By B. McPherson While Americans were celebrating the end of 2011 and the beginning of a new year, the USDA quietly approved a new strain of genetically altered corn developed by Monsanto in coordination with the large chemical corporation BASF. According to Monsanto’s press release, the corn will be able to better able resist drought conditions as well as stand up to Roundup and the predations of insects. “For the 2012 trials, Monsanto plans to have Genuity® VT Triple PRO® and Genuity® VT Double PRO® technology serve as the agronomic trait platform to be used with the drought-tolerant trait. These technologies offer growers excellent insect protection and tolerance to Roundup® agricultural herbicides.” Monsanto Press Release Corn varieties that have these characteristics are ‘stacked’ in that they have multiple non-corn genes inserted into their DNA.  There is little to no independent research done on the possible synergistic effect of multiple alien genes ins...