"Terminator Gene Technology"...Will Monsanto etal create a worldwide food

[JohnnyRingo]

shortage for profit?

Oil is important, but the world's food supply is vital.
If only a few corporations control the supply, they will control how much we pay.

While that's already the situation, I think they've taken a lesson from the energy companies, setting up a worldwide shortage to inflate prices (and profits):

Excerpt:
Consumer, farmer, and environmental organizations across the globe are mobilizing to stop the legalization and commercialization of the controversial Terminator Gene Technology, whereby seeds are genetically engineered to become sterile or commit suicide after one growing season. The Monsanto corporation and the biotech industry support the Terminator Technology, because it will force many of the 1.4 billion farmers around the world to stop saving their seeds and instead to purchase patented seed varieties from the Gene Giants.

In addition, scientists are concerned that genetic pollution from Terminator crops will lead to killing off a wide range of crops and plants, as Terminator pollen and seeds are spread by the wind, insect pollinators, and commercial seed co-mingling and transportation. After a massive international campaign in 1998, Monsanto Corporation announced they were shelving plans to commercialize the Terminator, while the United Nations (UN) called for a global ban. But on 2/11/2005 renewed efforts to overturn the worldwide ban were launched at a UN conference in Bangkok. Learn more by following links on the right-hand navigation bar on this page and sign petition below:

http://organicconsumers.org/un.htm

Why aren't we hearing from GW and his Genetic Moral Rangers on this?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. I pray for Montsanto to go Enron!

Montsanto is the Hitler of corporations!

[Extend a Hand]

2. signed and sent!

I've never understood why this topic is virtually ignored in the press. :(

This worries me way more than a terrorist attack.

[rawtribe]

3. sent

Thanks.

[arcane1]

4. making natural strains extinct...

is their master plan.. so that EVERYONE, no matter where they live, will HAVE to get their food from Monsanto...

they are more evil than all the oil companies combined...

[JohnnyRingo]

10. Corporate greed knows no bounds

Would normally rational men ensure future destruction of the planet to guarantee short term wealth?

Planned shortages of commodities such as wheat or soybeans, while causing widespread famine, would generate huge profits all the way up the retail chain.

[neweurope]

5. Monsanto & Co. is very dangerous. Especially for Third World farmers.

Tinoire posted excellent information on this some weeks ago. Farmers all over the world should boycott them. But they need to be informed.

-----------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[no safe haven]

6. Soylent green anyone? n/t

[tkmorris]

7. Monsanto is insane

That is, if a corporation can be defined in those terms. What is truly insane is that anyone anywhere would ever think "suiciding seed" is a good thing. ESPECIALLY in food crops.

Is anyone here an expert on long term storage of non-Monsanto seed? I hate being hysterical but I am starting to think that having some viable, non-Frankenstein seed socked away might be a very good thing.

[theHandpuppet]

9. Here's a good source for heirloom seeds

http://www.victoryseeds.com/

I've already started saving heirloom seeds and IMO everyone should get involved in this effort!

[SoCalDem]

8. There have already been "incidents" in Mexico

where the "test fields" of corn have "co-mingled" with the native maize that is still grown in Mexico.. The agri-giants claimed they did'nt know HOW that happened, but DNA testing proved that it has happened..

So any farmer growing "Frankenseeds" next to a farmer who is not, could "permanently change" the seed crop of his neighbor..

Subsistence farming has ALWAYS involved seed-saving.. It's how they survive.. They grow their crops, use some for family food, sell some of the crop, and save & trade seeds for next year's crops..

They have bodies to plant & work the fields, but the do not have MONEY to buy seeds for next year.. The money from the sold crops is for the things that they cannot grow for themselves..or for household needs.. If their crop money has to be set aside to but next year's seed, they will have no extra money.

[soothsayer]

11. I hate Monsatan

They are PURE EVIL

[UL_Approved]

12. This could end the world

This is about total control. This is the same class of weapon as an ethnic-specific virus.

Farmers and others need to be very careful with this issue.

The Irish potato famine was caused by a genetic monotype from inbred spuds. A single strain of virus went over the entire island in one night and killed all of the potato plants.

Monsanto is NOTORIOUS for having little to no genetic diversity in their crops. This is one of the greatest fears that I have had in my life. Our food supply cannot be turned into a closed seed supply, or we could lose everything.

This needs to be taken down at all levels. I may seem extreme, but this is open war. This may need to be stopped with actions that are violent. This is one of those things that is beyond the realm of stable exploitation.

I wonder how many groups on the Internet are opposed to this. This should have EVERY blog, news site, activist group, or other organization that can have an effect up in arms. Be VERY weary of groups that never oppose this. They are our biggest enemies. They do even more damage than all of the terrorism in the world combined.

[theHandpuppet]

13. Kicking this because it's important!

Friendly Sunday morning kick!