GM foods story in papers

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 29 May 2013, 10:43

woodburner wrote:Might as well drink glyphosate then. Do members of the cabinet eat GM foods?

Last time I heard, the HP restaurants were using organic ingredients. Politicians are not as stupid as they think we are.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 29 May 2013, 11:21

From a Hungarian news item, Google translationish:

Hungary decided to eliminate all plantations using GMO seeds from Monsanto. According to the Minister of Rural Development Lajos Bognar, around 500 hectares of corn crops were burned this week - equivalent to five million square meters. The intention is that the country has no produce originating from genetically modified material.

According to the information portal Real Pharmacy yesterday (23 May), the cornfields that were destroyed were scattered around the Hungarian territory and had been recently planted. Thus, poisonous corn pollen was not about to be dispersed in the air, and so there was no danger to the population.

The Hungarians were the first to take a forceful position in the European Union in relation to the use of transgenic seeds. During recent years, the government of Hungary has destroyed several plantations of crops derived from Monsanto seed. Minister Bognar says the country's producers are required to ensure they do not use genetically modified seeds.

The European Union has a policy of free movement of products within the countries of the bloc. Thus Hungarian authorities cannot investigate how the seeds reach their territory. However, said Lajos Bognar, "That does not prevent us from investigating in depth the use of these seeds in our territory."

According to the Hungarian press, the country still has thousands of similarly affected acres. Also according to the [news] portal Portugal Mundial, farmers defended themselves against the charge of using genetically modified material. They claim they did not know that the seeds were Monsanto's.

As the fertile period for plantations is already half over, it's too late to plant new seeds. Thus, this year's harvest was completely lost. And to make matters worse for farmers, the company that distributed the GM seeds went bankrupt - which prevents them from receiving compensation.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 29 May 2013, 14:30

emordnilap wrote:
woodburner wrote:Might as well drink glyphosate then. Do members of the cabinet eat GM foods?
Last time I heard, the HP restaurants were using organic ingredients. Politicians are not as stupid as they think we are.

Or we think they are?

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 29 May 2013, 15:37

As well.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 29 May 2013, 18:45

kenneal - lagger wrote:
emordnilap wrote:
woodburner wrote:Might as well drink glyphosate then. Do members of the cabinet eat GM foods?
Last time I heard, the HP restaurants were using organic ingredients. Politicians are not as stupid as they think we are.
Or we think they are?

I suspect their home shopping is done in supermarkets, so the bu****s will be getitng it anyway. The problem is we will all finish up eating this muck as there will be no way of knowing.

A class action against Monsanto?

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 29 May 2013, 19:05

During the last three days I have eaten in two establishments whose menus included the line:

"We never knowingly include genetically modified (GM) foods in our ingredients."

Or words to that effect.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 29 May 2013, 19:32

As long as you don't look you tend not to see.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 30 May 2013, 09:48

biffvernon wrote:During the last three days I have eaten in two establishments whose menus included the line:

"We never knowingly include genetically modified (GM) foods in our ingredients."

Or words to that effect.

Oils may contain gm components; certain additives do not have to be labelled, such as soya lecithin. Those establishments act no doubt in good faith but there are lots of wormholes through which gm can enter. We really need legislators strongly on the consumer's side.

As one man said, "If it says 'natural' on the label, it probably isn't".

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 31 May 2013, 07:09

Unfortunately those same legislators are the ones with their snouts also in the shale gas trough. There's not really much hope. Money is the only interest.

peaceful_life · Post by **peaceful_life** » 31 May 2013, 10:32

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... -free.html

'The first could go into commercial cultivation in Britain and across Europe as early as next spring'

http://www.exposingthetruth.co/gmos-qui ... in-the-uk/

“My job is to provide the best, most accurate scientific advice,” he said. “The job of the civil service is classically sometimes portrayed as telling truth to power, and there’s no doubt that is my job.”

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 31 May 2013, 11:12

peaceful_life wrote:http://www.exposingthetruth.co/gmos-qui ... in-the-uk/

“My job is to provide the best, most accurate scientific advice,” he said. “The job of the civil service is classically sometimes portrayed as telling truth to power, and there’s no doubt that is my job.”

Hmmph.

Monbiot wrote:

Just one month into the job, Sir Mark Walport has, I believe, disgraced himself: by misrepresenting the science, misinforming the public about risk and uncertainty and indulging in scaremongering and wild exaggeration in support of the government’s position. I believe he has seriously damaged his standing and that of the office he holds.

plus, of course, he sides with industry on the bee problem: see M's other article about him, here. You might not like Monbiot - but dispute his facts, not his stance.

Oh, and Walport (former head of the pro-GMO Wellcome Trust) is on at least one committee with (for instance) Tesco lobbyists.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 31 May 2013, 11:15

Oh, and Monsanto have cancelled trials in Denmark (even before completion) in part because they had no positive results - and they don't reveal negative results.

Will Mark Walport (if he calls me sir, I'll reciprocate) try to get hold of the negative results in the interests of science and community?

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 31 May 2013, 15:34

Probably not, but Ben Goldacre might give it a go. It's a bugbear of his.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 31 May 2013, 15:41

No chance while he's associated with the Wellcome shower.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 31 May 2013, 19:01

peaceful_life wrote:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... -free.html

'The first could go into commercial cultivation in Britain and across Europe as early as next spring'

Unless I've got something wrong, that article was written in 2003. Try to keep up.

Furher reading:

http://www.policymic.com/articles/15889 ... attention_

Actual paper:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 1512005637