Comments on: Manifestos on the Future of Food & Seed http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/29/manifestos-on-the-future-of-food-seed/ dispatches from Canada's capital Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:12:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: a sibilant intake of breath » Blog Archive » Listeria and the food system http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/29/manifestos-on-the-future-of-food-seed/#comment-49383 a sibilant intake of breath » Blog Archive » Listeria and the food system Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:49:34 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=3009#comment-49383 [...] Shiva, Vandana ed. Manifestos on the Future of Food & Seed. [...] [...] Shiva, Vandana ed. Manifestos on the Future of Food & Seed. [...]

]]> By: . http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/29/manifestos-on-the-future-of-food-seed/#comment-48692 . Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:46:11 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=3009#comment-48692 "And what about GMOs? Is Prince Charles accurate to note that they are an experiment with nature and humanity? The majority of GM crops are designed to resist herbicides and repel insects. Despite what some people may think, not a single GMO is commercially available that is designed to enhance nutrition, increase yield potential, tolerate drought, or manifest other attractive traits touted by the biotech industry. Rather, 82 percent of commercialized GM crops are designed to resist continual applications of herbicides. In reality, this means that GM crops are being developed to allow for greater pesticide use. In the United States from 1994 to 2005, there was a 15-fold increase in the use of the herbicide glyphosate on soybeans, corn, and cotton, driven by adoption of Roundup Ready (Monsanto brand) versions of these GM crops. Use of other more toxic herbicides, such as atrazine and 2,4-D, is also on the rise to deal with the epidemic of weeds that have become resistant to glyphosate." “And what about GMOs? Is Prince Charles accurate to note that they are an experiment with nature and humanity? The majority of GM crops are designed to resist herbicides and repel insects. Despite what some people may think, not a single GMO is commercially available that is designed to enhance nutrition, increase yield potential, tolerate drought, or manifest other attractive traits touted by the biotech industry. Rather, 82 percent of commercialized GM crops are designed to resist continual applications of herbicides. In reality, this means that GM crops are being developed to allow for greater pesticide use. In the United States from 1994 to 2005, there was a 15-fold increase in the use of the herbicide glyphosate on soybeans, corn, and cotton, driven by adoption of Roundup Ready (Monsanto brand) versions of these GM crops. Use of other more toxic herbicides, such as atrazine and 2,4-D, is also on the rise to deal with the epidemic of weeds that have become resistant to glyphosate.”

]]> By: . http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/29/manifestos-on-the-future-of-food-seed/#comment-48691 . Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:43:43 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=3009#comment-48691 <a href="http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/8/14/135938/816" rel="nofollow">A prince's dream: Far-fetched fairytale or a real future of food?</a> Prince Charles sparked controversy when he expressed doubt in GM crops Posted by Meredith Niles (Guest Contributor) at 2:52 PM on 15 Aug 2008 The British royal family is no stranger to controversy and media attention, but Prince Charles caused a new kind of worldwide media flurry on Tuesday when he sat down for an exclusive interview with the Telegraph (U.K.). This time around, though, it seems unlikely the media story will be covered by the British tabloids since the Prince of Wales didn't discuss his sons, his love life, or even his future reign as king. Instead, the Prince talked about genetically modified organisms, our food supply, and the future of food security for the globe. A prince’s dream: Far-fetched fairytale or a real future of food?
Prince Charles sparked controversy when he expressed doubt in GM crops
Posted by Meredith Niles (Guest Contributor) at 2:52 PM on 15 Aug 2008

The British royal family is no stranger to controversy and media attention, but Prince Charles caused a new kind of worldwide media flurry on Tuesday when he sat down for an exclusive interview with the Telegraph (U.K.). This time around, though, it seems unlikely the media story will be covered by the British tabloids since the Prince of Wales didn’t discuss his sons, his love life, or even his future reign as king. Instead, the Prince talked about genetically modified organisms, our food supply, and the future of food security for the globe.

]]> By: . http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/29/manifestos-on-the-future-of-food-seed/#comment-48196 . Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:41:33 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=3009#comment-48196 By contrast, <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2196772/" rel="nofollow">relatively little GM investment is going into the crops that do matter to poor farmers</a>—cassava, sorghum, millet, pigeon pea, chickpea, and groundnut. These crops are more nutritionally balanced than corn or soybeans and are far better suited to the local soils and often-tough climates of poor nations. Yet, because poor farmers can't afford high-tech seeds, GM companies have little incentive to invest research dollars to improve "marginal" crops. Instead, they focus on the money makers: According to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, just four commercial crops—corn, soybeans, canola, and cotton—account for 85 percent of all GM crops planted worldwide. By contrast, relatively little GM investment is going into the crops that do matter to poor farmers—cassava, sorghum, millet, pigeon pea, chickpea, and groundnut. These crops are more nutritionally balanced than corn or soybeans and are far better suited to the local soils and often-tough climates of poor nations. Yet, because poor farmers can’t afford high-tech seeds, GM companies have little incentive to invest research dollars to improve “marginal” crops. Instead, they focus on the money makers: According to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, just four commercial crops—corn, soybeans, canola, and cotton—account for 85 percent of all GM crops planted worldwide.

]]> By: a sibilant intake of breath » Blog Archive » Honey and veganism http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/29/manifestos-on-the-future-of-food-seed/#comment-47820 a sibilant intake of breath » Blog Archive » Honey and veganism Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:21:40 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=3009#comment-47820 [...] Manifestos on the Future of Food & Seed [...] [...] Manifestos on the Future of Food & Seed [...]

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