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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] The Monsanto/Bill Gates Plot: Genetically Engineered Rice Threatens Asian Countries
  • Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:15:01 -0600


The Monsanto/Bill Gates Plot: Genetically Engineered Rice Threatens Asian
Countries
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23471.cfm
June 21, 2011

For related articles and more information, please visit OCA's Genetic
Engineering page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.


The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has approved $20 million in new monies
toward the development of "golden rice" -- an untested, highly controversial
GE (genetically engineered) crop that threatens biodiversity and risks
bringing economic and ecological disaster to Asia's farms.

The leader of the Golden Rice project is Gerald Barry, previously director of
research at Monsanto.

Sarojeni V. Rengam, executive director of Pesticide Action Network Asia and
the Pacific (PAN AP), has called the rice a "Trojan horse." According to
Rengam, the rice is "... a public relations stunt pulled by the agri-business
corporations to garner acceptance of GE crops and food. The whole idea of GE
seeds is to make money."

Food Freedom reports:

"Golden rice is a Trojan horse for pushing through GE-friendly biosafety
regulations under the guise of humanitarian aid. Once in place, these
regulations open the door for the biotech industry to bring in commercial,
patented GE crops; USAID and Monsanto accomplished exactly this in Kenya with
their sweet potato project."

In Thailand at least, however, a little known and unpublicized agricultural
policy protects Thai rice from the risks of GMO's. The Thai Ministry of
Agriculture's "Rice Strategy" is a master plan committed to strengthening the
nation's rice production while promoting farmers' livelihoods and consumer
confidence -- which includes keeping Thai rice GMO (genetically modified
organism)-free.

Adding to the risks of GE crops is Monsanto's Roundup, the world's
best-selling herbicide that is made to be partnered with GE Roundup Ready
crops. According to a new report, regulators have known for years that
Roundup causes birth defects.


Regulators were apparently aware as long ago as 1980 that glyphosate, the
active chemical ingredient of Roundup, caused birth defects in lab animals.
However, the information was not made public. Instead, regulators misled the
public about glyphosate's safety.

According to the Huffington Post:

"... [A]s recently as last year, the German Federal Office for Consumer
Protection and Food Safety, the German government body dealing with the
glyphosate review, told the European Commission that there was no evidence
glyphosate causes birth defects ...

Although glyphosate was originally due to be reviewed in 2012, the
Commission decided late last year not to bring the review forward, instead
delaying it until 2015. The chemical will not be reviewed under more
stringent, up-to-date standards until 2030."

Sources:
Food Freedom June 3, 2011
Greenpeace June 2, 2011
Huffington Post June 7, 2011
Earth Open Source June 2011 "Roundup and birth defects: Is the public being
kept in t...

GM Watch June 7, 2011
Red, Green, & Blue June 8, 2011






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