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  • From: "Jill Bussiere" <jdt AT itol.com>
  • To: <avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] GMOs
  • Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 14:58:47 -0600

Brigette

For me, there are several objections to GMO's.

1) Genetic Drift - whose consequences we do not fully understand, is
a
reality - I think the Precautionary Principle would have been good to apply
here - that we don't use something when we don't know what its effects will
be. Genetic drift, which was predicted, but ignored by many in the
industry, has now become a reality.
2) Ownership of seeds - Those who make GMO's want to own them - not
for
the benefit of humankind, nor even for a decent living, but out of greed.
Earning a decent living from a livelihood is a good thing. Owning genetic
material is another. For me, corporate ownership of seeds is as bad as
corporate ownership of the media - both belong to the people so as to have a
democratic and sustainable future.

Do the hungry care whether their seeds are GMO or not? Yes - some
countries have refused shipments of GMO grains that have been attempted to
be dumped upon them. Sometimes, in order to protect seed stock, countries
and peoples make decisions. The companies that are profitting from GMO's
have done everything they can to undermine such decisions and protections -
and it is not for the greater good - it is for their greed.

As I noted before, I think making a living through one's work is a
healthy
thing. Feeding one's greed at others' expense is another.

As to cars, yes, we need to find other ways to travel.

As to petroleum based fertilizer - we will need to find other ways,
as our
oil supply becomes more dear. It will be too much of a hardship for farmers
to pay the prices that they will ask for such fertilizers.

In fact, almost every aspect of our daily lives needs examination.
We have
a huge task ahead of us, and an uncertain future.

I am not against genetic engineering - I can see where it may be
beneficial
for the earth and those on it in the future....what I am against is carrying
out enterprises where the main goal is profit, rather than anything that
humans need/want. Economics is supposed to be about decent livelihoods for
all humans, not about massive profits for a few.

Jill,Wisconsin




-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Brigette
Leach
Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2004 2:07 PM
To: Market Farming; Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] GMOs


Thank you, Liz, for clarifying what topics are appropriate for discussion.
I appreciate knowing.

Since I've never been one to keep my positions to myself, I have developed
a "rhino skin" as Bill says. To quote a good friend, "When I was young I
had all the answers. Now, I'm not sure that I even know the questions."
I've also learned that it is easy enough to have an opinion, but hard work
to actually know what one is talking about. Needless to say, even at my
stage of life experience, I'm still heavy on "opinion". It has also been my
experience that at times, even among those who consider themselves to be
enlightened and capable of freely discussing issues, one is free to express
one's position provided that it isn't too far from what the group tends to
accept.

It is clear that many on this list have spent a considerable amount of time
thinking about the impacts of GMO's. To continue playing the role of
devil's advocate, I ask what the passionate opposition is based upon. Is it
because you feel that you have no choice about GMO's being in the
environment, and therefore your food supply? Is it because some entity will
generate profit from GMO's? Is it because you do in fact understand the
science? Is it just part of your personality or behavior to oppose what the
mainstream accepts? Are GMO's more dangerous to our environment that
petrochemicals? Do hungry people really care how their food was grown?

If we examined other inventions, other modern day advances, such as the
automobile for example, in the same framework and by the same standards,
would the automobile be a positive or negative impact on our culture and
our environment?

Just wondering...

Brigette Leach
avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net
Avalon Farms Premium Homegrown
Climax MI 49034
Have you checked out our "Share of the Farm"? Contact us for more
information.




> [Original Message]
> From: Marty Kraft <martyk AT allspecies.org>
> To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: 3/6/2004 9:56:14 AM
> Subject: Re: [Market-farming] GMOs
>
> My opposition to genetically modified organisms comes from the process by
> which they come to be.
>
> In natural populations of a species there are a certain number of genes
> present. These genes combine and recombine to give all the variation that
> you see in that species. Every once in a while a mutation happens that
> changes a gene in a fundamental way. If the gene is passed on it may show
> itself to be of advantage to the survival of the species and over hundreds
> or thousands of years it might become a common gene to almost all members
of
> the current population. Only a small percentage of gene mutations actually
> make the species better and are selected against, that is, there is no
> reason that they are passed on. Some mutations actually kill individuals
> that happen to get them.
>
> Every individual of all of the millions of species that are alive today
have
> gone through a selective process similar to winning hundreds of thousands
of
> lotteries in a row. Billions and billions of other combinations of genes
> either led to death or the individual didn9t make it long enough to
> reproduce. For example in humans six million sperm start out and only one
> makes it to fertilize one egg. There are far fewer eggs but most of them
are
> flushed out, one each month.
>
> Look at all the wonderful adaptations that various species have made to
the
> environmental conditions where they live. Nature has a profound wisdom
built
> in to genes of each individual. This wisdom has been tested for billions
of
> years. All the ones that flunked are dead, no genetic information passed.
It
> is a ruthless rigorous system.
>
> Let9s look at a scientist who has been putting his/her wisdom together for
> 30 years, lets say. They work for a company whose focus is money for a few
> years down the line. Maybe they have a product like Roundup that they want
> to make even more money on so they create a Roundup Ready soybean. Right
> away the motivation clouds the wisdom. The scientist and the company are
not
> interested in the best thing for the species they are interested in the
best
> thing for their wallets.
>
> These scientists have no idea what effect these manufactured genes are
going
> to have on the soybean species or similar species. Have they tested their
> genes for even a hundred years? They dump thousands or millions of seeds
> bearing their gene into nature where nature would introduce one and let it
> be tested over hundreds of years. These scientists have no idea what these
> manufactured genes are going to do to our children as they grow up and
> mature yet here we are dealing with this problem.
>
> I used to use the word arrogance when referring to some human interference
> with nature but Monsanto motivated me to look up the word hubris. It is
> difficult for me to grasp how they can do such a thing.
>
> I eat tofu, tempe and other soy products. I don9t want to eat their genes.
> They are forcing them on me. If all foods become genetically modified I am
> in the position of starving or submitting to an unwanted invasion of my
> body. In other areas that is illegal.
>
> That just isn9t very nice.
>
> Not flaming, just passionate.
>
> Marty Kraft
>
>
>
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