Hello Shan >Keith > My understanding was that the 'poistive' attributes of GM crops/foods >were supposed to be that they got a higher yield, for insects didn't take as >much, plus it was less expensive to grow them for there was no need for >pesticides, etc. It seems that even those traits are not panning >out though. Or have >I misunderstood?
Well, that's the spin, but it ain't so. None of the pro-GM spin checks out: yields aren't higher, they're often lower, pesticide use goes up, not down, the GM traits don't stay put, they spread through the pollen, polluting other crops and creating "superweeds", and the basis of the claims for safety and health are based on bent science, no science, and suppression of science that finds harmful effects (eg Árpád Pusztai, most famously). Genetically Engineered Crops and Pesticide Use in the United States: The First Nine Years Dr. Charles M. Benbrook Northwest Science and Environmental Policy Center "The substantial increase in herbicide use on RR crops is now unmistakable in USDA pesticide use data." http://www.biotech-info.net/Full_version_first_nine.pdf Troubled Times Amid Commercial Success for Roundup Ready Soybeans -- A report by consultant Charles M. Benbrook of the Northwest Science and Environmental Policy Center in Idaho found that farmers are using more herbicide than ever before, despite biotech industry claims to the contrary. Using US Department of Agriculture data from 1998, Benbrook found that farmers sprayed 11.4% more herbicide on herbicide-resistant genetically engineered crops than on fields treated with conventional herbicides. http://www.mindfully.org/GE/GE2/RRS-Troubled-Benbrook.htm Dr. Charles M. Benbrook Northwest Science and Environmental Policy Center GE Crop Yields/Pesticide Use No Better Recent data from the US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service for the 1997 and 1998 growing season found that in most cases genetically engineered crops were not getting any better yields than conventional crops, and farmers were using about the same amount of pesticides on engineered crops as conventional crops. http://www.purefood.org/Organic/oca19.cfm#GE New Soil Association report shows GM crops do not yield more - sometimes less 04/14/2008 The Soil Association has published a report on the latest available research on GM crop yields over the last ten years (see report below). The yields of all major GM crop varieties in cultivation are lower than, or at best, equivalent to, yields from non-GM varieties. <http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/848d689047cb466780256a6b00298980/3cacfd251aab6d318025742700407f02!OpenDocument> "Most of the genetic modifications introduced in crops aim at making them resistant to pests or weed killing, but not to increase yields," says Hans-Joerg Jacobsen, biologist at the University of Hanover in Germany. "Modern cultures, free of any genetic modification, have higher yields than genetically modified seeds." GM foods the problem, not the solution, Inter Press Service (IPS), May 23, 2008 http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42480 Vandana Shiva says: "Genetic engineering so far has only achieved transfer of single gene traits such as herbicide resistance and Bt. toxin production. Yield and environmental resilience are multigenetic traits, and there is no GM crop currently engineered for high yields. Monsanto has claimed that its Bt. Cotton in India yields 1,500 kg/acre. Most independent studies have found 300-400 kg/acre as an average, with many farmers facing total crop failure due to pest attack and some getting more than 1,000 kg if the weather was not too dry or two wet." Why Prince Charles is right: we need GM free food and agriculture for food security By Dr Vandana Shiva The Daily Telegraph, 22 August 2008 <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/21/eashiva121.xml> "Genetically modified agriculture will not solve the world's hunger problem," Hans Kast, managing director of the plant science branch of the chemical giant BASF told the German newspaper Die Sueddeutsche Zeitung. -- GM foods the problem, not the solution, Inter Press Service (IPS), May 23, 2008 http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42480 Martin Taylor, chairman of Syngenta, said the current industry focus on farmers in rich countries meant it would take 20 years to launch crop varieties designed to address the problems of the developing world. He told the Guardian: "GM won't solve the food crisis, at least not in the short term." -- "GM will not solve current food crisis, says industry boss," June 27 2008 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/27/gmcrops.food?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront> And so on. Best Keith > best wishes > Shan > >In a message dated 25/08/2008 2:13:34 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > >Most studies have found that use of pesticides with GM crops goes up, >not down as promised by Monsanto et al. > >Best > >Keith > > >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >>> Dear Doug, >>> >>> I see you bought into Al Jazeera's headline. >>> >>> What is the Connection between the crop being GM and the harm >>>caused by the pesticide? >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> Wendell >>> >>> >>Nope, I've not bought into anything, merely copy and pasted the title >>into the email. True, there's no mention of GM in the video... has to >>do more with the pesticides used on the crops. It's my opinion that >>crops grown naturally will maintain a natural resistance to pests, and >>while the pests may consume a percentage of the crop, the pests are a >>lesser bane to both the farmers, and the consumers of food, than >>whatever pesticides might be used to control the pests, (and in the >>process, killing the organisms, earthworms, bacteria, mycelium, in the >>soil that make for a living substrate for crops grown in it.) >> >>As far as getting my "news" from Al Jazeera, yes, I do read it, and CNN, >>and PressTV, and Haaretz, and Democracy Now, The Hindu, Voice of >>America, Reuters, the list goes on and on... Each one has their own >>style of spin, and like religions, each has a small thread ot truth that >>winds through it. Careful analysis will expose truth amongst the >>spins... Unless I am there, and have seen with my own eyes, all reports >>arriving at my eyes are suspect... >> > >doug _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
