GE Wheat
Genetically Modified Wheat is a Threat to Farmers and the Economy
The U.S. is the world's leading wheat exporter. Many foreign markets have said they will not purchase GM wheat, or any wheat grown in the same region because of the potential of cross -contamination of non-GM crops with GM traits. So far, genetically modified wheat has not been approved in the U.S. for commercial use. We must continue to oppose the theft of a great common resource and protect the sovereignty of independent farmers and our right to safe food.
"The average producer is in favor of GMOs," or genetically modified organisms, said Jeff Krehbiel, chairman of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission.
"As a producer, you always look at cost of production first, and then ease of management and profit potential. When you add all of those together, there have been incidences Read more
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Since the Nixon Administration, farmers have been told that their survival was dependent on the ability to compete in the global marketplace. Wheat Read more
Despite interest on the part of farmers who would like to grow genetically modified wheat, it appears unlikely that such a product will be seen on the market any time soon. The problem: consumers don't want it.
According to a recent survey from the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), more than three quarters of the nation's wheat growers hope that GM wheat strains might offer Read more
MONTHLY REVIEW CONTENTS
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FOOD CRISIS
ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
LOBBYWATCH
FARMERS TURNING THEIR BACKS ON GM
GM APPROVALS / EXPANSION
PESTICIDES
HEALTH RISKS
CORPORATE TAKEOVER
CONTAMINATION
GM HYPE
BT COTTON FAILURE
RESISTANCE / BANS ON GM
RESEARCH
CAMPAIGNS
QUOTES OF THE MONTH
NOTE: GM features strongly in the latest edition of Seedling (Jan 2009) from GRAIN. http://www.grain.org/seedling/?type=75
Ever since GMOs were first introduced in the mid-1990s, farmers' groups and NGOs have warned that they would contaminate other crops. This has happened, just as predicted. This article from Seedling looks at the experiences of communities in different parts of the world and the strategies they're developing to fight against contamination.
To accompany the
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1. Economy playing a factor in genetically-modified wheat
2. Growers Can Show Support for Biotech Wheat, Alfalfa
NOTE: This is a classic case of GM being punted as the solution to all problems regardless!
The hopes of wheat growers are bring projected onto GM in terms of improved yield and drought resistance (see item 1), but not only is there not a single commercialised GM crop for drought resistance or increased yield potential, non-GM breeeding looks like it will deliver
Read moreMonsanto, the leading producer of genetically modified seeds, has spent years trying to shed its image as a purveyor of Frankenfood. The political battles over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) through the 1990s left the company bruised, profitless, and with scaled-back ambitions on the consumer-food front. Out were promises of GMO wheat, rice, and tomatoes. In was a focus on corn, soy, and cotton - big-volume crops destined for industrial uses such as animal feed, ethanol, and textiles.
The gambit worked. Since 2003, Monsanto (MON) has transformed itself from a money-losing
Read morePowerful Evidence Supports the Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle
In a massive study involving over 20,000 individuals in the U.K., scientists analyzed the impact of four lifestyle behaviors known to increase the risk of disease and premature death - smoking, excessive drinking, physical inactivity, and inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption. Individuals who avoided the four risky behaviors had a four-fold lower risk of total mortality, with an estimated positive Read more
"We in the wheat industry are wanting to re-engage. We sure see the need for that technology," said Joseph Kejr, chairman of the joint biotechnology committee of the National Association of Wheat Growers and US Wheat Associates, which markets US wheat to the world.
"The technology has been good for other commodities, cheapening production and Read more
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