U.S. envoy urges Vatican on biotech crops

Saturday, November 12, 2005 · Last updated 10:42 a.m. PT

U.S. envoy urges Vatican on biotech crops

By NICOLE WINFIELD
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

VATICAN CITY -- The new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See urged the Vatican on Saturday to promote the potential of biotech crops, saying there was a "moral imperative" to investigate the possible benefits of agricultural technology to feed the world's hungry.

"Nothing on its own can solve the complex problem of world hunger," Ambassador Francis Rooney told Pope Benedict XVI as he presented his credentials during a Vatican audience. "But we cannot let irrational fears stop us from investigating what could be one part of the answer."

Benedict, for his part, urged the United States to continue its "generous" aid to poor countries, lamenting the "crushing debt" that can fuel poverty.
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Critics of the technology say there is enough food to feed the world and that what is necessary is the political will and appropriate policies to fight hunger. They also warn the potential dangers of genetically modified food outweigh any benefits.
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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501AP_Vatican_US.html

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Everyone is asking: Who is this guy? Francis Rooney is CEO of Rooney Holdings, Inc., an investment and holding company based in Naples, Florida, with administrative offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rooney Holdings emerged from nowhere to become one of the GOP's biggest donors during the last election, upping its campaign contributions from just $11,000 during the 2002 cycle to more than $500,000 in 2004. Thanks to his fund-raising efforts, Rooney himself was among the few individuals named as both a Bush Ranger, having raised at least $200,000 for the president's re-election, and a Super Ranger (among the elite donors who raised another $300,000 for the Republican National Committee). Rooney is the majority owner of Manhattan Construction Company, the fourth generation of his family to own that company. Manhattan Construction built the Oklahoma State Capitol, the George Bush Presidential Library, the Cato Institute headquarters, the Prayer Tower and other structures on the Oral Roberts University and is building part of the new visitors’ center at the United States Capitol. The subsidiary won an estimated $100 million in Pentagon contracts in 2003, nearly four times the amount the company won in 2002, according to the Center for Public Integrity. A Georgetown University and Georgetown Law graduate, Rooney is a member of the Advisory Board of the Panama Canal Authority. He was among the U.S. delegation led by Colin Powell to the inauguration of Panamanian president Martín Torrijos. Rooney and his wife have served on the board of many charitable organizations and he is a Knight of Malta.

http://vaticanisti.blogspot.com/2005/08/us-ambassador-to-vatican-nominee-who.html



http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/55444.htm

While production is one thing, we have an overproduction already here domestically and from other countries. Catholic teachings do have an environmental component, which GMO crops violate. This still keeping control of agriculture at the highest levels away from the lowely farmer in any country you want to name.

WHY would GM crops "help feed the world's hungry?" GM crops are planted in areas where we would plant "safe" crops.

Or is Francis Rooney saying that we should give "Frankenfood" GM harvests that no one else in their right mind would touch?

It's my understanding that Monsanto is having an extremely tough time pushing their "New Age" modified crops on the Europeans. They're backing away from it. Bush has threatened several times to Europe, "eat it or else".

And no wonder they're balking: GM food can have spider DNA and marigold DNA in it. No thanks.