Food crisis may open door to genetically modified rice

Source: Reuters

3 Jun, 2008, 1851 hrs IST, REUTERS

LOS BANOS (PHILIPPINES): Some rice-producing nations may drop their reluctance to use genetically modified (GM) seeds in the next few years to help offset a crisis that has forced millions to go hungry, a top expert said.

"If we consider the challenges that face us, I think we would be very foolish and actually irresponsible to not invest in the development of GM crops," said Robert Zeigler, director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

"I think that governments will take a hard look and say why again are we dragging our feet in adopting GM technology,?" he told media in an interview on Tuesday. World leaders may discuss GM organisms at this week's food crisis summit in Rome but they are unlikely to be presented as part of the solution to soaring food prices amid opposition by some environmental groups to what they see as "Frankenfoods".

GM crops, which use genes from other plants and other organisms to effect special traits, are widely grown in North America and parts of South America, including cotton, a source of vegetable cooking oil, as well as corn and soybeans.


Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/International_Business/Food_crisis_may_open_door_to_genetically_modified_rice/articleshow/3096890.cms

Especially since the run on rice was because of market speculation (rice being sold to foreign markets instead of at home).

Chemical companies have been trying to break the will of the European people for a decade now over the issue of GM food.

For every disaster or tragedy that occurs, there are greedy corporations ready and waiting to exploit them for profit.

Can there be any doubt what's going on here?

This is imperialism, this is monopoly, this is the iron fist of capitalism.

Bending over for Monsanto is NOT the solution

grow crops where they naturally want to grow.

Of course we'd rather simplify farming, and have reduced yields, mono cultures and greater exposure to imperialism AND food shortages.

:banghead:

And I agree....but I'm not scared of GM food. Such food should be labeled for those who don't want to eat it, but it's not "Frankenfood".

It's a form of mental laziness in modern farming.

to create a sound byte for their ungodly cause. Or created the opportunity.

Only thing that I can think of is maybe if Monsanto et al can find a new planet's worth of farmland acreage to grow their shit on.

and I have a scientific/genetic engineering background, so I'm not naive about the science. I completely misunderstood what the issues were, and was not at all concerned about GM foods (or anything else GM for that matter).

And then I read the book Seeds of Deception and my whole perspective changed.

I'll have to add that to my book list.

http://www.amazon.com/Seeds-Deception-Government-Genetically-Engineered/dp/0972966587/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212513943&sr=8-1

But maybe it's my scientific background that made it so frightening to me, because I immediately "get" what they're talking about and can extrapolate, and it's not "much ado about nothing" not by a long stretch.

No?

Thats because it was suppressed very well. It caused a complete boycott of U.S. Rice by the E.U. and Japan, and cost US Rice Farmers Millions.

Check out the following link if you are not squeamish.

http://www.saveourseeds.org/en/frame.php?page=../dossier/fact_sheet_bayer_LLRICE601

Even so, I expect that the Monsantos of the world and their enablers in the Republican and Democratic party- as well as the WTO will keep pressing in that direction.