(Bill) Gates Foundation and Genetically Engineered Crops in Africa. Is this aid?

New VISTAS for Gates?

BLACK AGENDA REPORT

Poor-Washing, theGates Foundation & the "Green Revolution" in Africa

http://tinyurl.com/28ukmg

by BAR managing Editor Bruce Dixon



Genetically altered crops will rescue Africa from endemic shortfalls in food production, claim corporate foundations that have announced a $150 million "gift" to spark a "Green Revolution" in agriculture on the continent. Of course, U.S.-based agribusiness holds the patents to these wondercrops, and can exercise their proprietary "rights" at will. Are corporate foundations really out to feed the hungry, or are they hypocritical Trojan Horses on a mission to hijack the world's food supply - to create the most complete and ultimate state of dependency.

"Poor-washing" is the common public relations tactic of concealing bitterly unfair and predatory trade policies that create and deepen hunger and poverty with clouds of hypocritical noise about feeding the hungry and alleviating poverty. It's hard to imagine a better case of media poor-washing than the hype around the recently announced $150 million "gifts" of the Gates and Rockerfeller Foundations to the cause of reforming African agriculture, feeding that continent's impoverished millions and sparking an African "Green Revolution"

Snip

70 to 30 years ago. Why not an agrarian revolution for Africa too? They haven't had a chance so far.

These are not suicide seeds. This is research which has never been done before ... for Africa.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=556691&mesg_id=556691

Subsidies in the United States (to the tune of $8,000,000,000 a year) are what's keeping the African farmers down. African farmers grow wonderful long-fiber cotton but subsidized American cotton is cheaper.

Monsanto is out for Monsanto. If the rest of us all die of their various types of poisonings, they don't care.

I recall when we helped India way back. The US send farmers over to help with irrigation and planting
cycles. It seemed a lot less ominous. I'll check out that link in detail. The "new corporate" responsibility is always a point of real interest and needs examination. Along those lines, the energy saving light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, which are apparently essential. Since I bought them, I was curious about what happens whe none breaks at home. Hard to find tha info. With Monsanto involved, there's a real reason to wonder what's up.

Maybe a better use of Gates money would be to help get rid of the mentality among world leaders that allows them to exploit third world countries. That would make a huge difference.

Genetically modified foods can save millions of lives in Africa.

Part of the problem is that the current crops being grown in Africa can't feed everyone on the continent. Africa needs a green revolution or millions will starve. It's a hell of a lot better than no food at all.

I don't know about this case, but farmers can be given humanitarian licenses to grow the crops for themselves, and not have to pay for their use.

If they can then they should get the licenses. Worth checking into.

This is another paternalistic imperial initiative.
If the funding goes ahead, it MUST be at the direction of local farmers.

See the USC Canada page on this: http://www.usc-canada.org/?page_id=14



Be sure to check out the other links at the bottom of the page.

I joined the National Farmers Union (www.nfu.ca) to support food sovereignty, food security, and good land stewardship. The family farm unions all over the world are leery of AGRA.

I'm glad I posted this if for no other reason than to get this type of information.

Corporate farming is a lot different than the agribusiness I saw growing up. It's hard to imagine
a big ranch or farm owned by a corporation (I've been away for long enough to be out of touch). It's
the difference between land being an asset versus a responsibility.

Thanks for the links.

affects the microbial life in the soil to the extent that crops grown AFTER Bt cotton give reduced yields -- using the farmer's regular seeds. Many complaints of this are on record now.

Just what India needs -- reduced crop yields.

Maybe people need to look at the dust bowl and what that was like, not good not at all.

It's no secret, they've pursued this goal for decades. Now all they need is some way to extort us for air...
:dunce: