[p2p-research] controversy: GM foods and organic agriculture

[Ryan Lanham]

I think it deserves a contra side...there are many pro-GMO blogs by
academics--many.

Here's one:

http://www.gmofoodforthought.com/

It is a complex issue and there is no clear and obvious up or down on GMO
even if certain companies (especially Monsanto) have been immoral in their
practices.

Ryan Lanham



On Sat, May 23, 2009 at 2:42 AM, Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>wrote:

> thanks for this very convincing response, I will also publish it on the
> blog,
>
> Michel
>
>
> On 5/22/09, Roberto Verzola <rverzola at gn.apc.org> wrote:
>>
>> There are several points I'd like to raise in response to the
>> article. Developing these points fully will take a long article,
>> so I will just be brief:
>>
>> 1. Organic food has proven its healthful effect over centuries of
>> use, and this has been confirmed by modern consumers of organic
>> food. On the other hand, genetically-engineered food is so novel
>> that we've had very little time to assess its health impact. The
>> organic movement therefore rightly insists on strict standards
>> that exclude any GM ingredient in organic foods. And those who
>> market it have tried to make sure we cannot effectively assess
>> the impact by opposing the mandatory labelling of GM food. But
>> the few studies which have been done (the Russian feeding study
>> on GM soya and the Austrian feeding study on Bt corn) already
>> reveal the harm GM food can cause on smaller mammals. The few
>> scientists who do independent studies like these are often
>> persecuted by the chemical/GM industry, unfortunately. The Obama
>> administration promised adopt the mandatory labelling of GMOs.
>> Expect the GM industry to fight this to death, because that will
>> be the end of their business.
>>
>> 2. The article makes a big issue out of the cost of organic food.
>> This cost is due to a regulatory system designed to make organic
>> foods expensive and chemical/GM foods cheap, by forcing organic
>> foods to shoulder all the costs of differentiating the organic
>> category from the chemical/GM category. In fact, since organic
>> practice is the natural default, and chemical/GM is the
>> synthetic exception, a  fair regulatory system would put the
>> burden of identifying themselves on chemical/GM foods. This
>> means that we should have a system of mandatory labelling of
>> GM/chemically-sprayed foods: they should bear the burden of the
>> cost of recording, testing, labelling, and ensuring they can be
>> distinguished from the naturally, organically-grown, in
>> accordance with the "polluter pays" principle. If this were the
>> case, the cost structure of the food industry will shift in
>> favor of organics.
>>
>> By the way, the Obama administration offers $50 million for
>> organic farming. It is a good start, but that is less that $1
>> million per state of the U.S., a pittance compared to the
>> subsidies that the GM/chemical food industry has been getting.
>>
>> 3. GM food cannot even feed the U.S., how can it feed the world?
>> In 2006, around 10% of American adults and 17% of children
>> suffered from occasional involuntary hunger, despite the
>> aggressive introduction of GM crops in the U.S. (Food Research
>> and Action Center, “Hunger and Food Insecurity in the United
>> States,”
>> http://www.frac.org/html/hunger_in_the_us/hunger_index.html) "Feeding
>> the world" is just an excuse.
>>
>> 4. The real reason for GM, gene patents, and modern hybrids is
>> control of the seed and food supply by a few giant monopolies.
>> These developments are in effect a declaration of war against
>> farmers in a global battle for the food supply of the world. The
>> movement against GM is part of the movement to keep our seeds
>> and our foods free from corporate monopolies. We must regain
>> control of our food supply.
>>
>> Roberto Verzola
>>
>>
>
>
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