OT GM food anyone?

[Capitol]

From what I can tell, it appears that the IMF in conjunction with the EU have persauded the Ukraine to plant Monsanto GM crops. How does the UK keep them out of our market?

Monsanto AIUI have lost a US supreme court decision where they claimed ownership of corn seed which had been contaminated by cross pollination hrom an adjacent GM field. If previous decisions from the EU courts are anything to go by, then in the EU they would have won, causing a massive increase in seed corn prices.

As the prevailing winds are eastbound, then this is going to spread GM seeds into Russia. I guess this is the perfect excuse to provoke a Russian invasion of the Ukraine to destroy all these crops and wreck the Ukraineian economy which is already in hock to the IMF and the EU.

Life looks interesting!!!

The greens don't seem to have spotted this yet to any real extent, but it may well provoke a few more leave votes.

[Brian Gaff]

Actually in New scientist and Nature the debate on GM has re awoken as it is claimed that al gm does is speed up new varieties to market than traditional breeding programs.

The problem of ownership of seed is a bit more complex. On the one hand if you allow the seed to be viable and the polen to be transferraable then you will get different mixed species of the original even though the original seed is unviable.

Actually I doubt your scenario will occur, as some people still have common sense. Brian

[Tim Streater]

You seem to think that GM is only about Monsanto's ownership of some seed variety. There's a lot more to it than that.

[Vir Campestris]

Yes, but there are a lot more headlines in "evil empire copyrights seeds" than in "GM rice reduces vitamin deficiency in 3rd world".

Andy

[R D S]

Do you think Monsanto are concerned with nourishing the Third World?

[Chris Hogg]

As a means to an end, they undoubtedly are. Lots of Third-Worlders around these days, an increasing market and increasingly difficult growing conditions due to climate change. But which is to be preferred: 2 million kids growing up with vitamin A deficiency and all that that entails, or Monsanto making shed-loads of profit? At least in the latter case, some of that profit might be used to develop other crops with beneficial properties, such as their drought-resistant maize.

[Chris Hogg]

Sorry: for '2 million kids' read '200 million kids'

[Richard]

Aww, so cute. Who do you think is responsible for the global obesity crisis?

[The Natural Philosopher]

The man who invented the refrigerator and the man who invented the microwave?

[Chris Hogg]

You think it's Monsanto?

[Brian-Gaff]

Look, the real issue here is ownership, its much like anything else, if a company has made something then they have spent money on it, nobody would buy it if it were useless now would they? The problem in my view is one of understanding the situation here. Brian

[Richard]

Along with the processed food industry.

[Chris Hogg]

LOL!

[tabbypurr]

A huge amount of food is grown there worth a great deal. Of course some are willing to pay more for crops that crop more reliably. Some governments ar e also willing to pay towards food with improved nutrition.

Human nature. Getting fat whenever there's enough food around has for most of human history been a basic & essential survival mechanism. We are progra mmed to get fat. In modern times fat works against us, causing disease disa bility & death. We have to act counter to our basic instincts to stay in fi t shape.

The situation is worsened by capitalism, where capitalists package food as entertainment and promote indulgence in entertainment. Since profit rules, it tends toward ever worse food at ever greater levels of appeal and ever h igher prices.

Then it's worsened again by governments that fail to implement decent meals in schools, hospitals etc. The sh-te sold to the public in hospitals is mi nd bogglingly unhealthy, and the food bought by hospitals to feed patients simply not upto the job of being food fit to keep people alive as long & he althily as practical on a low budget.

NT

[tabbypurr]

Vast quantities of useless goods are sold every day. In fact many shops sell nothing else.

[The Natural Philosopher]

The situation is worsened by socialimm,. which gave a class of people who had no education in the uses of wealth, far more money than they neeeded. So they ate and drank themselves to death.

Actually last time I was in a had a very decent salad..

[The Natural Philosopher]

To a bunch of people who are no better than the should be, but have far more money than they need.

Shopping is entertainment.

Or an addiction.

[Vir Campestris]

I have no idea. But I'm sure journalists want to sell newspapers, which is where the number of headlines counts.

Andy

[tabbypurr]

Most things are. No system is all good, and this area is one of capitalism's shortcomings.

Yes, it's hit & miss. Like the NHS generally.

NT

[Tim Streater]

The kids don't want it and the parents aid and abet the kids by passing the fish/chips through the railings.