USDA biotech regulations on "pharma" crops could allow drugs in food
- added October 10, 2008
- 32 responses
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- JanforGore
- added this
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The USDA ignored recommendations for a ban on the outdoor production of pharma food crops from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, major food companies, UCS, and more than 100 environmental, agricultural, health, and consumer organizations.
Below is a statement by Jane Rissler, UCS's Food and Environment Program deputy director:
"Under the proposed rules, USDA's new motto is 'Only safe levels of drugs in U.S. food.' If these proposals are enacted into law, American consumers must accept the possibility of drugs in their breakfast cereal or other common foods. Moreover, these rules likely will lead to contamination scares, which will hurt the food industry.
"The USDA proposal, unlike the ban we recommended, offers no incentives to drug companies to pursue already existing, safer methods for producing drugs.
"In its rush to enact the proposed rules into law before the end of the Bush administration, the USDA has given short shrift to public participation. The department is allowing only 45 days for the public to analyze and comment on this major proposal, which will determine the government's approach to regulating genetically engineered organisms for years to come.
"The proposed rules also overhaul the existing regulatory system for genetically engineered crops other than pharma crops. Some of the proposed changes represent steps in the right direction such as making the regulatory program more coherent and comprehensive, expanding the scope of genetically engineered organisms subject to government oversight, and allowing the department to consider impacts on public health."
For UCS's Web feature profiling innovative biotechnology companies that are developing drugs more safely, go to
http://ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/sensible_pharma_crops/sensible-pharma/.
For the location of pharma crops that have been grown outdoors across the country, go to
http://go.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/pharm/index.php?s_keyword=XX.
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Here we go again.
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This is a report from four years ago about the threat of growing pharma crops outdoors and the dangers of transgenic contamination of crops being grown to be used as food. And once again the USDA ignores the warnings, and now this is slated to go full scale. There is only a 45 day comment period regarding this. I will try to post the site to send those comments to if you choose to do so.
The absolute immensity of what is going on behind our backs in this country is mind boggling. As far as I am concerned the fact that they are genetically modified is already enough of a threat; because now not only will you need to be concerned about the health effects of the GMO itself, but if it cross pollinates with a pharma crop besides the effects of the pesticides and herbicides sprayed on it!
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Recommendation from the UCS that the USDA has spurned.
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In a word......DAMNIT!!
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That's come creepy shite.
Will these bastards ever stop?
I guess not... -
Islands at Risk: Genetic Engineering in Hawaii
And make no mistake about it; The USDA is in league with the pharmaceutical companies that are in league with Monsanto, Syngenta, DOW, etc.
These companies are destroying the beauty and biodiversity of our planet. As the woman in the beginning of this video asks: Who is playing God here?
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Wow, even companies have stood up to GM pharma crops, and rightfully so. They would not know if a gene from a pharma crop grown outdoors was cross-pollinated with a food crop... (and neither would the bee or bees that pollinated it which is also of concern to the health of the bees) and the effects that could have on what is then in their products which could definitely hurt their profits. As you can see from this article and the video, people will not purchase foods produced from GMOS when aware of it, hence the secrecy by Monsanto et al., the pharmaceutical companies growing these pharma crops in trials, and the USDA and FDA. This in my opinion is a fraudulent deception against the American people of immense proportions.
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Wow
I really have to say this scares the shit out of meI just think these people are the spawn of satan and are opening pandoras box experimenting with things they have no control over
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I agree... and their "trials" with their sign "not safe for human consumption" (which tells you something right there) won't stop a bee from flying to a pharma crop trial and cross pollinating a gene or bacteria or other organism from it onto a food crop miles away. As the video states tests are not being conducted on this and they cannot prove it is safe. They have let the genie out of the bottle and we are all the guinea pigs.
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Support your local organic farmers !
Commercialized farming is the end of health and beginning of cancers we've never imagined.
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It goes much deeper than you think. The above video narrated by Judi Dench explains a bit more about this issue and the people behind it. Can anyone say Monsanto?
You might also like to watch this one:-
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5266884912495233634 -
Yes, Codex Alimentarius.
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- JanforGore
- 1 month ago
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Time to seriously stock-up on organic seeds and keep them safe for the future, and learn to do square foot gardening which is very easy, doesn't require much work, and uses far less water than ordinary gardening.
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- Vierotchka
- 1 month ago
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If they can put "safe" drugs in food, how far fetched would it be for "lethal" drugs to be placed in food?
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- cheller1820
- 1 month ago
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no no no no no no no no no no thats all i can think about is fucking NO!
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- krush_producions
- 1 month ago
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A lot of crops unfortunately are grown with pesticides integrated into the actual plants dna. For less work on the farmers part. I've got an idea, "Try growing organic for a change." Now it's evolved from that to this, unbelievable.
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- futurehempfarmer
- 1 month ago
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I am for you Jan! Still reading and digesting info! I vote plus on this!
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- Reverend_Papa_Bear
- 1 month ago
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The problem with this is not the fact that they are genetically modified. What we must remember is that, realistically, we have been eating GM crops since the first controlled breeding. Are they as healthy or even taste as good as organic? For the most part, the answer is a resounding no. What GM does for us, however, is allow us to produce a larger harvest much more economically, something this world desperately needs in this time of food shortages and high prices. I support organic, but it this point it is too price constrictive. Perhaps some program to encourage organic farming?
That said, I do find it disheartening that the FDA feels that any amount, however minute, of any drug is "safe to consume" on a possibly regular basis. There does need to be much tighter control on the production of GM crops. I don't feel like being "medicated" every time I cook my dinner. Odds are the FDA wouldn't even require disclosure of what the drug contaminate is.
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Um, GM does not allow many farmers to produce more economically... do you know what Monsanto did to alleviate the 'food crisis?' They RAISED their price on a bag of corn seed to $100.00 and raised the price of their toxic Roundup that must be sprayed on that seed as well. And if they really cared about feeding people they would allow farmers to RESEED instead of having to buy NEW seed every year. How is that helping a food crisis in places where poor farmers cannot afford to buy new seed and poisons every year?
It is only about profit to them and to the FDA and USDA.Their food is not feeding people in places where food is needed because people are also rejecting it when they know about it, and yields have not proven to be higher on the whole in many of these places, which is one reason why farmers in India have been committing suicide.
And at what price a higher yield? People get so into that word and forget that it is WHAT is being yielded that we must be concerned about. I would rather have normal yields with natural food than higher yields with GM that potentially bring cancers, allergies, and other diseases that have been just pushed out into the world without us knowing about their effects. And actually, yields on the whole that have been reported over the last couple years have pretty much remained steady with either organic or GM crops.... there is no huge yield difference reported, and I think I even posted about that here in the tag marked Monsanto.
We already have enough food to feed the world. What we need are the mechanisms to get the World Bank, WTO, and governments to stop holding it back from the poor in lieu of pushing this GM crap to raise tariffs. We do not NEED GM food to feed this world. We need compassion and political will.
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I'd rather not take the risk of consuming drugs through my food for ailments I don't have.
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This has even reached the rice patties in India where they are having trouble finding seed rice.
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Jan I also heard our groundwater is unsafe due to pharma chemicals in them. Unpotable water because of Pharma waste? THAT scares me too, just like this does!
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- Reverend_Papa_Bear
- 1 month ago
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Jan...once again, thank you for keeping us all informed.
I emailed my senators and congressmen, giving them the web address and a short paragraph, and asked them to do a little research and stop this insanity!
We can do little except grow our own food.
I sincerely believe Baby Bush is out to destroy the people, because the people think he's an idiot. -
Who's to say this isn't already taking place. Africa, then Europe & finally the U.S. used to be the testing grounds for marketable drugs. Now, Big Pharma is getting into the very profitable food industry. Shop local if you can & go organic whenever possible. This is the only immediate power we have as unified customers for safe sustenance. I've found this link to be very helpful & a good place to research shopping options: www.localharvest.org . Replace Happy meals with Healthy meals!
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- darkhorsejim
- 1 month ago
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