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South Korea Is Latest To Suspend US Wheat Imports In Aftermath Of Monsanto Rogue Wheat Discovery
The global Monsanto genetically modified wheat scandal is getting worse.
As a reminder, recently news broke out that a rogue genetically modified strain of wheat developed by Monsanto, had been found in an Oregon field late last month. But while modified food has long been a diet staple, this particular breed was the first discovery of an unapproved strain, and what made things worse is the lack of any information how the rogue grain had escape from a field trial a decade ago. As Reuters reports, "even after weeks of investigation, experts are baffled as to how the seed survived for years after Monsanto had ceased all field tests of the product. It was found in a field growing a different type of wheat than Monsanto's strain, far from areas used for field tests, according to an Oregon State University wheat researcher who tested the strain."
The USDA was quick to deny any suggestion of public danger:
The USDA said the GM wheat found in Oregon posed no threat to human health, and also said there was no evidence that the grain had entered the commercial supply chain.
But the discovery threatens to stoke consumer outcry over the possible risk of cross-contaminating natural products with genetically altered foods, and may embolden critics who say U.S. regulation of GMO products is lax.
This is compounded by the still fresh memory of the glaring and repeated lies by the Japanese government in regards to the Fukushima explosion, making some wonder just how far the government is willing to go to cover up potential threats if the alternative is widespread panic.
It is all the more alarming because the wheat strain was thought to have been eliminated after test trials ended in 2005, as Monsanto abandoned efforts to secure regulatory approval due to worldwide opposition. While there have been more than 20 majors violations of U.S. regulations on handling or co-mingling biotechnology crops, none have ever involved wheat before.
Ironically, it was that master hypocrite Japan, which is now feeding its population rice grown in the Fukushima evacuation zone, that was first to halt US grain shipments,
[M]ajor buyer Japan canceled plans to buy U.S. wheat while the Europe Union said it would step up testing.
Some analysts feared a potentially damaging blow to the $8 billion wheat export business, recalling the more than yearlong disruption to corn sales following a similar discovery in 2000.
"Unless there's a quick resolution, this is not going to be good for the export market," said Art Liming, grain futures specialist with Citigroup.
And as the global concern about just what consumers are putting into their mouths spreads, South Korean millers were the latest to just announce a suspension of US wheat imports:
South Korean millers suspended imports of U.S. wheat on Friday and some Asian countries stepped up inspections after the discovery of an unapproved strain of genetically modified wheat in the United States, but stopped short of imposing import bans.
South Korea - which last year sourced roughly half of its total wheat imports of 5 million metric tons from the U.S. - has also raised quarantine measures on U.S. feed wheat, while Thailand put ports on alert.
As more countries follow South Korea's example, Asia may suddenly find itself with a major wheat shortage:
Asia imports more than 40 million metric tons of wheat annually, almost a third of the global trade of 140-150 million metric tons. The bulk of the region's supplies come from the U.S., the world's biggest exporter, and Australia, the No. 2 supplier.
But Australia will struggle to soak up extra demand as its supplies tighten in the wake of unsustainably brisk exports and growing demand from domestic livestock farmers.
"The bulk of grain suppliers (in Australia) are cancelling shipping slots and selling grain to domestic feed mills and feedlots," said Stefan Meyer, a manager for cash markets at brokerage INTL FCStone in Sydney.
Japan is not rushing to find alternative sources of wheat, however, with the county's flour milling industry body saying they have sufficient stocks for the short term.
"We haven't thought about alternatives to the grade or proposed candidates to the farm ministry (at this stage)," said Masaaki Kadota, executive director of the Flour Millers Association of Japan.
Perhaps just as well: what better way to avoid even more soaring food import costs than due to an embargo on foreign grain imports. It is unclear if the proposed alternative will be five-eyed fish caught off the Fukushima coast.
Another country even more reliant on the US for wheat is the Philippines:
An industry official in the Philippines, which buys about 4 million metric tons of wheat a year and relies mainly on U.S. supplies, said the country could turn to Canada if it decides not to import from the U.S.
Hopefully Monsanto's GMed strain didn't mysteriously cross the Canada border as well. Which it very well may have: as of now the source of the spread of the rogue wheat is completely unknown:
Bob Zemetra, the Oregon State researcher, said a local farmer contacted the university in late April after noticing that some wheat plants survived an application of herbicide that was being used to kill off unwanted plants in the fallow field.
Most plants died, but a few wheat plants unexpectedly emerged after the spraying. Researchers determined the wheat is a strain of Roundup-Ready tested by Monsanto in Oregon fields from 1999 to 2001.
GM crops tolerate certain pesticides, allowing farmers to improve weed control and increase yields.
Zemetra said Monsanto had been field-testing spring wheat, while the "volunteer" plants discovered in the eastern Oregon field were winter wheat. The two varieties pollinate at different times, making it unlikely for the GMO traits to have been carried into the field by wind.
"That's why it's a mystery," he said.
Farmers, wondering whether their wheat could unknowingly be genetically modified, have flooded farm bureaus with questions. They should not spray crops with Roundup to check whether they will survive, said Mike Flowers, extension cereals specialist for Oregon State University.
The final word is not surprising: keep calm and keep eating.
"The recommendation right now is to not panic," he said. "We really need
to let the investigators do their jobs and get more information before
people panic. We don't know if it's widespread. Right now, we know it's
in one field."
There's that... And let's not forget the government is always there to help you.
But while the potential dangers are clear for all, one wonder: in a world in which millions of people eat the mystery meat contained in McNuggets, not to mention KFC, each and every day, isn't it a little too hypocritical to be worried about the genetic make up of a loaf of bread?
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Zackly what is short term? Only reason i eat for short term is because im hungry... What the fuck does it do long term, i want to know?
Don't blame it all on tobacco-there are many many many many many chemical additives in cigarettes today that are completely unnatural for the human body to intake.
Grow your own, roll your own.
Just fuck off you fucking apologist. That is from my daughter too.
My 'beef' with Monsanto is in their legal tactics to force everyone to use their seeds. Watch the movie 'Food Inc.' and how Monsanto won a Supreme Court case to patent a seed genome and then sue farmers out of business that wanted to use other seed types that had cross pollinated with their damn seeds. Those SOB's deserve some 'mob justice' for their seed monopoly tactics. They are sick and evil.
Mommy, why am I growing gills and my skin turned green??
If you've grown a lot of hair on your hands it's because you yank your pud too much, Billy.
If not, it's because you need a more balanced diet.
Eat your broccoli and worm cassarole.
Having lots of hair on your hands is a manly trait. Be proud your junk works well. The older chicks dig hairy hands.
I saw some dingbat yesterday on CNBS saying how mmm mmm good meal worms are.
Insects are sure to be a big hit!
I'm lovin' it - what could go wrong? It's just one field though wheat is wind pollinated. Don't worry and eat your mystery meat on your frankenfood bun.
Many of the world's most important crop plants are wind-pollinated. These include wheat, rice, corn, rye, barley, and oats.
Owning cows and doing Atkins diet is looking real good right now.....just gotta get more feed for ol' Bessie out there.....oh wait..
Grassfed Iridium bitchez!
The beginning of the produce trade wars?
Fuck yeah... which'll expand into full blown trade wars... Mr Uncle Sam says it's OK, so you little Asian fuckers better buy this stuff if you know what's good for you...
Which in turn will lead to more boycotts, tariffs and a full scale trade war a la Smoot Hawley, Bitchez
Ah, just another fillip to the global economic downturn, folks
Nothing to see, move along
How does it escape the fields? Are they seriously asking that question? Maybe you shouldn't be fucking with nature you idiots.
I know. I was thinking the same thing. Did these geniuses not learn from Jurassic Park where Jeff Goldblum told with great foreboding that "nature finds a way."
Here's my favorite genius line from the article: "They should not spray crops with Roundup to check whether they will survive, said Mike Flowers, extension cereals specialist for Oregon State University." No shit, really? Why not?
Yes shit. It takes one bird eating one seed from one field and then flying over another field and shitting it to seed that new field.
It's fairly common actually... cross polinization... poor roguing/cleaning techniques... toughness of seeds... lack of oversight by monsanto, et al, on test plots (often times in conjunction with academia), which leads to among other things, poor paperwork...
The USDA sets standards for testing matters, e.g. how far away the test plots have to be from other crops, etc... a significant question has been raised on numerous occasions that some of these standards might be... a bit lacking.
Have several different test plots within a 10 mile radius of where I live...corn and soybean, mainly. They're often well marked/identified (the ones around me, anyway).
Come fall, the plots are full of scientists/farmers. Trucks all over, people taking samples, whatever. It's easy to imagine a few seeds getting stuck on a muddy tire or in some clothes and transported dozens of miles before getting lose.
A bird could do the same thing, carry some seeds away and drop them.
Once planted in a field outside, it's hard to imagine some of it NOT escaping, like Macho described.
Yep... however, the EU and other foreign trading blocks have standards for parts per million, etc. on contaminated crops... In other words, the wheat we ship gets batch tested and if the wheat contains GM (often times banned in other countries) or other prohibited products in portions greater than acceptible by law, then the shipment gets refused. So, there is some degree of acceptance that a little will get out... However, it should be fairly alarming when there is enough to cause a universal ban... although, the % of the commingled wheat is probably incredibly small.
Nonetheless, it's the closing of the markets that creates market damage for all wheat participants... this deal is going to get pricey for monsanto.
interesting how foreign countries understand the unique american flavor of contract law better than 99% of Americans.
These morons don't mind using the theories of evolution and science when it suits their purpose. Too bad common sense and rather simple logic are soo last century.
Check this out Doc:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2013/05/31/us-discovery-rogue-gmo-wheat-raises-concerns-over-controls/
I guess its just a 'miracle'.
Just perfecting God's work.
Here's hoping it's a strain that causes sterility. Problem solved.
genetically modified green shoots bitchez!
Moar Payola will most likely lubricate these trade channels.
Anyone watch the Korean TV series, "City Hunter?"
The Japanese stockpiled wheat because they knew they were going to trash the yen. It looks like they will be eating a lot of radioactive rice. The radioactive rice might be their population control plan.
I sell insurance, from a global perspective Monsanto has a massive product liability problem with potentially unlimited damages enforceable under multiple state, national and international laws and treaties.
Not only could Monsanto lose their seed franchise, they could gain the liability of supplying free uncontaminated seeds to gen-mod victims forever.
I don't think their model of privatized profits and socialized indemnification of losses fits MY BUSINESS MODEL.
And nobody'll go to jail, either.
Millions die in the end and nobody takes the rap.
That's the problem these days.
Nobody is responsible for anything.
Except people like little old me.
You are correct, Knukles....and whoever downvoted this fact is a real schmuck.
I hope you are planning to indemnify Monsanto for our loss of the Korean wheat imports account, you witless clod.
Me and my big mouth...
Yeah that's hilarious! And who the hell is going to prosecute them? Eric "compulsive liar" Holder? Or how about Monsanto's buddy over at the Department of Ag, Tom Vilsack? GTFOH! Keep dreaming!
IMO, they do not care about the legal ramifications, if any. The gen(i)es are out of the bottle and in the environment. There is no way to regulate the genetic contamination and they know it. The food chain has been adulterated and soon the genetic proprietary mark of Monsanto will be in everything you eat, if they are not stopped. Through patent law all will be owned by Monsanto. That is the goal.
Monsanto = TBTF
If such a thing happened, they would be bailed out. You know, for the good of the system. We couldn't allow agriculture to fail now could we? How would we feeeeeed everyone. NOW EAT YOUR PEAS!!!
Fuck im eating bread right now.
Truthfully that rogue wheat was probably intentionally put there in the mix. Probably genetically modified to take over and ruin everything it gets around.
Monasanto is a product of severe greed and technology. Anything that sounds good that comes along is instantly turned into kill crush destroy.
Monsanto recently successfully sued a farmer for having seed in his field he hadn't paid for. I'm pretty sure they'll go after the Oregon farmer for the same offense and end up with his entire farm in rewards.
When you don't have a business model, fall back to simple theft.
http://www.bangmfood.org/films/22-films/4-film-review-the-world-accordin...
Yes... but how did the farmer that lost to monsanto get his seed... and how is that different from how the farmer in this case received his seed?
I know what you mean. But the way these things work, once it gets to the courts it may not matter how.
For example: Dairymen might use Monsanto rBST to boost milk production. But because of fears of "frankenfoods" people don't always want that kind of milk in their diet. So the dairymen who don't use it say so on the milk carton to boost sales. But some court agreed with Monsanto that saying you don't use rBST in your cows is actually a form of slander against a Monsanto product (which slander is illegal I guess, who knew) so now dairymen who don't use rBST have to also say that according to the courts rBST is fine anyway but they just don't use it for some reason.
Monsanto has great lawyers.
Oh hi guys! Myself I love rBST and sprinkle it on my GMO cornflakes every morning. Yum!
I think this is wildly... apprehensive and probably wearing paranoia's jacket.
Think of the law as slowly being corrupted over time... little steps go unnoticed... but big steps get incredible attention... (and often result in the judiciary making the right decision, to the extent the legislature hasn't tied its hands). What you're suggesting would be a... huge step to say the least.
Paranoia's jacket fits great and keeps me warm and dry in winter. I recommend the brand to all my tin-foil-hat friends.
However if you are meaning that my "example" concerning rBST is unmanaged paranoia, think again:
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/monsanto-v-oakhurst-dairy/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_somatotropin#Lawsuit_against_WTVT
http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/may07/misleading_rBST-free_labelin...
What little I use is labeled rbst free.
Exactly... the above case settled... we have no idea what the court would have done... again, paranoia... at the end of the day, even with the settlement, consumers (and sellers for that matter) have the ability to know whether the product is rbst free... which is the only material part of it.
The Nazis were vilified for experimental science on humans. I guess it's true that some people are more equal than others.
Monsanto is a fascist corporation and one of the staples of this fascist country. Monsanto is operating on a blue print of how fascists are taking over the world. The imperialists of prior centuries had nothing compared to what Monsanto & Co. are able to achieve. Diabolic genius. Many historians regard Hitler a genius for what he accomplished. Doesn't make it a good thing.
Ban all their crops forever, everywhere.
Monsanto are gonna kill life on earth with their frankeinstein crops.
Too late.
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind...
Did you know Monsanto's genetically modified cucumbers cause Bankster baldness?
But the GM cucumber baldness crisis is contained, and will not spread to the broader scalp.
The banksters have antidotes against the diseases that Monsanto Frankenfood causes.
I've been wondering a while now what the cancer rates are among the bankster class compared to the average Joe. Banksters are greedy but they're not stupid to consume food that makes them sick or alters their cells or genetics in any way, shape or form.
Further investigation is required. The bankster class owns Monsanto. They also own the Pharmaceuticals which treat the diseases and produce the cancer cocktails.
The bankster class is interconnected within all industries through their majority share and their seats at the boards. They have a vested interest to produce foods that make us sick with company A so that company B can treat (not cure) the disease.
The bankster class also owns the FDA which protects the interests of companies A and B against any research that might reveal how company A is causing the disease and how company B is only treating the symptoms. They will not allow for any alternative treatments or preventions (by eliminating the products from company A for example) because it would affect their bottom lines.
That has to be the corruptest from of crony capitalism ever in the history of mankind.
Michael Taylor approves this message.....
I thought they just used them for their orifices....
My favorite of the Monsatano fraud was when their own lawyers drafted the "monsanto protection act"
I'd be interested to know what percentage of legislation passed by the US Congress is actually written by the affected lobby groups: Obamacare, defense, you name it. Probably ... a lot.
All of it, son. All of it. Large lobby groups have TEAMS of lawyers that write "prototype" legislative language that gets plugged into those bills in big chunks like Legos snapping together. You can build anything you want, but the pieces are all made by Lego.
That's a relief. I was worried Pelosi actually wrote that stuff.
/sarc
http://www.fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/comprehensive-list-of-politicians-accepting-bribes-from-monsanto/45763
Google: ALEC + LAW DRAFTING.
It's bascially all of it at this point - the poor scientists / engineers still fighting the real fight are getting crushed by it as well.
The Gates Foundation is a major share holder in Monsanto.
Hey Bill, stop trying to 'help' everyone and go spend your money on something more memorable and less damaging like Thai handjobs and such.
Meanwhile Gates' are among the few who have super seeds stored in the Arctic.
My attic is seed free. Woa....what? Artic....nevermind
Check this out. I got tetanus symptoms after a TDAP.
http://archive.org/details/HorrorOfVaccinationExposed
When trust is broken it's a bitch to get it back.
Was this another Monsanto, our products don't kill other species of the same plant to force farmers to buy our seeds, product?
The Devil was very upset when he overheard people comparing Monsanto to him. He exclaimed, "Even I am not that bad. Eternal damnation is paradise compared to the likes of them. I was banished from heaven for less."
And in a continuing development on this story we shall see what come out of the EU over the next few days/weeks concerning GMO wheat.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/30/european-council-promises-to-comb-...
The European Commission said Thursday it has asked EU member states to check imports of wheat from the United States which may be tainted with a genetically modified strain made by US agrochemicals giant Monsanto.
The Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, said it had informed the 27 member states of the problem, “recommending (they) test the consignment of soft white wheat” in question.
“In case of a positive confirmed result, the consignment shall not be placed on the market,” it said in a statement.
Soft white wheat accounts for about 80 percent of US wheat imported annually by the EU, with most of it going to Spain.
The Commission noted that there “are no GM wheat varieties approved for sale or in commercial production in the United States or elsewhere at this time.”
It had contacted the US Department of Agriculture to ask to be kept informed and had also got in touch with Monsanto, it said.
“The Commission is following carefully the presence of this non-authorised GM wheat in Oregon in order to ensure that European consumers are protected … and to make sure that the EU zero tolerance for such GM events is implemented.”
The EU currently allows only two GM products to be grown in the bloc — Monsanto’s MON 810 maize and German conglomerate BASF’s Amflora potato.
Renewal of the maize licence is currently on hold due to hostility or reticence by a string of EU states.
Brussels cleared MON 810 in 1998 for 10 years and Monsanto submitted a request in 2007 for it to be extended but the process has been effectively frozen.
Wonder how much of drag this will be that BS aka the BLS will spin into sunshine and lollipops concerning the next GDP report if GMO wheat is found over in EU and they ban imports also along with banning Monsanto GMO corn in retaliation.
I worked closely with a leading German seed manufacturer (KWS) a few years ago and had an opportunity to see their production and research facility. Terrific outfit. We discussed the GMO issue and how Monsanto was in my opinion a criminal enterprise. My claims were acknowledged and not refuted. KWS seed is not patented but it has been altered to produce better yields. However, the alterations are non-invasive to the environment and crops produce fertile seeds that an be re-planted.
Monsanto is a hot topic in Europe. The EU is well advised to use their mechanisms to protect the Eurozone agri-idustry from Monsanto. There's a war brewing.
"The Commission noted that there “are no GM wheat varieties approved for sale or in commercial production in the United States or elsewhere at this time.”"
I have great doubts about this being for our protection. More likely to keep supply at levels the AG lobbyist desire. We can't be making food affordable for starving nations, ya know?
It is also curious to see how japan is mentioned in nearly every story these days. I expect to see more unintended consequences for them in the coming years.
Monsanto has your best interests at heart people
http://www.globalresearch.ca/illinois-illegally-seizes-bees-resistant-to...
The Illinois Ag Dept. illegally seized privately owned bees from renowned naturalist, Terrence Ingram, without providing him with a search warrant and before the court hearing on the matter, reports Prairie Advocate News.
Behind the obvious violations of his Constitutional rights is Monsanto. Ingram was researching Roundup’s effects on bees, which he’s raised for 58 years. “They ruined 15 years of my research,” he told Prairie Advocate, by stealing most of his stock.
A certified letter from the Ag Dept.’s Apiary Inspection Supervisor, Steven D. Chard, stated:
Ingram can prove his bees did not have foulbrood, and planned to do so at a hearing set in April, but the state seized his bees at the end of March. They have not returned them and no one at the Ag Dept. seems to know where his bees are.
The bees could have been destroyed, or they could have been turned over to Monsanto to ascertain why some of his bees are resistant to Roundup. Without the bees as evidence, Ingram simply cannot defend against the phony charges of foulbrood.
Worse, all his queens died after Kivikko and Balson “inspected” his property, outside of his presence and without a warrant.
Of note, Illinois beekeepers are going underground after Ingram’s experience and refuse to register their hives, in case the state tries to steal their private property on phony claims.
keep em comin mate
the real march on monsanto is on a virtual road
The EU is at least on the right side of this issue for all their other faults. You don't fuck with the food chain that is suicide for everyone when you do.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/battle-of-the-bees-eu-high-court-rules-on-g...
In Sept. 2011, the European Union’s top court paved the way for farmers and beekeepers to recoup losses when their crops or honey become genetically contaminated from neighboring GM fields.
The European Court of Justice ruled that all food products containing GMOs – whether intentional or not – must undergo an approval process.
This marks a much stricter view than that being pushed by European Union Commissioner for health and consumer affairs, John Dalli, who wants no regulation of foods genetically contaminated “by accident,” a ludicrous idea given that coexistence ensures genetic contamination.
At the center of the dispute is Bavarian beekeeper Karl Heinz Bablok who joined with several others in suing the state when its research plots of Monsanto’s GM corn, MON 810, contaminated his honey. - Ties into AG in Illinois destroying bees resistant to roundup, now you know how they became resistant assholes. GMO damage control in full swing.
In 2008, an administrative court banned Bablok from selling or giving away that honey. But in a bizarre turn, the Augsburg court also ruled that beekeepers have no claim to protection against the growing of GM crops. They immediately filed a new lawsuit. [1]
America is so in bed with corporate whores, they actually will kill all of us in the name of more profits. There is no ROI when we're all dead.
some would say that that might be the point.
At Wednesday’s meeting for ExxonMobil shareholders in Dallas, CEO Rex Tillerson told those assembled that an economy that runs on oil is here to stay, and cutting carbon emissions would do no good.
He asked, “What good is it to save the planet if humanity suffers?” [source - yes, yes, lefty, but they're trying, and are useful on some issues]
Word of advice "Rex" (oooh, your Daddy named you King, how fucking original and special snowflake for you, I thought America rebelled against the Monarchy a while back?):
No Planet. No Humans.
There is a common element to all these sociopaths, they have pretty much taken over all the key power levers everywhere. Read this winner it encapsulates their control freak agenda and the some animals are more equal than another.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-privatisation-of-water-nestle-denies-th...
The Privatization of Water: Nestlé Denies that Water is a Fundamental Human RightThe current Chairman and former CEO of Nestlé, the largest producer of food products in the world, believes that the answer to global water issues is privatization. This statement is on record from the wonderful company that has peddled junk food in the Amazon, has invested money to thwart the labeling of GMO-filled products, has a disturbing health and ethics record for its infant formula, and has deployed a cyber army to monitor Internet criticism and shape discussions in social media.
This is apparently the company we should trust to manage our water, despite the record of large bottling companies like Nestlé having a track record of creating shortages:
But Chairman, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, believes that “access to water is not a public right.” Nor is it a human right. So if privatization is the answer, is this the company in which the public should place its trust?
Here is just one example, among many, of his company’s concern for the public thus far:
Why? Because if the community had fresh water piped in, it would deprive Nestlé of its lucrative market in water bottled under the Pure Life brand.
Does anyone else getting that feeling of vomit welling up in throat when they read shit like this from these sociopathic assholes whose hubris knows no bounds except for a guillotine.
These guys probably wouldn't understand that 'Elvis dying was a good career move' is supposed to be a joke.
"Why did the chicken cross the road?"
"To get to the other side!"
I think I was way past puberty before I realized the inherent horror to this staple joke.
No competition is allowed. Fuck you bees and natural food chain.
Thuggery, plain and simple.
It's a well known economic model, modernized.
Watched the video of this guy this AM. Sad. Outrageous.
Our country is filled with genius like this and it is being crushed everywhere.
In a perfect world, Monsanto would be burned to the ground, all their research burnt, their researchers and executives hanged and all their puppets in congress, drawn, quartered and burnt to a crisp. All their crops anywhere in the world burn.
ooh, 'eco-terrorism'.
Maybe, just maybe, the 'girls with the hairy armpits' were tryin' to tell us something?
And spank their 18 year old daughters, spank them real good. "Bad Monsanto daughter"
long wheat farmers in the "third world"
If don't think the bee thing is a big deal.
http://www.eutimes.net/2013/05/russia-warns-obama-global-war-over-bee-ap...
The shocking minutes relating to President Putin’s meeting this past week with US Secretary of State John Kerry reveal the Russian leaders “extreme outrage” over the Obama regimes continued protection of global seed and plant bio-genetic giants Syngenta and Monsanto in the face of a growing “bee apocalypse” that the Kremlin warns “will most certainly” lead to world war.
According to these minutes, released in the Kremlin today by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (MNRE), Putin was so incensed over the Obama regimes refusal to discuss this grave matter that he refused for three hours to even meet with Kerry, who had traveled to Moscow on a scheduled diplomatic mission, but then relented so as to not cause an even greater rift between these two nations.
At the center of this dispute between Russia and the US, this MNRE report says, is the “undisputed evidence” that a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically related to nicotine, known as neonicotinoids, are destroying our planets bee population, and which if left unchecked could destroy our world’s ability to grow enough food to feed its population.
So grave has this situation become, the MNRE reports, the full European Commission (EC) this past week instituted a two-year precautionary ban (set to begin on 1 December 2013) on these “bee killing” pesticides following the lead of Switzerland, France, Italy, Russia, Slovenia and Ukraine, all of whom had previously banned these most dangerous of genetically altered organisms from being used on the continent.
Two of the most feared neonicotinoids being banned are Actara and Cruiser made by the Swiss global bio-tech seed and pesticide giant Syngenta AG which employs over 26,000 people in over 90 countries and ranks third in total global sales in the commercial agricultural seeds market.
well, it is the eutimes so heavy dose of sea salt necessary, but IF this is the reason for the 3 hour standoff1, there must be a Very Serious Problem. whether "true" or not, that it's out in memespace should raise an eyebrow for sure.
i'm telling ya man, it's all about the bees!
1 [heavy emphasis on the IF]
I agree on the if part but fucking with the food chain is real serious business. Economic and monetary suicide is one thing but as long there is food you can keep going. Once you destroy the food the chain and bees are one of the biggest workhorses in keeping things pollenated, well that collapses so does civilization as you know it. That is some real serious black swan shit. Besides isn't there enough cautionary tales about hubris and playing god. The stories never end well.......
VladP, Guardian of the Bees does have a nice ring to it, must admit.
Ahem. The EUtimes is Sorcha Faal, just to warn you.
Neonicotinoids were produced by Bayer and Shell, not Monsanto for the record.
I agree with their ban, however, let's raise this above Sorcha Faal levels, shall we?
They were produced because the organophosphate and carbamate insecticides were so toxic (CYP pathways), especially to mammals. It's still a case of being ecologically stupid and short-sighted, but they were actually attempting to reduce the impact of pesticides.
cf Lead in petrol, CFCs, you get the idea.
Which is why every school child should have ecology on their curriculum.
Yes and the neonicotinoid in this case is Clothianidin. Monsanto may not have produced it but they sure as hell are profiting on it.
http://proliberty.com/observer/20090408.htm
A team of scientists from Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and University of California San Francisco identified both a virus and a parasite that are likely behind the recent sudden die-off of honey-bee colonies.
But it now appears that a much more basic culprit has killed the bees—Bayer Corporation. CCD is poisoning with a known insect neurotoxin called Clothianidin, a pesticide manufactured by Bayer, which has been clearly linked to massive bee die offs in Germany and France.
Clothianidin = "Colony Collapse Disorder"
One of the most important food crops is corn. Corn is also used to make ethanol for fuel. But modern varieties of corn are vulnerable to diabrotica vergifera vergifera. Commonly known as the "root worm," the bug burrows into the newly forming roots of the corn plant and causes the plant to wither and eventually die. By 2003, Bayer Pharmaceutical had developed "Clothianidin" to address the rootworm problem. Bayer’s own studies showed that its pesticide was highly toxic to bees but claimed that, because it would be applied to corn seed and would be buried in the soil, it would be harmless to other creatures.
Farmers were instructed to buy special machines to apply clothianidin to their seeds with a special adhesive seed coating manufactured by Monsanto. The poison is supposed to stick to the seed coat and to be toxic to the rootworm. These poison-coated seeds are now growing all over the globe.
Oooooops!
In July, 2007, the German corn crop was infested with the rootworm. The German government ordered that every possible method should be used to eradicate this pest, including the use of clothianidin. Shortly after the seeds were planted, in May of 2008, some 330-million bees abruptly died.
According to the German Research Center for Cultivated Plants, 29 out of 30 dead bees had been killed by direct contact with clothianidin.
Philipp Mimkes, spokesman for the German-based Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, said: "We have been pointing out the risks of neonicotinoids for almost 10 years now. This proves without a doubt that the chemicals can come into contact with bees and kill them. These pesticides shouldn’t be on the market."
Imidacloprid, another neonicotinoid patented by Bayer Cropsciences that has been banned in France and Germany for its affect on bees, is also used widely in the U.S.
An investigation revealed that the seed coating did not stay in the soil but was introduced to the air (and the rest of the plant) by simple abrasion as seeds are stored, moved and injected into the soil by farming machines.
You have to wonder what exactly is in the adhesive and how toxic is it..............
I agree with you; I'm merely pointing out that to convince, you should always check your sources. I'll help you out: instead of EUTimes, here's some 100% gold reserve ammo.
You'll probably want to search for articles by Corporate Watch (there's two of them: US & UK, separate entities, both good) out there. Seriously: you might disagree with certain parts of the "radical" left, but they've been doing proper research on this for years now. You can share data without having to share their ideology you know...
For the record: I'm actually pro GMOs, but there's three levels to them (this might be purely an internal distinction, but it's easy enough to reason out - the third tier is cross-genetic splicing, for instance). Science is not the enemy here, dodgy business tactics & monopolies over-riding Science is. For example: Selective breeding & grafting have been used for 1000's of years, and first level GMOs are merely doing this in a lab; there's simply no difference, and it certainly shouldn't be viewed negatively. (Second / Third tier is where the issues begin).
I'm not against GMO's per se, shit we've been doing it for thousands of years know aka selective breeding with plants and animals like dogs but there is difference between tinkering with a natural selection process and this. I'm not against science, I am against science being used in an irrational, irresponsible and unethical manner. This shit certainly crosses those lines. The actions being done here concerning killing bees (which are a key component of the ecological chain) for crop yields is cutting off your nose to spit your face in the name of chasing profits and profits alone. Maybe it is stretch to connect these 2 together but killing off the bee population is akin to killing off the middle class since they are backs that drive systems in both cases here. And both are being done for a select few control freaks so they can maximize profits. Am I the only one seeing this parallel and then you have a Congress that is protecting those select few again in both cases. Seems to me they are one in the same problem and as such probably require the same solution to stop it.
I maybe a Libertarian but I take my stances more so on issues than ideology, the moral compass comes first. Libertarians, the most left leaning are probably more liberal than anything called a liberal that is registered as Democrat these days. And for the record I tend start center then drift depending the issue.
FWIW I've turned 1.5 acres from grass into a pasture blend with lots of clover and other wild flowers. Putting bee hives up. The parcel is very much protected and can only be seen from the air. But even that doesn't seem to matter. Trust me, I like honey but I'm not doing it for their sweet nectar. That's bonus. The real deal is pollination and cross pollination for my orchards.
FDA has our backs......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._Taylor
He received a B.A. degree in political science from Davidson College and a law degree from the University of Virginia. In 1976, after passing the bar examination, Taylor became a staff attorney for the FDA, where he was executive assistant to the Commissioner. In 1981 he went into private practice at King & Spalding, a law firm, one client of which was the biotechnology company Monsanto, where he established and led the firm's food and drug law practice. In 1988 he published an article entitled "The De Minimis Interpretation of the Delaney Clause: Legal and Policy Rationale "in the Journal of the American College of Toxicology (now called the International Journal of Toxicology), which he had previously presented in December 1986 at a symposium on Topics in Risk Analysis, sponsored by International Life Sciences Institute Risk Science Institute, Society for Risk Analysis, and Brookings Institution. The paper was delivered and published during the midst of a debate and litigation over federal agencies' interpretation of the Delaney clause, a part of federal law written in 1958 that on its face, literally prohibits any chemical from being added, in any amount, to food that is processed, if that agent is carcinogenic.
As analytical instrumentation increased in power and more and more agents were found to be carcinogenic at very low levels, the agencies had developed a quantitative risk assessment approach to interpreting the Delaney Clause, which stated that if a carcinogen was present at levels less than 1 in 1,000,000 parts, the risk of that carcinogen was "de minimis" and it could be allowed on the market. In the article, Taylor presented arguments in favor of this approach. Advocates in favor of organic food have criticized Taylor for taking this stance and have attributed the stance not to a good faith effort to reasonably regulate, but to an alleged desire to benefit Monsanto financially.
FDA has our backs ... so that they can stab us in the back.
Love these bold moves.
So what's the alternative South Korea?
Yep, that's what I thought.
Canada, Australia, European Union, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, to name a few.
There goes the dry shipping index again. Now they will try to sneak the shit in all our food, those fuckers.
http://investmenttools.com/futures/bdi_baltic_dry_index.htm
LET THEM FUCKING STARVE.
They found a defective airbag in a Kia last month. We should suspend all Kia imports for a few years until we're sure there is a fix.
the toyota stuck accelerator problem was never resolved, since it applies to other makes as well. its probably no worse than the defective pvc pipe and the chinese drywall, and now the defective solar panels. and i know you all know better than to eat any food products that have CHINA marked on them. most likely Japan outsourced the electronic components and they're faulty, and the recall would be massive. when a family of four dies in a runaway lexus the toyota settled for 10M. that's a lot cheaper than a recall.
You had to mention it... the dangers of PVC.
Your civil liberties, home and personal orifices will be violated in 5... 4... 3...
Sounds like a scenario from a certain book/movie that spawned "the survival rate...."
They will be forcing genetic dinosaur meat on us next. T Rex burgers, yum.
Tastes like chicken!
The really bad news is that North Korea didn't want the wheat either.
i have an empty lot i take care of, its mostly wild oats but the wild mustard and broadleaf weeds try to take over every year. so i walk the lot after a rain and pull the new mustard, and the broadleafs, and now after several years of this i have almost no weeds, while my neighor with the same field has plenty (he plows his under with a tractor) so forget the roundup. bend, grasp, pull, repeat...
eat the weeds?
the wild oats form a cover which blankets the weeds, and they are good for livestock. been thinking about a goat, and goats milk as a substitute for dairy products.
nice. bet they make some fine granola as well. may want to consider seeding some clover in with the oats. livestock love it. don't need a ton of seeds to get a nice blanket goin (you can do with the 1/3-1/2 the amount the seed cos. "recommend").
You can eat the mustard greens. They are nice in a salad.
It makes perfectly logical sense for nations to use military force against Monsanto and other corporations that pose national and world security risks. If the courts can't resolve things somebody will.
Monsanto: "WE're FUCKING GOD!"
What an insane bunch of assholes.
Quite literally fucking goD in the poopchute.
But while modified food has long been a diet staple, this particular breed was the first discovery of an unapproved strain, and what made things worse is the lack of any information how the rogue grain had escape from a field trial a decade ago.
Eh, no... there are more than a few instances of genetically modified seed getting commingled with the regular supply... see generally: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-01/bayer-to-pay-750-million-to-end... [liberty link corn was another].
Since it's been 'legally' ruled that Monsanto has a financial interest in any field that has their patented seeds it would not surprise me if they're running around and cross polinating on purpose. Are we to think that they would be 'above' such behavior? Pul-lease.
Monsanto is doing nothing of the sort... If they did, then they would lose their shirt to plaintiffs' attorneys... there will be hell to pay for the present outburst as well... think about it, who would you pick, local farmer or monsanto goon? It really is as simple as that as a juror. (you're taking the other lawsuit beyond its context).
A Monsanto Goon with a room full of $500 an hour lawyers will overwhelm a local farmer and his local lawyer every time. Truth, Justice, Legality, and Fairness have absolutely no relationship to the outcome. Just bury the local farmer in a relentless stream of motions, depositions, investigations, expert witnesses who will testify to anything, and endless appeals. You must be a legal system virgin. Or else you work for Monsanto somehow.
I'm probably giving you too much credit, but I'm presuming that you didn't read the link I posted earlier in this thread... If you would please read that, conceptualize how it might apply to contamination of the wheat supply (hint: exactly the same), and then tell me whether the local farmer(s) got taken to the hole by a multinational (Bayer) in the linked case. I'll anxiously await your response. I guess the second time around it won't be characterized as a hasty generalization...
down with Savage on this one. thru much experience & observation, have found that the mystique surrounding "the small farmer" is as genuine as the one surrounding "the union ironworker". of course, there are several "real deals" hidden in the cracks, but those cracks are few and far between (at least the visible ones).
That farmer should sue Monsanto for tresspassing...
I completely agree, if Monsatan found a strain growing on some farmers land, monsatan would have a field day sueing the farmer until he's broke. Additionally, the farmers that did get sued by Monsatan because the farmers "grew" unauthorized seeds due to pollination...this story proves that it can happen.
Interesting thought. Maybe it should be the other way around where the Farmer could sue Monsanto for allowing its seeds to cross pollinate his farm.
It is the other way around... you have to actually discuss the facts of the earlier monsanto decision and differentiate the facts of the present case... in this case, I can assure you, the farmer holds all the cards.
They will sue... but it's not just this farmer... it's literally all wheat farmers in the U.S... if entire markets (e.g. South Korea) are offline, then the value of your wheat goes down... simple as that. And yes, civil trespass (nuisance) will almost certainly be one of the causes of action...
Largest wheat producer in the world can't sell it (has to destroy some?), so how much slack is there for shipments and where does the price go? To the moon...
Seeds of Death is on YouTube: http://youtu.be/eUd9rRSLY4A
The video is very well made and worth watching regardless of an individual's position on the custom design and patentability of life. From an investors viewpoint - the extremely lucrative government facilitated cartel of companies who design, produce, market and sell GMO products appear to be meeting the same resistance that led to the drastic decline in tobacco profits from the 70's on.
More regulation, yeah, that'll fix everything! LOL!
Mysterious Deaths in Alabama
http://www.theorganicprepper.ca/mysterious-deaths-in-alabama-could-they-...
how did it find its way there?...LOL.
These fuckers are suing farmers that are using cross-pollinated beans and corn in the heartland.
The fuckers probably drove up and down county roads chucking the shit out the windows to let it start cross pollinating so they could sue everyone in the area to get their "fair share"
Fuck Monsanto, Big Ag, Big Pharma, TBTF and TPTB.
Yup and I understand it is a dominant gene. Once let loose, you can't ever get it back.
So, you let loose a gene that kills off honey bees and food production tanks, making your poison the only shit available. Sounds like a solid business plan.
Eh, no... it would be a plaintiffs' attorney's wet dream if that were the case... it's one thing if you agree to subject yourself to monsanto's contract by purchasing its seed and using it on your farm (or, in the case of that farmer, using an end around)... it's another thing altogether if monsanto dumps it on your farm and demands that you use it or, alternatively, if monsanto's commingling of its GM seeds causes you to lose money on your wheat seed because foreign countries ban your good seed out of fear it is commingled.
Wrong.
There are several cases (in the U.S. and at least South America) where farmers did NOT agree to subject themselves to Monsanto's contract.
Monsanto won the suites in those cases. Mostly because they have deep pockets.
That was 'non volunteer' cross pollination.
Cites? I linked an earlier case that was settled regarding contamination of the rice supply by GM rice from Bayer... which settled for the high 9 figures... what are your cites? I'm guessing that you are generalizing the cases to the point of a fraudulent representation. Let's see your cites.
PS, mr soybean farmer man was using an end around and it wasn't an issue of cross-polinization...
mr. soybean farmer man = daniel webster
if you don't wanna deal with the devil, don't let em anywhere near your fields.
simple, really
The U.S. congress passed law last week that removes any possibility of monsato being held liable for ANY future problems which may arise from their product.
Slipped into the Agricultural Appropriations Bill, which passed through Congress last week, was a small provision that’s a big deal for Monsanto and its opponents. The provision protects genetically modified seeds from litigation in the face of health risks and has thus been dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act” h/t Salon
If there is no liability, there is no responsibility.
This type of pre-legislation portends known problems.
The Nazis created their own set of laws to legalize what they did.
None of that mattered at the Nürnberg trials where international laws were upheld and the phony balloney Nazi legislation was declared illegal.
The US did not sign international treaties for a reason. The US thinks it stands above international laws. This has been going on for years and it is a sign of a fascist culture.
Copy cats copy.
Nazis were mesmerized by the US. They saw the US as an ideal role model.
Copy cats copy.
Wrong way to introduce stuff. Once again, the role model is the Tibetans and it is better to refer to the Chinese Citizenism Communautist Party to try to infere what is going to be.
The beauty of 'americanism'. The 'american' tough love for humanity...
Although for some, the blobbing up of Chinese citizenism BMO* is cause for concern, the 'AnAnonymist' philosophy has shown the roadside. You may rest assured Chinese citizenism citizen nature is eternal.
Don't fear, this 'AnAnonymist' will fabricate something else to blame, it has to be something else at work.
*Bowel Movement Opportunism
What is surprising is that every other Country knows, except America, that if the Bees Die from pollinating GM crops we all die.
There will be no food. Is that the Grand Plan? To starve the Planet?
Not only does the pesticide in the plant cause the Bees and weeds to die it kills us too.
Bees, shmees! The market will take care of everything. Read your Milton Friedmann.
You forgot... /sarc
Apparently someone missed the joke.
Monsanto is a global criminal organization.
Monsanto is a global 'american' organization.
po-tay-to
po-tah-to
True but do not make it too public. Chinese citizenism citizens love their communautist propaganda stuff, Chinese Citizenism Communautist Party voting themselves free gifts and stuff...
Doubts it would get me an A in any Chinese citizenism classroom. Largely preferred: Mao See Dung worshipful gibberish.
I think we have the sequel to "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"!
even after weeks of investigation, experts are baffled as to how the seed survived for years after Monsanto had ceased all field tests of the product.
_________________________________________
The charm of live experiments.
Mad science, 'american' science, what is the difference?