GMO Crops Continually Banned Around the World in Display of Health Freedom
Colorado’s Boulder County was the latest health freedom hotspot to stand up against Monsanto and genetically modified produce, with Boulder County advisory committees announcing plans to phase out GMO crops on open space in pursuit of sustainable and ethical farming practices. The county joins a long list of other political bodies that have banned, condemned, and even uprooted GMO crops across the globe.
Both the Food and Agriculture Policy Council and the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee of Boulder Country voted 5-4 to phase out GMOs in an economically viable way. The transition proves that it is possible to be environmentally conscious, preserve the health of citizens, and still maintain economic stability.
Genetically modified corn has been growing on around 16,000 acres of cropland owned by the county for around a decade. In 2009, public concern over the consequences of GMO crops sparked public debate within the county. Citizens demanded that GMO crops be banned after 6 local farmers asked permission to plant sugar beets that were engineered to resist the herbicide Roundup.
Nations Starting to Ban and Uproot GMO Crops
Hungary has gained international recognition for their bold stand against biotech giant Monsanto, destroying all Monsanto corn fields littered with GMO crops. The nation destroyed 1000 acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds, which are banned in the country. Many of the farmers were actually shocked to find they were using GMO seeds, which are resulting in extreme environmental consequence.
Read: Scientists Admit Roundup Causes Birth Defects
Peru has also taken a stand for health freedom, passing a monumental 10 year ban on genetically modified foods. Amazingly, Peru’s Plenary Session of the Congress made the decision despite previous governmental pushes for GM legalization. The known and unknown dangers of GMO crops seem to supersede even executive-level governmental directives.
Anibal Huerta, President of Peru’s Agrarian Commission, said the ban was needed to prevent the ”danger that can arise from the use of biotechnology.”
When the people demand anti-GMO action from the government, they are oftentimes forced to listen.
“There is an increasing consensus among consumers that they want safe, local, organic fresh food and that they want the environment and wildlife to be protected,” wrote Walter Pengue from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, in a recent statement concerning GMOs in South America. “South American countries must proceed with a broader evaluation of their original agricultural policies and practices using the precautionary principle.”
Political displays of defiance against Monsanto and genetically modified foods is the best method of combating their existence. As more political bodies worldwide begin to take a stand against GMOs, Monsanto will be forced to retreat from the food supply.
GMO crops are a threat to the very survival of our species. The seed companies are not only modifying crops to withstand herbicides but are also engineering crops to bear sterile seed, forcing farmers to continiously buy their seed, as seed saving is pointless with sterile seed. The very concept of terminator seed goes against everything organics stands for.
In South Africa, where we hail from, there is sadly nothing stopping the seed companies from peddling their wares….sadly even the department of agriculture has bought into their propaganda, and are distributing free terminator seeds to the very beneficiaries we are trying to work with!
It would be particularly appropriate if Monsanto's corporate charter was simply revoked.
Additional candidates for corporate charter revocation include Eli Lilly (for thimerosal in vaccines and assisting the precipitation of the autism epidemic, Goldman Sachs for illegalities and criminality too numerous to name in one comment and British Petroleum, for obvious reasons.
Monsanto and other companies producing transgenic or genetically engineered (GE) seeds and plants have been criminally negligent. There should be an outright ban on transgenic food and crops, a removal of products currently on the market and the institution of a fair and just transition program for farmers and communities affected by the ban.
Labeling addreses the right to know but fails to address the equity and the environmental issues and it does not communicate the urgency of the issue. It is all very well for those who can afford to buy organic food to affirm the right to know, but not everyone can afford to buy organic food. Also, with genetic drift, it is possible that a wide range of organic crops could be contaminated with genetically engineered produce.
Yes, they are literally destroying the entire earth.
This article makes the apparent claim that GMO's have been banned on Boulder County Open Space. No decision has been made about this one way or another. The Boulder County Commissioners are scheduled to decide about this on December 8, 2011. We all hope that they will approve a ban but we do not know which way the decision will go.
Look at Boulder!!! No more GMOs!!! Confiscate Monsanto's land for reckless endangerment and sue them til they gasp for air, then stuff a Round-up nozzle in their face and let fly.
Mexico has banned genetically modified seeds. Unfortunately, because of their free trade agreement with the USA they cannot refuse corn seeds destined for the dinner table.
Some seeds get out into the world and grow. And when this seed grows and pollinates Mexican corn the genetic change, because the changed gene does not go into the right spot is an obviously defected plant.
In one particular place the corn plants of a great variety have a history of 10 thousand years. These corn varieties, because of the genetic modification, the cross pollination and the limited rights of Mexico and Mexicans because of the USA insistence upon the rules of the Free Trade Agreement, are endangering Mexico's corn which do not need fertilizer or chemical such as Roundup.
Seems that the farmers are nearly as much to bleme in this. No one is holding a gun to their head forcing them to plant Monsanto products! Since other non-GMO products exist, the farmers are to blame for spreading this disease.
not always. many gmo's cross pollinate, and
the seeds are gmo and nobody knows it.
Many farmers are not to blame. An organic farm next door to a FMO farm can get contaminated. Monsanto is suing them if they find that organic crops have cross-pollinated with GMO crops, which is very easy to do if the wind blows, or the bees fly over. Monsanto claims infringement and farmers can't afford the legal fees, Monsanto offers to buy them out, and then replaces organic with more GMO. Monsanto is the evil here.
I think Monsanto should be sued for contaminating the organic or non-GMO crop – is that happening?
Maine Organic Farmer Leads Fight Against Monsanto
By Kathryn Olmstead, Bangor Daily News
10 December 11 http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-…
Actually, Monsanto is trying to sue the FARMERS!!! For using their "technology" without permission, when many of them never wanted it in the first place.
this is a simplistic uninformed response to the reality of what many farmers in the u.s. and canada have had to endure: lawsuits from monsanto for patent infringements when GMO's have blown into fields – and for those farmers who do actively purchase monsanto seed and pesticides, etc. – like many farmers in india – didn't know when they signed up for the product what they were actually getting themselves into – pest resistance – increased use of pesticides – forced agreement to continue to purchase seed – monsanto is definitely to blame – and yes, consumers must demand the change – that will then put the economic incentive there for farmers to change agricultural practices – its a loop – not a blame game:)
Actually that is not true. Monsanto have been using strong-arm bullying tactics on farmers, forcing them into lawsuits that bankrupted them, etc. Monsanto has gotten away with vile tactics that have no place in a democracy. Big corporation, big money, big lobbying force, big power!
For many years, Monsanto has been very busy in Boulder, Colorado. Many here believe that they have long been devising a plan–centering on our 100,000 acres of open space–to destroy our organic community.
Right now, Monsanto is busier than usual in Boulder, Colorado as the Boulder County Commissioners are soon to decide whether allow GMOs to continue to be planted on our open space.
Not a few citizens have lost all faith in the integrity of the "leadership" of Boulder County and the "leadership" of Boulder County Parks and Open Space. Such is what happens when you dance with the devil.
Monsanto appears to embody humanity's archetypal death wish.
For many years, Monsanto has been very busy in Boulder, Colorado. Many here believe that they have long been devising a plan–centering on our 100,000 acres of open space–to destroy our organic community.
Right now, Monsanto is busier than usual in Boulder, Colorado as the Boulder County Commissioners are soon to decide whether allow GMOs to continue to be planted on our open space.
Not a few citizens have lost all faith in the integrity of the "leadership" of Boulder County and the "leadership" of Boulder County Parks and Open Space. Such is what happens when you dance with the devil.
* * *
Monsanto appears to embody humanity's archetypal death wish.
It is my humble opinion that Monsanto must be stopped,and that this corporation has done more damage to our world and to humanity than we can possible recover from.
This is the BEST news I have read for a long time! My heart actually leapt in my chest! Thank goodness sanity is finally taking hold of people. It seemed that we were condemned to eat GM foods and now a spark of hope has been lit!
Thank You Very Much to the Policy Makers in the relevant countries and I applaud your courage to stand up to Monsanto!
Barbara
Great comments barbara, I am equally as thrilled!! You are what you eat! Important to treat our bodies / environment right.
Hungary doesn't have a Free Trade Agreement with the US, while Mexico still does as a result of NAFTA. Even though Mexico has suffered most as a result of NAFTA's investment rights, they are still legally unable to reject GMO. Now Japan is facing a similar US-led FTA known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Japanese farmers are marching against this to protect their rice from the GMO assault should this FTA pass.
This is the best reason to say no to US FTAs.
Hearing this makes me smile 🙂 we are training people right now here in CA to gather signatures for Labeling GMOs iniative to be on the ballot in our state hoping other states will follow. If you live in CA and want to volunteer or out of state and want to help support go to LabelGMOs.org
My best wishes to all in California for this VERY IMPORTANT initiative! NO GMO in 2012!
This is a big fight for us citizens of Boulder County, its tomorrow evening at 6pm in Longmont that the commissioners hearing is taking place, we will be there in numbers!
I have had celiac disease (gluten intollerant) for 3 years now and have other health issues. I truly believe GMO food has caused a lot of my problems. We all need to take a stand and refuse to buy any GMO food!!!
But here in Nepal…USAID is planing to introduce the GMO's seeds collaborating with the evil Monsanto…we are raising voice against it to implement in our nation…Please need help on our facebook campaign…
https://www.facebook.com/stopmonsantoinnepal
THHANKS
The U.S. government pressures countries to use Monsanto's genetically modified seeds. The government is not listening to the people of this country who want Monsanto stopped.
THAT IS DICTATORSHIP
POLITICIANS ARE BEHIND MONSANTO….
WE have to find out which ones and take our own action against them…
….Like kill them?….lol….o_O spooky
Agreed! And those politicians are NOT farmers in any real sense of the word! Monsanto hides the results of GMO crops…but many countries have banned ANY GMO SEEDS AND CROPS! Austria, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Southern Australia, Germany, France, Switzerland, India, Thailand, Japan and Maderia…all have banned GMO crops! More are doing so! Only the California counties of Mendocino, Trinity and Marin have successfully banned GM crops. Other counties/states have tried, but have not been successful…so far.
Actually, Boulder CO has also banned the crops.
Stupidly, the same countries who ban the crops are taking the produce from us, in order to feed their impoverished populations…Wisely, they allow the US to cross contaminate our crops here, while their own farmland remains natural and healthy.
Burn the fields and start over.