African Experts Reject Monsanto’s Drought-Resistant GM Maize
Due to potential adverse effects of GM crops
crops
Might Monsanto play a role in California’s drought? If the company isn’t causing it directly, it at least plans to profit from it. To whit – the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), just lodged an appeal to South African Agriculture, Water Affairs, and Forestry Minister, Senzeni Zokwana, against the general release approval of Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) maize, MON87460.
MON87460, a genetically modified corn meant to withstand drought conditions, has been deemed fit to plant by the Executive Council (EC). The approval by the EC means that Monsanto can sell the GM maize seed to farmers in South Africa for cultivation.
African law states that administrative decision-making must be based on rigorous food safety, environmental, and socio-economic assessments of the potential adverse effects of a GM or any crop, and should be taking into account international biosafety best practices. This is not what happened when MON87460 was given a green light. As usual, Monsanto provided its own, biased scientific evidence to the EC, and this is all that was used to give their GM maize approval.
The ‘drought-resistant’ corn will introduce unnatural and novel proteins into the environment. The ACB is extremely concerned about the absence of peer reviewed scientific data and evidence supporting the claims of Monsanto, that the corn will grow in water-limited and drought-prone Africa.
Specifically, there is a concern that the trials were conducted with conventionally-bred drought tolerant maize varieties into which the so-called transgenic drought-tolerant trait was introduced. If so, then the inherent drought-tolerant characteristics of the conventional maize (meaning corn that is already good at growing in drought-prone Africa without GM meddling) would confer an unfair, skewed, and ‘dishonest’ advantage to the GM variety.
There are multiple socio-economic risks as well, especially for small farmers. After all, they can’t stand to risk the chance that Monsanto’s ‘drought-resistant’ corn doesn’t work in Africa’s arid environment. They could literally lose the farm over taking that gamble.
 | Christina Sarich is a humanitarian and freelance writer helping you to Wake up Your Sleepy Little Head, and See the Big Picture. Her blog is Yoga for the New World. Her latest book is Pharma Sutra: Healing the Body And Mind Through the Art of Yoga. |
can anyone out there advise me , I am farmer who plant maize every year. when I purchase seed I am always told that the seed will tolerate an average rain, but I end up losing again and again because of lack of enough rain. so I am interested in this drought tolerant seed. I never planted them , so can anyone tell me whether it does exist and how do they perform in drought areas as my area. and where can I buy the seeds. I am in dennilton area that’s next to Groblersdal.
Monsanto’s claims of GMOs being necessary for drought-resistant maize (or anything else) are fullabulla. Even the Monsanto shills at the USDA admitted that GMO drought-resistant stuff doesn’t out-perform natural varieties that have Already adapted to the local climate.
You can betcha Monsatan is making money with them chemtrails.
As former head of DARPA Lt. Col. Robert Bowman says “We now have a weaponized Atmosphere”.
That’s another Monsatan lies, there is no such things as drought resistant crops because every crops require good amount of waters to flourish it.
All the major seed companies are working on them some are having more success than others. Do you ever look any of this stuff up?
Yes, drought resistant crops produce lower yields and lack any realistic nutrition benefit when compared to naturally grown crops.
I’m sure you’ll reference some altered reports, or ask me for altered reports from bought and paid for resources.
Go find them your self, I did.
Very nice article Christina, gave us all food for thought, lol.
Don’t really need to reference any report as I have seen some of these hybrids first hand in my customer’s fields. Not to crazy about any of them really, AquaMax corn is probably the worst I’ve seen while the Artesian corn is the best, but still nothing special. As far as nutritional benefits, once again you missed the point (a fairly common thing with you). These hybrids are designed to be nutritional equal, which they are. The benefits of these are simply better yield under dryer conditions.
So you sell GMO seeds, ahh now we know!!
Thanks for making your intentions obvious.
Took a little while, but now you have admitted, thanks GMO Roberts.
Never once have I tried to hide it. We have been in business for well over a hundred years so we were selling seed long before gmos were even thought about. My son will be the fifth generation if he so chooses. We have been helping our community for a very long time.
So, you should respect peoples rights also. Do you tell folks what to think within your community, or do you respect their thoughts and rights?
Quit insulting everyone who doesn’t bow to your sales pitches.
The People have rights and the majority rules.
Your son might think about joining the Military, it would make him a better man.
He can go to college after that, then decide if he likes lobbying against Peoples rights.
LOL, you have a strange way about what you think is your right. I’m not against anyone’s rights, but I also am not dumb enough to think that includes everything under the sun and there is a very big difference between rights and wants.
Please explain rights to me, I might be missing something there?
Do the people have a right to monitor their land to ensure the values of stewardship are being applied?
Other States and Nations welcome GMO’s, just move to one of them.
Trust me you miss a lot of things.
It’s ok GMO Roberts. we all miss a lot of things.
But it’ll be alright.
I’ll be nicer to you and I’m sorry for being rather harsh in some incidents.
Thanks for being here and posting your views.
Well thank you for posting your lies, Benedict.
Yes. I’ll stop spreading the lies.
We’ll be ok.
Yes, all crops need water – but there ARE drought-resistant NON-GMO crops. They’ve developed or been developed over the years through normal breeding processes – corn, rice, beans, and other staples.
http://www.gmwatch.org/component/content/article/31-need-gm/12319
It is a shame that Chrissy’s articles’ aren’t held to any kind of standard.