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Author Topic: GM debate  (Read 3553 times)

MiriMaran

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Derbyshire
GM debate
« on: June 03, 2009, 07:43:17 pm »
I know very little about the GM debate, but I feel wary about using any feed for my animals that have GM products, such as soya, in it.

So I thought I would see what other peoples views are.  Personally mine are very vague and probably ill informed, but here goes in my inarticulate rambling way!  Cross pollinating flowers has been going on for yonks and is a kind of genetic modification, but just done over a greater time span and not at a molecular level so that kind of makes GM OK.  Plants that are GM for pest resistance will effect the whole food chain I would have thought since its resistance directly impacts other species - so that's bad.  GM plants that are drought resistant seem OK as they can feed people who are struggling to get plants to grow in drought prone areas, but would that make any difference to other species and effect the food chain.

As you can see, I have no idea what I am talking about, but would be very interested in other peoples views.  Because I don't know anything about it I don't feel comfortable about eating my pigs if they have been eating GM Soya.  Are commercial pigs fed GM Soya?  If they are, I bet that's not put on food packaging!

Sorry if I sound like a total dunce! :dunce:

sellickbhoy

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Muiravonside, near Linlithgow
Re: GM debate
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2009, 08:14:11 pm »
my only problem with it really is that it'll be controlled by big profit hungry companies.

all the seeds will be f1 or terminator varieties taht will stop farmers saving their own seed - forcing them to buy from these companies year on year

i think in theory it's needed to feed the world, but i can see the proft hungry companies screwing up the world for a few dollars more

MiriMaran

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: GM debate
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2009, 08:41:49 pm »
Yes good point - profit ahead of all else!

rustyme

  • Guest
Re: GM debate
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2009, 08:58:17 pm »
even the so called experts can't agree on what is what with GM , and there is not one ounce of proof anywhere that ANY of the GM food will in the end produce more or better food than any we have now. Selective breeding is fine , I have no problems with that at all . That is how we ended up with the wheat we have now instead of spelt and so on . But GM goes down roads that they, don't know where it ends up. The cross manipulation of one species to another is dicing with death basically . It is all about control and money  , everyone will have to buy ALL their seed from Monsanto and the like , worth billions every year. There is also the very much darker side to it . Population control . The world is known to be near it's maximum numbers and there is a lot of talk about the 6 billion that there is now , being cut down to about 2 billion . I know that all sounds totally over the top , but just listen to all the politicians talking about a new world order or go listen to what the Bilderbergers want to do , or even the illuminate ? OK so you say I am a complete nut and I am talking crap ...well yes I would think the same to, if it wasn't for the fact that the same names keep popping up in all these organizations. Either that or there are very close links from one org to the next. All this seems a very different subject to GM food , but it is very closely related. I think somewhere about 85%-95% of all soya in the States is GM , and most of us will be eating it in some form or another , either directly in our food , or by way of animals being fed it and then we eat the animal.....I have spent hours going through all of this and it scares the crap out of me !!! it is all connected like a big jigsaw puzzle. People still think that this is all rubbish, but take a look at how the UK has been given away to the EU ...did anyone ever ask any of you if that was what you wanted ? NO. Over the last 37 years or so they have lied and lied to everyone in the UK and continue to do so now. Can you honestly say that any of you now trust a politician to do what is best for you, for us ...?? Here in the UK at the moment we can avoid GM products in or feed by growing our own , but for how much longer ?? This is a very dangerous  time we are in at the moment , and we need to let the government know we will not accept the lies they are feeding us along with the contaminated food. I for one am setting myself up , so I can eat clean, unadulterated food, in the knowledge that if I am eating a potato it is just that, and hasn't got genes from something else in it .  Everyone who grows their own food should try to grow as many of the old varieties as they can , avoid all the F1s that way we can continue to save our own seed and make sure we feed ourselves and our families good clean food .

cheers

Russ

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: GM debate
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2009, 08:58:48 pm »
MiniMaran, what you are describing is manipulation of genetics - most plant breeding and animal breeding is this. Identifying heritable traits such as, say, milkiness in sheep or dairy cattle, then breeding from mothers with that trait and sires whose mother or daughters display that trait. I'm simplifying this. It's a man-made "survival of the fittest" with the breeder defining "fittest". This tyrpe of selective breeding exists within species - if you cross two species eg horse and donkey, the offspring is infertile ( the mule).

Genetic Modification is about transpolanting a bit of genetic material from one species to another. It an entirely unnatural practice - for example, transplanting a bit of human genetic material into pigs so that the pigs heart can be used in human transplant with a reduced risk of rejection.

Because of the R&D involved, it is controlled by multi-nationals, so that should make fork nervous enough, but the rest?

MiriMaran

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: GM debate
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2009, 09:07:30 pm »
What's R&D?

sellickbhoy

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Muiravonside, near Linlithgow
Re: GM debate
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2009, 09:50:23 pm »
research and development

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: GM debate
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2009, 06:46:53 am »
Im just against it.  Fortunately over here its not very popular.  I have noticed a big increase in bio/organic food.  Even our local Leaderprice (the bargain basement of supermarkets) has increasingly new ranges of bio.    Long may it last.

 

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