In my effort to collect video material within Utube that helps us understand the long term effects of Genetically Modified food, I have created this blog listing a series of very good videos called Genetically Modified Crops and you.
Genetically modified crops and you 1/10
Uploaded on 7 Mar 2010
Between 1997 and 2005, the total surface area of land cultivated with GMOs had increased by a factor of 50, from 17,000 km2 (4.2 million acres) to 900,000 km2 (222 million acres).
Although most GM crops are grown in North America, in recent years there has been rapid growth in the area sown in developing countries. For instance in 2005 the largest increase in crop area planted to GM crops (soybeans) was in Brazil (94,000 km2 in 2005 versus 50,000 km2 in 2004.) There has also been rapid and continuing expansion of GM cotton varieties in India since 2002. (Cotton is a major source of vegetable cooking oil and animal feed.) It is predicted that in 2008/9 32,000 km2 of GM cotton will be harvested in India (up more than 100 percent from the previous season).
Indian national average cotton yields of GM cotton were seven times lower in 2002, because the parental cotton plant used in the genetic engineered variant was not well suited to the climate of India and failed. The publicity given to transgenic trait Bt insect resistance has encouraged the adoption of better performing hybrid cotton varieties, and the Bt trait has substantially reduced losses to insect predation. Though controversial and often disputed, economic and environmental benefits of GM cotton in India to the individual farmer have been documented.
In 2003, countries that grew 99% of the global transgenic crops were the United States (63%), Argentina (21%), Canada (6%), Brazil (4%), China (4%), and South Africa (1%). The Grocery Manufacturers of America estimate that 75% of all processed foods in the U.S. contain a GM ingredient. In particular, Bt corn, which produces the pesticide within the plant itself, is widely grown, as are soybeans genetically designed to tolerate glyphosate herbicides. These constitute “input-traits” are aimed to financially benefit the producers, have indirect environmental benefits and marginal cost benefits to consumers.
In the US, by 2006 89% of the planted area of soybeans, 83% of cotton, and 61% corn were genetically modified varieties. Genetically modified soybeans carried herbicide-tolerant traits only, but maize and cotton carried both herbicide tolerance and insect protection traits (the latter largely the Bacillus thuringiensis Bt insecticidal protein). In the period 2002 to 2006, there were significant increases in the area planted to Bt protected cotton and maize, and herbicide tolerant maize also increased in sown area.
Information here from Wikipedia.org
Other useful sites:
http://www.thetruthaboutgmos.com/
http://www.gmofoodlabel.org/
http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Publi…
http://www.globalpolicy.org/component…
http://www.saynotogmos.org/
http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Genetica…
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Genetically modified crops and you 2/10
Uploaded on 7 Mar 2010
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Genetically modified crops and you 3/10
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Genetically modified crops and you 4/10
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Genetically modified crops and you 5/10
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Genetically modified crops and you 6/10
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Genetically modified crops and you 7/10
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Genetically modified crops and you 8/10
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Genetically modified crops and you 9/10
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Genetically modified crops and you 10/10
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Canadian Farmer’s Testimonials on GM Alfalfa
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Published on 16 Jan 2013
Farmers from across Canada describe how genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) alfalfa would affect them. Do farmers need GM alfalfa? This year there is a new industry push to pave the way to introduce GM alfalfa into Canada. The company Forage Genetics wants to sell GM alfalfa seeds in Canada (seeds with Monsanto’s Roundup Ready herbicide tolerant trait). Its not legal to sell GM alfalfa seeds in Canada until Forage Genetics gets variety registration. In October 2012, the industry group called the Canadian Seed Trade Association began to push a plan for “co-existence” of GM and non-GM alfalfa, to pave the way to introduce GM alfalfa in Canada via Ontario. However, “co-existence” is not possible – GM alfalfa cannot be controlled but will contaminate farmers’ fields across the country. Take action today or find out more info at www.cban.ca/alfalfa Thank you to the National Farmers Union for these testimonials and to the NFU Youth for producing this video.