October 18th, 2012
NewsRescue– The Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adeshina, has embarked on a project with Global multinationals to introduce genetically modified seeds, GMO’s into the Nigerian agriculture system.
In a meeting with the governor of Kwara state this week, the Minister promised to introduce ‘flood resistant’ rice seeds to the farmers. The first thing wrong with this solution is that, rather than the Federal government properly address the failures in preventing this man-made flood that arose when a dam failed, they are offering seeds that will further destroy the environment.
GMO seeds are produced by big corp. with only one objective- profit. And the result of using such seeds is that farmers get dependent on the big global corporations for all their seeds in the future. Hence not only is the natural clime destroyed by these manipulated seeds, but the introduction also cripples the farming industry on the long run as farmers can never replant sterile-seeds from their harvest, but always have to take bank loans to purchase these seeds from the big corporations like MONSANTO.
It will be recollected that after the devastating earthquake in 2010, that affected Haiti, Haitian farmers burned Monsanto seeds donated to them, based on their past experience of what these seeds did to their agriculture industry in the long run.
Human rights groups in the United States and across the world are continuously waging a war against these monster business corporations, that have progressively hampered farmer produce worldwide.
Brazilian farmers win $2 billion judgment against Monsanto
June 15th, 2012
Five million Brazilian farmers have taken on US based biotech company Monsanto through a lawsuit demanding return of about 6.2 billion euros taken as royalties from them. The farmers are claiming that the powerful company has unfairly extracted these royalties from poor farmers because they were using seeds produced from crops grown from Monsanto’s genetically engineered seeds, reports Merco Press. In April this year, a judge in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, ruled in favor of the farmers and ordered Monsanto to return royalties paid since 2004 or a minimum of $2 billion. The ruling said that the business practices of seed multinational Monsanto violate the rules of the Brazilian Cultivars Act (No. 9.456/97 -read more…
The Minister of Agriculture also offered to supply 60 day maturing, ‘miracle’ maize seeds to the farmers free of charge. The catch here is that once these seeds are planted once, the farmers will not be able to replant from their harvest as many of these seeds are sterile and where not, GMO companies sue farmers who replant their harvested seeds, and thus, farmers will hence have to buy the same seeds from the big corporations whom the Minister has vested interests in, in the future. Hence the farmers will be bound to these companies for ever. The changes the seeds will also make to the natural topography, will also make it impossible for the farmers to return to their regular seeds.
In addition, the use of these genetically modified seeds and herbicides, affects the natural pollination processes, potentially, completely transforming the ecological clime. This type of agriculture eventually produces resistant weeds that ultimately turn farming into a nightmare. There have been epidemics of bee deaths in the United States, these have been blamed on the use of these artificial products and chemicals. Bees are the natural plant pollinators and the bee population drop is an emergent crises in the world today.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) require more pesticide use on crops, say the authors of a 16-year study published in Environmental Sciences Europe. According to the researchers, 527 million pounds of a toxic herbicide have inundated farmlands since 1996. What’s more, this abhorrent amount is much greater than that promised by Monsanto, which claims that GM crops require smaller doses of herbicides like the company’s best-selling Roundup Ready. –PrisonPlanet
There is again a consumption risk and hazard to the populace who consume genetically altered seeds. Higher risks of diseases including cancer, breast and prostate cancer to mention a few have been correlated with the consumption of genetically modified seeds, organisms and the use of new herbicides. The long term genetic impact on the consumer is also an unknown risk of eating these genetically modified crops.
Herbicide and Pesticide Use Damage Humans and the Environment
Herbicides and pesticides which are used more with these seeds are proven to damage both humans and the environment. A recent French study by the University of Caen which found glyphosate and herbicides like Roundup to be actively toxic to human cells led to Russia’s suspension of Monsanto crop imports.
Glyphosate, which is applied to make crops resistant to weeds, causes higher plant estrogen levels. Estrogen affects all mammals, including humans, and children are very susceptible to higher estrogen levels, which can be dangerous and pose long term health risks. -invigorate
The Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Foods
Chinese researchers have found small pieces of rice ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the blood and organs of humans who eat rice. The Nanjing University-based team showed that this genetic material will bind to receptors in human liver cells and influence the uptake of cholesterol from the blood.
The type of RNA in question is called microRNA (abbreviated to miRNA) due to its small size. MiRNAs have been studied extensively since their discovery ten years ago, and have been implicated as players in several human diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. They usually function by turning down or shutting down certain genes. The Chinese research provides the first in vivo example of ingested plant miRNA surviving digestion and influencing human cell function in this way. Read More..
Increased Foreign dependence as against African self sufficiency
In Ghana, the dependence and addiction to foreign agriculture business initiatives has devastated traditional farming. Sales of imported dangerous beef- fed on corn which increases the cholesterol and harmful properties of the beef, has replaced sale of local grass-fed beef with its higher omega-3 fats and vitamin E content.
Corn-fed beef also harbors more E Coli, and there have been many related E Coli bacteria outbreaks in the United States.
The foreign, corn fed beef products, sell for cheaper than the local, but more healthy beef. The same applies to foreign banana and other fruits, these imported fruit are not just not as healthy, but actually dangerous for consumption due to the artificial processes used to increase their yield and shorten their maturation time, yet they sell for cheaper than the local brands and look juicier, hence crippling traditional farming and creating a culture of foreign dependence, while also being detrimental to the health of the society.
These new habits of African governments are akin to a self chosen modern day slavery.
The Nigerian government should properly address the protection of the environment and prevention of man made foods, rather than sign-up African nations to a future of dangerous and unhealthy dependency on the western world for their experimental, business profiteering products.
