WTO to EU: You'll eat GM food and like it!

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by duke o' york
I think GM crops are a great idea (whispers this, because my uncle is an organic farmer), and seem to be a pretty large step towards ending world hunger.

It's not that we don't have food to feed the world. The problem is the food isn't getting there.

IOW, the problem is with distribution, not production. Not now anyway, so why tackle a non-existent problem?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Odin
Just because companies like Monsanto are abusing the technology doesn't mean the technology is evil. The Eco-Luddites have this f*cked up "technology X can be abused by teh evil corporations, so Technology X must be teh evil" logic that is absolutely annoying.

Well, we are talking about GM food here...

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Odin
Most of the insulin for diabetics comes from transgenic bacteria.

Anti-GM people hate diabetics.

They don't release the bacteria into the environment, do they? So they aren't really comparable with genetically modified food crops.

[Sava]

people have been modifying food since developing agriculture... maybe not on a genetic level, but essentially, the concept is the same... taking something and changing it to suit our needs.

That's what has allowed humanity to progress as a civilization.

Genetic engineering, modifying the genetic code of our food, etc... that is going to be a major breakthrough in human development and could usher in a great age for humanity.

Why are people against this?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Sava
people have been modifying food since developing agriculture... maybe not on a genetic level, but essentially, the concept is the same... taking something and changing it to suit our needs.

What we have been doing since the dawn of civilisation is a different game from genetic engineering. Mixing various species of plants and animals to see what we get means certain rules are to be followed. However, the same rules can be bypassed with direct manipulation.

Originally posted by Sava
Genetic engineering, modifying the genetic code of our food, etc... that is going to be a major breakthrough in human development and could usher in a great age for humanity.

Why are people against this?

I am not against progress. I am against the hubris that invariably follows each of these "breakthroughs" (real or perceived) - the senseless headlong charging ahead without taking a survey of the greater picture.

As a result we have seen a number of fiascos in the 20th century.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Dear Europe,

Please eat lots of apples and tomatoes now, so someday, in the future, you can tell your children what they used to taste like. Actually, feel free to remind us, too.

Love,

The U.S.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


It's not that we don't have food to feed the world. The problem is the food isn't getting there.

Well, that's an overly cliched and simplistic view of it.

GM foods tend to be easier to grow, thus poorer nations with GM crops are more able to grow their own food and sell more crops. Poor farmers in China grab as many GM seeds as possible despite them being illegal. The GM crops are significantly more profitable for them than their regular farming methods.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Dear Europe,

Please eat lots of apples and tomatoes now, so someday, in the future, you can tell your children what they used to taste like. Actually, feel free to remind us, too.

Love,

The U.S.

We have already forgotten. Our tomatoes might not be GM yet, but they still are grown in hydroponics, and have no taste.

[Daz]

If, in 20 or so years, we find out that GM food really is bad for you,


...who do we sue for damages?

The US companies who invent and produce it?
The US Government pushing them?
The WTO as a cover for the US Government?
The US farmaceutical companies who will earn gazilions from making anti-GM-caused-diseases?
UR for pointing out the dangers and not actually doing enough to stop it?
DanS for mocking us?
The Mighty Banana for letting it happen?

Should've been a poll...

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Dear Europe,

Please eat lots of apples and tomatoes now, so someday, in the future, you can tell your children what they used to taste like. Actually, feel free to remind us, too.

Love,

The U.S.

We would love to, here in UK, but we have forgotten too...

I think this letter goes to south/east Europe

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Originally posted by Daz
If, in 20 or so years, we find out that GM food really is bad for you,


...who do we sue for damages?

The US companies who invent and produce it?
The US Government pushing them?
The WTO as a cover for the US Government?
The US farmaceutical companies who will earn gazilions from making anti-GM-caused-diseases?
UR for pointing out the dangers and not actually doing enough to stop it?
DanS for mocking us?
The Mighty Banana for letting it happen?

Should've been a poll...

what will happen is not that GM food as a whole is bad for you, but there will be a disaster or two or few... depending how big the disaster is (and could have the potential to be really big) we will

a) lots of furore, and better "supervision" which will fail again some time soon in the future thus repeat

until

b)

the disaster wipes out a vital crop, or causes some kind of real deferred health risk when we will have a ban in some countries, while the risks and problems are reassesed to move into production again...

thus this all is almost inevitable, as real crop production gains can be had. The hunger will not be wiped out because of it, as it is not the consequence of inadequate farming mathods only. To top it off, it will happen and meh/ we better get onto some really good pre-release testing as that is the only solution to it, because it is progress. In the end I'd rather have someone like US/EU making the progress than some secretive regime as China or a bit loose like India/someone else etc.

The main issue from my side is that this is actually a solution without a problem, unless the problem is to make more $$$ which is always welcome for the investors.

[VetLegion]

GM food all the way

If I survive everything they put in ćevapi I can survive tomatos with fish genes too

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Originally posted by VetLegion
GM food all the way

If I survive everything they put in ćevapi I can survive tomatos with fish genes too

ćevapi



(I here only have kebab)

look even for dogs, cats, snakes, cockroaches and worms you could claim that they are organic

[Thorn]

Yes, euros with their intense history of inbreeding, bad dental hygene, and lack of bathing and deoderant are going to lecture the world on what good food is......... ahahahahaha.......

[CrONoS]

Originally posted by Thorn
Yes, euros with their intense history of inbreeding, bad dental hygene, and lack of bathing and deoderant are going to lecture the world on what good food is......... ahahahahaha.......