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>Plus, much of organic food theory is total pseudoscientific bunk. I agree that the idea of Frankenfood is hysteria. My fear of GMO's is due to my distrust of

>Plus, much of organic food theory is total pseudoscientific bunk. I agree that the idea of Frankenfood is hysteria. My fear of GMO's is due to my distrust of Monsanto, their near monopoly position in the global food supply, the legal tactics they use to bankrupt farmers for having the unmitigated gall to unwittingly use Monsanto seeds that blew onto their farm, and their regulatory capture of the FDA. There is a revolving door of former politicians they employ. It's also unconscionable how they're able to ram through legislation that removes labeling of foods that are GMO's. Even if someone has an irrational fear of GMO's, they should still have the right to know the origin of their foods. Logic clearly dictates that the rights of the many outweigh the avarice of the few. God forbid they should try to educate the public on their safety or be open and transparent about their products.

ptaipale 10y ago
Monsanto and "near monopoly position in the global food supply"? That's really, really distorted. Monsanto revenues are 15 billion USD, global food supply market is 7800 billion USD. Monsanto, including all its non-food-related businesses, is about 0.2 % of global food supply business. "Organic" food business revenue, also just a niche globally, is about 5 times as big as Monsanto's revenue. >legal tactics they use to bankrupt farmers for having the unmitigated gall to unwittingly use Monsanto seeds that blew onto their farm That is a claim widely spread by Monsanto's adversaries, but it is simply not true. The case usually referred to is Monsanto Canada vs. Schmeiser, and it very clearly wasn't about "unwittingly" using Monsanto seeds. Schmeiser didn't even make such a claim in court, it's just a fabrication by anti-GMO activists. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto_Canada_Inc_v_Schmeiser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto_Canada_Inc_v_Schmeise...
- FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
  You are right on both accounts. In general, there's a lot of distortion concerning this issue as any google search mentioning Monsanto inevitably turns up a lot of natural food blogs parading as authoritative sources. We're going to need this type of technology if we are truly going to become an interplanetary species and endure the negative consequences of climate change. I just have a marked distrust of any organization that employs regulatory capture as evident as Monsanto. The point about food labeling still stands though. It's true that a little information in the hands of the ignorant can be dangerous, but that is the cost of living in a free and democratic society and individual choice. Putting corporate interests over the freedom of information rarely, if ever, works out well. Monsanto has the resources and the former politicians to do effective public outreach and education. That they would rather use legislation makes them seem, at best, not worthy of trust.

ptaipale 10y ago

Monsanto and "near monopoly position in the global food supply"? That's really, really distorted. Monsanto revenues are 15 billion USD, global food supply market is 7800 billion USD. Monsanto, including all its non-food-related businesses, is about 0.2 % of global food supply business. "Organic" food business revenue, also just a niche globally, is about 5 times as big as Monsanto's revenue. >legal tactics they use to bankrupt farmers for having the unmitigated gall to unwittingly use Monsanto seeds that blew onto their farm That is a claim widely spread by Monsanto's adversaries, but it is simply not true. The case usually referred to is Monsanto Canada vs. Schmeiser, and it very clearly wasn't about "unwittingly" using Monsanto seeds. Schmeiser didn't even make such a claim in court, it's just a fabrication by anti-GMO activists. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto_Canada_Inc_v_Schmeiser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto_Canada_Inc_v_Schmeise...

FullMtlAlcoholc 10y ago
You are right on both accounts. In general, there's a lot of distortion concerning this issue as any google search mentioning Monsanto inevitably turns up a lot of natural food blogs parading as authoritative sources. We're going to need this type of technology if we are truly going to become an interplanetary species and endure the negative consequences of climate change. I just have a marked distrust of any organization that employs regulatory capture as evident as Monsanto. The point about food labeling still stands though. It's true that a little information in the hands of the ignorant can be dangerous, but that is the cost of living in a free and democratic society and individual choice. Putting corporate interests over the freedom of information rarely, if ever, works out well. Monsanto has the resources and the former politicians to do effective public outreach and education. That they would rather use legislation makes them seem, at best, not worthy of trust.