Do you think Genetically Modified Food should be encouraged, more strictly controlled or prohibited ?
It may be too late to start this debate. In Canada, last year, 900 producers of organic food lost their "organic" label because of contamination by GMO. In a few years, we may have no choice any more - too bad if it appears that GMO have a negative effect on health, environment and economy.

GM supporters usually say it is a way of solving the hunger problem.

A quote from the Guardian about that subject :

People go hungry because they're either poor, powerless, both, or have no land to grow food on. GM crops don't change this. Britain's experience has been enormously problematic. The poor, majority world has no chance to regulate, monitor or segregate GM crops.

Almost everything scientists are trying to achieve by genetically modifying crops can be achieved in other less risky ways. Whether the problem is pest or weed control, drought tolerance, yield or nutrition, there are countless, though poorly supported, farming methods that can be used before needing to open pandora's box of genetic tricks. GM advocates seem only to have discovered the cause of poverty eradication now that they have something to sell.



(http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,1011888,00.html)

Lets keep screwing with our food until we just make pure poison. I don't by steak or burger anymore because of all the chemicals. If I didn't eat venison or fish I'ld probably starve. I've tried to have a garden but I don't have very good soil, so I have to settle for what I can get. I do like the fruit and veggie stands along side the roads up here.

I really dont care what happens to the food i'm still goin to eat it lol even if does kill i mean hey when your time is up its up might as well be by food lol. ROCK ON!!!!!

Genetically modified food is a good thing....it allows less acreage to produce more food. Or to an environmentalist, more land may be preserved from being razed in favor of agriculture. Now all we need to do is curb worldwide population growth.

You should also be aware that
1- productivity is not in fact the main problem in today's agriculture.
2- there are many unanswered questions about GMO 's dangers.

I think we should try and keep a closer eye on genetically altered foods, but not neccessarily prohibit them. I think it's important to know what you are feeding your family and yourself, but sometimes these modified foods have beneficial qualities. Even if productivity isn't the main issue in today's agriculture, it is an issue to be watched. If we can produce more food on less land without harmful effects, why shouldn't we? I just say watch it and become very well informed before encouraging or prohibiting these altered foods.

I agree in theory. The problem is that genetically modified crops migrate. The wind, insects etc… make the modified genes affect all the other cultures. So once GM crops are allowed in a country, it is nearly impossible to go back.

And so far the main "qualities" of GM crops are that they are resistant to herbicids. So they allow an intensive use of herbicids to kill "bad weeds" in the fields. Result = more pollution.

Originally posted by astrapol2
You should also be aware that
1- productivity is not in fact the main problem in today's agriculture.
2- there are many unanswered questions about GMO 's dangers.

My concern isn't with productivity; it is with efficiency. Destruction of natural habitat in favor of agriculture is a global problem, not just an agricultural problem. I'll take unanswered questions over a well-established problem any day.

Maybe you should define what is natural habitat. In most of the populated parts of the world, natural habitat is not unrouchad nature but nature cultivated in traditional ways. The intensive use of pesticide or GM crops is a threat to that.
In fact GM crops are a threat to the environment, the human health and the economy of small farmers and 3rd world countries.

Why is it that Humans always want to play God? IF nature wanted or figured it could support a 200lb tomato don't you think this would have already happened? Every time we(humans ) screw with something we cause trouble.

I saw a quote from an environmentalist a while ago stating that starving Africans would rather continue to starve than eat GM food. I have to wonder whether the Africans were consulted.

Sure this quote seems stupid (maybe it would be interesting to have the source and context) . But GM food won't solve the problems of Africa. The only solutions are political decisions, both from rich and poor countries.

My god u ppl still on this subject who cares what it does. Just eat the shit and move on with your lives food is food. My god i wouldnt care if they pumped it full of pig cum i would still it eat LOL!!! ROCK ON!!!

Anyone have any pig cum?

AEKidd19 can probably go out his back door & get some from the pig farmer down the road.

Originally posted by LionelHutz
Anyone have any pig cum?

Lol.

Originally posted by LionelHutz
I saw a quote from an environmentalist a while ago stating that starving Africans would rather continue to starve than eat GM food. I have to wonder whether the Africans were consulted.

I think i found the origin of this quote. It may be about Zambia refusing american aid because it is GM food. Apparently, this seems stupid, but the facts are a bit more complicated.
Part of the aid is usually used directly to feed people, and another part is used by the farmers as crop. But the GM crops provided by the aid are absolutely not adapted to the situation in zambia. If the peasants use them instead of their traditional crops, it could lead to many environmental problems.

In fact the very principle of giving food to Africa is questionable. In Zambia, many peasants could grow enough food to feed their family but they prefer to sell all their production because they know they can rely on international aid. So a country that has many ressources becomes totally dependent of international aid, which in fact is more a way of using our western surpluses than to really help the people of these countries.

Screw Africa..........

Pig cum now that is funny :D

Originally posted by astrapol2
So a country that has many ressources becomes totally dependent of international aid, which in fact is more a way of using our western surpluses than to really help the people of these countries.

There have been some awful famines caused by mother nature that I think some GM crops would help resolve. But you're definitely correct that the majority of the food problems in Africa are caused by other factors - usually war.

Absolutely. This is obvious now in Liberia where warehouses full of food are not available to the population.

Even in the cases of food shortage caused by the weather, if the political context had been, in every case the bad harvest would not have caused famine.

Two years ago there was a famine in Ethiopia. But at the same time this country was engaged in a bloody war against Erythrea. if 10% of the money wasted in this war had been used to buy food, the famine would easily have been avoided.

Another factor is western aid and the global food market which makes it nearly impossible for African countries to set up a decent and independent agriculture.