Eco-savvy village shows the way

[Guest guest]

Eco-savvy village shows the way

December 2004/January 2005

http://www.forachange.co.uk/index.php?subjid=67 & stoid=484

 

PUNUKULA - a small, predominantly tribal, village in the state of Andhra Pradesh

(AP), India - declared itself pesticide-free in 2003, even for crops which are

notorious for their high pesticide consumption. Village farmers claim that their

ecological approach to pest management is saving them Rs 3 million (GBP36,500) a

year.

 

In the past five years, AP has seen frequent spells of drought and thousands of

farmer suicides: some 1,200 suicides in three months of 2004 alone. One reason

has been the crushing burden of debt incurred to buy expensive seeds and

pesticides.

 

Farmers who migrated from another district of AP brought the cotton crop to

Punukula more than 15 years ago, and with it pesticides, which local farmers

soon started using. Initially, the pesticides worked well and several pesticide

shops opened in the nearby town, where farmers could buy on credit. But

gradually the pests became resistant and the ill farmers had to spend more and

more on greater quantities of pesticides.

 

In addition to supplying seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, the dealers started

extending loans to the farmers at high interest rates. As pest damage rose, and

the debt trap closed in, farmers in Punukula started committing suicide.

 

The high use of pesticides also led to health problems. Women, who did most of

the spraying, complained of skin problems, blurred vision and body pains. Srinu,

the son of farmer Hemla Nayak, suffered acute pesticide poisoning‚ and his

treatment cost GBP200, a huge sum for his family to find.

 

In 1999, a local NGO, the SocioEconomic and Cultural Upliftment in Rural

Environment (SECURE), suggested that the farmers try out ecological methods,

based on the pests’ life-cycle. Support for this project was obtained

initially from the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS) and later from the Centre

for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), both based in Hyderabad. Five selfhelp groups

run by village women provided the determination and support to help make this

shift possible.

 

SECURE began work with 20 farmers, including a few women. Earla Dhanamma, whose

husband represented the interests of several pesticide companies, also joined

in. Instead of chemical sprays, the farmers began preparing sprays made with

inexpensive local materials such as neem seed powder and green chilli-garlic

extract. The sprays were supplemented by hormone traps to attract the moths and

destroy them before they started mating. Some farmers also used " crop traps " :

planting marigolds and castor, which the pests preferred, alongside the cotton.

 

One season was enough to show the difference: spiders, wasps and beetles - which

feed on cotton pests - returned to the fields once the chemical spraying

stopped. In the next season, many other farmers tried out the Earla Dhanamma new

approach.

 

Some farmers, however, still found it easier to buy a container of chemical

pesticide, than to go to the trouble of ecological methods.

 

The women's selfhelp groups stepped in to prevent their men from going back to

pesticide shops. " We knew that the savings with the new methods were enormous, "

says Dhanamma. ‚ " Why, then, would we need to go back to pesticides? " They took

on the work of preparing the ecological anti-pest sprays, and ensured that no

one brought pesticides into their village.

 

By 2003, most farmers in this 200household village had stopped using pesticides.

The new methods were used not only in cotton fields, but also in those growing

chilli and paddy.

 

In August 2004, the women’s groups bought a machine to crush the neem

seeds into the powder used for the sprays, with support from SECURE and CWS/CSA.

 

Punukula farmers now have money to invest in house repair, buy land, invest in

livestock and repay their debts. They believe that the way to get rid of pests

is to rid their farming of pesticides. Neighbouring villages are beginning to

show an interest.

 

Kavitha Kuruganti

 

And Bugs Bunny is a friend of mine

Eating him I'd feel like Frankenstein

Eating flesh seems pretty foul to me

[Guest guest]

I believe cotton is usually the most sprayed crop there is.

 

Jo

 

 

 

 

Eco-savvy village shows the way

December 2004/January 2005

http://www.forachange.co.uk/index.php?subjid=67 & stoid=484

 

PUNUKULA - a small, predominantly tribal, village in the state of Andhra

Pradesh (AP), India - declared itself pesticide-free in 2003, even for crops

which are notorious for their high pesticide consumption. Village farmers

claim that their ecological approach to pest management is saving them Rs 3

million (GBP36,500) a year.

 

In the past five years, AP has seen frequent spells of drought and thousands

of farmer suicides: some 1,200 suicides in three months of 2004 alone. One

reason has been the crushing burden of debt incurred to buy expensive seeds

and pesticides.

 

Farmers who migrated from another district of AP brought the cotton crop to

Punukula more than 15 years ago, and with it pesticides, which local farmers

soon started using. Initially, the pesticides worked well and several

pesticide shops opened in the nearby town, where farmers could buy on

credit. But gradually the pests became resistant and the ill farmers had to

spend more and more on greater quantities of pesticides.

 

In addition to supplying seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, the dealers

started extending loans to the farmers at high interest rates. As pest

damage rose, and the debt trap closed in, farmers in Punukula started

committing suicide.

 

The high use of pesticides also led to health problems. Women, who did most

of the spraying, complained of skin problems, blurred vision and body pains.

Srinu, the son of farmer Hemla Nayak, suffered acute pesticide poisoningâ?s

and his treatment cost GBP200, a huge sum for his family to find.

 

In 1999, a local NGO, the SocioEconomic and Cultural Upliftment in Rural

Environment (SECURE), suggested that the farmers try out ecological methods,

based on the pestsâ?sà " ô life-cycle. Support for this project was obtained

initially from the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS) and later from the

Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), both based in Hyderabad. Five

selfhelp groups run by village women provided the determination and support

to help make this shift possible.

 

SECURE began work with 20 farmers, including a few women. Earla Dhanamma,

whose husband represented the interests of several pesticide companies, also

joined in. Instead of chemical sprays, the farmers began preparing sprays

made with inexpensive local materials such as neem seed powder and green

chilli-garlic extract. The sprays were supplemented by hormone traps to

attract the moths and destroy them before they started mating. Some farmers

also used " crop traps " : planting marigolds and castor, which the pests

preferred, alongside the cotton.

 

One season was enough to show the difference: spiders, wasps and beetles -

which feed on cotton pests - returned to the fields once the chemical

spraying stopped. In the next season, many other farmers tried out the Earla

Dhanamma new approach.

 

Some farmers, however, still found it easier to buy a container of chemical

pesticide, than to go to the trouble of ecological methods.

 

The women's selfhelp groups stepped in to prevent their men from going back

to pesticide shops. " We knew that the savings with the new methods were

enormous, " says Dhanamma. â?s " Why, then, would we need to go back to

pesticides? " They took on the work of preparing the ecological anti-pest

sprays, and ensured that no one brought pesticides into their village.

 

By 2003, most farmers in this 200household village had stopped using

pesticides. The new methods were used not only in cotton fields, but also in

those growing chilli and paddy.

 

In August 2004, the womenâ?sà " ôs groups bought a machine to crush the neem

seeds into the powder used for the sprays, with support from SECURE and

CWS/CSA.

 

Punukula farmers now have money to invest in house repair, buy land, invest

in livestock and repay their debts. They believe that the way to get rid of

pests is to rid their farming of pesticides. Neighbouring villages are

beginning to show an interest.

 

Kavitha Kuruganti

 

And Bugs Bunny is a friend of mine

Eating him I'd feel like Frankenstein

Eating flesh seems pretty foul to me

 

 

 

To send an email to -

 

[Guest guest]

generally, yes...

Jo Cwazy May 6, 2005 3:32 PM Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way I believe cotton is usually the most sprayed crop there is.JoEco-savvy village shows the wayDecember 2004/January 2005http://www.forachange.co.uk/index.php?subjid=67 & stoid=484PUNUKULA - a small, predominantly tribal, village in the state of AndhraPradesh (AP), India - declared itself pesticide-free in 2003, even for cropswhich are notorious for their high pesticide consumption. Village farmersclaim that their ecological approach to pest management is saving them Rs 3million (GBP36,500) a year.In the past five years, AP has seen frequent spells of drought and thousandsof farmer suicides: some 1,200 suicides in three months of 2004 alone. Onereason has been the crushing burden of debt incurred to buy expensive seedsand pesticides.Farmers who migrated from another district of AP brought the cotton crop toPunukula more than 15 years ago, and with it pesticides, which local farmerssoon started using. Initially, the pesticides worked well and severalpesticide shops opened in the nearby town, where farmers could buy oncredit. But gradually the pests became resistant and the ill farmers had tospend more and more on greater quantities of pesticides.In addition to supplying seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, the dealersstarted extending loans to the farmers at high interest rates. As pestdamage rose, and the debt trap closed in, farmers in Punukula startedcommitting suicide.The high use of pesticides also led to health problems. Women, who did mostof the spraying, complained of skin problems, blurred vision and body pains.Srinu, the son of farmer Hemla Nayak, suffered acute pesticide poisoningâ?sand his treatment cost GBP200, a huge sum for his family to find.In 1999, a local NGO, the SocioEconomic and Cultural Upliftment in RuralEnvironment (SECURE), suggested that the farmers try out ecological methods,based on the pestsâ?sÃ"ô life-cycle. Support for this project was obtainedinitially from the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS) and later from theCentre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), both based in Hyderabad. Fiveselfhelp groups run by village women provided the determination and supportto help make this shift possible.SECURE began work with 20 farmers, including a few women. Earla Dhanamma,whose husband represented the interests of several pesticide companies, alsojoined in. Instead of chemical sprays, the farmers began preparing spraysmade with inexpensive local materials such as neem seed powder and greenchilli-garlic extract. The sprays were supplemented by hormone traps toattract the moths and destroy them before they started mating. Some farmersalso used "crop traps": planting marigolds and castor, which the pestspreferred, alongside the cotton.One season was enough to show the difference: spiders, wasps and beetles -which feed on cotton pests - returned to the fields once the chemicalspraying stopped. In the next season, many other farmers tried out the EarlaDhanamma new approach.Some farmers, however, still found it easier to buy a container of chemicalpesticide, than to go to the trouble of ecological methods.The women's selfhelp groups stepped in to prevent their men from going backto pesticide shops. "We knew that the savings with the new methods wereenormous," says Dhanamma. â?s"Why, then, would we need to go back topesticides?" They took on the work of preparing the ecological anti-pestsprays, and ensured that no one brought pesticides into their village.By 2003, most farmers in this 200household village had stopped usingpesticides. The new methods were used not only in cotton fields, but also inthose growing chilli and paddy.In August 2004, the womenâ?sÃ"ôs groups bought a machine to crush the neemseeds into the powder used for the sprays, with support from SECURE andCWS/CSA.Punukula farmers now have money to invest in house repair, buy land, investin livestock and repay their debts. They believe that the way to get rid ofpests is to rid their farming of pesticides. Neighbouring villages arebeginning to show an interest.Kavitha KurugantiAnd Bugs Bunny is a friend of mineEating him I'd feel like FrankensteinEating flesh seems pretty foul to meTo send an email to -

[Guest guest]

Cotton has the most "legally" used pesticides. Tobacco has the most "illegally" used pesticides.

 

In food crops, broccoli and onions have the most pesticide residues.

 

Corn, soy and cotton are the most likely to contain GMOs.

 

And, the latest in "natural" approved "organic" sprays contains peanuts. Sooooo, if one has a peanut allergy and one hopes/tries to protect oneself or one's children, well, one is simply now out of luck because these products don't have to be labeled!

 

Lynda

 

-

fraggle

Friday, May 06, 2005 3:40 PM

Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

generally, yes...

Jo Cwazy May 6, 2005 3:32 PM Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way I believe cotton is usually the most sprayed crop there is.JoEco-savvy village shows the wayDecember 2004/January 2005http://www.forachange.co.uk/index.php?subjid=67 & stoid=484PUNUKULA - a small, predominantly tribal, village in the state of AndhraPradesh (AP), India - declared itself pesticide-free in 2003, even for cropswhich are notorious for their high pesticide consumption. Village farmersclaim that their ecological approach to pest management is saving them Rs 3million (GBP36,500) a year.In the past five years, AP has seen frequent spells of drought and thousandsof farmer suicides: some 1,200 suicides in three months of 2004 alone. Onereason has been the crushing burden of debt incurred to buy expensive seedsand pesticides.Farmers who migrated from another district of AP brought the cotton crop toPunukula more than 15 years ago, and with it pesticides, which local farmerssoon started using. Initially, the pesticides worked well and severalpesticide shops opened in the nearby town, where farmers could buy oncredit. But gradually the pests became resistant and the ill farmers had tospend more and more on greater quantities of pesticides.In addition to supplying seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, the dealersstarted extending loans to the farmers at high interest rates. As pestdamage rose, and the debt trap closed in, farmers in Punukula startedcommitting suicide.The high use of pesticides also led to health problems. Women, who did mostof the spraying, complained of skin problems, blurred vision and body pains.Srinu, the son of farmer Hemla Nayak, suffered acute pesticide poisoningâ?sand his treatment cost GBP200, a huge sum for his family to find.In 1999, a local NGO, the SocioEconomic and Cultural Upliftment in RuralEnvironment (SECURE), suggested that the farmers try out ecological methods,based on the pestsâ?sÃ"ô life-cycle. Support for this project was obtainedinitially from the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS) and later from theCentre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), both based in Hyderabad. Fiveselfhelp groups run by village women provided the determination and supportto help make this shift possible.SECURE began work with 20 farmers, including a few women. Earla Dhanamma,whose husband represented the interests of several pesticide companies, alsojoined in. Instead of chemical sprays, the farmers began preparing spraysmade with inexpensive local materials such as neem seed powder and greenchilli-garlic extract. The sprays were supplemented by hormone traps toattract the moths and destroy them before they started mating. Some farmersalso used "crop traps": planting marigolds and castor, which the pestspreferred, alongside the cotton.One season was enough to show the difference: spiders, wasps and beetles -which feed on cotton pests - returned to the fields once the chemicalspraying stopped. In the next season, many other farmers tried out the EarlaDhanamma new approach.Some farmers, however, still found it easier to buy a container of chemicalpesticide, than to go to the trouble of ecological methods.The women's selfhelp groups stepped in to prevent their men from going backto pesticide shops. "We knew that the savings with the new methods wereenormous," says Dhanamma. â?s"Why, then, would we need to go back topesticides?" They took on the work of preparing the ecological anti-pestsprays, and ensured that no one brought pesticides into their village.By 2003, most farmers in this 200household village had stopped usingpesticides. The new methods were used not only in cotton fields, but also inthose growing chilli and paddy.In August 2004, the womenâ?sÃ"ôs groups bought a machine to crush the neemseeds into the powder used for the sprays, with support from SECURE andCWS/CSA.Punukula farmers now have money to invest in house repair, buy land, investin livestock and repay their debts. They believe that the way to get rid ofpests is to rid their farming of pesticides. Neighbouring villages arebeginning to show an interest.Kavitha KurugantiAnd Bugs Bunny is a friend of mineEating him I'd feel like FrankensteinEating flesh seems pretty foul to meTo send an email to -

[Guest guest]

In the UK the non-organic crops with the highest level of pesticides are strawberries, peppers and spinach. GMOs are not such a problem here - yet. Hopefully we will be able to fight it off a second time. How did it get to be so widespread in the States before anyone knew about it?

 

Jo

 

-

Lynda

Saturday, May 07, 2005 7:36 AM

Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

Cotton has the most "legally" used pesticides. Tobacco has the most "illegally" used pesticides.

 

In food crops, broccoli and onions have the most pesticide residues.

 

Corn, soy and cotton are the most likely to contain GMOs.

 

And, the latest in "natural" approved "organic" sprays contains peanuts. Sooooo, if one has a peanut allergy and one hopes/tries to protect oneself or one's children, well, one is simply now out of luck because these products don't have to be labeled!

 

Lynda

 

-

fraggle

Friday, May 06, 2005 3:40 PM

Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

generally, yes...

Jo Cwazy May 6, 2005 3:32 PM Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way I believe cotton is usually the most sprayed crop there is.JoEco-savvy village shows the wayDecember 2004/January 2005http://www.forachange.co.uk/index.php?subjid=67 & stoid=484PUNUKULA - a small, predominantly tribal, village in the state of AndhraPradesh (AP), India - declared itself pesticide-free in 2003, even for cropswhich are notorious for their high pesticide consumption. Village farmersclaim that their ecological approach to pest management is saving them Rs 3million (GBP36,500) a year.In the past five years, AP has seen frequent spells of drought and thousandsof farmer suicides: some 1,200 suicides in three months of 2004 alone. Onereason has been the crushing burden of debt incurred to buy expensive seedsand pesticides.Farmers who migrated from another district of AP brought the cotton crop toPunukula more than 15 years ago, and with it pesticides, which local farmerssoon started using. Initially, the pesticides worked well and severalpesticide shops opened in the nearby town, where farmers could buy oncredit. But gradually the pests became resistant and the ill farmers had tospend more and more on greater quantities of pesticides.In addition to supplying seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, the dealersstarted extending loans to the farmers at high interest rates. As pestdamage rose, and the debt trap closed in, farmers in Punukula startedcommitting suicide.The high use of pesticides also led to health problems. Women, who did mostof the spraying, complained of skin problems, blurred vision and body pains.Srinu, the son of farmer Hemla Nayak, suffered acute pesticide poisoningâ?sand his treatment cost GBP200, a huge sum for his family to find.In 1999, a local NGO, the SocioEconomic and Cultural Upliftment in RuralEnvironment (SECURE), suggested that the farmers try out ecological methods,based on the pestsâ?sÃ"ô life-cycle. Support for this project was obtainedinitially from the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS) and later from theCentre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), both based in Hyderabad. Fiveselfhelp groups run by village women provided the determination and supportto help make this shift possible.SECURE began work with 20 farmers, including a few women. Earla Dhanamma,whose husband represented the interests of several pesticide companies, alsojoined in. Instead of chemical sprays, the farmers began preparing spraysmade with inexpensive local materials such as neem seed powder and greenchilli-garlic extract. The sprays were supplemented by hormone traps toattract the moths and destroy them before they started mating. Some farmersalso used "crop traps": planting marigolds and castor, which the pestspreferred, alongside the cotton.One season was enough to show the difference: spiders, wasps and beetles -which feed on cotton pests - returned to the fields once the chemicalspraying stopped. In the next season, many other farmers tried out the EarlaDhanamma new approach.Some farmers, however, still found it easier to buy a container of chemicalpesticide, than to go to the trouble of ecological methods.The women's selfhelp groups stepped in to prevent their men from going backto pesticide shops. "We knew that the savings with the new methods wereenormous," says Dhanamma. â?s"Why, then, would we need to go back topesticides?" They took on the work of preparing the ecological anti-pestsprays, and ensured that no one brought pesticides into their village.By 2003, most farmers in this 200household village had stopped usingpesticides. The new methods were used not only in cotton fields, but also inthose growing chilli and paddy.In August 2004, the womenâ?sÃ"ôs groups bought a machine to crush the neemseeds into the powder used for the sprays, with support from SECURE andCWS/CSA.Punukula farmers now have money to invest in house repair, buy land, investin livestock and repay their debts. They believe that the way to get rid ofpests is to rid their farming of pesticides. Neighbouring villages arebeginning to show an interest.Kavitha KurugantiAnd Bugs Bunny is a friend of mineEating him I'd feel like FrankensteinEating flesh seems pretty foul to meTo send an email to -

[Guest guest]

Monsanto was Sneaky!!!

 

 

 

On Behalf Of Jo CwazySaturday, May 07, 2005 7:02 PM Subject: Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

In the UK the non-organic crops with the highest level of pesticides are strawberries, peppers and spinach. GMOs are not such a problem here - yet. Hopefully we will be able to fight it off a second time. How did it get to be so widespread in the States before anyone knew about it?

 

Jo

 

-

Lynda

Saturday, May 07, 2005 7:36 AM

Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

Cotton has the most "legally" used pesticides. Tobacco has the most "illegally" used pesticides.

 

In food crops, broccoli and onions have the most pesticide residues.

 

Corn, soy and cotton are the most likely to contain GMOs.

 

And, the latest in "natural" approved "organic" sprays contains peanuts. Sooooo, if one has a peanut allergy and one hopes/tries to protect oneself or one's children, well, one is simply now out of luck because these products don't have to be labeled!

 

Lynda

 

-

fraggle

Friday, May 06, 2005 3:40 PM

Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

generally, yes...

Jo Cwazy May 6, 2005 3:32 PM Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way I believe cotton is usually the most sprayed crop there is.JoEco-savvy village shows the wayDecember 2004/January 2005http://www.forachange.co.uk/index.php?subjid=67 & stoid=484PUNUKULA - a small, predominantly tribal, village in the state of AndhraPradesh (AP), India - declared itself pesticide-free in 2003, even for cropswhich are notorious for their high pesticide consumption. Village farmersclaim that their ecological approach to pest management is saving them Rs 3million (GBP36,500) a year.In the past five years, AP has seen frequent spells of drought and thousandsof farmer suicides: some 1,200 suicides in three months of 2004 alone. Onereason has been the crushing burden of debt incurred to buy expensive seedsand pesticides.Farmers who migrated from another district of AP brought the cotton crop toPunukula more than 15 years ago, and with it pesticides, which local farmerssoon started using. Initially, the pesticides worked well and severalpesticide shops opened in the nearby town, where farmers could buy oncredit. But gradually the pests became resistant and the ill farmers had tospend more and more on greater quantities of pesticides.In addition to supplying seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, the dealersstarted extending loans to the farmers at high interest rates. As pestdamage rose, and the debt trap closed in, farmers in Punukula startedcommitting suicide.The high use of pesticides also led to health problems. Women, who did mostof the spraying, complained of skin problems, blurred vision and body pains.Srinu, the son of farmer Hemla Nayak, suffered acute pesticide poisoningâ?sand his treatment cost GBP200, a huge sum for his family to find.In 1999, a local NGO, the SocioEconomic and Cultural Upliftment in RuralEnvironment (SECURE), suggested that the farmers try out ecological methods,based on the pestsâ?sÃ"ô life-cycle. Support for this project was obtainedinitially from the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS) and later from theCentre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), both based in Hyderabad. Fiveselfhelp groups run by village women provided the determination and supportto help make this shift possible.SECURE began work with 20 farmers, including a few women. Earla Dhanamma,whose husband represented the interests of several pesticide companies, alsojoined in. Instead of chemical sprays, the farmers began preparing spraysmade with inexpensive local materials such as neem seed powder and greenchilli-garlic extract. The sprays were supplemented by hormone traps toattract the moths and destroy them before they started mating. Some farmersalso used "crop traps": planting marigolds and castor, which the pestspreferred, alongside the cotton.One season was enough to show the difference: spiders, wasps and beetles -which feed on cotton pests - returned to the fields once the chemicalspraying stopped. In the next season, many other farmers tried out the EarlaDhanamma new approach.Some farmers, however, still found it easier to buy a container of chemicalpesticide, than to go to the trouble of ecological methods.The women's selfhelp groups stepped in to prevent their men from going backto pesticide shops. "We knew that the savings with the new methods wereenormous," says Dhanamma. â?s"Why, then, would we need to go back topesticides?" They took on the work of preparing the ecological anti-pestsprays, and ensured that no one brought pesticides into their village.By 2003, most farmers in this 200household village had stopped usingpesticides. The new methods were used not only in cotton fields, but also inthose growing chilli and paddy.In August 2004, the womenâ?sÃ"ôs groups bought a machine to crush the neemseeds into the powder used for the sprays, with support from SECURE andCWS/CSA.Punukula farmers now have money to invest in house repair, buy land, investin livestock and repay their debts. They believe that the way to get rid ofpests is to rid their farming of pesticides. Neighbouring villages arebeginning to show an interest.Kavitha KurugantiAnd Bugs Bunny is a friend of mineEating him I'd feel like FrankensteinEating flesh seems pretty foul to me

[Guest guest]

PR and money

most americans still are convinced they have never had a GMO product

we have a slightly different culture here, and its easier to be totally enthralled with our own *progress*, and of course the almight dollar

fears of GMO's here are unfocused, and the i doubt the general public could tell you how they even create such frankenfoods

but..even you folks across the pond are crumbling..regulations are slowly being eroded away..at least by year governments

all things crumble Jo Cwazy May 7, 2005 4:01 AM Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

In the UK the non-organic crops with the highest level of pesticides are strawberries, peppers and spinach. GMOs are not such a problem here - yet. Hopefully we will be able to fight it off a second time. How did it get to be so widespread in the States before anyone knew about it?

 

Jo

 

----- Original

And Bugs Bunny is a friend of mine

Eating him I'd feel like Frankenstein

Eating flesh seems pretty foul to me

[Guest guest]

Yep - our governments want gm foods, after all it's good for the big multinationsal etc. etc. We did well on the first round of the battle, but eventually people will loose interest and it will creep in. After all the US had been supplying us with gm corn for five years, underhandedly!

 

Jo

 

-

fraggle

Saturday, May 07, 2005 3:56 PM

Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

PR and money

most americans still are convinced they have never had a GMO product

we have a slightly different culture here, and its easier to be totally enthralled with our own *progress*, and of course the almight dollar

fears of GMO's here are unfocused, and the i doubt the general public could tell you how they even create such frankenfoods

but..even you folks across the pond are crumbling..regulations are slowly being eroded away..at least by year governments

all things crumble Jo Cwazy May 7, 2005 4:01 AM Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

In the UK the non-organic crops with the highest level of pesticides are strawberries, peppers and spinach. GMOs are not such a problem here - yet. Hopefully we will be able to fight it off a second time. How did it get to be so widespread in the States before anyone knew about it?

 

Jo

 

----- Original To send an email to -

And Bugs Bunny is a friend of mine

Eating him I'd feel like Frankenstein

Eating flesh seems pretty foul to me

[Guest guest]

this country is run by the corporations. Monsanto is the biggie. They do all these raves about what it is going to do and how it won't harm anything, blah, blah, blah.

 

I don't know about other countries but I think this country needs a good dose of Belgians! People are apathetic. They'll bitch and moan but won't make enough effort to even stick their finger in the dial until it is too late.

 

Farmers are stuck because of their loans. They have to buy where they can get the loans and guess who is a big backer of the folks that make the loans for seed.

 

Stuff isn't sufficiently tested and then, surprise, surprise, Star corn ends up in people food and people start getting sick.

 

It is the same as what happened to probably start the Mad Cow. Grind up some old sick sheep and use it as protein for cattle.

 

Bottom, top and inbetween, the line is M O N E Y!

 

the county I live in has outlawed GMO crops. They can't be grown here. There are a couple of others but the battle is uphill because Monsanto sends in the PR boys and spends, literally, MILLIONS! We snuck it in on them and had it done by the county supervisors instead of putting it on a ballot. Done, signed and sealed before Monsanto got wind of it.

 

Lynda

 

-

Jo Cwazy

Saturday, May 07, 2005 4:01 AM

Re: Eco-savvy village shows the way

 

In the UK the non-organic crops with the highest level of pesticides are strawberries, peppers and spinach. GMOs are not such a problem here - yet. Hopefully we will be able to fight it off a second time. How did it get to be so widespread in the States before anyone knew about it?

 

Jo