BIO backtracks on drug crop moratorium

[Guest guest]

The Biotech Industry Organization (BIO) has backtracked on their

self-imposed moratorium on growing genetically engineered crops that

contain pharmaceutical drugs in major corn-growing states.

 

In October, BIO announced that their members agreed to not grow

genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops in the states of Iowa,

Illinois and Indiana and parts of Nebraska, Ohio, Minnesota and

Missouri. BIO said they changed their policy " because we did not want to

appear to encourage discrimination against certain parts of the

country.''

 

Genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops are an accident waiting to

happen. The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations to prevent these

crops from cross pollinating with food crops would be laughable if this

wasn't such a serious matter. They do not take into consideration such

elements as human error, workers who may not follow instructions,

hurricanes, tornados and other acts of nature that could result in the

human food supply getting contaminated with these pharmaceutical drug

crops.

 

You can read the USDA's weak and ineffective guidelines at:

http://www.thecampaign.org/pharm-2002.pdf

 

Most of our politicians are not informed about the potential for

contamination that these genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops

pose to the human food supply. However, the grocery industry and

environmentalists do understand the problem. So things are shaping up

for a major battle with the biotech industry fighting both the grocery

industry and environmental organizations.

 

Previously the grocery industry had been on the side of biotech industry

regarding genetically engineered foods. That is about to change rapidly

as the grocery industry starts aligning itself with environmental groups

to fight the dangers that these pharmaceutical drug crops pose to the

human food supply.

 

We feel the biotech industry is making a major error by pushing forward

on their plans to develop these pharmaceutical drugs in food crops such

as corn. As the adage goes, " Give them enough rope and they will hang

themselves. " As soon as a situation develops where the human food supply

actually gets contaminated, as it inevitably will with this loosely

regulated technology, popular opinion in the United States will rapidly

turn against ALL genetically engineered crops.

 

Posted below are three articles. The first one is from Associated Press

titled " Biotech Companies Change Moratorium. " The second one is from Dr.

Mae-Won Ho, Director of the Institute of Science in Society, titled

" Pharmageddon. " It discusses the serious problems that could develop

with these pharmaceutical drug crops.

 

The third article is also from the Institute of Science in Society

titled " British Doctors Call for Halt to GM Crop Trials. " The British

Medical Association (BMA) is urging that all crop trials of genetically

engineered crops be stopped. The American Medical Association should pay

attention to what the British Medical Association is pointing out about

the potential health problems associated with genetically engineered

crops.