One of my mom's good friends runs a company that helps to identify kids that have food allergies by giving them bright lunchboxes and wristbands and stuff, you should go check it out if you want, the website is www.allergykids.com. But back to the main point, she was researching why so many kids are getting food allergies when they were not that prevalent in the past. She found some information linking the rise of food allergies to the rise of the use of GMO's or genetically modified organisms. She was doing a lot of research and telling everyone she knows about it, but a few weeks back she got a cease and desist letter from the American Allergy Association. She looked up the law firm that this was written from, and apparently it does not exist. She did more research, and found out that the American Allergy Association is backed by Monsanto company. Monsanto is the producer of the cheeical Roundup, and they are the leading producer of genetically modified seeds in the world! Thats kind of ironic don't you think?! You guys should check out the documentary The Future of Food. Go do some research about GMO's you will be shocked by what you find! Look at all the connections with Monsanto and the Government- Prior to being the Supreme Court Judge who put GW Bush in office, Clarence Thomas was Monsanto's lawyer. Former US Secretary of Agriculture Anne Veneman was on the Board of Directors of Monsanto's Calgene Corporation. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was on the Board of Directors of Monsanto's Searle pharmaceuticals. Former US Secretary of Health, Tommy Thompson, received $50,000 in donations from Monsanto during his winning campaign for Wisconsin's governor. The two congressmen receiving the most donations from Monsanto during the 2000 election were Larry Combest (Former Chairman of the House Agricultural Committee) and Missouri Senate candidate John Ashcroft (later to be named Attorney General). (Source: Dairy Education Board) More Ties In order for the FDA to determine if Monsanto's growth hormones were safe or not, Monsanto was required to submit a scientific report on that topic. Margaret Miller, one of Monsanto's researchers put the report together. Shortly before the report submission, Miller left Monsanto and was hired by the FDA. Her first job for the FDA was to determine whether or not to approve the report she wrote for Monsanto. In short, Monsanto approved its own report. Assisting Miller was another former Monsanto researcher, Susan Sechen. Deciding whether or not rBGH-derived milk should be labeled fell under the jurisdiction of another FDA official, Michael Taylor, who previously worked as a lawyer for Monsanto. I am doing a lot of research right now... I will come back and tell you guys if i find anything worth telling.
heres some quotes from Monsanto, they are pretty bad- Notable Quotes "Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the F.D.A.'s job" - Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Playing God in the Garden" New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998. "Ultimately, it is the food producer who is responsible for assuring safety" — FDA, "Statement of Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties" (GMO Policy), Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 104 (1992), p. 229 "People will have Roundup Ready soya whether they like it or not" - Ann Foster, spokesperson for Monsanto in Britian, as quoted in The Nation magazine from article "The Politics of Food" [49] by Maria Margaronis December 27, 1999 issue. "The hope of the industry is that over time the market is so flooded [with GMOs] that there's nothing you can do about it. You just sort of surrender" Don Westfall, biotech industry consultant and vice-president of Promar International, in the Toronto Star, January 9 2001. "Stark denials in the face of documented evidence to the contrary have been corporate policy at Monsanto and GE for decades." Eric Francis author of Conspiracy of Silence [51] " The scope of the fraud, if you will--I know that's a harsh word--the scope of the fraud that's being sold to the American public about this technology is almost unprecedented" - Interview with Dr. Charles Benbrook on GMOs
yeah, im doing alot of research on GM foods too. I hate it so much. But the cool think is that i live in St. Louis, which is where the Monsanto headquarters is. i was thinking about having a protest, but i cant find anyone who will join me. but yeah, i think its stupid how the bio companies and the FDA are pushing responsiblity for the saftey on the foods on each other. its so fucked up. thanks for recomending the documantary. ill have to check it out. A good book i read about GM foods was called "Eating In The Dark." it has tons of info., if your interested.
Hey! i am from Kirkwood Mo about 10 min from monsanto. I would be totally willing to protest with you.. i could prob get a group of friends too. unfortunatly i am at college in iowa now but i would be happy to help if you wanted to do someting over a break. just let me know if you need any help.
that would be awsome... but i have no idea when a good time would be. a logical time would be a bit before spring, before they sell thier seeds for farmers to plant in the growing season, but im not for sure.
