Guest Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Would you, could you, in a box? Would you, could you, with a fox? Could you eat green eggs and ham? Could you eat them Sam I am? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6197768.stm GM Potato trials have been given the go-ahead. Would you eat GM potatoes? Is what they're trialling really so wrong? Could growing GM crops mean less pesticides being used - perhaps even "organic" GM food? Personally, I think it sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I am a tad biased here so I'm not going to comment on the ethics but I will metion a tale People who go in gung ho and trample these crops are doing more damage than just squishing the plant The genetic material sticks to the shoes and clothes etc and then gets rubbed off on other plants where the GM bit which is designed to be incorporated can invade other plants We may have been eating it for years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I had a long wonder about this when I heard it on the news this morning. I've long been against 'tinkering with nature', but having grown a load of scabby potatoes this year, I was thinking 'Hmmm, not too bad perhaps'. I lost my greens to fly because I wouldn't use pesticides on them and couldn't get hold of any natural pest control. Then I thought about the 3rd world where their crops get hit by blight and insects - if these crops could be improved so that they were resistant to these dangers, then there would be more for them to eat and famine would be less prevalent. But then is famine mother nature's way of moderating the population???? So many questions and far too early in the morning for me, but I think that I'm changing the way that I view GM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 When I bought my chooks (over a year ago), I also bought a sack of pellets from the breeder. When I got home I checked out the ingredients and one of them was GM soya. I was reluctant to feed them that, but they'd probably already been fed it anyway so I continued. So I guess the eggs would have been "contaminated" and the soil with the chicken poo?? But over the course of the year I've been thinking more and more about it and I do think GM crops have a place in the world. Just so long as the creators of it don't patent the seed and encode it to only grow to one generation..... I'm all for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I have to admit to being as picky about what I feed my chooks as I am about what we eat. So far I have avoided buying any food with GM ingredients in it, but I am changing my views on the growing of modified crops; it's no longer 'devil spawn', but I'm not sure that I'd knowingly eat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Then I thought about the 3rd world where their crops get hit by blight and insects - if these crops could be improved so that they were resistant to these dangers, then there would be more for them to eat and famine would be less prevalent. I'm very much in two minds about this - but I am cynical enough to know that the alleviation of poverty is not the aim of the GM industry.. GM seeds will be sold to third world countries - the crops will produce sterile seeds - they will have to go back an buy more seeds the next year - I wonder who from??? I'm not automatically against GM by any means (I think there is a lot of hysteria surrounding the issue) - but I remain VERY skeptical about motives - particularly when anti-poverty claims are made... Phil (A genetically modified chicken that doesn't poo in the nesting box - that'd be a fine thing!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I hadn't given a thought to them marketing it as 'poverty beating', nor heard that claim at all, but they're bound to do it even if they aren't already Perhaps they ought to use all the (doubtless) obscene profits they are going to make to donate some seeds to the third world - can't see it somehow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 in a similar way that the giant pharmacuetical companies don't like to give the life saving drugs away for nothing either Clare I don't think I am ready for the GM way yet but that may also because I have "tuned out" of the argument in favour as I am against it - if that makes sense. A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I was sort of leaving it alone too Andrew, mainly because I know that I'd go on a rant and I just can't be bothered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 But if it meant that farmers in poorer countries got much bigger crops, then that could give them enough money to buy next year's seed. And besides, give it 10 years or so and India would come up with a more economic alternative. Perhaps the manufacturers only build-in the sterility for resulting seeds because they are unsure what would happen long-term if GM fertile seed was allowed to keep re-producing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 It could turn into frankenstein crops Scary thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Ah well.... it's goodnight from me (and it's goodnight from him). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Nightie night, have a good weekend Graham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 But if it meant that farmers in poorer countries got much bigger crops, then that could give them enough money to buy next year's seed. Mmm... that's what the GM promoters say (are you sure you don't work for them? ) - except that the big danger is that the seed-stock is diminished down to just the GM seeds - all the diversity of corn seeds that there are at the moment die out - and hey presto - the GM companies own the entire world food-making potential.. are they then tempted to put up their prices? Mmmm... Phil (this is why development agencies are putting resources into seed-banks right now...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 It's a hard call really, beacuse I love the diversity of heritage seeds and often go to Ryton,which is near us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 How depressing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Ryton? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Yes actually! : OH grandparents are buried there, ..... but apart from that, no: Multi-national companies and their exploitation of the poorest ones........ I have to admit, I switch off from the debate because I simply cannot tell who is telling the truth. I avoid the products where I can, but like Louise says, how soon will it be before we can really tell whether something really is GM free? Slightly off tack, but similar: I heard the other day that Bananas are soon going to be a thing of the past because we are now breeding them so they are seedless, as we are grapes, so when the old vines and trees finally die...... I do vaguely remember bananas with little brown seeds in....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley-Jean Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 If you want more information have a look here: Greenpeace and here: Monsanto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
