Iraq: After the Army comes Monsanto

Order 81 mandates that Iraq’s commercial-scale farmers must now purchase "registered” seeds. These are available through agribusiness giants like Monsanto, Cargill Corporation and the World Wide Wheat Company, but Monsanto is far and away the most significant player in the registered seed market. 

Order 81, by first forcing Iraq’s farmers to use genetically modified  seeds, and then by declaring natural seeds an infringement on Monsanto technology, will result in the sorts of tragedies seen elsewhere in the developing world.  

Order 81, mandated under the dystopian title "Plant Variety Protection,” turns the agricultural world on its head by defining indigenous crops as invasive and GM crops as uniform and stable.

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has called for an immediate moratorium on genetically modified food.  Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation, including upregulation of cytokines associated with asthma, allergy, & inflammation. Animal studies also show altered structure and function of the liver, including altered lipid & carbohydrate metabolism as well as cellular changes that could lead to accelerated aging & possibly lead to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Changes in the kidney, pancreas & spleen have also been documented. http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html

The widespread use of glyphosate (Monsanto's RoundUp) is causing negative impacts on soil & plants as well as possibly animal & human health. These are key findings of Don Huber, emeritus professor of plant pathology, Purdue University. “ignoring potential non-target detrimental side effects of any chemical, especially used as heavily as glyphosate, may have dire consequences for agriculture such as rendering soils infertile, crops non-productive, & plants less nutritious. To do otherwise might well compromise not only agricultural sustainability, but also the health & well-being of animals & humans.”  http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/may10/consequenceso_widespread_glyphosate_use.php

According to the British govt's chief scientific adviser, Prof Sir John Beddington, a new study provides compelling evidence for governments to act NOW or face global famine. The report is the culmination of a 2yr study, involving 400 experts from 35 countries.  The report emphasises changes to farming, to ensure that increasing yields does not come at the expense of sustainability & to provide incentives to the agricultural sector that address malnutrition.

"Monsanto should not have to vouch for the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job." -Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications, quoted in the New York Times, October 25, 1998 

The FDA's Michael Taylor is a lawyer who began his revolving door adventures as counsel to FDA. He then moved to King & Spalding, a private-sector law firm representing Monsanto. In 1991 he returned to the FDA as Deputy Commissioner for Policy, where he was part of the team that issued the agency's decidedly industry-friendly policy on food biotechnology & that approved the use of Monsanto's genetically engineered rGBH in dairy cows. His questionable role in these decisions led to an investigation by the federal General Accounting Office, which eventually exonerated him of all conflict-of-interest charges. In 1994, Mr. Taylor moved to USDA to become administrator of its Food Safety & Inspection Service ... After another stint in private legal practice with King & Spalding, Mr. Taylor again joined Monsanto as Vice President for Public Policy in 1998.

Jerry Crawford, an Iowa lawyer & lobbyist w/deep ties to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, recently registered as the Washington representative for Monsanto. Sen. Kerry, Secretary of State Clinton & Secretary Vilsack are all tight with Crawford.

Vilsack (head of the USDA & ex-Monsanto exec) is an ardent support of corn & soy based biofuels, which use as much or more fossil energy to produce them as they generate, while driving up world food prices and literally starving the poor. "If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." -- Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994

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