I will give people credit, where credit is due: thank you for caring for the worlds' less fortunate.
OK! Great, good on ya! I do mean that. I have seen peoples' contributions from western countries benefit peoples living in Third World Countries (I have lived abroad).
I think most folks who posted here probably have a genuine concern for the worlds poor. I believe that whole-heartedly.
Let's skip this subject, shall we?
Most western countries, including my own (Canada) have a drug testing (FDA: USA, right?), that tests, and regulates drugs etc., in their respective countries; agricultural studies fall into these departments as well sometimes.
Most medicines/drugs are tested upon a 'test group' compared to a 'control' group, to study the affects of various medicines etc., on the human population.
GMO's, excluded? I should think not. I am sure that there is some testing done, but considering the impact of such technology, I am not so quick to 'jump for joy' at any perceived biological technology that is supposedly going to 'save the world'.
On more than a few television documentaries, much light has been shed on the practice of GMO crops/foods.
In Canada, an interesting 'ooops..' took place, with some GMO seeds blowing into the field of a non-GMO using farmer. The results were not positive. But if you call profit: positive, then congratulations.
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2001/10/12/consumers/farmersgmlawsuit_011012
http://www.tv.cbc.ca/national/pgminfo/canola/
I won't go into my previous studies, but in biology, and botany, there is this thing called: a control study, or control.
That means, we have something that is comparitive to the point of reference (previous studies: pick one/many)....you get my drift.
In this case: GMO.
We're not talking Mendel's laws here. Far from it.
This is way above and beyond what we've encountered in modern times: with little to no test/control period, to compare what we know, and what we don't know.....
.....that being said, oh....the Third World.
What a great candidate.
Use them as our 'control' / 'test' ground and see what happens; considering they're going to 'die anyways' (sarcasm mine).
They don't call them, Frankenfoods for nothing.
Honestly, I think most of you have a great deal of concern for the poor around the world, but why should we dump our 'adolescent technology' upon them?
I'm fearful of what we may come up with in 10-20 years and beyond.
There are bigger issues at hand than merely 'crops'.
It's NOT that cut and dry.
Monsanto and companies like them, do not garner my trust.
Too fast/too quick/too soon. I don't like the thought of my fellow 'poor' man/woman abroad as my test/control subjects, to see if maybe....it's OK/not OK.
I dunno, remember some of the articles written about the polio vaccines in Africa? No?
Sure we can argue, 'many people will die'. Yeah, but if we look at the dynamics at play, there's more than just a dried up dusty crop in the front yard.....overseas.
And I have lived overseas in a third world country. There are dynamics that are in play that are not tangible to many of us living in Western Countries.
I don't think Greenpeace is in the business of killing/starving people. They are far more accountable than that dismissive comment or many of the knee-jerk remarks I've seen made here.
10-20 years from now, without any accountability or 'control' of GMO food/seed items in the Third World, who knows what we'll be in for.
Greenpeace is not about short term: long term folks......long term.....that's what law suits are sometimes based upon in the 20/20 retrospective hindsight of things.
Most of what ails the third world is not crops/food/water, but cultural/religious.
Anyone seen the news lately?
You probably have a good idea, to some limited extent of what I'm talking about.
Thanks for bearing with me.
Respectfully yours,
Ray
