By Barbara H. Peterson
USDA’s Monsanto poster boy Vilsack approved deregulated genetically modified (GM) Alfalfa today, January 27, 2011. This is a case precedent for the GM Sugar Beets case coming up next, as well as for all other biotech crops.
Here is a snip from the New York Times:
The agriculture secretary pulled back from a proposal that would have restricted the growing of genetically engineered alfalfa to protect organic farmers.
Pulled back on restricting GM Alfalfa? Vilsack and his Monsanto buddies in the USDA have absolutely no intentions of regulating ANY genetically modified crop. From the article:
The government has long argued that if the crops are determined to be safe, then prohibiting their cultivation or import just because consumers do not want them violates international trading rules.
Introducing restrictions based on economic consequences of pollen drift or consumer preferences would be unscientific, they said.
This is Codex Alimentarius in action. If the government determines that something is safe, then it is against the law to limit its cultivation or trade, even if a majority of the people do not want it! In other words, ‘you take what we give you and like it, because international trade trumps your ability to choose what you do or do not want. It is not up to you, it is up to us, Corp. USA, in collusion with the United Nations to decide what you get.’
But wait, there is more. I have long stated that I was suspect of the lawsuit filed by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) regarding GM Alfalfa. Especially when that organization jumped for joy while declaring victory in the case when there was no victory.
So, while we scramble around desperately searching for someone to believe in, it appears that the Center for Food Safety’s lawsuit actually opened the door to complete deregulation of all biotech crops. The question is, was this an intentional consequence considering that this organization is funded by Rockefeller and Merck?
Can you see the saturation point coming? I can. What happens when organic crops are completely surrounded by GMO crops, and pesticide and gene drift are uncontrollable? Just how long will it take for the USDA to declare that even 100% Organic Certified food can contain a certain percentage of GMO and still be called 100% Organic? Do you trust the same people who completely deregulated GM Alfalfa to actually protect our organic food?
According to the Times article, Organic Certification would not be affected:
Although genetic engineering cannot be used in organic agriculture, an organic farmer would not lose certification under federal rules just because some genetically engineered pollen accidentally drifted onto the farmer’s field, just as the farmer would not lose certification if pesticide drifted in from a nearby field.
Let’s take a look at Germany to see what can and will happen unless something truly miraculous happens. According to GMO Compass:
(11 August 2009) The German Minister for Agriculture, Ilse Aigner (CDU), has presented a standardised logo for food products ‘without gene technology’.
However, that label is not what it appears to be. A little further down in the article it states that in order to obtain this certification, certain GM substances are allowed:
Certain applications of gene technology are permitted in animal-based food products such as milk, eggs or meat, which is cited by representatives of the food industry as the source of a “credibility problem.” Manufacturers do not use the ‘without gene technology’ tag for fear of losing customer trust if it were broadly known that products ‘without gene technology’ actually do not guarantee a general exclusion of gene technology.
Even in Germany, they are reaching a saturation point:
In the use of plant-based raw materials, traces of genetically modified plants and particularly of soy and maize cannot be ruled out with absolute certainty, even in the case that ‘gene-technology-free’ raw materials were purchased.
Hello Codex Alimentarius, goodbye freedom of choice. With a little sleight of hand trickery, “without gene technology” becomes “with only a little gene technology.” And who is the wiser? Surely not the people buying the food. So do you really think that the National Organics Program here in the USA, will be any different? If you do, I have some ocean-front property in Arizona that I’d like to sell you.
© 2011 Barbara H. Peterson
Tags: alfalfa, Barbara H. Peterson, cfs, Codex, court, deregulated, farmwars, GMO, organic, USDA, vilsack
I was talking to my son recently about Monsanto terrorism tactics and he suggested a simple answer to the whole thing-
If an insurance company can rightfully deny paying a claim due to an act of God i.e lightning storm causing a fire, tornado blowing a house over, high winds tearing a roof off then how can Monsanto rightfully claim that a farmer violated their patent when the wind blew the pollen onto private property that in no way wanted to use GM seeds? Maybe somewhere out there someone is smart enough to use that, all lawyers back the insurance industry for it now how about the people trying to feed us.
Time’s a wasting, folks. Unless Obama overturns this decision, GM alfalfa will be in the ground in the spring. Get on the phone, sign the petitions, call your Congressperson, complain to your health food retailer, tell your friends. We need a groundswell of activity … now.
As usual you libs are in denial about who is in control. Not one of the comments above has mentioned Obama, our President. He appointed Vilsack. He has been talking out of both sides of his mouth since he has been elected. He is suppose to be a friend of Organic, but not taking Vilsack to the woodshed is typical of Obama. He could care less about organic agriculture, even though Kathlyeen Marigan, a pro organic person was appointed by the Democrats. This is all about big government, and central control of our agriculture. For example SB 510 which has good intentions, will squish small farmers, making it impossible to absorb cost associated with food saftey. This also goes for the suppliers of organic fertilizers. Only the large suppliers will survive. They love regulations because it eliminates the competition.
I know a lot of people hate the large cooperations, but it is the government, the largest “cooperation” of all, that will ruin family farmers of America. It is time we stand up for local control of our farms, a market driven farm, not a regulation driven economy. The farmer knows more than the regulators of Washington D.C. There are more people working at the USDA than there are farmers in the U.S. Isn’t that awful? Wake up America!!
Stephen
Dear USDA, for an entity who’s purpose originates as one of which, to guard our health, you conflict with this principal in entirety, by endorsing the deregulation of GMO alfalfa. Your title and actions are now corrupted. This is a food war which only harms yourself, while harming the health of everyone else.
“Although genetic engineering cannot be used in organic agriculture, an organic farmer would not lose certification under federal rules just because some genetically engineered pollen accidentally drifted onto the farmer’s field, just as the farmer would not lose certification if pesticide drifted in from a nearby field.”
The drift of pollen or pesticide cannot be deemed accidental, as buffer zones are to be in place to control pesticide drift from conventional fields, and organic crops affected by spray, have in the past, been prohibited as being sold as organic. This displays a major shift in the overall organic paradigm. It also raises the question as to how it would be determined if it was drift or deliberate usage, thereby blurring the rules in favor of outright usage while still being labeled as “Organic”.
So many of us, so few of them.
Pity we don’t have a Law for Global Ecocide. The US would be found guilty in a flash. That is the entirety of the US I am referring to here.
If your wondering why, well its simple. You all allowed this to happen. You trusted and voted for these corporate supporting crooks. You still buy the products of the corporations and support their empires and you still find yourselves scrabbling over the 1% of the wealth they allow you to have access to. Even this they want from you and still you vote for them, and still you buy their products, and still you believe in the same corporate supporting crooks.
How many more times must they kick you in the teeth before you get the hint that they don’t give a shit about you or anyone except their profits and their power over you?
You are all culpable of the crime which now threatens the entire future safety of global agriculture because of this one single precedent set by Vilsack. And it was you that put him in power with your votes. Not directly maybe but your votes enabled the appointment to be made.
Nice one US of A!
This time USDA are very insane but monsanto is losing fight around the world, the end for them is near!
If they were so proud of these frankenfoods, label ’em up! Let Vilsack eat this crap for a year and see how he feels.
And why oh why do we in America have to feed the entire world? Only we know how to farm? I don’t think so.
Farmers in CO all excited about the new Alfalfa…won’t have to work so hard for their greed at innocent people’s expense. Just downright evil. I can only hope they choke on it. Like most others will. Maybe it’s all the fluoride they drink that has brainwashed them into thinking this is good. Or maybe they got zapped by H.A.A.R.P. or maybe the chemtrails are doing it to their brains. Wait, apparently they have no brains!
The real Plan, at work….
Make all plants so their seeds are infertile…
Every planting will have to be done with new purchased seeds….
Guess who sells the seeds…
Then Guess who controls our food supply?
Seeds were sent to Haiti and Africa. The natives immediately burned the seeds so they would not make the plants they all ready had infertile…
Capitalism at it’s best…..
At least I will know who to sue when that lab alfalfa gets on my land.
For all the biotech companies who think they can play god, this is still an experiment on our generation, the effects of which we will see on our children’s children. You blundering fools for widening the unhealthy plight of the world. Your young will also suffer the consequences.
Special interest money can buy – a clean bill of health. Why don’t you just poison everybody and get it over with? So what was the big problem with alfalfa in the first place? Oh you couldn’t patent it ? I see now. When one company controls all the seeds on the earth – people ought to start getting concerned. Roundup is a poison….. it is not a benefit to earth or man. But that OK with Vlisack the Monsanto guy. The fox is watching the hens again but who’s watching the foxes?
The meek shall inherit the Earth, and the Earth Destroyers shall perish under the fire they created. Shame on You Tom Vlisack, may your children and their children curse you and change their name for it is now synonymous with the death of freedom and destruction of nature.
You make me sick to my stomach, but don’t think that it is going to stop us, We are the People of the New Earth, the Rainbow Warriors. Our time has come to Stand Up and Shine the Light upon the darkness.
Prepare for the quickening. We now stand at the edge.
So consumers, organic and non gmo farmers will be contaminated……Take the devil by the horns and gather up the GMO pollen and go to the fields where monsanto grows their seed and release the terminator gene. Thus no seed will sprout. No more GMO seeds. Wonder if regulation will be the order of the day then. All this talk about weaponized GMO’s no dont tell.
As the name “Quisling” became synonymous with treachery during WW2in Norway; “Vilsack” should become to mean exactly the same in this era.
Thus a “Vilsack” would be a traitor to humanity and not just a nation.
Pass it along and start to name and shame venal treacherous,anti-human scumbags as “Vilsacks”.