Today’s Feeding the World Conference in London will address the hotly debated use of genetically modified(GM) crops to address the global food crisis (apologies to British readers who didn’t get the word sooner).  While proponents of GM crops argue that the benefits of increased yields and nutritional value outweigh concerns over genetic manipulation, recent studies are reinforcing support for organic solutions to  global food concerns.  I fully believe that GM crops are not the answer, and that we can find ways address the problems of worldwide hunger through organic methods.  There are too many risks involved with GM crops, which place control of food in the hands of a few multinational corporations and reduces food security.  Many people argue that we already produce enough food to feed everyone and that the real problem lies in the politics of distribution.

Here is an excerpt from a  panel discussion at the Slow Food Conference some of us attended over Labor Day weekend, with Vandana Shiva laying it down about GM technology:

takepart and learn more with Participant Media’s upcoming film Food, Inc.

Those sweet little kisses from Hersheys might actually be con artists stringing you along. With alluring language about how they create a wonderful experience and are a little product with a big future they are actually a relationship gone bad once you discover the hidden truths of your mate. What’s so bad about a KISS from Hershey’s? Well, it’s a modern element that has been added to the century-old recipe: Genetically Modified Sugar Beet. This Monsanto Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) has a staggering amount of toxic chemicals (allowed by our FDA) and is one more way that Monsanto is quietly trying to put GMOs into as much of our diets as possible. Brazilians have already told Hershey’s and Monsanto that they don’t want to eat GMOs in their kisses. Help to stop the global assault of our food by Monsanto. Start today! takepart by telling Hersheys to say no to Monsanto’s GM Sugar Beets today!

(Photo: define23’s Flickr Photostream)

Moooove over rBGH, Monsanto wants to get rid of you. As Gina reported earlier, reports that Monsnato is looking to getter a better image and “gain consumer acceptance,” They are going to need an awfully good publicist. Let’s be honest, Monsanto controls our food chain and they are the furthest thing from a good corporate citizen.

But any step in the right direction has to be celebrated- especially one that brings us closer to rBGH-free milk

takepart with Food and Water Watch and sign their petition to help maintain this momentum.

Related:

Hungry for Change

Monsanto Looks to Sell Dairy Hormone Business
Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear

Biotech food villain Monsanto is trying to change their public image by deciding to do away with the part of their company that produces an artificial growth hormone for dairy cows.

On the surface this is good news, as it signals that consumers are purchasing dairy from non-hormone treated cattle and this retailers are not carrying products without the unnatural hormones. The bad news? With the dairy business out of the way, Monsanto plans to focus more on “its thriving business of selling seeds and developing ways to improve crops.”

If you give a watch to the trailer below (or read here) I’m sure you’ll see that that is in no way good news:

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Katie Halper:

Necklacing Returns to South Africa, Tutu Calls for Peace, and History Repeats Itself

Ted Kennedy’s Malignant Brain Tumor: Sad News, But the Work Goes On

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Nicole Hughes:

Bush’s Food Aid Package Promotes Use of GMOs

Gas Prices Exceed Those of 1973 Oil Crisis

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Andy Kondrat:

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Could Cost US 38 Trillion Annually

USDA Budget Squeeze Forces Agency to Stop Tracking Pesticide Use

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Jon Popham:

Brooklyn Bridge Birthday Celebration!

Smokey the Bear: Environmental Icon

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Giulia Rozzi:

Suicide Tourism in New York City

Kristin Davis and Her Solar Powered Home

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Gina Telaroli:

Media That Matters Film Festival Premieres on May 28th

Top 10 Ways Indiana Jones Saved the World: Part #1

The Bush administration has added controversial language to a $770 million world food aid package that would promote the use of genetically modified crops (GMOs) in nations suffering from food shortages. The use of GMOs is a widely disputed issue in both the US and abroad, with some countries in Europe banning them entirely. Proponents say that GMOs can create higher crop yields and survive harsher climates than regular crops.

Opponents say GMOs can cause allergies and other medical problems in those who consume them. They also contend that this additional language to the food aid package is really meant to benefit agro-business firms like Monsanto, one of the biggest chemical companies in the world, and the technology provider for 90 percent of the world’s genetically engineered crops.

The World According to Monsanto 1 of 4 27min

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How the use of rBGH, aka recombinant bovine growth hormone, affects human health is unclear. We do know that it’s bad for the cows, causing all kinds of health problems, including painful udder infections.No wonder consumers prefer to buy milk that’s labeled “rBGH-free.” In fact, so many people are paying a premium for rBGH-free milk that sales of dairy products from farmers who use the Monsanto-made hormone are suffering.So now Monsanto’s fighting back by pushing the state of Pennsylvania to ban, beginning on February 1st, the use of milk carton labels that tell you whether that milk comes from cows treated with rBGH. Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Ag—a former dairy farmer himself”insists the ban is necessary to protect “confused consumers.”

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