It’s a nice idea to develop crops that are disease and pestilence free. We could feed the world. The problem is GMO food crops have become so prevalent and are becoming our primary source of food --what happens if an unforeseeable disease comes along that only affects GMO crops? It could literally wipe out the world’s ability to feed people overnight.

Silly or serious --choice is always good.

Thank-you for my wiki reference of the day. wink

Heirloom seeds do not produce sterile plants. Nor have they the component that in theory makes them resistant to an herbicide, which then excuses the application of ever higher amounts of herbicide. Some of which inevitably finds its way to your dinnertable.

I typically haven't cared much about the Organic label but in researching some stuff yesterday about early puberty I came across some articles about "Endocrine Disruptors" which makes me want to give it some more thought and research.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/art...

Actually I would recommend making both those choices. You don't mess with a design--and that's what life is, a design--that has stood the test of time. I also have heard reports of serious illnesses, including birth defects, in farmhands who work GMO crops--especially the "RoundUp-Ready" crops, after the planter sprays them heavily with the glyphosphate-containing herbicide sold under the trade name RoundUp.

because it's amorphous. Hell, even heritage seeds have some genetic modification. I guess you'd have to draw an arbitrary line and say a particular year or strain. it makes more sense to say "organic" although I find that hugely ironic :)

Why not label. I always feel more information is better.

Almost anything you eat has a GMO component. Why label? Everyone wants Monsanto to be the big evil. Thry are crony alright. But most of the cutting edge research is done at universities. Kansas State, db 's under graduate alma mater, for one. I mean if you are buying a tomato at the super market it 's seeds are GMO.

To me the key word is "choice". If I choose to eat organic or non GMO foods that is my choice. Why are growers of GMO foods so reluctant to label their product? In a free market the consumer would be offered a choice between the two and the sales volume would determine the rest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wo...

Lots of lime too :)

"The black tongued Chow Chow was also bred for human consumption." -- Wikipedia "Chow Chow"

From Liberty Voice: "While Monsanto is celebrating increased profits and earnings results, those concerned about the health and well-being of bee colonies remain troubled about the company’s track record of killing bees. We all depend on bees to pollinate our plant food, as does Monsanto. Yet the agribusiness colossus continues to undertake activities which appear to be decimating bee populations throughout the world.

Colony Collapse Disorder is a major threat to all of us. Studies estimate that nearly one-third of the honeybee population has been wiped out." -- http://guardianlv.com/2014/04/monsant...

From ProLiberty (reprinted from the Idaho Observer)"
"In July, 2007, the German corn crop was infested with the rootworm. The German government ordered that every possible method should be used to eradicate this pest, including the use of clothianidin. Shortly after the seeds were planted, in May of 2008, some 330-million bees abruptly died.

According to the German Research Center for Cultivated Plants, 29 out of 30 dead bees had been killed by direct contact with clothianidin." -- http://proliberty.com/observer/200904...

From Prison Planet / Infowars:
"The Illinois Ag Dept. illegally seized privately owned bees from renowned naturalist, Terrence Ingram, without providing him with a search warrant and before the court hearing on the matter, reports Prairie Advocate News.
Behind the obvious violations of his Constitutional rights is Monsanto. Ingram was researching Roundup’s effects on bees, which he’s raised for 58 years. “They ruined 15 years of my research,” he told Prairie Advocate, by stealing most of his stock." -- http://planet.infowars.com/health/bee...

Motley Fool remains cautious:
"At this point, we cannot say that neonics alone are the leading contributor to honey bee population declines. That doesn't necessarily let Bayer and Syngenta off the hook for their use of neonics, or Monsanto for its use of pesticides that could have unintended effects on honey bees, but investors and consumers need to remember that multiple factors play a role in fluctuating bee populations. Parasitic fungi, parasitic mites, pesticides, temperature, and more likely combine to put pressure on honey bee colonies -- so it's irresponsible to focus on any one culprit in this case. For now, it appears that neonics are as risky as their current labels suggest. Nothing more, and nothing less." -- http://www.fool.com/investing/general...

The crop in question is corn (maize). While corn does have a place at the table, most of it is grown to produce high fructose corn syrup, perhaps the worst of all common "food" products.

...but bad for the bees... Put "Monsanto bees" in your search engine. Just read the patriotic and conservative websites, if you want.

Organic and non-GMO are two different things. I have not been to a major league baseball game in five years, but the next time I go, I will have a hotdog, and it will not kill me. However, over the course of your lifetime, all those pesticides and herbicides add up. They make you sick in ways you cannot easily detect. Pesticides destroy the central nervous systems of insects. What are the effects on you? (Forget where you put your keys? Drop something on the way to the fridge?) With organic foods, you avoid that.

GMO is a different issue entirely, and a silly one at that. At our co-op, they sell "organic pluots." A pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot. (Say what?)

Much of it is raising prices for a fad driven by zealots and conspiracy theorists, but sometimes there is food coming from dubious sources grown by dubious methods for which "organic" is a healthier substitute. Consumer Reports May 2015, p 31 published a table of fruits and vegetables to what to watch out for and what reputable sources to look for.

"Non-GMO" is for anti-technology phobics opposed to genetic variations that produce superior food in taste, storage, etc. Most seeds you buy for a vegetable garden are hybrid varieties, dogs are bred for superior traits and special breeds (but don't eat them!), etc. They are all "genetically modified".

I make a point of avoiding things labeled organic and non-GMO. It's good for my pocketbook and good for the world.