Summary of the Documentary 'The Future of Food'

A look at genetically modified foods and the powerful pesticide corporation Monsanto, who just so happens to have a few friends in the U.S. government. Includes stories from real farmers about how Monsanto is going after them, destroying their livlihood

The Department of Agriculture

The Food and Drug Administration

The Environmental Protection Agency

All are involved in regulating food and overseeing the food supply to ensure its safety (including genetically engineered foods).

 

Dan Quale, in the first Bush administration, headed the Competiveness Council (1992), to deregulate the Genetically Altered Food Industry. Deregulation, it was insisted, would allow for the increased selling of these products, which would supposedly thrust the American position in this promising field, to the top of the game, as the first in the world to market this food, against volumnes of disagreement from FDA scientists, who contended that the need to test the food was imperative given it could be toxic at the worst and at the very least could cause lowered nutrition producing plants, allergic reactions, create immune problems (which it had done in lab rats), and could add adverse complications to the environment.

 

Michael Taylor, Deputy (Commissioner for Policy, FDA ~ worked at King and Spaldo as Monsanto's Senior Counsel) was brought in to help solve the problem of the FDA's refusal to allow deregulation. Michael Taylor wrote the regulations, which were effectively no regulations (1992), which is now U.S. policy. Monsanto and government regulatory agency people are the same people. Smart, huh? Linda Fisher is another such person; She was the Executive Vice President for Monsanto Corporation, then the Deputy Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. Now that explains why the EPA will not respond or look into the problem of chemtrails in this country, which many have tried to point out and question the EPA about. Linda Fisher flip flops from working for Monsanto to the EPA. Back and forth, three times already, during both Bush administrations. Others who are guilty of this serious conflict of interest fraud; Justice Clarence Thomas Supreme Court Justice, who was also Monsanto's Lawyer for Regulatory Affairs. Micky Kantor, Secretary of Commerce was also on the Board of Directors for Monsanto. Lidia Watrud of the Environmental Protection Agency, was also a Biotech Researcher for Monsanto. Anne Veneman Secretary of Agriculture, was on the Board of Directors for Calgene, which was purchased by Monsanto. Michael Friedman, Acting Commissioner for the FDA, worked as Senior VP for GD Searle, a division of Monsanto. William Ruckelshaus, Chief Administrator for the EPA, worked as a Monsanto Board Member. Donald Rumsfeld, infamous Secretary of Defense, worked as President of Searle, a subsidiary of Monsanto. This is probably a very short list, as an example of the improper relationships between Monsanto Corporation and the U.S. governmental bodies whose job is to regulate the safety of its products, which just so happens to include much of the food you now eat.

 

John Ashcroft, Attorney General of the U.S., responded to one farmers request by letter, for help in Monsanto's efforts to destroy him and other farmers' livelihood and possibly the safety of the food supply, by stating that it was not the government's job to interfere in such private matters, but then submitted briefings to the Supreme Court, praying for protection of corporate patents, which the farmer begged for relief from. So the government does involve itself in such private matters, only it involves itself in protecting these corporate giants and their efforts to manipulate not only food but to destroy farmers who balk at complying with Monsanto's efforts to take over and permanently alter the food supply and the very foundations of farming principles. Both the earth's natural ability to reproduce and it's quality produce replaced by unnatural, untested toxic produce. John Ashcroft's interests were being served you see, by campaign contributions, the largest of any other candidate in the 2000 election, by Monsanto. At the very core of the problem is conflict of interest, the illegality of campaign contributions, and short-sighted ambitious, greedy politicians. Money ultimately overides all sensibility and certainly overrides loyalty to the purpose of some politician's official duties.

 

Corn

Wheat

Soy Bean

Cotton

These U.S. crops have been among the first, targeted for genetic modification and are subsidized by the tax payers through governmental subsidies. By supporting farm subsidies in America, the taxpayer is paying for genetically modified research and its resulting products. While this makes them cheaper than some international sources, there is growing resistance from foreign countries to buy these U.S. products, simply because the genetically modified seeds, over time, weed out and destroy the various types of for example a particular type of corn. These seeds are designed to work in conjunction with Roundup, a pesticide, which is produced and marketed by Monsanto. In fact, they won't grow unless sprayed with the toxic pesticide, regardless of whether or not a pesticide is necessary. In Mexico, there are many, many different types of corn, providing many different flavors and many different corn types which grow in different weather conditions. Mexico is struggling to keep the historical genetic diversity, while the genetically modified seed has made its way into their crops, most likely through farmers who have bought some of these cheaper U.S. products. Genetically altered wheat somehow made it into Thailand and was traced back to the U.S.. Apparantly it was not legal to market the product internationally and is another example of how easily this modified seed can spread, even where it is not wanted.

 

Genetically modified research is now, mostly supported by the companies who produce these products, even in universities, where historically, research could be done to answer questions about the safety and the effects of status quo thought, like these types of crops. Funding is being taken over by the very rich corporations producing it, altering the unbiased nature of research historically done by universities. One companiy patented a discovered breast cancer cell or gene and now researchers can be sued to pay huge fines to research the discovery, something that they should be able to do without interference from money making corporations. Why are all of these patents on living things being allowed in the U.S.? It is all about making money! Why is it seemingly so easy? Well, the co-owner of the Terminator Gene patent is the U.S. government. This is a seed gene designed to render seeds useless after crops are grown, a suicide seed which grows the crop, but which doesn't leave the farmer with reproducible seed, the natural way faming has been done since the dawn of time.

 

Seeds are being developed to be reliant upon the use of pesticides to grow. This is alarming given the toxic nature of pesticides. Attempts to deregulate organic farming standards has also been targeted, to allow such unnatural practices as allowing traces of certain amounts of sewage and the use of genetically modifying methods among others so contrary to organic growing. Consumers fought back and were successful in thwarting those attempts. There is a growing organic alternative, fighting this genetically modified wave. Buying locally grown, seasonal organic foods is one way to improve the quality of the foods we eat, as well as supporting this growing effort to fight back. Ask about growing methods and only buy clean, natural produce and meats. The genetic modifiers are now modifying fish and will move on to other animals commonly farmed for food. At the very least, we must insist the government require labeling so these foods can be avoided and that data can be compiled on the effects of these foods on people who are consuming them. Whether we like it or not, we are lab rats! Take the initiative, find out more, support local, organic farmers. We can fight all day long and never get anywhere, it's what consumers are buying and consuming that drives the market. When consumers don't like and buy a product they are taken off the market! Monsanto is bullying farmers with lawsuits and hefty fines to use their methods. Once these methods are entrenched, plants that have been around since the beginnings of time, will become extinct or will be owned by these pesticide companies. Demand labeling and steer clear of these products. Drive the markets, this is serious business, folks!

 

References

thefutureoffood.com

The Future of Food (a documentary)