Now USDA Has Deregulated Genetically Engineered Bio-Fuel Corn!
February 15, 2011
This threat to edible corn comes on top of GE alfalfa (a major, major threat to organic agriculture) and GE sugarbeets. Please take action on this vital issue.
Last Friday, the US Department of Agriculture announced it would deregulate a type of industrial corn genetically engineered to produce an enzyme that speeds the breakdown of starch into sugar, which would increase efficiency in making ethanol. The agency concluded the crop does not pose a plant risk.
For once, natural health advocates are voicing the same concerns as the corn industry. The Center for Food Safety says that bio-fuel corn “will inevitably contaminate food-grade corn, and could well trigger substantial rejection in our corn export markets, hurting farmers.”
Five major US trade associations whose member companies process and export corn and corn products agree. They say the product—if inadvertently commingled with general commodity corn at even very low levels—will have significant adverse effects on food product quality and performance.
Fears about the genetic contamination of corn echo concerns about Monsanto’s mutant alfalfa—that it will likely destroy organic alfalfa altogether because the crop is so invasive and its seeds are so easily spread by the wind. The danger of contamination of non-genetically altered species is extremely high, despite half-hearted attempts at “usage guidelines.” Organic alfalfa, in turn, is essential for organic meat production.
In an article at TruthOut, reporter Mike Ludwig noted that House Committee on Agriculture members pressed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to fully deregulate Roundup Ready alfalfa and reject the proposal to geographically isolate it from traditional alfalfa. Upon learning that the USDA had fully deregulated the genetically engineered grain, committee chair Frank Lucas (R-OK) said, “I am pleased that USDA used sound science and respected the limit of its statutory authority to make this decision.”
Monsanto was one of the top contributors to Lucas’s campaign committee in 2010. A political action committee and individuals associated with Monsanto donated $11,000 to his campaign last year, and Lucas has received $1,247,844 from the agribusiness industry during his political career, according to watchdog site OpenSecrets.org. Lucas was elected chairman of the Agriculture Committee in December.
Deregulation of genetically engineered alfalfa, sugarbeets, and now bio-fuel corn—what’s next? We must overturn these disastrous decisions. If you have not done so already, please see our recent Action Alert on alfalfa, which now includes both bio-fuel corn and sugarbeets, and send your message to the USDA, Congress and to President Obama today!
TO SEND YOUR MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT, Click THIS LINK to go to the Action Alert page. Once there, fill out the form with your name and address, etc., and customize your letter. We have a suggested message for you, but please feel free to add your own comments to the letter. We’d also love to hear your comments about this article—just add your thoughts below—but remember that the messages below are only seen by our ANH-USA readers and not Congress, the USDA, etc.
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We’re quickly becoming a Frankenstein food producing society strongly influenced by bureaucratic policies which don’t care about the well being of its citizens. Shame on you USDA for this deregulation and your selfish agenda to continously promote capitalistic control over peoples livelihood. This is not a democracy. It’s a dictatorship
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1704554/posts http://
(NO on Prop. 87, 2006 An ethanol support)
Clean Air Performance Professionals
Charlie Peters President
(510) 537-1796
[email protected]
Federal ethanol policy increases Government motors oil use and Big oil profit.
It is reported that today California is using Brazil sugar cane ethanol at $0.16 per gal increase over using GMO corn fuel ethanol. In this game the cars and trucks get to pay and Big oil profits are the result that may be ready for change.
We do NOT support AB 523 or SB 1396 unless the ethanol mandate is changed to voluntary ethanol in our gas.
Folks that pay more at the pump for less from Cars, trucks, food, water & air need better, it is time.
The car tax of AB 118 Nunez is just a simple Big oil welfare program, AAA questioned the policy and some folks still agree.
AB 523 & SB 1326 are just a short put (waiver) from better results.
GOOGLE: Prop 87 (510) 537-1796
simply put- not good
These Government organizations are supposed to protect Americans. Since These, FDA, USDA, have been infiltrated by Corporations with in their ranks. We the people must demand this practice ends. Corporate donations should never influence these agencies. Welcome to a Government that is about to Doom all inhabitants of America and else where with these GM products. We must vote these people out of office. We must demand no corporations are allowed to make decisions when it comes to these organizations, or we shut them down and create non profit organizations that have the final say as to what gets planted for all consuming mamals.
“Organic” is much like “Kosher”, a religious rule not backed by science that allows some producers to charge far more for a similar product.
The “Organic” producers make unsubstantiated claims to frighten consumers away from virtually identical non-organic products such as GMO corn and reap a profit from doing so. When their own varieties (of mixed but indeterminate genetic origin) risk acquiring some genes from engineered varieties they complain that this will destroy their industry.
It will only harm the organic industry if organic consumers acting out of irrational fear of even the tiniest trace of engineered genes stop purchasing the organic product.
How could that ever happen?
All these GMO products scare me. What is done now can never be undone.
Please help us stop this ongoing travesty of our rights. The FDA and huge corporations are being allowed to contaminate our food legally! I personally do not wish to eat ‘fuel’.
Is this a free country anymore?….Obviously no one is listening to the people, to us
…we may have the right to voice our opinions on issues, but nothing is being done about this. The people who are behind this must have an alternate food supply or they love money so much that it has blinded their judgement to their own demise and that of their children. This is unconstitutional..to effect our food supply like this without our approval!
Our government paid all these farmers to grow bio-fuel corn……and now we find out that a lot of this corn is also bio-engineered…it has been growing here unrestricetd already before this alert came out. The government doesn’t seem to be concerned about getting vehicles to burn this fuel…now we have a glut of this corn and they want people to eat it. Anyone feel like having nice fresh corn on the cob this summer after reading this?
Where do you think all this corn syrup came from ….and now we see the propaganda about sugar is sugar on TV.
What about the family farmers who have been talked into planting the GE foods???? Once people find out their crops are GE…who really wants to buy their produce? So then they’re wiped out.
NIce plan here…..it seems to me that this is a sneaky way to force GE foods on people…what are you going to eat, if you don’t eat GE foods? The question is why are we doing this? We’re unable to grow healthy hatural food now? GE foods are going to end world hunger, too, right?
This already happened in Canada a few years back….I don’t know what the health consequences have been, but the organic crops next to the GE crops were contaminated.
There will be no natural foods left in the world…….this is not what we want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The people behind this have stock and other interests in Bio-tech….they want to ride the Bio-tech wave to additonal wealth….this wealth is going to exact a heavy price….our very lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stop this GE and cloned foods movement now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is obviously a conflict of interest and Luca should not even be involved. Do not be a part of this. Protect the environment and the people.
As consumers and as parents, we must DEMAND that we have access to clean, non-gmo foods and seeds. It is our RIGHT to have clean, healthy foods, not forced to eat/grow synthetic, unhealthy crops just so Monsanto, et al, make obscene profits worldwide. We have to JUST SAY NO – no to chemical-soaked foods!!! If more people will buy local, fresh foods, and also start small home gardens, you can then be assured of healthy foods, as well as support small and parttime farmers. We have to also be active online – - – I’m an online activist, every single day, on this issue and others. Email corporations, politicians, newspapers – let them know what YOU think; they do look at numbers – emails, phone calls, etc. – get others involved; it’s the only way we’ll win -
Eugenics is a mighty big industry just google it to find out who is involved. Be ready for a rude awakening.
We need to let our crop seeds in their natural state. Anytime you alter a product from its
natural origin leads to disastrous consequences. We have to stop these practices and start
thinking of our citizens health safety and protecting our organic farming. Monsanto is a huge
company whose only interest is profit. Politicans who support Monsanto and agencies such as the USDA are thinking only of their own selfish interests. Their own children and grandchildren
will be effected by altered crops. What’s next?
Please protect our health and stop deregulating genetically modified crops. You are supposed to represent us and not corporations.
I for one DO NOT want to eat genetically altered foods!! I don’t understand the purpose-do these politicians know what the results and effects are on the human body after ingesting, nature and animals? No – don’t mess with it!!
PLEASE leave the organic foods alone. I don’t want genetically engineered alfalfa, sugarbeets & now bio-fuel corn. This does not help overall health of our country!
Thank you,
Debbie Starks
There is no stupidity like human stupidity.
we are destroying our food sources by doing this… we must stop before it is too late to go back…
How in the world, could you deregulate putting Genetically engineered food out into the world. This has to be one of the most dangerous decisions yet. I don’t think it should done, let alone deregulated.
Corn is wind pollinated. Are these people crazy?
Please OPPOSE deregulation of GE alfalfa
Corn-based ethanol was and is a bad idea, but this is far worse. The government and the chemical companies need to get off the farmer’s back.
The farmers and populations who stand to suffer most from GMO technologies are those who are accustomed to subsistence farming methods requiring them to save seeds, compost, and practice integrated pest management. Farmers who have switched to GMO seeds have become dependent on companies such as Monsanto to supply them with new seed annually, in addition to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides required to grow many GMO crops. This dependence creates a cycle of debt for formerly self-reliant farmers.
In the United States, the patenting of GMO seeds has provided companies like Monsanto legal leverage to litigate against farmers who save their own seeds, if their seed becomes contaminated through cross-pollination with GMO crops. There is no clear intention by GMO scientists to solve food and hunger crises when GMO crops are creating an increasing reliance of farmers on non-renewable resources and unsustainable farming methods, and GMO seed corporations are engaging in frivolous lawsuits against farmers who are practicing the time-honored tradition of seed saving.
What we need is an alternative to the current for-profit model of GMO seed production and distribution. We need a non-profit organization dedicated to developing new food crop varieties that can be cultivated using traditional and organic methods, and whose genes are not protected by patents and frivolous lawsuits, permitting subsistence farmers to save seeds and control our own destinies. As long as the technology of GMO crops is sown by the hands of for-profit corporations, everyone except for these companies and their stockholders will continue to be on the losing end of this technology, whose benefits we should all be in a position to reap.
Please help us stop this ongoing travesty of our rights. The FDA and huge corporations are being allowed to contaminate our food legally! I personally do not wish to eat ‘fuel’.
There is no way to prevent cross-pollination between GM and non-GM corn. Corn is a wind-pollinated crop and the pollen can travel fom field to field quite easily. The same is true with alfalfa, an insect-pollinated crop, where the pollen can travel just as far as the insect carrying it. The danger of contamination of non-genetically altered species is extremely high, despite half-hearted attempts at “usage guidelines.”
Five major US trade associations whose member companies process and export corn and corn products agree. They say that this GM corn—if inadvertently commingled with general commodity corn at even very low levels—will have significant adverse effects on food product quality and performance.
Again we are faced with Mindless lack of concern for life and intentional murder.
Overturn the USDA’s decision to allow the deregulation of the industrial corn which is genetically engineered. Do you listen to anyone that you were put in place to represent ? It appears that you do not care about doing what is right for the health of everyone concerned. Prove that you do instead of letting Monsanto and agribusiness dictate your vote !!!!!!
Monsanto is changing the world in a negative way. The USDA does not always have the best interests of the public in mind. I am very concerned about the future we are leaving for our children and grand-children.
The recent push to deregulate GMO crops is unconscionable, the reasons given lacking in veracity. These crops are not better, they do not give a higher yield than other crops. They do contaminate the soil, they contaminate the ground water, and they contaminate nearby crops. They, due to the increase herbicides needed for these crops,are dangerous to humans and animals. The Southwest area of the US has had a plague of “Pig Weed” due to the installation of the GMO crops. These weeds can take over a field within a year, nothing can kill them and their root systems depleat the soil of any nutrients. These crops are bad for the environment and the living creatures living within, this includes people.
And why shouldn’t we be equally as concerned about the “food” GMO corn? I don’t understand. I do understand it’s dangerous to our health and environment, why the double standard?
IT’S A HUGE MISTAKE TO PLAY WITH NATURE LIKE THIS.
Once again political contributions persuaded these CORRUPT politicians to endorse bad science!
our government is wrong, so wrong. they want to kill most of us off, so they will have more money to throw away on their own stupid agendas, and their pensions and health insurance.
I don’t care if my reply isnt printed. I will not moderate my thoughts or words, many others feel the same as I.
Dear All,
It’s NOW time to WAKE UP and start to make SMARTER choices. We can only do this once we are conscious/mindful of how we vote. We vote daily by where we place our feet, what we watch, where we put our $ & £ and ultimately what we put in our mouths!
My invite is for anyone reading this to EMPOWER themselves and vote as local as you can. Get to know your local farmers, buy locally grown produce.
Too many people are victims of Big Pharma and GMO. Our time is NOW to make the necessary distinctions in our lives that will allow our children and their children to have a healthy birthright.
As always, have FUN and live everyday in a loving attitude of gratitude.
Yours in health and in happiness
Magnus A. L. Mulliner
I cannot understand that if this type of corruption is a “KNOWN” factor by all concerned (Or is it?), how in a country like ours, that this disgraceful, well-disguised GRAFT and CORRUPTION is allowed to PROLIFERATE!!! WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS??? DOES NOONE HAVE ANY SAY IN THIS?? Where is President Obama?? And why are we, the general public, just sitting back and watching all this happen??
Genetically engineered food? What am I, a test tube? I am a human being who needs natural food, not chemically enhanced and engineered food from Monsanto. Why is big business allowed to do do what ever they want by paying off members of our government. Stop this along with all genetically engineered food.
From what I’ve seen from the past preformence of Government agencies that between “Monsantos”, and a few other Agra business’ they pretty much control these Departments. it would be helpful to know what can be done; and who the common citizen could turn to for help!!! One of the more pressing delemas would be the long term affects of GE in the food chain.NO,one can tell us that a substance like ” Round Up Ready” products are safe!!! Wear are the FDA,USDA,CDC,and all the redt of our so called protectors when we need THEM !!!
This is a bad idea. GE plants are not safe & could threaten the enviroment
I am terribly disappointed in your utter lack of concern about what your decision re GE bio-fuel corn will do to our crops, our food supply. Please read the following quote:
The Center for Food Safety says that bio-fuel corn “will inevitably contaminate food-grade corn, and could well trigger substantial rejection in our corn export markets, hurting farmers.”
Please stop this irresponsible behavior!
Genetically modified food crops make organically grown food crops impossible because of cross pollination. We as consumers have the right to consume organic food if that is our choice. Please do not negate our choice with GMO contamination.
The wold has gone mad, and the corn with it, And the alfalfa. I truly feel that sooner or later (and hopefully very sooner!). Americans who value life and nature are going to be rallying big time in Our streets and squares. I think we are going to have to. The corporations have us trapped by their money, just like the Mubarak regime had the Egyptians trapped. Thank you.
Deregulation of genetically engineered alfalfa, sugarbeets, and now bio-fuel corn—what’s next? We must overturn these disastrous decisions. I
This will be a disaster for our food supply. Besides lobbying, consider educating farmers about the financial, environmental, and health dangers of genetically modified crops. A grassroots campaign would be quite effective in educating those who are actually using these modified seeds.
This needs to Stop!!!
Will Profiteers ever stop finding new ways to make a profit at the expense of animals and humans? It’s time for Americans to put their foot down and stop allowing the rich to run our beautiful Nation into the ground.
Stop Monsanto’s mutant genetically engineered alfalfa, sugarbeets, and now bio-fuel corn!
Pay attention to science & not the corps that are putting $ in ur pockets! What ever happened to govt for the people by the people?
This is going over the top. I am shocked that the USDA has passed seemingly without review, without the consent of the people, not one but 3 new GE crops. Please stand up for the health of the nation as well as conventional and organic farmers alike, both nationally and internationally who will be adversely affected by this decision. Enough is enough, please avoid heeding to the will of powerful GE mulitnational companies and make decisions that reflect the opinion of the people, in representation of the people of this nation, not the fictitious entities in ‘whose’ interest genetically engineered crops benefit. Please take a stand and overturn these decisions.
The Center for Food Safety says that bio-fuel corn “will inevitably contaminate food-grade corn, and could well trigger substantial rejection in our corn export markets, hurting farmers.”
Please care less for Monsanto and corporations and more for the health and welfare of our citizens.
We shouldn’t be making bio-fuels from corn anyway. We should be making them from ag waste, and food waste, etc. There are plenty of sources that are waste products anyway that could be used.
I am really horrified at this propagation of GMO crops. It is the beginning of the end of edible food for the planet and will first kill off the polinators (bees and bats etc) and then the animals that eat it and then we who eat that food and also eat the animals that ate the food. This will be a huge disaster for the planet and will not be reversible.
the bees are being killed by bayer’s pesticide and have been for a long time. i bet the bat disease is caused by some weird scientist concoction also. no pollinators= all genetically modified everything. this is big pharma in action worldwide. then all nutrients will be in drug form, including vitamins regulated also by big pharma.
the most dangerous things to come is their aim to have everything on the earth for themselves, and all they do is poison,kill and destroy. WHO THEY ARE??????????? who gave them right to destroy us? how many of them and how many of us? why we are letting them to do so? PEOPLE! THINK ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN! THEY WILL BE NOT ABLE TO SEE THE BEAUTY OF THE NATURE, NOT ABLE TO EAT REALFOOD! Parents what are you thinking?????????????
Once again, we see politics and campaign donations generating policy that will affect the food industry and ultimately consumers’ health.