by Haddon Libby
There is one thing that Democrats and Republicans uniformly agree to – supporting Monsanto.
Last week, much of Asia stopped importing U.S. wheat. Why? A never approved GMO wheat that was tested but never approved by the USDA was found in US wheat. What finally leaked from the USDA was that GMO wheat created by Monsanto was tested in open fields for seven years from 1998-2005. While the USDA never approved the new disease resistant wheat for sale, the testing in open fields pollinated and polluted the general wheat population.
In response, Korea, Japan and other countries suspended the import of US wheat.
This comes on the heels of Russia’s Vladimir Putin outrage that President Obama would not discuss undisputed evidence that Monsanto GMO seeds and neuro-active pesticides are devastating the world’s bee population. Once Obama finally relented to discuss the topic at their May 23rd meeting, Putin stated that the continued protection of Monsanto and other bio-tech companies by the United States will most certainly lead to world war as it is becoming increasingly difficult to feed the world’s population due to the loss of the bee population and increasing reliance on expensive Monsanto seeds and pesticides.
At the same time, the European Commission (EC) placed a two-year ban neuro-active insecticides citing evidence that the pesticide is devastating bee populations world-wide. The report delivered to the EC cited serious concerns on bird, terrestrial, aquatic populations and other wildlife because of the havoc to the food chain that these neuro-pesticides are causing. Cynthia Palmer, author of the report, said that these chemicals “raise significant environmental concerns.”
Dr. Pierre Mineau conducted toxicology tests in order to study the effects of the insecticides on birds. “A single corn kernel coated (with the insecticide) can kill a songbird,” he stated.
US beekeepers are taking the FDA to court for its failure to protect bee populations.
To address the havoc created by Monsanto, Dow, Bayer and DuPont, the EU are set to pass a Plant Reproductive Material Law and create the Plant Variety Agency to insure that GMO seeds and plants no longer enter their food supply as their is an increasing body of evidence that these seeds and pesticides are negatively impacting human health as well.
By contrast, in late March the US House of Representative passed and Obama signed a rider to the Agricultural Appropriations Bill for 2013 that protects the creators of GMO seeds from litigation related to potential health hazards caused by their seeds. Written by Republican Roy Blunt of Monsanto’s home state of Missouri, the bill is known officially as the Farmer Assurance Provision Section 735 and unofficially as the Monsanto Protection Act. This bill prevents the use of the court system in protecting humans, animals and the environment from the affects of these bio-tech creations no matter the health consequences. Even if Monsanto seeds are proven to be dangerous, the bill allows for their continued sale without repercussions!
To show how the cross pollination of Monsanto executives with the federal agencies has poisoned decision making related to the US food supply, Michael Taylor is the deputy administrator of the FDA and has been the VP of Public Policy for Monsanto. Tom Vilisack who is the former governor of Iowa and head of the USDA has long been known to be cozy with Monsanto, frequently using their jet. Roger Beachy is a director in the USDA and director to the Monsanto Danforth Center while Lidia Watrud has served Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama at different times in the USDA and EPA while shuttling back and forth to Monsanto where she was Manager of New Technologies (like GMOs).
