Author attacked on GM crops ‘reversal’ (From thisisoxfordshire)

The biggest crisis in this world today is food, or rather lack of it. And if GM crop can grow in the desert, withstand plagues of pests, and produce double the amount per acre, that is exactly what we, especially Africa and Asia, need. Well done for seeing the light now Mark, but unfortunately the damage has been done with your "frankenstein food" label. Although you are the perfect example for ignoring the know it all just out of university students (as you were at the time) for being the naive reactionaries that they are. Best you wait till your 30s at least, eh Mark.

“ I find that allegation offensive and indicative of the lack of argument from the other side. “I think we have crossed the tipping point where it is now understood by just about everyone that GM foods are safe.”

Before branding others with a different opinion to yours as 'lunatic critics' can you first explain what made you change your opinion. I suspect there may well have been a cash incentive somewhere along the line.

Sandy Wimpole-Smythe wrote:
“ I find that allegation offensive and indicative of the lack of argument from the other side. “I think we have crossed the tipping point where it is now understood by just about everyone that GM foods are safe.”

Before branding others with a different opinion to yours as 'lunatic critics' can you first explain what made you change your opinion. I suspect there may well have been a cash incentive somewhere along the line.

No Sandra, Mark has just lost his rebellious side that youths have, and come to see the realism. Did you not read my post. The world needs food, and GM crops can grow where unmodified crops cannot. For Africa and Asia that means a possible end to starvation. Can you not see that.

Grunden Skip wrote:

Sandy Wimpole-Smythe wrote:
“ I find that allegation offensive and indicative of the lack of argument from the other side. “I think we have crossed the tipping point where it is now understood by just about everyone that GM foods are safe.”

Before branding others with a different opinion to yours as 'lunatic critics' can you first explain what made you change your opinion. I suspect there may well have been a cash incentive somewhere along the line.

No Sandra, Mark has just lost his rebellious side that youths have, and come to see the realism. Did you not read my post. The world needs food, and GM crops can grow where unmodified crops cannot. For Africa and Asia that means a possible end to starvation. Can you not see that.

No I don't bother reading your posts they bore me and I am not interested in why you think he changed his mind I want to hear it from him.

Grunden Skip wrote:
The biggest crisis in this world today is food, or rather lack of it. And if GM crop can grow in the desert, withstand plagues of pests, and produce double the amount per acre, that is exactly what we, especially Africa and Asia, need. Well done for seeing the light now Mark, but unfortunately the damage has been done with your "frankenstein food" label. Although you are the perfect example for ignoring the know it all just out of university students (as you were at the time) for being the naive reactionaries that they are. Best you wait till your 30s at least, eh Mark.

The world has sufficient food. It's just that so-called developed nations waste colossal amounts. http://edition.cnn.c
om/2012/12/21/world/
food-waste-infograph
ic/

Maybe he thinks leading GM companies like Monsanto patenting their strains, having farmers whose heirloomed seeds are cross-pollinated by Monsanto's GM sued for patent infringement, and in some cases face either handing the crop over to the company or destroying it is somehow helpful. Or maybe it's progress that as of July 2011, farmers are having to older, more toxic chemical sprays, in heavier volumes and more frequently to deal with the superweeds that have become so powerful as a result of resistance build-up that farmers are being forced to use more labour to chop out the plants (as their stems are growing up to 4 inches thick in diameter, inches height a day, which is now damaging conventional farm machinery. Or maybe it's better that, as of May last year, weed control is “back to where we were 20 years ago.” after paying for the privilege to purchase the special seeds, pay again to purchase ever-increasing volumes of special weed-killer, all to no avail.

That's not even questioning whether the underlying premise is at fault, who knows maybe it's really not because there isn't enough food, but because those below the poverty line cannot afford food, regardless of the availability.

Sandy Wimpole-Smythe wrote:

Grunden Skip wrote:

Sandy Wimpole-Smythe wrote:
“ I find that allegation offensive and indicative of the lack of argument from the other side. “I think we have crossed the tipping point where it is now understood by just about everyone that GM foods are safe.”

Before branding others with a different opinion to yours as 'lunatic critics' can you first explain what made you change your opinion. I suspect there may well have been a cash incentive somewhere along the line.

No Sandra, Mark has just lost his rebellious side that youths have, and come to see the realism. Did you not read my post. The world needs food, and GM crops can grow where unmodified crops cannot. For Africa and Asia that means a possible end to starvation. Can you not see that.

No I don't bother reading your posts they bore me and I am not interested in why you think he changed his mind I want to hear it from him.

Did you even read this story? It's a report of a speech given by Mark Lynas on GM foods and why he has changed his opinion.

The story states that already 250,000 people have downloaded his speech. Did it cross your mind that the answer to your question may be found there?

You beat me to it Floflo, and rfr, tell remote communities in drought struck parts of Africa and Asia that they have enough food, this could be the lifeline for them. Just because you and I throw away half the food that we buy does not mean that it will end up thousands of miles away to those in need.

Could someone quote me the strain number/name of the GM crop that some claim can grow in the desert, withstand plagues of pests, and produce double the amount per acre?

Grunden Skip wrote:
You beat me to it Floflo, and rfr, tell remote communities in drought struck parts of Africa and Asia that they have enough food, this could be the lifeline for them. Just because you and I throw away half the food that we buy does not mean that it will end up thousands of miles away to those in need.

You claimed first that "he biggest crisis in this world today is food, or rather lack of it." but now you acknowledge that you throw and whoever you were talking to throw half your food away, sounds like a problem of distribution if we take that as true.

And suppossing you are in any way right about GMs increasing yield, how would you pay for your food when this glut is established if you are below the poverty line?

No takers?

How about the more recent news then: from independentsciencene
ws.org January 21 2013

In the course of analysis to identify potential allergens in GMO crops, the European Food Safety Authority has belatedly discovered that the most common genetic regulatory sequence in commercial GMOs also encodes a significant fragment of a viral gene. This finding has serious ramifications for crop biotechnology and its regulation, but possibly even greater ones for consumers and farmers. This is because there are clear indications that this viral gene (called Gene VI) might not be safe for human consumption. It also may disturb the normal functioning of crops, including their natural pest resistance.

But don't take it from me, bother to read it, and further inform yourself.