Monsanto Watch

[graveday]

I was just sharing this info with my wife and we are both blown away that this is going on.   I have seen fields sprayed dead around here to speed up turn around time in planting new crops, at least I think that is why they do it, and that seemed bad enough.  But to put it on plants before they are harvested seems a criminal shortcut to the bottom line.  And there is no escape, grains, legumes, and sunflower seeds.  This seems shortsighted because if we are poisoned to death we will not be able to consume.  Heh.

[onemintomidnight]

I had no idea.  I am calling my bread people to see if they dessicate their wheat.  It's not organic (I know, I know) but it's Montana grown and produced.  Off to the phone.   

any results?

[mtlouie]

I had no idea.  I am calling my bread people to see if they dessicate their wheat.  It's not organic (I know, I know) but it's Montana grown and produced.  Off to the phone.   

any results?

No, I got an answering machine.  Have to wait until Monday. 

[Katie]

I haven't read this for a while, and now there's this new thing about dissicating wheat.  I'm wondering how much of a role this plays in the epidemic of gluten reactions people seem to be having.  Certainly the protein must have some seemingly subtle differences if it is "ripened" that way.  Then the immune system is triggered in weird ways.  Gluten reactions may attack different systems in the body according to some researchers.  (theglutenfile.com has some of this research on their site).

What I do know is that I have cut gluten out of my diet for a couple of years or so and now many of my other food sensitivities appear to be gone.  I can eat nuts, for instance, and certain fruits (peaches, pears) raw now, too.  I had something that is called "oral allergy syndrome" and my allergist hypothesized that this was associated with the gluten reactions (I don't remember details unfortunately).  What was said about some of these poisons affecting different parts of the body reminded me of the gluten thing, how there are apparently gluten reactions triggering problems like osteoporosis (gluten triggering anti-bone antibodies), skin rashes, liver reactions, etc.  Just spectulation, but something seems to be going on that's different and this could be part of the picture.

[graveday]

That is interesting Katie.  I think the gluten sensitivities have been around longer than these nefarious agricultural practices, but it would be cool for some public health researcher to see if they can be associated with a spike in cases.

[Katie]

That is interesting Katie.  I think the gluten sensitivities have been around longer than these nefarious agricultural practices, but it would be cool for some public health researcher to see if they can be associated with a spike in cases.

Yes, apparently there is the gene(s) for gluten sensitivity but no one knows what turns the gene on.  Some stress to the system is thought to be part of it.  Eating food that is artificial in various ways could be a stressor.  I don't understand it well enough, I just know what my experience has been and that of a sibling with it.  I'm not claiming anything, just speculating. 

[graveday]

Stressors can be pretty varied, and harsh.  My MIL has gluten sensitivity.  Her husband and her third born of five both committed suicide,and her first born suicide gestured twice.  The latter was a female and the former a male.  Now I need to find out if she had it before the events.  Not sure if I want to.

[spacecase0]

I saw a graph of allergies VS year and when GM foods were released to the public marked
I can't find it, but this one gets the point across, I think it was 1991 that GM food hit the retail market.
http://www.madge.org.au/health.php

[mtlouie]

Katie- That is some very interesting speculation there.  I have a grass sensitivity (wheat, rice, oats, sugar cane) but it doesn't seem to change if I eat organic or not.  I eat mostly organic.

I did  get a call back from Wheat Montana.  They use no chemicals at any stage of the wheat production.  Insofar as "no chemicals" they mean herbicides, pesticides, or dessication.

I know they  use fertilizers, because they aren't organic.  But they say they do test their wheat and it comes back with no chemical residue, so that's something, I guess. 

I don't know where our local bakeries (where I buy some of our bread products,) get their flour.  I should call them.

[SecretSquirrel]

I was doing some research into trans-fats and mono-diglycerides and came across this interesting bit that goes along with the the crop dessication theme and the stuff they are using on foods before harvest:

http://www.naturalnews.com/026157_MSG_food_excitotoxin.html

According to Doctor Russel Blaylock MD, author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, excitotoxins literally excite brain cells to death! He has found that in addition to obesity, several neurological disorders come about as a result of long term aspartame or MSG excitotoxin consumption. The constant increase of MSG, or its essential active ingredient, over the past 60 years in our food chain has corresponded with the surge of type 2 diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer`s, Parkinson`s Disease, and other forms of neurological disorders. Even dementia, which is usually attributed to old age, can be traced to long term excitoxin exposure.
...

Spraying Crops With MSG

The agricultural and food industry has returned with another ploy to keep MSG in our food chain. And it`s completely sanctioned and endorsed by so-called protective governmental agencies. According to Truth In Labeling, an ambitious company called Auxein, now Emerald BioAgriculture, created the product called AuxiGro. It contains glutamate. It won`t go into processed and packaged foods. It simply goes into the plants that yield our fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It has been called a crop "growth enhancer" that increases plants` "natural defense systems" against insect infestation, according to Emerald BioAgriculture`s website.

AuxiGro is sprayed onto plants with excitotoxin glutamate or glutamic acid as a major ingredient. And Emerald BioAgriculture has managed to bully and buy its way. Beginning from the year 1999, it used AuxiGro on several types of vegetable, fruit, and nut crops. They are registered with the EPA for using AuxiGro in most states. They have even finagled their way into California crop spraying, a state that had originally restricted the use of AuxiGro on its crops. Oh those revolving big business/government doors!

And now it is beginning to get even worse. Emerald BioAgriculture is requesting permission to use AuxiGro on organic crops in all states! The fact that the USDA has lowered its standards for organic certification in the past few years gives Emerald BioAgriculture an opening to begin using AuxiGro on organic crops. USDA organic certification is already suspect. It may get worse. So trusting USDA certification as the sole criteria for organic foods may not be so wise.

[graveday]

This just keeps getting worse and worse.   I wonder what other countries use it, such as Chile and Mexico, where we import much food from?  Damn, the only food you can trust is what you grow, and that is not enough for a complete diet.  So the FDA now stands Federal Diseasse Augmenters.

[DimLightbulb]

And now it is beginning to get even worse. Emerald BioAgriculture is requesting permission to use AuxiGro on organic crops in all states! The fact that the USDA has lowered its standards for organic certification in the past few years gives Emerald BioAgriculture an opening to begin using AuxiGro on organic crops. USDA organic certification is already suspect. It may get worse. So trusting USDA certification as the sole criteria for organic foods may not be so wise.

And many people from the old organic regime reject "organic" labeling now.  But because they can't use it anymore it's now "natural", "grass fed" or "no chemicals used".
The government has taken over organic and redefined it to what corporations want.

And it's seen on almost every shelf in the supermarket.  This is a cash cow for food corporations.  The yuppie crowd buy this at higher prices. 

I see "organic" and I bypass it now.

[graveday]

Well, I suppose there is the notion of building up resistance to the shit while you still have a chance.  A la Mithridates and Rasputin.

[mtlouie]

And now it is beginning to get even worse. Emerald BioAgriculture is requesting permission to use AuxiGro on organic crops in all states! The fact that the USDA has lowered its standards for organic certification in the past few years gives Emerald BioAgriculture an opening to begin using AuxiGro on organic crops. USDA organic certification is already suspect. It may get worse. So trusting USDA certification as the sole criteria for organic foods may not be so wise.

And many people from the old organic regime reject "organic" labeling now.  But because they can't use it anymore it's now "natural", "grass fed" or "no chemicals used".
The government has taken over organic and redefined it to what corporations want.

And it's seen on almost every shelf in the supermarket.  This is a cash cow for food corporations.  The yuppie crowd buy this at higher prices. 

I see "organic" and I bypass it now.

That's why it's critical that we know our farmers and ranchers.

[pamela]

looks like that old devil Monsatano is getting a toe-hold in the European markets.

http://ohiofarmer.com/story.aspx?s=32769&c=13

Every step toward biotech approval in the tough European market is good news, and Monsanto announced positive information Friday.

The company's YieldGard VT Pro and YieldGard VT Rootworm/RR2 have received European authorization. The decision covers the import, processing and food and feed use of these products. The final step in this process comes with publication of the decision by the European Commission.