GMO crops, Roundup(Glyphosate) usage in America

The uninformed/under informed and in some cases totally ignorant people that hate GMO crops, Glyphosate, Monsanto, Bayer, DOW, DuPont and other seed and pesticide producers are at it again.

Glyphosate has been used in the USA for more than 45 years.
Whether you want avoid GMO crops or crops sprayed with Glyphosate is a choice only you can make and I will not debate the pro’s and con’s of your decision.
Before making that decision educate yourself about just what it takes our farmers to feed more than 7 billion people. In 1970 before the introduction of Glyphosate and GMO crops the world population was about 3.5 billion people.

Hybrids, GMO crops and the introduction of herbicides and pesticides are the main reasons that crop yields have doubled and tripled without adding additional acreage to feed the world’s ever increasing population at a lower production cost.

Hybrid crops: The scientific basis for today’s amazing hybrid crops goes back more than 150 years. The first commercial seed corn company to take advantage of hybrid vigor was Pioneer Hi-Breds, founded in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1926.

Genetically modified crops: A 2014 meta-analysis concluded that GM technology adoption had reduced chemical pesticide use by 37%, increased crop yields by 22%.

There is a scientific consensus that currently available food derived from GM crops poses no greater risk to human health than conventional food, but each GM food needs to be tested on a case-by-case basis before being introduced into our food supply chain.

GMOs crops were approved for commercial use, in USA in 1996, their production has increased dramatically. More than 90% of all soybean, cotton and corn acreage in the USA is used to grow genetically engineered crops. Other popular and approved food crops include sugar beets, alfalfa, canola, papaya and summer squash. Recently, apples that don’t brown and bruise-free potatoes were also approved by the FDA.

The Truth About Glyphosate and its use in the production of wheat in the United States.

Wheat production occurs in the United States across 42 states, in a wide array of weather conditions. Wheat growers face many challenges to growing a quality crop that is sustainable and economically viable. Growers are faced with threats to the viability of the crop from many pests across these 42 states.
One of these pests is weeds.
Glyphosate is one product commonly used by wheat growers that is very effective at controlling grass weeds prior to planting or after wheat is harvested.

Glyphosate use is limited in the wheat industry, if even used at all in some wheat fields. In fact, for 2016, it was applied to 33 percent of wheat acres in the U.S., according to an independent consumer research firm, GfK.
Typically, glyphosate application in wheat occurs during fallow times when a growing, eventually harvestable wheat crop is not present.

Pre-harvest Glyphosate applications made after the wheat plant has shut down, when wheat kernel development is complete and the crop has matured.
This is prior to harvest and used to dry green weeds and allow the crop to even its maturity.
This is an uncommon treatment used in less than 3 percent of all wheat acres.

National Wheat Foundation – The truth about how Wheat growers use glyphosate.

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Natural And Organic Foods – Know What The Labeling Means

USDA Organic Food Production Law
UK Organic Certifications

Natural does not mean organic?
The terms Natural and Organic are not interchangeable. Other truthful claims, such as free-range, hormone-free, and natural, can still appear on food labels. However, don’t confuse these terms with “organic.
Understanding Organic Labeling
National Organic Program Background and History Fact Sheet (PDF)

What is organic food? USDA said “Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.
Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified.
Consumer Brochure, USDA National Organic Program

U.S. FDA has no official, U.S. government regulated definition for the term natural pertaining to the natural products industry.
FDA refers to natural ingredients as “ingredients extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being synthetically produced.”

USDA has a legal definition for “natural”, but it applies only to meat and poultry. Those products carrying the “natural” claim must not contain any artificial flavoring, color ingredients, chemical preservatives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients, and are only “minimally processed” defined by USDA as a process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product.”

In the absence of federal regulation, states from Rhode Island to Hawaii are considering laws to require labels on food items containing genetically modified ingredients.
Currently, only Connecticut and Maine have laws requiring labels for genetically modified food. Vermont’s new GMO labeling law becomes effective in July 2016.

Genetically Modified Foods Current FDA regulations only require products to be labeled with GMO content information if that product presents the threat of causing allergic reactions in humans.
The truth is if you eat anything not grown in your own garden, grown from certified Not GMO seeds or plants some of your food products are GMO’s.

Who knew that growing a tomato or cucumber could be so complicated? Heirlooms, Hybrids, GMO’s. What will be next in our effort to produce more food on less acreage, in an on going effort to feed an ever increasing hungry world population?

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GM Salmon, More Consumer Bad News

GM(GMO)(GE) Salmon will not be labeled as a Genetically Modified Food Product!

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) gives the FDA the authority to require mandatory labeling of foods if there is a material difference between a GE product and its conventional counterpart, the agency(FDA) says it is not requiring labeling of these GE fish “Because the data and information evaluated show that AquAdvantage Salmon is not materially different from other Atlantic salmon.”
Labeling GM Salmon

FDA said it will be up to the sellers of these(GM)(GE) fish to voluntarily decide whether they choose to label their product as GE.

GM Salmon Approved For Human Consumption

GM(GMO) Salmon Approved by FDA for Human Consumption. AquaBounty Technologies’ salmon became the first genetically engineered animal to receive U.S. approval for human consumption, setting the stage for more such approvals.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) said the company’s (AquaBounty Technologies) genetically engineered Atlantic salmon was as nutritious as the farm raised ones and was safe for (human) consumption.
Read more

Scotland Bans Growing GM Crops

Source Scotland is to ban the growing of genetically modified crops

I hope this is a sign governments are coming to their senses and Crops, Fish, Livestock and Poultry will be spared from the Genetic Modifying scientist butchers knife.

Scotland was known around the world for its “beautiful natural environment” and banning the growing of genetically modified crops would protect and further enhance its “clean, green status”.

Richard Lochhead said “There is no evidence of significant demand for GM products by Scottish consumers and I am concerned that allowing GM crops to be grown in Scotland would damage our clean and green brand, thereby gambling with the future of our £14bn ($21bn) food and drink sector.”

Scottish food and drink is valued at home and abroad for its natural, high quality which often attracts a premium price, and I have heard directly from food and drink producers in other countries that are ditching GM because of a consumer backlash.

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Lamb That Glows In The Dark(GMO) Sold For Human Consumption

A genetically modified research lamb bred to have the DNA of a jellyfish was sold to a slaughterhouse

According to ABC News, “The lamb was born to a genetically modified ewe that had a gene derived from jellyfish, resulting in a ‘green fluorescent protein’ that makes certain cells florescent.

The incident is believed to have been a deliberate and malicious act resulting from tensions among the staff.

Note: This occurred in France. However it clearly demonstrates the dangers involved in controlling GMO’s.

Send a loud NO message to companies that are involved in Genetic Modification of plants and animals.

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Natural does not mean organic

Natural does not mean organic?
Natural and organic are not interchangeable. Other claims, such as free range, hormone free, and natural, can appear on food labels. However, don’t confuse these terms with “organic.“

What is organic food? USDA said “Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.
Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones.

Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.
Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards.
Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, as well.

U.S. FDA has no official, definition for the term natural pertaining to the natural products industry, the FDA refers to natural ingredients as “ingredients extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being synthetically produced.”

USDA has a legal definition for “natural”, but it applies only to meat and poultry. Those products carrying the “natural” claim must not contain any artificial flavoring, color ingredients, chemical preservatives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients, and are only “minimally processed” defined by USDA as a process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product.”

Genetically Modified Foods Current FDA regulations only require products to be labeled with GMO content information if that product presents the threat of causing allergic reactions in humans.

The truth is if you eat anything not grown in your own garden some of those products may be GMO products.

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Glyphosate(Roundup) Kills Weed – Not Humans!

Here We Go Again.
A European blogger has published as fact and linked to less than believable sites as a source about the dangers of herbicides and GM crops. Opinions are just that an opinion. Don’t try to baffle me with unprovable BS.

Jerry Alatalo (an author) is most certainly Anti-GMO, Herbicide, Pesticide. In truth I have no problem with what he personally believes. However I do take offense when he or any other Self Proclaimed Expert asserts wild claims of dangers from the use of Herbicides, Pesticides and from GM crops without provable facts that can not be reproduced in a different lab by other scientist.

Follow The Money. From searching his website it seems that he makes a nice income from writing and publishing fear mongering books and paid lectures.

As with chemical company sponsored research, I find this guy’s opinions to be questionable. Never put your full trust in research or opinion papers(books) that is generating money for the researchers or for authors writing Pro or Con about a product.

One more time, Glyphosate was first synthesized in 1950 by Swiss chemist Henry Martin, who worked for the Swiss company Cilag. Glyphosate was independently discovered by John E. Franzat a Monsanto researcher in 1970 and introduced for field use in 1974.
Some glyphosate manufacturers include Bayer, Dow AgroSciences, Du Pont, Cenex/Land O’Lakes, Helena, Monsanto, Platte, Riverside/Terra, and Zeneca.(thank you wikipeda)
Glyphosate products are registered in more than 130 countries and are approved for weed control in more than 100 different crops. No other herbicide active ingredient compares in terms of number of approved uses.
News that is note worthy. Monsanto Purchases World’s Largest Vegetable Seed Company, Organic Seed Alliance.

Glyphosate herbicide, AquaMaster™, is approved for weed control in aquatic evironments, including ponds and reservoirs, waterfowl sanctuaries and recreational waterways. Only a few herbicides have toxicological and environmental characteristics that allow them to be directly applied to aquatic vegetation. The AquaMaster™ formulation was selected to rid the Florida Everglades of invasive weeds.

Source Background History of Monsanto’s Glyphosate
John Franz, the Monsanto scientist who first identified the herbicidal activity of glyphosate,, in 1987, received the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor for technical achievement at which time the original Roundup® agricultural herbicide was recognized for its impact “upon the production of agricultural food and fiber as well as agricultural practices throughout the world.” Very few agricultural technologies have won the nation’s technology award.

In 1996, Monsanto received the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development. The White House recognized Monsanto for “pioneering sustainable technologies,” which included the development of such products as the original Roundup herbicide. 1996, Monsanto also received the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for environmentally responsible systems used in the manufacture of glyphosate herbicides.

Farm Chemicals magazine, in its September 1994 100th anniversary edition, called the original Roundup® herbicide one of the “Top 10 Products That Changed the Face of Agriculture.”

Did You Know. All pesticides sold or distributed in the United States must be registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), based on scientific studies showing that they can be used without posing unreasonable risks to people or the environment. The law requires pesticides that were first registered years ago be reregistered periodically to ensure that they meet the current standards. Glyphosate was re-registered in September 1993 after EPA reviewed new studies and concluded that the use of glyphosate based herbicides in accordance with label directions would “not pose unreasonable risks or adverse effects to humans or the environment.”

The EPA considers glyphosate to be noncarcinogenic and relatively low in dermal and oral acute toxicity. The EPA considered a “worst case” dietary risk model of an individual eating a lifetime of food derived entirely from glyphosate sprayed fields with residues at their maximum levels. This model indicated that no adverse health effects would be expected under such conditions.

The European Commission’s review of the data conducted in 2002 concluded equivocal evidence existed of a relationship between glyphosate exposure during pregnancy and cardiovascular malformations, however, a review published in 2013 found the evidence “fails to support a potential risk for increased cardiovascular defects as a result of glyphosate exposure during pregnancy.”

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USDA Approves Biotech Apple

Source U.S. approves first biotech apple that resists browning

For the good or the bad of it USDA has approved a ‘Biotech’ apple.

U.S. regulators approved what is the first commercialized biotech apple, rejecting efforts by the organic industry and other GMO critics to block the new fruit. USDA said “it had determined the apples were unlikely to pose a plant pest risk to agriculture and are not likely to have a significant impact on the human environment.”

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has approved two genetically engineered apple varieties designed to resist browning. Developed by a Canadian company, Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc.

Mmmm …. What are your thoughts on this GMO ‘Biotech’ apple being unleashed upon the world?

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A New Hybrid Tomato/Potato – Known As “TomTato” Or “Ketchup ‘n’ Fries”

Source [Fox News] Ketchup ‘n’ Ffies

You Can’t make this stuff up. Tom Tato or Ketchup ‘n’ Fries is now available in the US after first being released in the UK.

Ketchup ‘n’ Fries combines a vine growing cherry tomatoes with roots growing white potatoes but it is not genetically (GMO) engineered. Ketchup ‘n’ Fries is created by grafting a tomatoe vine onto a potato rootstock.

Ketchup ‘n’ Fries a non-GMO plant in a 2.5-inch pot from Territorial Seed Company

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