GMWatch reports on the latest Friends of the Earth (FOE) report: "Who Benefits from GM crops? Feeding the biotech giants, not the world's poor."

Among other things, the FOE report mentions these facts that the biotech giants do not want us to hear:

1.ARE GM CROPS TAKING OVER GLOBAL AGRICULTURE?
*GM makes up only 2.4% of global agricultural crop land
*50% of GM crops grown in the US, 30% in Argentina and Brazil, 20% elsewhere
*3% of cropland in India and China is planted with GM crops,most of that is GM cotton

2.ARE GM CROPS EXPANDING IN EUROPE?
*in the 27 countries of the EU, GM crop cultivation represents a mere 0.21% of agricultural land
*the area of GM crops being grown has actually fallen in Europe every year since 2005

3.WHAT GM CROPS ARE BEING GROWN?
*only four crops - soya, maize, cotton and canola (oilseed rape) - comprise virtually 100% of GM agriculture
*GM rice, wheat, tomatoes, sweetcorn, potatoes and popcorn have all been rejected as unacceptable in the global marketplace

4.DO GM CROPS MATCH THE HYPE?
*none of the GM crops on the market are modified for increased yield potential
*some studies show GM crops reduce yield
*disease-tolerant GM crops are practically non-existent
*the GM industry has not marketed a single GM crop with enhanced nutrition, drought-tolerance, salt-tolerance or any of the other 'beneficial' GM traits long-promised by the industry
*there are no commercially available GM crops designed for biofuels

5.ARE GM CROPS REDUCING PESTICIDE USE?
*almost all GM crops involve just 2 traits, mainly just one trait - herbicide tolerance
*herbicide tolerance is found in over 80% of all GM crops planted worldwide
*GM crops have contributed substantially to increased pesticide use 
*most new GM crop varieties are also pesticide-promoting
*GM crops have caused an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds
*this is encouraging the use of more toxic petsicides, including ones banned in some European countries

6.WHO BENEFITS FROM GM CROPS?
*the real beneficiaries are the GM companies which profit from patents, expensive GM seeds, and increased pesticide sales
*Monsanto is the world's largest seed firm
*Monsanto holds a near monopoly in the biotech "traits" incorporated in GM seeds
*Monsanto is the world's fifth largest pesticide firm
*Monsanto markets Roundup, the world's biggest selling pesticide

Read the full report from FOE here:

http://www.foeeurope.org/GMOs/Who_Benefits/full_report_2009.pdf

So the good news is, the GM lobby is lying through its teeth when it says that GM acceptance is 'simply a matter of time'. How many of you know someone who actually goes to a super-market and asks FOR GM-produce? And if not, why not?

Monsanto's CEO, Hugh Grant (no, no THAT Hugh Grant), admitted to buying organic foods in an interview last year.

Interviewer: Do you ever buy organic food yourself?
Grant (Monsanto): Yeah, I do. Yeah.

Very strange. Why would he, if his love child, GM, is so good and safe? He also goes on to say that he does not worry about the rise of organic foods and more people being interested in natural produce. Maybe he should be worried just a bit.

Read the full interview here »

For those of you not familiar with Monsanto - sometimes also half-jokingly referred to as MonSATAN, you should watch "The World According to Monsanto", a fantastic documentary exposing this bio-tech giant and its practices.

Also watch this 10-minute video on how Monsanto made Fox News kill a story - for the sake of corporate profits:

YouTube - Fox News Kills Monsanto Milk Story »

For all things GM exposed, have a look at the GM Watch website:
http://www.gmwatch.eu/

Yes folks,

WWF and Oxfam USA are now sleeping with the enemy, so to speak. In the latest update from GM Watch, they say that the Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS) has now not only accepted, but welcomed Monsanto and Syngenta as their full members. Not very responsible, eh?

It looks like the WWF is still involved with RTRS, so please let them know that you don't like it:

http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/World_Wildlife_Fund

In today's update, GM Watch also exposes Oxfam America's PR for Monsanto:

"Oxfam America, a development organization, has co-organized an event at which every single speaker is a big promoter of GM solutions to world hunger. Oxfam America is even providing a platform for a Monsanto Vice President - Kevin L. Eblen, Monsanto's former Director of Mergers and Acquisitions."

Details of the event are here:
http://www.asiasociety.org/events/calendar.pl?rm=detail&eventid=19354

Contact details for Oxfam America: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/contact-us

Yes. This is just plain weird - WWF and Oxfam supporting GM? Be sure to join the GM Watch newsletter and check their website out for more news like these:

http://www.gmwatch.eu/

 Go organic!

Please visit the Eliant website and sign their petition to secure legal safeguards for anthroposophic medicine, biodynamic (Demeter) foods, Waldorf education and other initiatives for applied anthroposophy in Europe.

http://www.eliant.nl/?action=behaviour&actionid=215&lang=uk

Biodynamic agriculture goes a step further than organic - it is completely holistic and based on an astronomical sowing and planting calendar. Read more about it on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodynamic_agriculture

It is my vision to eventually start using biodynamic ingredients in all MuLondon natural skincare products, as they become more widely available and affordable. Spraying our crops with chemicals or genetically modifying them is definitely not the answer, and should not be the norm. Antroposophy shows respect for all living beings, plants and animals alike, the respect that has for long been gone from modern agriculture.

Germany and The Scandinavia are quite big on biodynamic, and hopefully, we'll start to see more of it here in the UK too. Are you using any biodynamic products or foods? Please leave your comments below.

Thank you!