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World's Most Evil Company Debates Michael Pollan at Google

  • October 07, 2008
    63130

WARNING!

This is an older article that may not reflect Dr. Mercola’s current view on this topic. Use our search engine to find Dr. Mercola’s latest position on any health topic.

Michael Pollan did a good job of keeping his cool, considering he was discussing the future of food with the head of Monsanto -- a company that is directly threatening the world's food supplies as we speak.

For those of you who aren't aware of why I refer to Monsanto as the world's most evil company, it's largely because they:

• Are the world leader in the potentially hazardous genetic modification of seeds.
• Are patenting not only their own GMO seeds, but also a huge number of crop seeds, patenting life forms for the first time -- without a vote of the people or Congress.
• Do not allow farmers to save their seeds to replant the next year – a practice that has been done for generations. Instead, they aggressively seek out and sue farmers they suspect of doing so.
• Have sued farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable drift of Monsanto's GE pollen or seed onto their land for patent infringement!
• Have produced two of the most toxic substances ever known -- polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs, and dioxin (Agent Orange).

Perhaps their biggest assault to your food supply is what's known as terminator technology. These are seeds that have been genetically modified to "self-destruct." In other words, the seeds (and the forthcoming crops) are sterile, which means farmers must buy them again each year.

The implications that terminator seeds could have on the world's food supply are disastrous: the traits from genetically engineered crops can get passed on to other crops. Once the terminator seeds are released into a region, the trait of seed sterility could be passed to other non-genetically-engineered crops, making most or all of the seeds in the region sterile.

If allowed to continue, every farmer in the world could come to rely on Monsanto for their seed supply!

If you want to help keep Monsanto from expanding their stronghold on the world's food supply, please also continue to stay informed and boycott all GM foods. This is made easier by this Non-GMO Shopping Guide.

Also, please do take the time to watch The Future of Food. This in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind genetically modified foods is one of the best documentaries I have ever viewed. It will help you understand the very real threat that ALL future generations face as a result of genetic engineering.

Michael Pollan, meanwhile, the author of the book Omnivore's Dilemma, is one of the most outspoken supporters of growing food using sustainable, self-supporting ecosystems -- the exact opposite of what Monsanto is working to establish.

How Can We Overcome Food Shortages and Hunger Crises?

It's clear that massive changes in our food supply system are desperately needed. But one of the most commonly proposed solutions to the food crisis, the genetic modification of crops, is in fact exactly the opposite of what should be done.

The supposed motive behind GM food is an altruistic one -- to alleviate hunger, poverty and malnutrition worldwide -- the reality is that GM crops are intended to pad corporate bank accounts more than anything else.

In spite of what you have likely heard, a large shift to organic agriculture or permaculture -- which by definition is non-GM -- could not only protect and improve the environment, but help end world hunger too. A Danish study cited recent models of an organically grown, global food supply to show that a more environmentally friendly approach to agriculture is capable of producing enough food for the world's current population.

What prevents many farmers from making the move to organic is that crop yields could initially drop as much as 50 percent in the very beginning, before evening out over time.

It's no secret that the food system began its dramatic decline the second the world turned away from the farming practices of our ancestors, and began to attempt to outdo nature with technology. And it's only by returning to these farming ideals -- to those that mimic the natural ecologies found in nature -- that the food supply will be able to thrive over time.

You may be wondering what you can do about all of this. Well, short of starting your own sustainable farm (which you can do on a small-scale in your own backyard), you can steer clear of foods that come from corporate conglomerates or factory farms (including GM foods), and instead support sustainable agriculture movements in your area.
 
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Michael Pollan did a good job of keeping his cool, considering he was discussing the future of food with the head of Monsanto -- a company that is directly threatening the world’s food supplies as we speak.

For those of you who aren’t aware of why I refer to Monsanto as the world’s most evil company, it’s largely because they:

• Are the world leader in the potentially hazardous genetic modification of seeds.
• Are patenting not only their own GMO seeds, but also a huge number of crop seeds, patenting life forms for the first time -- without a vote of the people or Congress.
• Do not allow farmers to save their seeds to replant the next year – a practice that has been done for generations. Instead, they aggressively seek out and sue farmers they suspect of doing so.
• Have sued farmers who have not been able to prevent the inevitable drift of Monsanto’s GE pollen or seed onto their land for patent infringement!
• Have produced two of the most toxic substances ever known -- polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs, and dioxin (Agent Orange).

Perhaps their biggest assault to your food supply is what’s known as terminator technology. These are seeds that have been genetically modified to “self-destruct.” In other words, the seeds (and the forthcoming crops) are sterile, which means farmers must buy them again each year.

The implications that terminator seeds could have on the world’s food supply are disastrous: the traits from genetically engineered crops can get passed on to other crops. Once the terminator seeds are released into a region, the trait of seed sterility could be passed to other non-genetically-engineered crops, making most or all of the seeds in the region sterile.

If allowed to continue, every farmer in the world could come to rely on Monsanto for their seed supply!

If you haven’t done so yet, please do take the time to watch The Future of Food. This in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind genetically modified foods is one of the best documentaries I have ever viewed. It will help you understand the very real threat that ALL future generations face as a result of genetic engineering.

Michael Pollan, meanwhile, the author of the book Omnivore’s Dilemma, is one of the most outspoken supporters of growing food using sustainable, self-supporting ecosystems -- the exact opposite of what Monsanto is working to establish.

How Can We Overcome Food Shortages and Hunger Crises?

It’s clear that massive changes in our food supply system are desperately needed. But one of the most commonly proposed solutions to the food crisis, the genetic modification of crops, is in fact exactly the opposite of what should be done.

The supposed motive behind GM food is an altruistic one -- to alleviate hunger, poverty and malnutrition worldwide -- the reality is that GM crops are intended to pad corporate bank accounts more than anything else.

In spite of what you have likely heard, a large shift to organic agriculture or permaculture -- which by definition is non-GM -- could not only protect and improve the environment, but help end world hunger too. A Danish study cited recent models of an organically grown, global food supply to show that a more environmentally friendly approach to agriculture is capable of producing enough food for the world's current population.

What prevents many farmers from making the move to organic is that crop yields could initially drop as much as 50 percent in the very beginning, before evening out over time.

It’s no secret that the food system began its dramatic decline the second the world turned away from the farming practices of our ancestors, and began to attempt to outdo nature with technology. And it’s only by returning to these farming ideals -- to those that mimic the natural ecologies found in nature -- that the food supply will be able to thrive over time.

You may be wondering what you can do about all of this. Well, short of starting your own sustainable farm (which you can do on a small-scale in your own backyard), you can steer clear of foods that come from corporate conglomerates or factory farms (including GM foods), and instead support sustainable agriculture movements in your area.

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