Are Bill Gates & His Team Of Elitists Perpetuating World Hunger?

by Theodora Filis

Bill Gates is now the world's third richest man with a fortune of $58 billion -- exceeding the annual budget of Russia -- just to put things in perspective. Carlos Slim Helu, of Mexico, is the second richest man with a personal wealth of $60 billion, according to Forbes magazine. Both men have now teamed up and donated $25 million to build a cluster of biotechnology labs at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CUNNYT) in Mexico -- promoting the increased production of GMO seeds to sell to farmers who don't want them, so they can feed the world's "starving" population that would rather starve than eat their GMOs.

Why would the world's third richest man, and the world's second richest man want to invest so heavily in GMO research and production? One obvious reason – they see lots of money in it.

That could explain why Gates purchased 500,000 shares of Monsanto stock in 2010, and why he teams up with the world's wealthiest and most influential people, and why he shoves Monsanto’s US agenda and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) down the world's throats, insisting they are the only option to prevent starvation in poor nations.

The same poor nations where thousands of farmers routinely commit suicide after being completely bankrupt by Monsanto’s overpriced and ineffective GM seeds – oftentimes drinking the very same chemical concoctions provided by Monsanto as a method of suicide. And if that weren't bad enough, Monsanto has been exposed by The Daily Mail, as running ‘slave-like’ working conditions, forcing poor workers to operate the corn fields for 14 hours per day while withholding pay.

Bill Gates Address the UN on Depopulation Score Card

CIMMYT is a non-profit research and training center headquartered in Mexico. Director Thomas Lumpkin insists, "Nothing is being pushed, nothing is being forced, and CIMMYT will not profit."

Mexican environmentalists and groups like Greenpeace disagree, and are fighting the planting of GMO corn in 2.4 million hectares (six million acres) of Mexican farmland.

"Mexico, known as the 'cradle of corn', is home to 70 native varieties of corn, almost all of which could be wiped out by the implementation of GMO seeds. “We are talking about damaging more that 7,000 years of indigenous and peasant work that created maize – one of the world's three most widely eaten crops,” said Veronica Villa of environmental group ETC's Mexico office.

The Union of Concerned Scientists examined the true yield of GMO crops, only to find that the GM crops do not produce increased yields over the long run — despite their excessive cost and extreme danger to health and environment. The lack of scientific support behind the GMO crops was so startling to the Union that they documented all the details in a report entitled ”Failure to Yield.”

Back in 2006, Bill Gates, the Rockefeller Foundation, Monsanto Corporation, Syngenta Foundation, the Government of Norway, and his group of elitists invested millions of dollars in a “Doomsday Seed Vault” built to gather and preserve the world's crop diversity – on the other hand they continue to pour millions of dollars into GMOs.

Are Gates and his friends preparing for the end of the world's crop diversity or causing it?

GMOs DO NOT Offer Increased Yield - Only Increased Headaches

by Theodora Filis

Because genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are novel life forms, biotechnology companies have been able to obtain patents with which to restrict their use. As a result, the companies that make GMOs now have the power to sue farmers whose fields are contaminated with GMOs, even when it is the result of inevitable drift from neighboring fields.

Today, developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In nearly 50 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs.

In the US the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.

Polls consistently show that a significant majority of North Americans would like to be able to tell if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs (a 2008 CBS News Poll found that 87% of consumers wanted GMOs labeled). And, according to a recent CBS/New York Times poll, 53% of consumers said they would not buy food that has been genetically modified.

In the US, GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food.

Many people don’t know what a GMO is, let alone which crops and processed ingredients are high-risk.  As such, labeling only products that contain high-risk ingredients could give an unfair competitive advantage to products that contain ingredients containing corn, soy, etc.

Dr. Vandana Shiva on a GMO Free World

Over 80% of all GMOs grown worldwide are engineered for herbicide tolerance. As a result, use of toxic herbicides like Roundup has increased 15 times since GMOs were introduced. GMO crops are also responsible for the emergence of “super weeds” and “super bugs:’ which can only be killed with ever more toxic poisons like 2,4-D (a major ingredient in Agent Orange). GMOs are a direct extension of chemical agriculture, and are developed and sold by the world’s biggest chemical companies.

The long-term impacts of GMOs are unknown, and once released into the environment these novel organisms cannot be recalled.

Turing the tables on Monsanto, Lauren McCauley, staff writer at Common Dreams writes, "75 year old Indiana soybean farmer, Vernon Hugh Bowman, is taking agriculture giant Monsanto to the supreme court over one of the most “systemic crisis” in modern farming: who controls the rights to the seeds planted in the ground."

Last week, the International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside (ICPPC) and a group of British and Polish supporters rallied in front of the Polish Embassy in central London, against the sale of Polish farmland to foreign multinationals.

Supporters conveyed the messages 'No to GMO' ' Local Food not Global Food' and 'Stop Land Grabs.'

The on going saga of Bt cotton in India continues to be one of the most interesting and important. Bt cotton yields have recently dropped to a 5-year low in India, which Monsanto is blames on the farmers.

Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.

A growing body of evidence connects GMOs with health problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers’ and consumers’ rights.

Unfortunately, even though polls consistently show that a significant majority of Americans want to know if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs, the powerful biotech lobby has succeeded in keeping this information from the public.

GMOs pose a serious threat to farmer sovereignty and to the national food security of any country where they are grown --- including the US.

Drilling for natural gas and oil at Pittsburgh International Airport

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — The Allegheny County Airport Authority approved a deal Friday with Consol Energy that could be worth $500 million for rights to drill for natural gas and oil at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Under the deal, Consol will pay a signing bonus of $50 million and then pay 18 percent royalties on future production. Officials expect the royalties to total $450 million over the next 20 years, though that figure isn't guaranteed.

Officials think the first wells will be drilled in late 2014 or early 2015, after lengthy reviews from both the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Airport authority treasurer Dennis Davin said the FAA has detailed rules on setbacks and how the drilling can be done.

"First and foremost, we're running an airport. The airport can't have any disruption of service from the drilling," Davin said.

Consol, which is based in Pittsburgh, is planning six to seven well pads on airport property and 45 to 50 wells. The closest drilling will be several thousand feet from runways.

The airport, located about 10 miles outside the city, intends to use the money from drilling to lower costs to airlines in hopes of attracting more flights, and for capital improvements. It served 20.8 million passengers at its peak in 1997 but saw that plummet after US Airways dropped it as a hub. Last year it served 8 million passengers.

At a public hearing on Thursday, county executive Rich Fitzgerald said Consol is also projected to invest $500 million in infrastructure such as roads and utilities. Fitzgerald said that work will generate local jobs, too.

But experts said the current low wholesale price of natural gas hurt the county's ability to strike a better deal.

In 2006 the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport received a $181 million bonus for rights on about 18,000 acres of land, plus a royalty of 25 percent on all future production.

Jerry Simmons, the executive director of the National Association of Royalty Owners in Tulsa, Okla., said he found it "a little surprising" that Pittsburgh officials couldn't negotiate a higher royalty rate. He noted that since the Pittsburgh airport controls 9,000 acres they're in a stronger position to negotiate, compared to small landowners.

But Simmons said he also tells people that "when you get to the point when you think you got a good deal, take it," since royalty rates vary from about 12.5 percent up to 25 percent. Davin, the authority treasurer, said officials believed the 18 percent rate to be "very good."

Simmons said he doesn't know of any other major airports in the northeast that have signed significant deals, and much of the gas-rich Marcellus Shale is far from major population centers. But many municipalities in Pennsylvania have leased smaller parcels or have debated doing so, and the state has also signed drilling leases for public forests and game lands.

Marcellus Protest, a local group that's critical of the drilling industry, complained about a lack of hearings in nearby communities and that no environmental impact study was done in advance.

The Marcellus lies below parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and New York.

—Copyright 2013 Associated Press

Cancer Fears Cause Russia To Cancel GMOs, But US Insists On Pushing Monsanto's Global Adgenda

by Theodora Filis

A bill to introduce compulsory registration of all products containing genetically modified-components is in the final stages of adoption by the Russian parliament.

Following an explosive French study suggesting a link between Monsanto’s controversial genetically engineered (GMO) corn and cancer, Russian authorities have suspended all imports and use of the US biotech GMO product until further safety testing can be performed. 

Officials worldwide are also  investigating the matter. 

Researchers in France released the results of their two-year study, published in The Food & Chemical Toxicology Journal. According to the scientists, both the genetically engineered corn and the herbicide Roundup were linked to early death, massive organ failure, tumor growth, and other serious health problems.

US analysts and Monsanto have downplayed the significance of the Russian government’s decision, claiming that it would not have a large effect on the firm’s business. Among the reasons cited: the government already prohibits farmers from planting GMOs and Russia imports very little corn from the United States anyway. Russia’s consumer-protection agency, known as Rospotrebnadzor, said it had ordered the country’s Institute of Nutrition to investigate the recent French university study. 

The regulatory agency has also reportedly asked the European Union for its views as the European Food Safety Authority vowed to review the research."Until we receive the full information in this case, the import and sale of genetically modified NK603 corn is being temporarily suspended," the Russian agency said in a statement posted on its website.

"If we begin to register GMO - then it won’t be long before we start to grow it on an extensive basis. And, are GMO’s safe? This question can be compared to "Is there life on Mars?" We can, of course, adopt this law and start growing GMO’s all over the country, but after that there will be no going back," Elena Sharoykina, Director of the National Association for Genetic Security claim.

2 yr French Study Suggests Link Between GMO Corn and Cancer

Even before Russia’s temporary ban was announced, Monsanto was already under attack in California and Europe. Critics have accused Monsanto and the biotech industry as a whole of attempting to quash any scientific data that casts doubts on the safety and efficacy of genetic engineering, saying the whole sector relies instead on lobbying and US Government support as the cornerstone of its business plan.

Despite the growing pressure on both sides of the Atlantic, Monsanto is still doing very well as a company. Its share price is up by 30% year-to-date, and more than a few analysts have advertised the stock as a bargain. Supporters also believe that genetic engineering might one day help to feed the world by making crops more resistant to droughts or pests.

Documents released by WikiLeaks also confirmed that the company has a relentless ally in the US government, which even tried to threaten other nations into approving GMOs. Top Monsanto officials also have what critics refer to as a revolving door with the federal government — allowing executives to move back and forth between regulatory agencies and the private sector at will.

However, even considering the power of the US government, fear and opposition to GMOs is building even in the United States, where most of the corn planted today is genetically engineered. According to analysts, the entire corn industry could collapse if the trend continues. Activists are currently trying to orchestrate a boycott of companies opposed to labeling as a precursor to bringing down the whole biotech industry.

"Why is this GMO labeling fight so important? Once GMOs are labeled in California, it will bring a cascade effect in other states as well, since most national companies won't create two labeling schemes, one for California and one for the rest of the country," said the Alliance for Natural Health, one of the groups leading the boycott effort.

Once products containing GMOs are labeled, people will stop buying them — and this economic pressure will be enough to force GMOs off the market...

Monsanto Profits Hit A New High - While Mexican & South American Farmers Protest Against The Invasion of GMOs

by Theodora Filis

Biotech giant Monsanto reported strong results for its first fiscal quarter this year with profits of $339 million; this is up from $126 million last year. The company attributes the strong results to the "continued expansion" of its corn business in Latin American countries, its "early momentum" in US seed and trait sales and performance of the company's agricultural productivity division.

This news led the company's stock to rise. Media reports say earlier this week Monsanto's shares were "surging" during pre-market trading after the company reported its healthy earnings and revenues. Reportedly, the company's increase "exceeded" previous estimates figured by analysts, reported Business Insider.

On Wednesday, January 23rd, Leaders of the National Union of Autonomous Regional Peasant Organizations (UNORCA) from more than 20 states began a sit-in and collective hunger strike against the planting of Genetically Modified (GMO) corn in Mexico.

Mexico, the birthplace of corn, contains a broad biodiversity of corn varieties. If allowed to proceed, this will be the first commercial planting of a GMO crop at its center of origin anywhere in the world. The impacts of this decision are critical for the cultural and food sovereignty of Mexico’s small farmers, but also for the health of Mexico’s urban population.

Three bio-tech giants have applied for permits to grow 6 million acres of GMO corn in the Northern Mexican states of Sinaloa and Tamilaupas. On September 7, 2012, Monsanto requested permission from the National Service of Food and Agriculture Inspection Office (SENASICA)   to plant three GMO corn varieties (MON89034-3, MON88017-3 and MON-00603-6) in 1,729,737 acres in 10 municipalities of Sinaloa state. They hope to begin planting in the next two months to harvest the first commercial crop of GMO corn in Mexico this summer.

And, according to the Wall Street Journal, Monsanto has "traditionally reported a quiet first quarter", with the growth in the South America, the company now has stronger sales year round.

Debates about the pros and cons of GMOs are taking place across the region.

GMOs are becoming increasingly prominent in South America, yet they continue to face strong resistance. One third of the 134 million hectares of GMOs planted globally in 2009, were in South America. Brazil and Argentina are the main producers, with 21.4 and 21.3 million hectares respectively. Of the 25 countries in the world that are planting genetically modified crops, seven are in South America. Between 2008 and 2009, world production of GM crops increased eight percent, while in Brazil it rose 35 percent.

GMOs are associated with a loss of biodiversity, as well as increasing social exclusion and economic dependency, especially of small farmers and native communities. Some experiences indicate that GM crops are sold to farmers as the only option.

The crops have three main characteristics:

1. they do not produce new seeds, thus the seeds must be bought anew every crop season;

2. they survive herbicides, which are usually provided by the same producers of the crop seeds;

3. property rights are held by the seed providers.

Some of the consequences of this commercial seeds are; soil degradation, because single crop farming, resistance to herbicides, and extinction of insects are linked to plants’ reproduction; GM species have the potential mix and reproduce with non-GM species, without knowing the impact of these combinations; and economic and social dependence of farmers on GM-crops, herbicides, and high-cost machinery.

There are no international regulations to control the use and spread of GMOs. International organizations have proposed protocols to implement international food codes (FAO and WHO) and to adopt bio-security regulations at national borders (Protocol of Cartagena), to avoid the risk that GMOs affect other products or reproduce genetic material.

However, none of these protocols have been widely accepted. Some countries have proposed regulations on tagging and commercialization of GM products, but without taking into account the impacts that commercialization and use can have.

"This is not just an issue for peasant farmers. The coming GMO maize invasion would impact all people as consumers, and would aggravate the terrible food dependency that our country suffers from. We respectfully ask you to join our struggle with a one day solidarity fast, and joining our sit-in if you can, or from the place where you live and work, by speaking out publicly to express your support for our actions, sending a message to us and/or to the news media. We are enormously grateful for your support." - UNORCA