No, Really, Monsanto Has a "Discredit Bureau"

A company functionary discusses Monsanto's 'Ministry of Truth'

Heather Callaghan

Monsanto company arguably holds an inordinate amount of the global food supply, not only with its genetically engineered seed but its complimentary product, Roundup herbicide, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate.

Which is why they spat lividly when a subset of WHO publicly announced that glyphosate is a probably cause of cancer. They demanded a retraction. The report published in The Lancet Oncology discussed chromosomal and DNA damage, and glyphosate found in human blood and intestines. Catherine Frompovich expounds on it in What’s Your “Daily Value” of Glyphosate?

Since they hold more capital than Lucifer, it stands to reason they would have a propaganda wing that disseminates information and decimates those who stand in the way. Snippets of proof have surfaced before. Although shrouded in secrecy, this time someone from the company got a little too gleeful at the thought of "debunking" naysayers whether they be scientists, activists, bloggers or you.

Study: New GM Soybean Oil and Non-GMO Are Terrible Compared to This Oil

Heather Callaghan

Unfortunately, many Americans simply skim headlines. They might even share information based solely on headlines. And it's almost like both the media and research communities know this when they choose a headline. Especially when they choose headlines that have a deliberately opposite meaning than the content therein.

When this writer came across headlines that suggested a new genetically engineered soybean oil was healthier to humans than conventional soybean oil - she just had to bite and see what is the newest GMO claim.

"How healthy is genetically modified soybean oil?" one asks innocently. Another says GE soybean oils is slightly healthier than conventional implying that both are a part of a complete breakfast.

Monsanto Paid Female Bloggers to Attend Panel

Heather Callaghan

Writers are often barraged with email invites to attend conferences to become better writers with promises that, in time, their efforts will produce a lucrative income. There are niche writing workshops as well, such as "food blogging." The hitch, of course, is that one must pay for tickets to enter said workshop.

In a notable flipside, however, Monsanto recently paid female bloggers $150 if they attended "an intimate and interactive panel." The goal here not being a way to a successful writing career, but rather an incentivized way to shape public opinion.

The invite target? Women ... Perhaps those of the ever-growing "Mommy Blogger" persuasion?

Leaked cables confirm Pope’s distance from GMO debate and limited stance on bioethics

Rady Ananda, Contributing Writer
Activist Post

A leaked June 2009 cable from the US Vatican Embassy confirms the Pontiff’s refusal to take a stance on genetically modified foods. The Pope’s refusal to reject GM foods creates a vacuum in light of his condemnation of human genetic manipulation and his promotion of environmental stewardship.

Last month, at least one news source falsely reported that the Pope approves genetically modified foods. Vatican officials immediately denied such claims, but did admit there is debate within the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.  The cable confirms:

The Vatican has not taken a formal position on genetically modified (GM) crops — some Church leaders oppose them because GM technology is mostly in the hands of multinational corporations, while others support their use as an element in a larger strategy to address world hunger.

The cable, released by WikiLeaks, also confirms the Pope’s view that world hunger is more about failings in the distribution infrastructure and as a result of commodity food trading that drove up food prices:


In his World Food Day message in October 2008, the Pope noted that the world can produce enough food to meet increasing needs, but said factors like speculation in foodstuffs, corrupt public officials, and growing investments in weapons prevented food from reaching the hungry.

In this Democracy Now interview, Frederick Kaufman, a contributing editor at Harper’s Magazine, detailed how a speculative food bubble increased the number of those going hungry by 250 million.

Wall Street investors like Goldman Sachs, AIG, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and JPMorgan Chase bought “futures” on commodities, refusing to sell them. This created a false shortage, causing prices to skyrocket.

Another leaked cable discusses a Papal visit to Spain in July 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI condemned genetic research. Embassy official Peter Martin described the speech this way:

Benedict did not shy away from comments on same-sex marriage, abortion, and genetic research, but the comments were not so much finger-wagging at the Spanish government, as a message aimed at the Western world in general.

In a June 2008 Doctrinal Instruction concerning bioethics, Pope Benedict XVI clarifies the Catholic Church’s opposition to genetic engineering on the grounds of a “eugenics mentality.” His argument about protecting the dignity of human life can be equally extended to all life. Indeed, in the June 2009 leaked cable, the Pope’s concern for the environment is well noted:

The Pope speaks frequently about the importance of caring for God’s creation…. The Holy See is an active observer at the UN Environment Program, Food and Agriculture Organization and other international for a.… The Pope has even joined with other religious leaders … to issue moral appeals to their faithful on humanity’s responsibility to be good stewards of nature. The Vatican’s environmental message is consistent: nature is a gift from God, so human beings have a responsibility to care for and not to abuse it.

If the integrity of the human person needs to be maintained, and if humans should care for the environment, shouldn’t the integrity of all life forms be maintained?

While recognizing advances in biomedical science, the 2008 Doctrinal Instruction fails to consider the burgeoning agriceutical industry, which amounts to mass drugging the population thru a genetically modified food supply. This scheme falls squarely outside Papal and Hippocratic protectionism toward humans.

Though the Church condemns genetic manipulation only as far as humans go, Papal arguments on the sanctity of natural life can easily be applied to genetically engineered foods, as well. It’s not that far of a stretch to oppose GM foods after opposing other forms of genetic manipulation.

Rady Ananda’s work has appeared in several online and print publications. She holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University’s School of Agriculture. Using years of editorial experience and web publishing, Rady now promotes the ideas and work of a select group of quality writers and artists at Food Freedom and COTO Report. 

Related Article by Rady Ananda:
New Scientist Magazine Plants False Story That Pope Approves GM Crops

RELATED ARTICLE:
Banksters Inflate Speculative Food Bubble 


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Industry, government push GMO oranges as solution to pest problem

Ethan A. Huff
Natural News

Problem, reaction, solution: that's the name of the game in the U.S., and it's how sweeping changes that would otherwise never happen end up coming to pass. Currently, a widespread pest problem among citrus plants known as "greening" allegedly threatens the continued existence of orange fruit production, and the only way to fix it, say some, is to genetically-alter orange trees to resist the pest.

A recent report in Reuters explains that the Huanglongbing (HLB) bacteria, or "yellow dragondisease", is ravaging orange groves throughout Florida. The disease was first identified in China more than 100 years ago, and it has now somehow spread to the U.S. where some experts say it could wipe out the majority or entirety of Florida's orange groves within seven or eight years.

But instead of trying to address the root causes of the issue -- causes that opponents of GMOs say include overuse of pesticides and nutrient-depleted soil -- some government agencies are proposing that biotechnology companies be granted their wish to genetically-modify the trees to artificially resist the pest.


Like all other GMOs, there is no evidence that altered oranges are safe for human consumption or for the environment, but that hasn't stopped the push to get them developed and approved. Advocates continue to insist that transgenic fruits and vegetables are no different than selectively-bred ones, but numerous studies show that GMOs significantly alter gut bacteria and lead to various health problems, as well as damage the environment (http://www.naturalnews.com/GMO.html).

Researchers and biotechnology companiesare essentially chomping at the bit to convert the nation's orange groves to GMOs because there's much money to be made from it. Erik Mirkov, professor of plant pathology at Texas A&M's Agrilife Research Center in Weslaco, Texas, and a paid researcher into the issue, told Reuters that the conversion "could potentially be huge" in terms of profits.

GMO oranges, like other GMO crops, require new seeds to be purchased every year for plantings. Their seeds are programmed to self-destruct every year, requiring farmers to purchase new ones. The GMO crop's patents also require regular fees and royalties to be paid to the companies that produce them, resulting in even higher profits. 

Sources for this story include:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS...

RELATED ARTICLE:

7 Secret Ways We Are Being Poisoned

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