On Oct 23, 6:46*am, pure kona > wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:50:57 -0700 (PDT), Pits09
>
> > wrote:
>
> >As long as the BEES are not fed Monsanto chemicals
> >this may help that sad place
>
> >see
> >http://www.sandia.gov/media/minebees.htm
>
> Actually the real problem with Monsanto is not its chemicals but its
> GMO seeds. Monsanto *genetically modifies the organism/seed* so it is
> resistant to Round-Up or the corn worm etc.- in the case of corn. So
> in America large corn acreage is planted in Monsanto seed corn. (They
> grow these GMO seeds in research in places like Hawaii because of the
> climate.) * Then the Large American Farmer (Mr. Agribusiness) has *got
> to go back and buy them again from Monsanto. But the crop is easy to
> grow, and these kind of farmers get the US *Aid to Farmer* money and
> the whole thing is sickening except---the US now uses lots of corn
> from animal food, to table food to sweetening.
>
> I believe there was even a suit by Monsanto against a smaller corn
> farmer whose corn was pollinated by this particular Monsanto seed.
> Inadvertently. The idea was crazy and I don't know how it turned out.
>
> Monsanto funds lots of research to Universities to do this work and
> many Universities do not turn these research dollars, from Monsanto,
> away. In our County of Hawaii, researchers wanted to study a GMO
> coffee to purportedly make it caffeine free, or more disease
> resistant. *Well we coffee farmers said no way and our County was the
> first in the US to ban the GMO as far as coffee and taro goes.
>
> Monsanto is big bucks. *Make no mistake about that.
>
> aloha,
> Cea

Hi Pure Kona ,
Personally I am not all against Monsanto just because they area
Multi national giant
You make very valid points on the millions of MUCH NEEDED research
dollars going to various institutions and organisations
who are always scrabbling over ever diminishing funding streams
Same goes for Pharmaceutical companies .

However,in some cases it has been proven that Large multinationals
tend to litigate before being bought to the negotiation table .
The case you may be referring to is probably the best publicised one
against a chap known as Percy Schmeiser I recall a doco or film about
this bloke

Another resource for those interested in this behaviour is below .
http://www.keepmainefree.org/suesuesue.html

Until recently My home state here in Aus has been GM free
but know trials up north on GM Canola and cotton are underway .
It has certainly polarised the agricultural community and is a bit
like windows versus Linux or Mac
debates and the occasional discussions have degenerated into blows
actually being struck between the various advocates ./neighbours .

The Jury here is still out on the LONG term benefits of GM some
soil tests already indicate that one has to use ever increasing and
costly inputs
to obtain the published claims on yield benefits .Especially Canola
which in a soil sense is rightly called rape . It certainly rapes the
soil of certain nutrients
no matter what cropping rotation is used . The Bio fuel industry has
not helped much either . Especially when looking at the TRUE carbon
footprint
involved in the manufacture and logistics chain of the inputs .

As the other poster states a simple taste test on certain foods
tells one where it comes from and what method was used in production.
Farmers are between a rock & a hard place fighting climate ,fickle
consumers , and at times greedy opportunistic price gouging
distribution chains.
Add to that despite FTA's Free Trade agreements other countries
habit of dumping heavily subsidised product into our markets .
We have hardly any subsidies here and are at the beginning of VERY
long distribution /logistics chains for world export .
Thus is why we really hammer high quality produce .

Thus as other posters have said if one can afford it in ever
tightening fiscal environment people will pay and have to to get
good quality produce
Co -ops and local farmers markets just can not compete with cartels
and the sheer buying power of the giants .

But market forces also are a needed two edged sword .

Thus many agri folk spread the risk by a combination or organic and
more cheaper to produce options .Often in different states or
localities.

If people are that hung up on organic or gm free produce they should
start either their own garden or start/join a community garden
group .
Happily this is an emerging trend not only for health and cost
considerations but the food *does* taste better when you can just
step outside and pick fresh what you want in season

But like politicians (who lie also ) Multinationals are part of the
rich fabric of life.