SUBHEAD: While Bill Gates wants Africa to embrace industrial GM food, Italy fines Franken-Maize growing farmer.
By Matthew McDermott on 9/30/10 for TreeHugger.com -
(http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/while-bill-gates-wants-africa-embrace-gm-food-italy-fines-farmer.php)
Image above: Mural in Oaxaca, Mexico, on the subject of GMO corn from article about SmartStax GM corn - a heavily modified corn that is a product of a partnership of Monsanto and Dow AgroScience. From (https://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/smartstax-corn-corporate-war-on-bees).
Interesting GM food media intersection in the past two days: Reuters reports that an Italian court has fined a farmer for illegally growing GM maize, cultivation of which is banned in Italy; meanwhile, in The Guardian John Vidal rightly raises the question of why is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is so heavily pushing GM-led industrial agriculture in Africa and aligning itself with Monsanto and Cargill.
Gates Into Monsanto and Cargill for $33 Million
Vidal gives a blow-by-blow account of the Gates Foundation's $23 million investment in Monsanto, a market increase over the past six months and its $10 million teaming with Cargill to promote massive industrial-scale cultivation of GM soya in Mozambique. Rightly questioning whether an export-led, GM-based industrial agriculture model--the environmental and social problems of which are, putting it mildly, overwhelming--is really the best thing for Africa, Vidal sums up:
Take it as written that when it comes to trying to promote improvements in health care around the world that the Gates Foundation does some great work. Their apparent commitment to the cause seems genuine. But for the sake of argument, let's assume that Vidal's second point bears out and Gates gets further in bed with big-ag.
It would actually be quite typical for the the high-technocentric vision that Bill Gates has espoused again and again--and particular when it comes to renewable energy and climate change, pretty much is myopically misinformed. The real Green Revolution that Africa, Asia and the rest of the world needs isn't GM-led but is diversified, is largely organic, and isn't based on assuming long distance exported food is the best way to go.
African GM Crop Promotion is Corporate Colonialism, Thinly Veiled
But back to Italy: No doubt there's someone objecting to Vidal's (and my) objections here on the grounds that there's some level of cultural colonialism involved. Why should we restrict development of Africa along the lines that produced so much wealth in the global North?
That's too big an objection to unpack and debunk all at once, but it is worth pointing out that it's seems disturbingly retrograde, itself somehow corporate-colonial, to push GM industrial ag in Africa when a number of European Union nations have banned GM crops and when the introduction of GM food crops in India has been halted.
Such things are OK in the mythical 'over there'. The facts of the fine: A judge in the town of Pordenone has fine the farmer in question €25,000 ($34,000) for growing Monsanto's MON 810 maize, contaminating nearby fields in the process, and all in violation of Italy's current ban on GM crops. Reuters notes that although public opinion of GM crops in Italy is largely opposed to them, the current ban is temporary as rules are developed on how to manage co-existence of GM and non-GM crops.
See also:
TreeHugger: Ireland Says No to GMO 9/16/09
TreeHugger: India Suspends First GM Food Crop 2/9/10
TreeHugger: GMO Bans, Laws Around the World 12/3/09
HuffingtonPost: Monsanto Corn linked to organ failure 1/12/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Corn Virus is still on Kauai 4/5/10
.
By Matthew McDermott on 9/30/10 for TreeHugger.com -
(http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/while-bill-gates-wants-africa-embrace-gm-food-italy-fines-farmer.php)
Image above: Mural in Oaxaca, Mexico, on the subject of GMO corn from article about SmartStax GM corn - a heavily modified corn that is a product of a partnership of Monsanto and Dow AgroScience. From (https://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/smartstax-corn-corporate-war-on-bees).
Interesting GM food media intersection in the past two days: Reuters reports that an Italian court has fined a farmer for illegally growing GM maize, cultivation of which is banned in Italy; meanwhile, in The Guardian John Vidal rightly raises the question of why is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is so heavily pushing GM-led industrial agriculture in Africa and aligning itself with Monsanto and Cargill.
Gates Into Monsanto and Cargill for $33 Million
Vidal gives a blow-by-blow account of the Gates Foundation's $23 million investment in Monsanto, a market increase over the past six months and its $10 million teaming with Cargill to promote massive industrial-scale cultivation of GM soya in Mozambique. Rightly questioning whether an export-led, GM-based industrial agriculture model--the environmental and social problems of which are, putting it mildly, overwhelming--is really the best thing for Africa, Vidal sums up:
The fact that Cargill is a faceless agri-giant that controls most of the world's food commodities and Monsanto has been blundering around poor Asian countries for a decade giving itself and the US a lousy name for corporate bullying. Does Gates know it is danger of being caught up in their reputations, or does the foundation actually share their corporate vision of farming and intend to work with them more in the future? [TreeHugger note: farmer suicides plus increasing pesticide pollution and water table depletion in India...]Big-Ag Partnership Consistent With Gates' High-Technocentric Tendencies
Take it as written that when it comes to trying to promote improvements in health care around the world that the Gates Foundation does some great work. Their apparent commitment to the cause seems genuine. But for the sake of argument, let's assume that Vidal's second point bears out and Gates gets further in bed with big-ag.
It would actually be quite typical for the the high-technocentric vision that Bill Gates has espoused again and again--and particular when it comes to renewable energy and climate change, pretty much is myopically misinformed. The real Green Revolution that Africa, Asia and the rest of the world needs isn't GM-led but is diversified, is largely organic, and isn't based on assuming long distance exported food is the best way to go.
African GM Crop Promotion is Corporate Colonialism, Thinly Veiled
But back to Italy: No doubt there's someone objecting to Vidal's (and my) objections here on the grounds that there's some level of cultural colonialism involved. Why should we restrict development of Africa along the lines that produced so much wealth in the global North?
That's too big an objection to unpack and debunk all at once, but it is worth pointing out that it's seems disturbingly retrograde, itself somehow corporate-colonial, to push GM industrial ag in Africa when a number of European Union nations have banned GM crops and when the introduction of GM food crops in India has been halted.
Such things are OK in the mythical 'over there'. The facts of the fine: A judge in the town of Pordenone has fine the farmer in question €25,000 ($34,000) for growing Monsanto's MON 810 maize, contaminating nearby fields in the process, and all in violation of Italy's current ban on GM crops. Reuters notes that although public opinion of GM crops in Italy is largely opposed to them, the current ban is temporary as rules are developed on how to manage co-existence of GM and non-GM crops.
See also:
TreeHugger: Ireland Says No to GMO 9/16/09
TreeHugger: India Suspends First GM Food Crop 2/9/10
TreeHugger: GMO Bans, Laws Around the World 12/3/09
HuffingtonPost: Monsanto Corn linked to organ failure 1/12/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Corn Virus is still on Kauai 4/5/10
.
6 comments :
wow, did bill gates drink the cornaid?
who would have thought such a thing could happen...
HA!
Aloha Jonathan,
I think Bill Gates's reliance on the "system" is not surprising when you look at the history of MicroSoft and it's lack on creative innovation and reliance on monopoly.
His idea of philanthropy is as ugly as MS Zune.
Juan Wilson
I suppose it is fun to bash big companies and rich people but the reality is that Bill Gates is trying to feed Africa. If you look at what the foundation has done, you'll see that it is trying help those countries that do not have the money to help themselves.
I also hope you realize that you wouldn't be blogging without the innovations that come from Microsoft.
Aloha Alan,
On the contrary. I use Apple exclusively and refuse to use any MS product or software. Microsoft follows in others path and buys them out if they have a good idea.
Nations in Africa are being plundered now by countries like China and trans-national corporations like Monsanto to be dependent colonies.
Did you look at any of the links in the article. Many nations are boycotting GM food and agriculture.
As for the Gates' philanthropy... thanks, but no thanks.
Juan Wilson
Aloha Juan,
I really do not wish to enter a pissing contest with you so this will be my last attempt to try to show that Microsoft, Bill Gates, most everything in the world is not black and white.
When I state that you'd not be blogging if it weren't for Microsoft, I did not just mean the software on your computer. I mean the software on my computer and on most of the readers' computers. Would you really be blogging if only people with Apple computers could read it ? And then there is the internet technologies that Microsoft has helped in defining the standards - IPv6, CSS, XML, etc. And lets say that even if you take away the innovations done at Microsoft, Microsoft's marketing has made PCs ubitquitous. And finally you should note that a number of years ago before iMacs and iPhones, Apple was going out of business and Microsoft invested in them and saved the company.
As for the Gates foundation he's donated 22 Billion (yes Billion) for 3rd world development. THings like supplying free drugs for people who can't afford them. And just a heads up if you want to avoid his philanthropy - don't go to the public library. His foundation has given about a million dollars to the Hawaii State Public Library system.
Microsoft is not a perfect corporation. Look at how it sided with the government thugs in Russia recently or how they have bullied other companies in the past. But if you are going to bash them you also show both sides of the argument.
Done. Mahalo for sharing your forum.
Alan,
Mahalo for your comments. I agree... MS and Apple are neither black or white. The problem that this article about is Monsanto and GMO corn patents.
GMO corn is not good for you health, is designed to receive pesticides to thrive and cannot be used without a license from its "owner". A bad situation all around.
Juan
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