Please sign petition against GMO Alfalfa need 10,000 singatures

[Cindiloohoo]

I signed. Thank you for posting this!!

 

[HLAC]

Rainplace, it's herbicide resistant. (glyphosate aka roundup)

In my opinion roundup is far less dangerous than the herbicides that they used to use.
I don't really see the big deal. If you want organic corn or beans (or alfalfa) you can still get them. It's not like monsanto is going to force farmers to grow RR alfalfa.

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
and cross pollination from the gm crops to the organic? I'm ignorant and am certain that much of what I feel comes from alarmist stuff I've read in the past, but it does seem scary.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

After I did a little reading on the issue and I think I comprehend what this is all about, I signed.

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

I signed.



Very interesting comments so far. I will definately be watching this thread and that website...

 

[HLAC]

"In alfalfa, the potential for Roundup Ready gene flow
between fields is significantly constrained (limited) by crop and bee pollinator biology, typical alfalfa grower
practices, and numerous additional grower practices required in the Monsanto license for forage growers and
Forage Genetics required best practices for contracted RRA seed growers as follows.

I. In alfalfa, forage producers cut hay at regular intervals prior to or near early bloom for optimum forage
quality and yield. Forage quality of the crop deteriorates rapidly after this stage of crop maturity. The
potential for pollen-mediated hay-to-hay field gene flow has been thoroughly discussed in a recent University
of California publication 4 wherein it is stated that, “…the likelihood of AP [adventitious presence] occurring
between hay fields becomes infinitely small, likely to be far less than 0.001% of field biomass even under
high estimates. The combination of frequent harvests, lack of significant flowering, lack of significant seed
production, and the highly competitive and allelopathic nature of alfalfa that prevents ready germination of
alfalfa seeds in existing fields should prevent most if not all gene transfer”."

 

[mom'sfolly]

Alfalfa is also grown as a cover crop, particularly by organic growers. In light of Monsanto's previous litigation concerning GMO cross pollination, I think that there real concerns about adding another GMO crop. It isn't the consumers who are calling for more, it is the company pushing the market. They then monopolize the seed and sue those who accidentally get the genes. As a cover crop and as a feed crop it introduces yet another stream for unlabeled gene modified food to enter the marketplace.

As I said, I would have signed the petition if it hadn't sent me to a donation page.

 

[onthespot]

I signed the petittion and left this comment.

Enough with the GM already!!! Unless you can keep your pollen to yourself, like on a deserted island or something, DON'T plant it where it can "infect" organic grower's crops. I'd hate to be walking down the sidewalk and get serendipitously "fertilized" by a GM man who happened to be walking by, just by his genetic info drifting in the air. Same for farmers that DON'T want your kind on their place!

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

It scares me, just another trigger to kill off the bee population. Frankenfoods that continue to devastate biodiversity can never be the answer... especially one that in essence sprays it's own pesticides? I signed...

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I don't really have too much say in this issue, as I am not totally aware of the facts, but to those who don't fully know what a GMO is or how it's made, its really not the evil, terrible things people make it out to be. The process is extremely easy and it doesn't require mutation or any other crazy thing like that, which in my experience a lot of people seem to think.

The research I do in college involves GMO organisms. Last semester we inserted fluorescent jelly fish genes into bacteria, and as a result, the bacteria would glow under a light. They have also been able to do this for other animals as well, like cats, and mice, and even cows and goats.

I think Monsanto is scary, not because of the GMOs (personally I think this is an extremely interesting and useful field!) but because they are looking to monopolize the seed industry. This will reduce choices for farmers who may want to choose between natural and GMO. It will also raise the cost of natural seeds, as monsanto begins to flood the market.