GM

In a major environmental paper draft leaked a few days ago, Pope Francis brings attention to genetically modified organisms and the pesticides used to grow them, calling them both environmentally and socially ‘significant’ problems.
While he doesn’t call for an outright ban, and even states that they may have been helpful economically in some parts of the world, he also says that farm workers have been marginalized by the production of GM crops.
He states:

It’s been nearly a year since illegal, unexpected GM wheat was found growing at a Montana State University test lab field, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service told The Gazette they still have no idea how the genetically modified grain turned up at the Southern Agricultural Research Center.

As major supermarkets like Safeway, Target, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s refuse GM salmon, the mega store Costco is planning on selling the genetically modified fish to its customers while attempting to dress itself as a big organic seller.

Maharastra is a large industrial state in India known for its many historic monuments, but it will now be known as the state that stopped GM field trials.
Activists’ campaigns against GM crops in India are taking their toll; now the state government of Maharashtra will halt confined GM field trials to address letters issued to them by multiple parties.
The India Express reported that a letter was released saying:

When you read headlines like these, you may be confused. Should you get angry, or laugh? Monsanto as a sustainable agriculture company? Monsanto truly has decided to market itself as a ‘sustainable agriculture’ company despite spending billions to provide the world with destructive, carcinogenic chemicals.

If a Roundup Ready variety of soybeans might cost $65 to $70 a bag, and conventional, non-GMO varieties are $30 to $35 a bag, you would think farmers would be eschewing GMO beans. An agronomist with the Division of Agriculture at the University of Arkansas is planting nine non-GM soybeans on his test plots, four developed by the University. Here’s why. . .

US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, also known as Monsanto’s errand boy, sent a letter to media outlets on May 1st of this year stating that the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has, for a long time now, offered a Process Verified non-GMO label to food manufacturers. In the least, the claim has kicked up some dust to make understanding the USDA non-GM label claims a little difficult to see through.

Due to ‘disappointing yields and poor quality cotton fiber,” the country of Burkina Faso in West Africa is ditching Monsanto’s genetically modified cotton.

In a study issued by Yale University, the latest answer to GM crop contamination has been revealed by biotech – genetically modified amino acids.

“Scientists have devised a way to ensure genetically modified organisms can be safely confined in the environment, overcoming a major obstacle to widespread use of GMOs in agriculture, energy production, waste management, and medicine.” [1]

Many have questioned whether hospitals are really conducive to healing since they serve pesticide-ridden GMOs to their patients as they recover from some of the same illnesses that GMOs create, but one medical center in Vermont which serves 2 million meals a year is preparing to reduce GMOs served to both patients and hospital visitors alike.