Brazilian activists launch petition to stop approval of GMO 'Terminator' seeds

Friday, March 07, 2014 by: L.J. Devon, Staff Writer
Tags: Terminator seeds, GMOs, Brazil

(NaturalNews) In today's globally connected economic environment, entire governments can be infiltrated by industry insiders who seek to further their business agenda. It's easy for government safety boards and commissions to be coerced into supporting a corporation's high-dollar demands. It's now very easy for corporations to conspire globally to take advantage of expanding markets in agriculture. Follow the money.

Genetically manipulated crops aren't the answer for feeding the world

Supporters of big GMO agribusiness are often deluded by the thought that they are feeding growing populations around the world. Realistically, genetically altered seeds have been changed at the molecular level, sometimes spliced with bacteria genes. This kind of DNA designer crop doesn't always interact well with the human body. Chemicals like glyphosate, mass applied in this agricultural system, disrupt the shikimate pathway of the good bacteria in the gut. Even worse, GM "Terminator" seeds are actually designed to make the seeds die in their second year, which definitely doesn't help farmers feed the world. The world's hunger slowly becomes more dependent on the GMO design, limiting food security.

Countries becoming guinea pigs at the mercy of those who think they knows what's best

As genetically altered seeds are peddled to governments for approval, entire populations of people may be at the mercy of a select few commissioners and board safety connoisseurs who are easily influenced by securing positions of power and influence. While experimental seeds are approved into a country's agriculture, people inadvertently become guinea pigs for lab-developed food. At the same time, farmers are trapped into being seasonally dependent on genetically altered Terminator seeds.

Terminator seeds transform hard-working farmers into dependent slaves

Highly controversial genetically altered Terminator seeds are lab-designed to die at their first harvest, making crops unable to reproduce in their second year. This immediately makes farmers dependent on corporate seed each growing season.

This inevitably consolidates all the power and control into the hands of the corporations who lab-engineer new seeds every year. This disturbing agricultural practice is anti-life, anti-independence and anti-health. Terminator seeds are really about control. Instead of working with nature and allowing nature to take its course in breeding heritage seeds each year, farmers are forced to buy experimental seeds and their chemical companions. Some GM seeds are designed to perform tasks like creating their own insecticide. While corporations take over and control the seed market, farmers are made to be their slaves.

Independent organic farmers are being silently robbed by Terminator seed cross-contamination

Independent farmers who refuse genetically altered seeds are also at risk. Organic farmers who use heritage seeds could face the harsh reality of cross-contamination as their real seed is contaminated by varieties of Terminator seeds. Completely organic crops are at risk of being infected, so to speak, as they are cross-contaminated by Terminator varieties. This may create a line of dying "suicide" crops within an organic farmer's field. Within one growing season, an honest, independent farmer could be robbed of the fruits of his own labor, silently. Terminator seeds could literally cut his prosperity quietly each year, subjecting his freedom to the controlling hands of GMO seed plotters.

Brazil activists seek to stop Terminator seeds with your help

In the country of Brazil, Congress is proposing a bill, (PL) No. 268/2007, that would allow exemptions to the ban on genetic use restriction technologies, as Terminator seeds are formally known. This bill would basically allow Terminator seeds to freely flow into Brazil's agriculture, cross-contaminating real seeds and putting farmers at the mercy of biotech firms. Filed by Rep. Eduardo Sciarra, this bill allows for marketing and production of "suicide" seeds that are engineered to become sterile in their second generation. A commission is set to vote on the matter soon; if a quorum is reached, the bill would appear for a final vote in the Brazilian Congress.

GMO Terminator seed activists have launched a petition to be directed to the newly elected President of the Judiciary Commission. The petition states clearly that Terminator seeds threaten farmers and food sovereignty in Brazil.

The links to the petition are below:
In Portuguese (http://change.org), in English (http://change.org) or in Spanish (http://change.org).

Sources for this article include:

http://www.etcgroup.org

http://www.change.org

http://www.junkscience.co.uk