Contamination of Gene

The contamination caused by the genetically modified crops is the nightmare for the farmers, and also the calamity for the global food system.

The pollen of GM crops contaminate the genes of the organic or conventional crops nearby through agents such as wind, rain, birds, bees & insects. Even in the rural area of Mexico, the types of corn that are considered as national treasure in terms of varieties & purity, also contaminated by the GM corn in America.

“Patent” of GM Seeds

In the past, farmers usually would save up a batch of seeds for next season’s planting.
But Monsanto’s “Seed Patent” banned the farmers from saving their GM seeds, forced the farmers to always have to buy a new batch of seeds.

The pollen of Monsanto’s GM crops flew to others’ field, contaminated others’ pure seeds, but they turned around and accuse others of infringing upon the patent of their GM seed! Monsanto hired a group of “Gene Police”, took sample from others’ field without permission, then sent letter to the farmers whom crops were contaminated, accused them of infringing upon Monsanto’s seed patent, and demanded the farmers to pay compensation.

“Terminator” Seed

If Seed Patent can no longer effectively stop the farmers from saving the seeds, Monsanto might be using the next weapon — the “Terminator” genetically modified seed.

“Terminator” GM seed is also called as the “Sterile Seed“, it will create toxin to kill its own embryo — its plant can only bear fruits once, but its new seeds cannot be planted again. Thus every time after harvest, the farmers must buy a new batch of seeds. The bigger crisis is: If this “Terminator” GM seed contaminated other seeds, will it cause other seeds to be “sterile” too ?

Extended Resources

• Introduction to Terminator Technology

基因的污染

基因改造农作物造成的污染，是农民的恶梦，也是全球粮食的祸患。

基改农作物的花粉，透过风、雨、鸟、蜂和虫等等传粉媒介，污染了附近的有机或普通农作物的基因。就连墨西哥乡下，无论在多样性和纯度方面都被视为国际珍宝的玉米品种，也受到美国基改玉米的污染。

基改种子“专利权”

以前，农民们通常会保留一部份种子给下一季种植。但是孟山都的“种子专利权”禁止农民保留其基改种子，迫使农民每次都必须跟他们购买新一批种子

孟山都的基改农作物的花粉飞到别人田地，污染了人家的纯净种子，但孟山都却反咬人一口、控告别人侵犯其基改种子的“专利权”！孟山都聘请了一批“基因警察”，私自到人家田地搜取植物样本，然后发信给农作物“遭污染”的农民，控告农民侵犯专利权，要求他们支付赔偿金。

“终结者”种子

如果“种子专利权”不再能阻止农民保留种子，孟山都很可能会采用下一个控制武器 –“终结者”基改种子（Terminator seed）。

“终结者”基改种子，也称为“不育”基改种子，会制造毒素将自己的胚芽杀死 — 只能结一次果子，但新种子却不能再用来种植。如此，农民每一次收割后，就非得购买新一批种子不可。更大的危机是: 若这些“终结者”基改种子污染了别人的普通种子，会不会导致别的种子也“不育”？

延伸资讯

• 关于”终结者”技术

Farmers in Debt & Committed Suicide

1999, Monsanto bought Mahyco, the largest seed company in India; 2 years later, India government approved Monsanto’s genetically modified “BT Cotton” to come into the market. Even if the farmers wanted to buy the conventional cotton seeds, it’s not available in the market — because Monsanto had controlled almost all the cotton seed markets in India. Farmers were forced to pay price 4 times higher than the conventional seeds to buy BT Cotton seeds, and they had to borrow usury in order to afford it.

Monsanto’s advertisement claimed that BT Cotton can reduce 7 times of the pesticides use, and increase 3 times of the cotton harvest, but actually it was completely failed — BT Cotton still needed to be sprayed pesticides in order to kill Bollworms. 2006, BT Cotton was attacked by a rare infection & damage by the Rhizoctonia, the harvest were all ruined. India agronomists said there might be bad interaction happening between cotton & BT gene, thus weakened the plants’ immunity toward Rhizoctonia.

Because of poor harvest of BT Cotton, many farmers committed suicide because of debt; the area of Vidarbha was having  3 farmers suicidal cases each day on the average. Furthermore, lots of livestock fell sick & died because of grazing on the BT Cotton.

The World According to Monsanto (9 of 11)

Extended Resources

• The World According to Monsanto (1 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (2 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (3 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (4 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (5 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (6 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (7 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (8 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (9 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (10 of 11)
• The World According to Monsanto (11 of 11)

农夫负债和自杀

1999 年，孟山都收购了印度最大的种子公司 Mahyco；2 年后，印度政府批准孟山都的基因改造”BT 棉花”上市。就算农夫想买传统的棉花种子，市场上也买不到 — 因为孟山都控制了几乎整个印度的棉花种子市场。农夫被迫以高于传统种子 4 倍的价格购买 BT 棉花种子，往往必须借高利贷才买得起。

孟山都的广告说 BT 棉花可以减少 7 倍农药用量、提高 3 倍棉花产量，但实际上却彻底失败 — BT 棉花还是得喷农药才能消灭棉铃虫。2006年， BT 棉花受到前所未有的丝核菌感染和破坏，收成全毁。农学家说棉花和 BT 基因之间可能发生了一些不好的交互作用，以致植株对丝核菌的抵抗力变弱。

因为BT棉收成不好，农夫纷纷因债务而自杀； Vidarbha 地区平均每天发生 3 件农民自杀事件。此外，也有大批牲畜因误食 BT 棉花而生病死亡。

孟山都的基因改造世界 The World According to Monsanto (11之9)

延伸资讯

• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之1)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之2)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之3)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之4)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之5)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之6)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之7)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之8)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之9)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之10)
• 孟山都的基因改造世界 (11之11)

杂草和害虫产生“抗药性”

当害虫和疾病增加时，农夫被逼使用更多农药，而当更多农药被使用时，野草/害虫/疾病继续产生抗体，结果需喷洒更多农药。对孟山都这些农药公司来说，“抗药性”就是“商机”。

孟山都的 RoundUp 灭草剂引发超过 40 种植物疾病。RoundUp 用得越多，植物疾病越飙升。杂草和害虫也产生抗药性，变成杀不死的“超级杂草”和“超级害虫”。

基改公司控制全球种子

谁掌控种子，谁就可以掌控粮食。

单一农作物、农药、基因改造种子、垄断…全都有关联。从 1995 到 2005 年，孟山都农药/生技公司在全世界收购了 50 多家种子公司，好让孟山都的“基因改造种子”可以取代其他所有种子和垄断市场。

目前，玉米、黄豆、甜菜根、棉花、油菜 (Canola) 是美国 5 大种“单一”和“基改”农作物。

Food Inc. – 片段

延伸资讯

• GMO Awareness
• GM Watch
• BBC Documentary – Genetically Modified Foods

最普遍的两大类基因改造农作物

1） 耐 RoundUp 除草剂喷洒的（例如 RR 黄豆）

RoundUp 除草剂是 Monsanto 的头号商品。即使稀释了 450 倍，RoundUp 还是会破坏人体细胞的 DNA !

RoundUp 的主要成分是含致癌性、基因毒性和干扰内分泌的 Glyphosate。而 RoundUp 里的另一种成份 Polyoxyethyleneamine 会“促进”细胞对 Glyphosate 及其他化学成份的吸收，因此大大增加 RoundUp 对人体的毒害。

RoundUp 和以下有关联:  肝癌、皮肤癌、非霍奇金淋巴瘤、脑膜炎、肾脏破坏、男性生殖系统受损、低睾丸素、不育、孩童荷尔蒙失衡、DNA 破坏、内分泌失调、铀中毒……

2） 自身制造 “杀虫剂” 的（例如 BT 玉米）

BT 玉米被注册为“农药”类 ！

BT 玉米的细胞含 BT 毒素（Bacillus Thuringiensis），会杀死所有吃玉米的昆虫（益虫和害虫），其毒素使它们的消化系统裂开。

吃了 BT 玉米的动物（实验室和农田的）有以下后果: 死亡、肝和肾中毒、血压问题、高血糖、贫血、过敏、感染、不育、子宫下垂、早产、生下来的孩子夭折、孩子体积比正常的小……

延伸资料

• Responsible Technology – Doctors’ Health Warning: Avoid Genetically Modified Foods
• Responsible Technology – Jeffrey M. Smith Talked on the Health Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods (Part 1)
• Natural News – GMO Foods Alter Organ Function & Pose a Very Real Health Threat to Humans
• TED – Robyn O’Brien Talked on Kids & Food Allergies from GMOs

What is GMO?

GMO stands for “Genetic Modified Organism”.

Using viruses, antibiotic resistance genes & bacteria to be the agent, indicator & initiator, randomly assembling genes from unrelated species (human, animals & plants) , forever changing the original genetic codes.

The usual method is: Extracting a gene segment that contains specific function from a species, inserting it into another species. This is not only causing damage & chaos to the sequence & structure of DNA of the original species, gene mutation could also happen, causing consequences that are out of control.

Typical Examples of Genetically Modified Crops:

– “Pesticide-tolerant” soybean invented for the purpose of spraying large amount of pesticides.

– Corn that produces “pesticide” itself.

Two GM Crops Produced by Monsanto

Genetically modified crops are usually related to “use of pesticides”.

Roundup, a highly toxic herbicide, is the signature product of pesticides manufacturer Monsanto. “Coincidentally”, Monsanto had also invented these two types of genetically modified crops:

1) “Roundup-Tolerant” crops  (e.g. RR Soybean)

Invented for spraying large amount of Roundup, the surrounding weeds are killed, but these soybeans are not. As a result, these soybeans carry lots of Roundup residues, while the weeds have also developed resistance — therefore more Roundup is needed to be sprayed.

2) Crops that produce “pesticides” themselves  (e.g. BT Corn)

Bugs (including the good ones) will drop dead if they eat any part of this corn – would you want to eat it?

GM Ingredients Have Already Invaded

Take the U.S. for example, 88% of corns, 94% of soybeans grown are genetically modified. Although we are not staying in the U.S., genetically modified ingredients have already invaded our home (mostly through the processed food).

If not certified organic, these foods are most likely to contain GMOs:  Meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, cookies, pastries, breakfast cereal, corn, corn oil, corn starch, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, aspartame, soybean, soybean powder, lecithin, isoflavone, soy protein isolate, tofu, tempeh, soybean paste, soy sauce, vegetable oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed (canola) oil, xanthan gum, baking powder, MSG, vitamin B12, vitamin E……

Extended Resources

• Institute for Responsible Technology – Powerpoint Presentation on GMOs
• SourceWatch – Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Controversy

什么是GMO ？

GMO 的全名是 Genetic Modified Organism，意思是: 基因改造生物体。

利用病毒、具抗生素抗性的基因和细菌，作为媒介、标志和启动因子，随意组合不相关物种（人类、动物和植物）的基因，永远改变了原本的基因码。

通常的做法是: 提取某生物具有特殊功能的基因片断，植入另一生物当中。这不但会造成原物种 DNA 排序结构的损害和混乱，也可能产生基因突变、造成無法收拾的後果。

典型的基因改造食物例子:

– 为了大量喷洒农药而发明的“耐农药” 黄豆（也叫大豆）。

– 可自身制造“杀虫剂”的玉米。

Monsanto的两种基因改造农作物

基因改造农作物通常跟“使用农药”有关。

Roundup 是一种剧毒灭草剂，是农药公司 Monsanto 的招牌产品。“碰巧”的是，Monsanto 也发明了这两种基因改造农作物:

1）耐喷洒 Roundup 的农作物 （例如 RR 黄豆）

为了大量喷洒 Roundup 而发明；周围野草被毒死，但此黄豆却不会。后果是: 此黄豆带有大量 Roundup 农药残留，而野草也产生了抗药性 — 结果需要喷更多的 Roundup。

2）可自身制造“杀虫剂”的农作物 （例如 BT 玉米）

昆虫（包括益虫）吃了这种玉米的任何部份，就会倒毙 — 你敢吃吗？

基因改造成份已入侵

以美国为例，88% 的玉米，94% 的黄豆，都是基因改造品种。即使我们不住在美国，基因改造成份已经入侵我们的家（大部份透过加工食品）。

除非是验证有机的，否则这些食品或材料大有可能含基因改造成份：肉类，鱼，奶制品，鸡蛋，饼干，糕点，早餐谷片，玉米，玉米油，玉米淀粉，玉米糖浆，果糖，葡萄糖，阿斯巴甜，黄豆，黄豆粉，卵磷脂，异黄酮，黄豆分离蛋白，豆腐，豆豉，豆酱，酱油，植物油，棉籽油，菜籽油（芥花籽油 Canola oil），黄原胶，发酵粉，味精，维生素 B12，维生素 E ……

延伸资讯

• Institute for Responsible Technology – Powerpoint Presentation on GMOs
• SourceWatch – Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Controversy