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A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are generally known as recombinant DNA technology. With recombinant DNA technology, DNA molecules from different sources are combined in vitro into one molecule to create a new gene. This DNA is then transferred into an organism and causes the expression of modified or novel traits.

Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods produced from GMO that have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering. GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. The most common modified foods are derived from plants: soybean, corn, canola cotton seed oil and wheat.


2008-04-07

Hope's Edge by Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe  

The book Hope's Edge , by Frances Moore Lappe and her daughter Anna Lappe, (2002) includes economic, political, psychological, health, environmental, cultural and scientific relations between plants and human societies. This book is a wake-up call, push us, and there is still hope, once again our democracy for the benefit of mankind as a whole. It reminds us that we are all together in this great web of life and that we continue to stray away from the source, the less we know. It shows how global corporate capitalism not appreciate the individual or community . This book documented accounts from around the world from the emergence of the action triggered by hope. These courageous and motivated groups are experimenting with different approaches to the healing of the earth, and even in the process, through the creation of communities and unite our minds and ideas on how to best a symbiotic relationship with nature. They are free to join the "global thinking traps", networking and brainstorming for innovative solutions for sustainable alternatives to corporate global capitalism is cold and destructive methods. These people are as examples for all of us, for the strengthening of the board to make decisions, and change their ways, the lives of deliberately creating that by the organization, planning, and work together towards a common goal. These groups are the citizens with the election instead of just passively consumers.

UN foods agrees estimate that the planet's population is only through eeking proportion, as far as food for humans availability, but there are those who beg to differ. The authors of this book, with plenty of references and thirty years of research, say that the abundant nature, and that there is no shortage of food, but a misuse of resources and strategies. They point out that the UN does not take account of their true wild foods collected worldwide, mini-gardens, or the fact that half the world's grain (2500 gallons for each pound hamburgers, while in the 30 years 2 /3 of the World is facing a water shortage /crisis, no less) are used to slaughter livestock farming. Grain-fed cattle is a bad economy, we are investing a large amount of grain protein (1700 calories worth) to feed the animals, in return, only 400 calories meat. That is not a very good investment, when half the world is undernourished, while one in six of us starving to death! I think it makes somebody rich. There are other prices we pay for the large slaughter of cattle, such as environmental destruction massive contribution of topsoil erosion (85% of the erosion is directly related to livestock farming) (in the last 40 years throughout the world, 1 /3 of our country undermined foods growing, and topsoil is eroding 30 times faster than it is created), bovine digestive releases tons of methane gas in the air, a key factor in the global warming trend, the water supply more burdened than all Other industries, cattle grazing has always been the # 1 cause of desertification (1.5 hectares of rainforest cleared PER SECOND grazing land to create), and is also a bad investment for fossil fuels: Manufacturing a pound of steak, requires 20000 calories of fossil fuels, and only 500 calories caters energy.

Then there are the prices we pay for the consumption of meat and our health, physically and mentally. The chemicals and pesticides we ingest from the fat tissue of the animals they take, is more concentrated 2nd Hand (called "bio-amplification), and residues of growth hormones and antibiotics, the animals are pumped with cancer, heart disease and other health problems. The American Medical Association has livestock breeders to stop adding routinemaig antibiotics to all cattle feed, because abuse caused the creation of drugs resistant bacteria strains. There are no labels required to notify customers of carcinogenic hormones. While so many people are trying to survive on less than two dollars per day, the Americans are spending 1/9th of their health care dollars on obesity related issues (created in part by the high fat content meat /Fast-food diet), and 1 /12 of that money for the diabetes epidemic (created in part by the high sugar /Fast-food diet). These companies do not value human life . "It is not enough to eat!" The fertilizer companies fear: "If our fertilizer your plants grow faster, more income." As crack dealers, it gave farmers free fertilizer. When the soil was so bad from the fertilizer, requires the addition of other fertilizers, the course, the fertiliser companies were no longer giving away for free, in fact, they were steadily increases prices for. Nitrogen fertilizer has caused worldwide nitrate levels doubling in the last 200 years. His runoff leads oceans to "die". Especially in the United States, a quarter of the drinking fountains contain nitrate, on the safety standards. These companies do not value human life .

A similar situation occurs with the use of pesticides. The free ends killing pesticides, the "good" bugs. This disturbs the natural balance of good: bad bugs, fungus, etc. Then the pesticides are no longer free. Plus, pests develop, making the pesticides useless. The United States alone uses 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides per year! In addition to the destruction of the environment, pesticides cause 200000 deaths and poisoning 3 million a year! Due partly to pesticides, the suicide rate for farmers is three times graer than the general population. In Andhra Pradesh, India 300 farmers have committed suicide, many of drinking water, pesticides, ruining them. These companies do not value human life What .

on genetically modified food? Did you know that about 70% of the food on our shelves grocery store contains GMO's? No? That is because they do not have to tell us! Also, our children and we are the guinea pigs? GE disrupts ecosystems, introduces new allergens, and creates new strains of "super resistant pests." These companies do not value human life .

Have you noticed how many small businesses that these companies do not value human life are squeezing out of existence? Have you noticed how these companies that do not value human life are now the takeover earlier government-controlled systems? Public schools are advertising approach, and their years in the cafeteria of the fast-food chain manufacturers. Privatized prisons, there's big money there has been the "War on Drugs". 2 /3 of the inmates are there for nonviolent crimes. Water is to be privatized. Big business and government are two powerful forces. The companies that pockets of the politicians who are corrupt and in the office, which in turn relax laws and regulations and restrictions continue for the company, while the granting of subsidies from our taxes.

Not they only have 'purchased' ; everyone they dominate the media, that is the reason why we rarely hear of these questions. In fact, journalists who have to cover the stories they have studied, on topics from which the best interest of the public in relation to a number of questions are fired, discredited, careers ruined, stomped or otherwise. Plus, the advertising is a powerful giant. Have you noticed how these companies that do not value human life together with the other? A handful of companies now monopolize every sector of our economy. Coke is the Africa grate employer, and every five hours a McDonald's opens somewhere. Ten multinational corporations � control of the US food and beverage industry sales. Only five agrochemical companies, which all own seed patents. Of these companies, Monsanto controls 85% of the GE market. What is happening to the patenting a seed anyway? Engineer them the seeds of the harvest to sterile, the promotion of dependence on the seeds, forcing farmers to buy seed every year!

What's going on here right under our noses? Is Aldous Huxley's "Brave new world" manifest? We are not only consumers, we are people! If we lose our voice on issues related to land, seeds, credit, trade, costs, worker treatment, food safety, and we lose our choice! We are the consumers, we should have a say in what we want to buy, the methods to bring it to us, testing, health and safety regulations, etc.

Lappe foods describes as "our initial need and to a common bond and other ". This is in line with the humanist philosopher and psychologist Abraham Maslow's theory of the "hierarchy of needs", food and water are the needs of the lower level of Maslow "leader". They are the basic needs that must be met first in order to be able to climb the next rung in the head in the direction of luck and ultimately self-actualization. Since we know that we need a voice and honor, ourselves and other people, we find the confidence we need to initiate change, to personal growth, allowing us to graere also perceive changes, which we have not be acquired.

Hope's Edge collects the following inspiring examples of people worldwide to organize, and the creation of communities, solutions and alternatives to globalization and its negative impact on humankind.

The Edible School Yard Which school to do a hundred years old, replicated in the United States. Students design, plant, tend, harvest, prepare and vegetables for each additional child. Mathematics, science, English and curriculum needs are met during the process. These changes from the perspective of children of the world, instills confidence and awareness of the connectedness in tomorrow leaders.

Prisoner's Organic Farms and Greenhouses In the USA Associated 10000 inmates have been so far. A 20-year study tracking 300 inmates were found that they rarely return to prison. The inmates gain positive benefits, including experience in the fulfilment of the yearning of the people be useful to feel that they have a meaning in life. Every six months the prisons donate 20000 pounds of food to their communities.

The landless movement Worker's Movement - MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terre) of Brazil. Consisting of a half million members have � million families on idle land in the last 16 years. In the process, thousands were killed and thousands more injured, detained, harassed or received death threats. Country legally designated, that the landless on the government revised the constitution as "wrestled" from the previous large landowners. MST, the government working for them, because they never actually do it yourself. While Brazil is one of the world graten exporter of food, the death of 10000 children annually. If these families are finally back land that they farm organically and cooperatively, they live on, barter and other services, goods. The MST realized that hungry, health, gender, education, leadership, philosophy, are related. They teach their youth into question, and not just accept that things are just as they are, and can not be changed, that through cooperation, can the world they want.

Belo Horizonte (Beautiful Horizon), Brazil This City decision to make, the right to citizenship for food security! They believe that the are too poor to consumers are still citizens. This "new social mentality" of the view that quality food for all services. They followed by the production of the best sellers of retail space in the big prizes, as long as the provider agreed to sell below market price, cutting, the middle man, serving four nutritious meals per day at the city schools, serving 4000 meals per day to half-mast, the market price in a restaurant town (and no one has to prove that they are poor to eat there), the network of small, local, organic farmers with large buyers such as hospitals, schools and restaurants, the seeds and seedlings and educating the public about environmentally friendly farming, and they supported and school gardens.

Grameen (Village) Bank, Bangladesh started by an economic teacher named Muhammad Yunus, when he saw The case of the money lender to the poor. He lent $ 27 to 42 people, and that was enough to relieve them from the money lender. His strategy was to do the opposite of what all the other banks do /don 't do loans to the poor without collateral (Only 2% of the world's population has "credit"). This system is known as "microcredit" and is now in more than 58 replicated countries.

The Green Belt Movement, Nairobi The forests here have shrunk to less than 5% of the what they once were. The Greenbelt Food Security Program believes that the people in a position to maintain when they realize the networking of all things. Through the active combat soil erosion and the starvation caused by them, this movement has more than 20 million indigenous trees planted in the last 20 years.

Fair Trade Manufacturers promised a fair price for the goods "as a way to end poverty and powerlessness at the root of hunger". Most of these people live on less than two dollars per day are small farmers. Most fair-trade agreements pay 60% of farmers six months in advance, so that the farmers have money to work with and lead their plan.

Community Supported Agriculture Farms This idea came from Germany, Switzerland and Japan during the 1960's. There are currently more than 3,000 in the United States. At the beginning of each year, members pay $ 400 per year /or work for crops, it is their organic produce delivered to them at 80% of retail price.

"Grow Biointensive" Farming Being in more than 100 countries, but combines traditional wisdom with modern science.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elle_Housman

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