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The Forum > Article Comments > Can GM crops feed the hungry? > Comments

Can GM crops feed the hungry? : Comments

By Carol Campbell, published 25/2/2010

GM crops were supposed to rescue the world's one billion undernourished people. But will they ever curb hunger?

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The problem is that GM is/was oversold as being panacea of the starving masses. Practically speaking, the moment the profit motivated marketeers got involved, GM products became just another product, to be exploited to the max and doomed as a solution to world hunger.

No recognition/interest was or is given to the critical sensitivity of the market in which it was programed to be released.

Because of the primary purpose was profit came "give the least charge the most" in order to *maximise* profit. To do this they have created an complex web of vertical marketing contractual licenses and bonuses to seed merchants (agents) for conversions.

In addition to this a prohibitive system of intellectual property laws. All of which is essential to recoup inputs. Given the extra control on the market and declared profits(not including the afore mentioned vertical marketing, bonuses, fees to pay for regiments of lawyers, lobbyists, donations to key US politicians).

To pressure countries to institute 'life science corps' vitally need control of the market systems. Which buy out or squeeze out reasonable alternatives.

One is inclined to ask how viable are these seeds in a level playing field?
To suggest that any of these layers of marketing with their bonuses are beyond reproach is farcical.

Likewise to suggest that these seeds always deliver is also fictional. All science has it's optimum circumstances and limitations. The crops in India are examples.

Then we have the example of corn being released to the market only to find it doesn't work to expectation. Albeit covered by fine print that the illiterate didn't know or understand.

Monsanto then decided that that market isn't profitable enough for them and cancelled the genetic fix, leaving the farmers in debt unable to afford to buy old seed and still liable for license fees if some GM grain shows up.

The system may work in first world or big cropping but in the 3rd world, small plot it's Agricultural colonialism at its worse.
Clearly the problem isn't the GM seed but the corporation's tactics that market it
Posted by examinator, Saturday, 27 February 2010 4:46:32 PM
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