It does not matter how many posters are for or against, Cuphandle. I am just out and out irritated by misinformation and LIES!

You had better get your facts straight, those tomatoes you describe are highly unlikely to be GM.

Here is a list of GM crops approved for use in Australia:
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodmatters/gmfoods/gmcurrentapplication1030.cfm

See tomatoes there? NO. Why? GM tomatoes have never been approved for use in Australia. More that likely the ones you are talking about are conventional hybrids in a hydroponic system or something similar. If you want to complain about that, by all means do, but don't pretend that it's GM you're talking about.

Cuphandle, I would be pretty sure the tomatoes you speak of are not GM – at least the way that Aime and others arguing against GM would define GM. There are no licenses for the growing of GM tomatoes in Australia. My guess, without seeing them, is that they are hybrid tomatoes produced by taking two inbred lines with different characteristics and crossing them. The seed of the fruit from these F1 hybrid tomatoes will not breed true, but will segregate all over the place. That is the nature of hybrid crops.

I also don’t have any shares in Monsanto, but I work with farmers who use their products. The bottom line is that the farmers have choice, they can use other’s products, but where they choose to use Monsanto’s they do so because the products are superior for their use.

Of course if you take the smidgin of doubt argument to its conclusion, things get very silly indeed. GM crops have never been responsible for any negative health effects so far. In contrast, organically-grown spinach was responsible for 3 deaths and 200 hospitalizations in the US last year. There is more than a smidgin of doubt about the safety of organic foods, so lets ban those too. We know motor cars are dangerous, ban them. Also computers, all electrical items, dogs, cows, horses, sheep. Eggs regularly hospitalize people, so ban them. Nuts, kiwi fruit, fruit juice, stone fruit, fish, shellfish, milk, wheat and so it goes on. Soon there will be nothing to eat and nothing to do. Far better to do a risk assessment.

Agronomist and Bugsy:
Boy,.... I must have touched a nerve there!

I can see no point in continuing a discussion with persons that are so convinced that their view is the right one, with NO real consideration for other people`s point of view!

I have a life to get on with as no doubt you have too,....if not then I feel sorry for you in your totally righteous world.

I just sincerely hope that your children or family don`t end up statistics in this ridiculous game of GM experimentation!

Hi Cuphandle, a closed mind is a terrible thing to have, isn't it? So far all the points you have put forward have been proven to be wrong. So where are my arguments wrong? Can you find anything with proper evidence?

Frankly, I don't think you care at all about my children and what will happen to them. You don't care that I have two disabled children with a condition where we have just found where the mutation is and perhaps in 10 or 15 years time, children may not have to suffer from this condition again. It will be GM type technology of course that will do this.

I do care about what happens in the future and frankly, science holds the key. Anti-science attitudes such as yours will only lead to more suffering by children in the future, not less.

Thanks to those who have posted so far. A recent study (2007) stated that 80% of people do not want GM crops.

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:VJEFmsW-XT4J:www.chiefscientificadviser.ie/documents/csa-pres-asa.pdf+gm+realities&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=au

An earlier study suggests that soy bean crops didn't live up to their claim to produce more food stock.

http://www.biotech-info.net/troubledtimes.html

Now, I'm obviously not a scientist and have a lot of research to catch up on before I can make an assessment of just how GM crops may or may not affect humans. My main beef is that I have yet to find an ordinary Australian who isn't cautious about GM cropping and would rather it didn't happen in Australia and on taking that into acount, I find it particularly odious that our elected State representatives would lift the moratorium on GM cropping without taking into account the fears (founded or otherwise) of the voting public. This is reminiscent of Howard's tactics and not what I'd expect from a Labor Government.

Shame to the Vic and NSW labor Governments.
Aime.

Well done Cuphandle, nice bow out.

When presented with facts, the argument melts away. Of course, then you accuse us of being shareholders of the companies involved, to motives based on greed because we dare to argue for what we believe in. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that you have presented no evidence or links or anything that really supports your position, apart from regurgitating the same arguments as the misinforming anti-GM lobby.

When called out on total furphy, you call us totally righteous, with no real consideration of other peoples point of view!

Get this one thing straight Cuphandle, I am interested in the TRUTH. Nothing more, nothing less. If science is going to be smothered or held back or banned or whatever, I want it to be for reasons that are REAL, not because some organic farmer says so, not because anti-science, anti- corporate types think that it's a "bad" idea. It has to be shown to be bad. They have tested for 15 years. They have looked extensively, lots of the science is in. GM is fine and many varieties tested can be grown with no adverse health effects and good environmental outcomes. That's my position. If you have something better, then show it. Otherwise just bleating that all the scientists are "in on it" or have something to gain by somehow hurting your kids is not going to get you anywhere.