Jeffrey Smith, a Sierra Club member from Fairfield, Iowa, serves on the
Sierra Club national Genetic Engineering Committee. He is the author of the book
Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of
the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating.
Jeffrey is currently in southern Africa, working to raise awareness about
genetically engineered foods.
Tom
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Subj: GMW: South Africa's attitude to GM 'unbelievable'
Date: 9/22/2005 7:46:22 AM Central Daylight Time
From: [log in to unmask] (GM WATCH)
Sender: [log in to unmask] (GM WATCH)
To: [log in to unmask] ([log in to unmask])
GM WATCH daily
http://www.gmwatch.org
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'Clear industry manipulation of research and political collusion'
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SA's attitude to GM foods 'unbelievable'
Melanie Gosling
Independent Online (South Africa), Sep 22 2005
It was "simply unbelievable" that the South African government had allowed
maize, a staple food, to be genetically modified to contain a poison.
It was clear the government had no idea of the risk this posed to the
population.
This was said on Wednesday by best-selling US author Jeffrey Smith, who is
visiting southern Africa to raise awareness about the health, environmental and
financial risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
"Maize has been genetically engineered with a poison designed to kill pests.
What impact is there on human health from eating a pesticide? In the US it is
simply assumed the pesticide is safe.
But mice fed on it developed an immune response equivalent to that of
cholera. And this is being put into mielie meal, which is a huge percentage of the
diet here. In the US people get only 3% to 5% of their calorific intake from
maize," Smith said.
Originally it had been said that the GM genes were destroyed in the digestive
system.
However, a study done in the UK last year on seven volunteers with colostomy
bags, had found intact genetically modified DNA which had survived the
digestive system, Smith said.
The fear was that these GM genes would be transferred to bacteria in the
human gut. Smith's best-selling book Seeds of Deception documents the
biotechnology industry's manipulation of research.
Scientists who raised questions about GM food were silenced by the biotech
industry with threats of lawsuits or withdrawal of funding.
"There is clear industry manipulation of research and political collusion. If
it were not for this clear deception, these foods would not be in
circulation," Smith said.
The person in charge of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, who
wrote the FDA's policy on GM foods, was the same person who had been the
lawyer for Monsanto, the biggest producer of GM seed in the world.
"One company gave data to the FDA that rats fed on GM tomatoes developed
stomach lesions. Seven of the 40 died. They approved the tomato," Smith said.
Twenty-five farmers who fed only GM maize to their pigs subsequently found
problems with the pigs' productivity. Some were sterile and some gave birth to
"bags of water".
There were fewer than 20 peer-reviewed animal studies on GMOs, he said.
"GM foods have been an economic disaster for the US. The EU is refusing all
but 1% of US corn (maize) because they don't trust that the US farmers can keep
GM corn out of non-GM corn. Also meat and diary products are endangered. We
lost billions of dollars in exports, now we're trying to push open the doors in
Africa.
"I've been told by politicians and officials in Africa that they're under
enormous pressure by the US government and biotech industry to invest in GM food.
"South Africa is investing in products which will cut out export to entire
countries," Smith said.
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