What would you do for 40 billion dollars a year? What do these 4 multinational corporate GAINTS have in common?
BayerMonsanto
DowDuPont
ChemChinaSyngenta
Cargill
These 4 essentially own the entire agricultural seed and plant market.
Control the food and you control the world!
Why should you be concerned?
GMOs were traditionally engineered by adding bacterial based genes to seeds so they would poison insects or survive vigorous weed sprays.
Those first generation GMOs revolutionized insect pest control, but their effectiveness has been thwarted by resistance in pests. Pests become immune just like fleas did to ingredients in flea inhibitors.
There is now a new technique know as "genetic editing" in the form of CRISPR-Cas9.
Next generation crops will be created using advanced genetic manipulation techniques enabling high-precision editing of a plant's own genome.
CRISPR can be “multiplexed” to affect all copies of a gene or in other words it can target dozens of genes at once.
A simple way to understand gene editing is to look at it the this way. A simple word processing spell checker identifies then corrects any errors in a sentence. Gene editing changes the actual code within an organism's DNA.
Its not inherently evil, it could be used in medicine to eliminate inherited diseases, treat cancers and cure immune system disorders.
So here's the caveat!
The big 4 hope transgenic crops modified with CRISPR can be largely exempted from regulation by the USDA or any other agency. That hope is based upon the theory that a different species like a bacteria or virus will not be required to deliver the genetic modification.
The real issue is what happens globally and will the risk outweigh the benefits. Do we trust ChemChina-Syngenta to be honest in their disclosures.
Remember, It all began with terminator seeds and has evolved to the point where the concept of normal open pollination will no longer be necessary or even allowed.
Is editing the very essence of life by altering its genomes on a massive unregulated scale really a good idea?
Biohackers are already experimenting with genetic modification in their garages and spare bedrooms. What is there to prevent them from applying their new found skills to animals or even themselves in the future.
What could possibly go wrong...
See the following links below if you are concerned, it's just the tip of the iceberg.
https://www.bayermonsantomerger.com
DowDuPont Ag Division Fact Sheet here http://s21.q4cdn.com/813101928/files/doc_factsheets/agriculture/Agriculture-Fact-Sheet_10.6.pdf
https://www.syngenta-growth.com/en/home/
cellectis.com subsidiary company Calyxt http://www.calyxt.com/