G.M.O. Tobacco

[bakerbarber]

Genetically Modified Organism.

What do you feel? China has confirmed delivery of 6 cargoes of American corn so far this year. With more permits they will take 25 more. That's 55 million bushels. It will hardly make a dent with crop progress reports for the US leaning towards a record yield for 2010.

The price of crude oil has flirted below $70 a barrel. Despite the raging ongoing spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil is well below the point of subsidies making ethanol production financially viable for large scale consumption of corn. Germany's hard line stance, and the overall atmosphere of the EU bailout is kicking the Euro in the nuts and driving speculators out of commodities markets.

China and the EU have refused imports of US corn and soybeans for years. Now hungry mouths and local cash prices are bending the "people's'" resolve.

What if Tobacco was GMO? Would you snus it?

http://www.tobaccofarmquarterly.com/...ticle_id=10241

I don't believe it is now. I may be wrong.

There are basically two types of GMO crops. "Herbicide Ready" and "Insect Resistant"

So basically what I'm curious about is do you have a stance on GM plants and animals? How would you feel if tobacco was GM to be insect resistant? Would you put in a fat lip of snus?

There was recently a three hour radio show about GM crops and the potential effect they have on the food chain. The back story about the intertwined relationships of people in policy making positions in the US government and commercial agriculture companies is very intriguing.
If anyone is interested I'll shoot you a link. PM me.

I think if tobacco is currently not GM, I would be opposed to it being done. I'm not talking cross breeding for specific traits either. I'm talking genetically modifying the plant by injecting strands of bacteria or animal DNA into it, and patenting the process to monopolize on every facet of it's production.

I would be leery of putting plant leaves in my mouth if they were specifically engineered to be doused with herbicide and survive. Especially if the plants were developed to produce insecticide, or "poison" in every cell of their being.

There is currently litigation in US courts regarding GMO alfalfa. Wheat is on the slate and actively being lobbied for GMO approval soon as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food

Franken-food.. Franken-snus?

[tom502]

I don't know. It's interesting. But the more we move away from nature, such a thing does not suprise me.

[lxskllr]

I'm against it for food and tobacco. First, I don't trust the product's short or long term effects. They could influence natural production for the worse, and while I doubt they'd adversely affect humans, who knows? Our track record for engineering nature has been dismal. Secondly, I don't like the idea of patented food. I'd rather my food wasn't beholden to corporate influence.

[Bigblue1]

I used to think what's the big deal.... Then I watched Food inc. now I think much differently, if only for the fact that a farm is no longer a farm it is a corporation, A huge one at that. We cannot let huge corporations control the food supply. I like cheap as much as the next guy, but when you learn the logistics of it, it becomes a very scary proposition. Also when a pesticide company such as mansanto (roundup) can sue family farmers for copyright infringement because their GMO seeds naturally pollinated another's natural seeds. Well America we have a problem. This is more anti competitive than standard oil ever was.

[tom502]

It's all about the money.

[spirit72]

I used to think what's the big deal.... Then I watched Food inc. now I think much differently, if only for the fact that a farm is no longer a farm it is a corporation, A huge one at that. We cannot let huge corporations control the food supply. I like cheap as much as the next guy, but when you learn the logistics of it, it becomes a very scary proposition. Also when a pesticide company such as mansanto (roundup) can sue family farmers for copyright infringement because their GMO seeds naturally pollinated another's natural seeds. Well America we have a problem. This is more anti competitive than standard oil ever was.

Agreed, it's a huge anti-trust issue, and of course Washington has its head in the sand. What America needs at this point is another couple of Roosevelts that are capable of Speaking Softly And Carrying Big Sticks. I had some hope for Obama on this, at first, but.....

[Snusdog]

I thought Tobacco was naturally insect repellent? I might be wrong but it seems I remember reading this.

Regardless...............it doesn't change my view on Frankenfood and Frankensnus

[Bigblue1]

I thought Tobacco was naturally insect repellent? I might be wrong but it seems I remember reading this.

Regardless...............it doesn't change my view on Frankenfood and Frankensnus

Even tho it is insect resistant, doesn't mean they won't figure a way to make it "better"

[bakerbarber]

Checkout the two links I posted.

There is contradictory evidence that genetically modifying crops increases yields or lowers disease or infestation rates. it certainly doesn't lower input costs.

It's a big round robin and we're playing around with things that have far larger implications than the myopic reasons used to justify the practice.

Like pebbles in a pond. How do we know in what ways all the ripples will come together?

[bakerbarber]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlog

This guy, while extremely controversial in his day, saved hundreds of millions of people by breeding regionally specific varieties of wheat and corn.

He did the grunt work. Look him up some day you have time. He died last September.

A man who dedicated his life to benefit humanity. Not a corporate machine.

While still somewhat controversial, the Green Revolution pales in comparison to GMO "experiments" we're all participating in now.

[bakerbarber]

Sorry I spelled his name wrong, and apparently before he died he advocated in favor of G.M.O.

Still a very interesting human being.

So.... back from my little tangent...


If the tobacco industry went GMO to reduce disease or increase yield would it still be tobacco? Would you still put it in your mouth?

[lxskllr]

If the tobacco industry went GMO to reduce disease or increase yield would it still be tobacco? Would you still put it in your mouth?

I probably would at first, but that could be the kick in the ass I needed to grow/make my own snus.

[Darwin]

Nah no problem with it at all. Bring it on. Make it strong, make it cheap, sell it at the Stop N' Rob. Go away don't bother me. You kids get off my lawn!

[sgreger1]

Tomatoes etc are as good as they can be, no need to make it better, billions of years of evolution has made them perfect, no need to think some corp can come up with a better idea in 5 years. All this complaining about global warming, yet GMO foods are somehow not bad for the earth. Once you start making things super resistant to polenators or insects it messes up the whole ecosystem and we may never be able to fix it. I am convinced these GMO pesticides are what's killing the honey bees.

They tried donating several hundred thousand GMO corn seeds or something to africa and they burned that shit in giant piles because they didn't want it. I don't trust large corporation to "make it better".

No GMO snus.

[tom502]

Soon they will grow intelligence and develop ability to move and grow to frightening size, then their plan will take effect.