Bayer admits GMO contamination out of control

Natural News ^

[Scythian]

(NaturalNews) Drug and chemical giant Bayer AG has admitted that there is no way to stop the uncontrolled spread of its genetically modified crops.

"Even the best practices can't guarantee perfection," said Mark Ferguson, the company's defense lawyer in a recent trial.

Two Missouri farmers sued Bayer for contaminating their crop with modified genes from an experimental strain of rice engineered to be resistant to the company's Liberty-brand herbicide. The contamination occurred in 2006, during an open field test of the new rice, which was not approved for human consumption. According to the plaintiffs' lawyer, Don Downing, genetic material from the unapproved rice contaminated more than 30 percent of all rice cropland in the United States.

"Bayer was supposed to be careful," Downing said. "Bayer was not careful and that rice did escape into our commercial rice supplies."

The plaintiffs alleged that in addition to contaminating their fields, Bayer further harmed them financially by undermining their export market. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the widespread rice contamination, important export markets were closed to U.S. producers. A report from Greenpeace International estimates the financial damage of the contamination at between $741 million and $1.3 billion.

Bayer claimed that there was no possible way it could have prevented the contamination, insisting that it followed not only the law but also the best industry practices. The jury disagreed, finding Bayer guilty of carelessness in handling the genetically modified crops. The company was ordered to pay farmers Kenneth Bell and Johnny Hunter $2 million.

"This is a huge victory, not only for Kenny and me, but for every farmer in America who was harmed by Bayer's LibertyLink rice contamination," Hunter said.

According to Hunter, the company got "the wake-up call they deserved."

Bayer is still being sued by more than 1,000 other farmers from Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Sources for this story include: www.organicconsumers.org; www.bloomberg.com

[Scythian]

Two Missouri farmers sued Bayer for contaminating their crop with modified genes from an experimental strain of rice engineered to be resistant to the company's Liberty-brand herbicide. The contamination occurred in 2006, during an open field test of the new rice, which was not approved for human consumption. According to the plaintiffs' lawyer, Don Downing, genetic material from the unapproved rice contaminated more than 30 percent of all rice cropland in the United States.

[Pajama Blogger]

Eat more pork

[Scythian]

bump

[KarlInOhio]

Bayer claimed that there was no possible way it could have prevented the contamination,

If there was no way possible to prevent the contamination, then it shouldn't have been planting open air tests.

I'm surprised that Bayer isn't suing those farmers for "stealing" genes from Bayer's rice. < /only slightly sarcastic>

[Fred Hayek]

I’m surprised that Bayer isn’t suing those farmers for “stealing” genes from Bayer’s rice. < /only slightly sarcastic>

That’s Monsanto’s tactic. So it’s the downwind farmer’s fault that some other strain’s pollen (even if not “proprietary” GMO) happens to blow through.

[Revelation 911]

if you watched food inc. that very thing happens to corn farmers

[Scythian]

That’s exactly what I thought, remember, the carriers for these genes are bacteria and viruses that we now digest, and they are engineered to be antibiotic resistant, that’s how they know they’re genes survive the process because they kill off everything else, and these are soil bacterium and other things which shouldn’t really be ingested.

Because this is a conservative forum folks often take the stance that well, big business can do whatever the hell they want, truth is, there is tremendous danger here and fools are rushing in ...

[Navy Patriot]

This originated as a scheme to patent genetically modified crops, then contaminate farms that refused to buy the patented seed, then sue for patent infringement for growing patented crops without paying royalties to Bayer. It is outright conspiracy and premeditated grand theft, and Bayer is not alone.

Much as I hate to say it, this activity is the perfect example to bolster the Marxist position that capitalism and corporations are evil.

There is not a punishment severe enough for the crimes these people have committed against citizen farmers and the free enterprise, free market ideals.

[Myrddin]

Some of the GMO crops are causing health problems when consumed as food. Further, the GMO genetic material is crossing into related crops. There is a major concern about eggplants being made completely unsafe for human consumption as this progresses.

[ColdWater]

That’s exactly what I thought, remember, the carriers for these genes are bacteria and viruses that we now digest, and they are engineered to be antibiotic resistant, that’s how they know they’re genes survive the process because they kill off everything else, and these are soil bacterium and other things which shouldn’t really be ingested.

They are modifying the plant genes, not engineering the 'bugs' to be antibiotic resistant.

[Mortrey]

And....let’s not forget the “Won” appointed vice president of Monsanto, Michael Taylor, to be the U.S. FOOD SAFETY CZAR.

If it weren’t so damned funny, I’d cry...and the sheeple have no idea.

[Scythian]

Sorry, but you are wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAP6ZtfP9ZQ

I know all about how GMO crops are made, the ALWAYS INVOLVE BACTERIA AND VIRUSES, ALWAYS.

[The Unknown Republican]

Eggplant has always been unsafe for human consumption IMHO.:)

Seriously though, Bayer should be hung out to dry on this one. I agree that if they couldn’t contain the experiment they never should have gone through with it.

[ColdWater]

Sorry, but you are wrong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAP6ZtfP9ZQ I know all about how GMO crops are made, the ALWAYS INVOLVE BACTERIA AND VIRUSES, ALWAYS.

Thanks for providing a link that proves me correct in that they are modifying the DNA of the plants.

[SunTzuWu]

Some of the GMO crops are causing health problems when consumed as food.

You're going to need to supply a reference for that whopper.

[maine yankee]

Hasn’t research shown GM foods to be safe?

No. The only feeding study done with humans showed that GMOs survived inside the stomach of the people eating GMO food. No follow-up studies were done.
Various feeding studies in animals have resulted in potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, smaller brains, livers, and testicles, partial atrophy or increased density of the liver, odd shaped cell nuclei and other unexplained anomalies, false pregnancies and higher death rates

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/GMODangers/HealthDangers/index.cfm

[SunTzuWu]

Your only reference is an anti GMO site? You need a little more balance before you can successfully argue that all GMO’s are harmful.

[Joya]

Thanks for this info.

Here’s a link to Dr. Mercola’s extensive article on GM food:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/04/watch-out-there-are-more-problems-with-genetically-modified-foods-than-youre-allowed-to-know.aspx