Food: Genetic and Synthetic

[OMiKRON]

In Germany they lately have forbidden the growth of genetic altered corn. Because of that i started reading about the producing Company Mosanto and their products.
They put patents on their seeds and make them grow just once, while its just imune for their product "round up" which destroys any plant around.
The genetic altered plants corss with natural once ,which is inevitable as its a natural process, and this destroys the diversity of species.
They allthough wrote a report on "Stevia" which is a natual sweetner used for ages in south america, the report led the us government and later eu to forbid stevia and instead the food porducing industry now uses Mosantos apsartam. Their are studys about aspartam that link it to cancer.
In the EU it takes 10 years to get a medicin allowed on the market but only 4 weeks for a genetic altered seed to be allowed.
I feel kinda scared that a new technology is used so carelessly in the world without proper testing and especially as it is food and the effects on the environment are irreversible...
I dont think i am over reacting as even the german government forbid it which is pretty unusual as they never act on anything, how do you feel about it and are there restrictions like that in your country yet?

[Rat Faced]

Im not against Genetically altered crops per se, as ALL farmed crops and animals are "Genetically Altered". This is, after all, what selective breeding does..

However; on saying that I don't think that where we have DIRECTLY altered the Genes of Animals, and MORE especially plants then we do not allow long enough to test the long term effects.

The reason that I say plants as being more a concern is two-fold.

The way that plants spread, means that anything genetically altered will spread naturally, and once it has we can not turn back the clock (Animals we have the option of killing off that breed)

The other reason is that we will feed the animals we're eating, that aren't Genetically Altered (other than by the selective breeding) Plants that may be suspect for the above reason.

This means that even if we decide that we personally wont eat GM Modified food, we dont have an option, as the meat hasn't been and will therefore be labelled as none GM. It is in the foodchain.

Saying all this, its like closing the stable door after the fire. Even the Amish in the US grow GM Crops, as an example, therefore its irrelevant whether the EU ban it or not.

All that is effected is the speed that the Modifications spread.