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Original Content at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Raids-on-Seeds-life-itsel-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-081215-45.html (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). |
December 15, 2008
Raids on Seeds (LIFE, itself) ... by Monsanto
By Linn Cohen-Cole
The seed cleaner is the man who makes sustainable agriculture possible. Monsanto is picking off seed cleaners now across the Midwest.
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Shortly after someone broke into Mr. Hixon's office and he found his account book on his truck seat where he would never have left it, evey one of his remotely located and very scattered customers had three men (described as goons with "no necks") arrived at each farm, going out onto it without permission, and serving close to 200 farmers. Mr. Hixon and state police who were called in, believe a GPS tracking device may have been put on Mr. Hixon's equipment. All of his customers being sued and are being intensely pressured to settle, with the men coming back again and again and with daily calls and letters. It appears they are being a choice between being sued or settling out of court or testifying against him that he encouraged them to clean GE-seeds.
In addition to the personal attacks on seed cleaners, Monsanto is getting laws put into place that themselves are overwhelming and destructive of seed cleaners and all those who save normal seeds.
http://www.ethicalinvesting.com/monsanto/news/10040.htm
If Monsanto can eliminate seed cleaners, they would have accomplished a TOTAL monopoly in the Midwest, the bread basket of the world, and they would control world food, feed and now bio-fuel prices at will. They would, as well, have broken the fragile dam that seed cleaners and seed bankers now provide against the insanely-fast and just plain insane on-coming tide genetic engineering.
And Monsanto is working closely with the FDA in redefining seeds as a potential health hazard, subject to bioterrorism, and under that rubric to create rules for importation (controlling access)
Interim final rules on Prior Notice of Importation
rules for registering acceptable facilities (setting up corporate standards for the storage seeds, threatening small farmers)
"These new rules will allow FDA to better identify potentially dangerous foods, as well as respond more quickly to new threats and to handle foodborne illness outbreaks more efficiently."
Using the Bioterrorism Act and the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN), the FDA now has a focus on seeds which includes
The FDA talks about "a safety net" for human health but it is one defined by corporation and one that is closing on small farmers' existence.
And even the FDA's basic food safety is being "set" in a way aimed to destroy seed cleaners and (if you will notice in the short list below) organic farming itself.
FDA's guidance on good agricultural practices (GAPs) can be found in the
FDA Guide to Minimize Microbial Hazards for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
where the key sources of contamination in seed production include: