Page - February 8, 2010
Today's monthly visit to Costco scarcely resembles our grandmother's daily trip to the butcher, baker or corner shop. During the second half of the last century, a so-called "Green Revolution" has been underway. This revolution has changed the way our food is produced, distributed and marketed, and, in many cases, not for the better.
Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering enables scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes in a way that does not occur naturally. Essential decisions on food security, land use and natural resource management have been entrusted to an alarmingly small number of companies and actors on the field. It's time we took back control.Learn more
The Agrochemical Complex
The last 60 years have witnessed a rapid increase in the concentration of commercial control by a handful of companies over the sale of planting seed for the world's major traded crops. By 1999, seven companies controlled a high percentage of global seed sales and the concentration has since increased through takeovers and company mergers. Learn more
Patents
Patents are our way of rewarding human ingenuity and inventions with total control over those inventions. These intellectual property rights (IPR) play an increasingly important role in the way agricultural knowledge, science and technology is produced, exchanged and implemented. Learn more
Regulators
With companies concocting new foods to the tune of billions per year, surely there must be some oversight of this industry? Mom can't be the only one making sure that the food on your dinner plate is safe. The good news - and the bad - is that there are three major federal agencies regulating genetically engineered foods. Learn more