Giant agro business chemical firms have taken the food system hostage with the industrial agricultural approach, Colin O’Neil, director of government affairs for Center for Food Safety told RT.
He argues that nature is pushing back this approach that has an
overall negative effect on the economy. The industrial
agricultural approach, O’Neil argues would not solve food
problems, but regionally adapted farming systems show promise.
RT:You've been fighting against Monsanto for a long
time – but they rebuff all accusations of GM food being in any
way harmful, what's there to suggest otherwise?
Colin O’Neil: There is a lot of evidence to suggest that
there is a sincere harm and also inadequate studies been done.
RT:GM foods are the key to solving the world's food
problems as the population continues to grow...that's a fair
argument?
CO: There’re many reasons why generically insured foods
are actually not the solution for increasing global food
production and may actually be a deterrent.
RT:Aren't you battling against economic sense here,
where many people are struggling to pay bills and are looking for
cheaper food?
CO: What these genetically engineered foods and crops do
is lock farmers into having to exist on this pesticide treadmill
where they not only have to buy costly seeds that keep increasing
over years but also have to buy the synthetic pesticide
fertilizers which also keep escalating in value and that means
farmers have to pay more and that in turn trickles down to
consumers.
RT:Why are governments appearing to be supportive of
this GM food giant?
CO: We see an overwhelming influence in governments and
that has to do with money. These are major chemical companies.
Over 53 percent of seeds are owned by just a handful of these
major agro business chemical companies. So they exert tremendous
influence in politics and have millions upon millions of dollars
to spend to insure that their products get sped through reviews
and also to insure that consumers are not informed about what the
products they are eating, so for instance, not labeling
genetically engineered foods.
RT:Would traditional farming methods really work to
meet the demands of today's economies?
CO: Yes traditional farming methods and looking beyond to
organic and even beyond organic methods of food production can
and are feeding the world’s population. However when assaulted by
increasing chemical warfare on fields and on agriculture, we
actually see nature pushing back against the industrial model of
agriculture. What we need to do is not resist nature but to
embrace it, and embrace diversified and local regionally adapted
farming systems that allow the hands and the power to be in the
hands of these local communities and to be in the hands of
consumers.
RT:The march will be the second such mass event - are
these protests achieving anything?
CO: Yes, I believe these marches are raising awareness on
the issue and bring awareness not only about Monsanto in its
influence in agriculture but also other chemical companies the
that have become a major agro-business influences on Capitol
Hill.
We are really encouraged by these marches and protesters not only
in the US but around the world. This year and especially this
summer we saw a number of pivotal and momentous issues come to
the forefront, namely the first defeat of Monsanto Protection
Act, policy writer on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Senator
Barbara Boxer and others like Senator Mikulski, Senators Wyden
and Merkley really led a charge to oppose this controversial and
backdoor policy writer that would have allowed more sales of
these toxic and harmful products.
But we also saw issues like transgenic contamination of weeds and
alfalfa in the Pacific Northwest and the resulting economic
impacts that come when foreign markets reject contaminated
shipments of US agricultural products. So we are really seeing a
pushback and the consumer really standing up against corporate
interest and standing up against what the food system really is
now, which is an industrial model of agriculture that consumers,
farmers and increasingly politicians are just not happy with.
So we are going to be looking to members of Congress to lead the
charge and we’re happy to take it to the streets tomorrow here in
Washington DC and around the world too to raise awareness about
this issue. Whether it is Monsanto or Dow Chemical company, these
agro business firms really have a strangle hold on our
agriculture and our food system and it is time that we get that
food system back for us.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.