I see a lot of claims about gmos benefitting society as we speak on your
website. (Actually, I see a lot of links in there from "unbiased"
individuals such as those married to PR people at Monsanto and a bunch from
a spokesperson for a thinktank that is agribusiness funded.) Could you
please point those current gmo benefits out? I am not anti-gmo in all
cases. I, just like the Catholic Church article you posted, have serious
ethical questions with using gmos for convenience such as round up ready
then going around claiming we are feeding more in the world or feeding the
world better.
Personally, although I do nothing on the scale that you deal with, I have
customers that purchase (my meat) products from me because I am concerned
about economic, environmental, and social concerns in our local community.
GMO's do not address these issues of sustainability. The economic
consequences are obvious to those that value the very producer who provides
their food. GMO's are going to allow an agriculture dominated by a handful
of multi-national corporations who necessitate no independant farmers! The
environmental consequences could be disastorous for GMO technology in the
wrong hands. Ever hear of Terminator Technology? I thought 50% of the
worlds farmers were subsistance farmers and produce 25% of the food on the
planet. Is it the goal of all corporations to starve these people? How
about the social implications? I didn't see any links in your website about
the true uses of current gmos. You are leading people to beleive you are
feeding the world more. The last data I saw showed yeild drags on gmo
products that are designed only for convenience to farmers and to move more
products (chemicals and seed) for the corporations. We must acknowledge the
effects on rural communities for our support of an industrialised
agriculture. This must be deeper than just gmo's or not. I am extremely
disturbed that a company of your stature does not see the benefits of
supporting an independant agriculture. I'm guessing your customers would
take a different stance on the most important issue of food security and
supporting sustainable agriculture.
Best wishes,
Greg Gunthorp
Small Farm Advocate
Sustainable ag supporter
-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Caton <caton@ifu.net>
To: Greg & Lei Gunthorp <hey4hogs@kuntrynet.com>
Date: Thursday, February 24, 2000 3:24 AM
Subject: Re: Lumen Foods goes pro-GMO (& contact info.)
>Mr. Gunthrop,
>
>No, we are a privately-held firm -- not a subsidiary of anyone.
>Our decision was made by me and me alone after thoroughly
>reviewing all available literature of the subject and talking
>to an array of experts in the field. If you truly believe
>in health that are healthy for the individual and healthy for
>the environment, then you'll realize that although we disagree
>on the path to get there, we are in agreement as to the final
>result. Arguments that helped me reach my decision can be
>viewed at:
>
> http://www.soybean.com/bseries.htm
>
>Greg Caton
>Lumen Foods (soybean.com)
>
>
>
>At 09:36 PM 2/22/00 -0500, you wrote:
>>That has to be the most proposterous thing I have ever seen. What is the
>>low down on this Lumen Foods? Are they a subsidiary of ADM? Odds are
>>pretty good there is something behind it.
>>
>>Where are the benefits to the consumers in these convenience driven
>>genetically manipulated products? All I see are a bunch of farmers buying
>>Monsanto product cause its easier to spray it with Round up than use any
>>other means including other chemicals to control their weeds. How about
the
>>food security issue? Is it safe to allow a handful of multi-national
>>corporations own the genetics that feed the world? How about the ethical
>>dilemna of messing with things that should be left to God? Genetic
>>manipulation is not the same as traditional plant breeding. How about
>>explaining that testing procedure? How about explaining when or even why
>>the corps would ever produce a genetically manipulated product that will
>>actually benefit the hungry of the world? There could be potential for
>>genetic engineering by the right people but I don't ever see the
>>corporations of the world ever using it for anything besides selling more
>>product. So far they haven't faltered in that and have no plans to
change.
>>
>>Best wishes,
>>Greg Gunthorp
>>Free range Pig, chicken, rabbit, and beef producer
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Ericka & Rich Dana <doodles@netins.net>
>>To: sanet <sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu>
>>Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2000 8:56 PM
>>Subject: Lumen Foods goes pro-GMO (& contact info.)
>>
>>
>>>----------
>>>From: GMOStuff@aol.com (Campaign to Label)
>>>To: Ban-GEF@lists.greenbuilder.com
>>>Subject: B-GE: Very disturbing development
>>>Date: Tue, Feb 22, 2000, 2:59 PM
>>>----------
>>>
>>>Major Health Foods Manufacturer Takes Pro-Genetically-Modified Stance
>>>
>>> LAKE CHARLES, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2000--Lumen Foods
>>>
>>>( http://www.soybean.com ), a major health foods manufacturer and the
>>>nation's largest maker of "vegetarian jerkies," announced it has broken
>>>ranks with Greenpeace and other environmental groups over the issue of
>>>genetically-modified foods.
>>>
>>> Not only is the company resisting pressure from environmentalists to
>>>take a "non-GM" (short for "non-genetically-modified") stance, but it's
>>>actually promising to use genetically modified ingredients in its
in-house
>>>brands. Lumen Foods is, to date, the only U.S. food processing company to
>>>take this position.
>>>
>>> The decision comes on the heels of announcements by much larger food
>>>companies (i.e. Frito-Lay, Heinz, Gerber, etc.) to either ban GM
>>ingredients
>>>from their products, or, in the case of Frito-Lay, request that their
>>>growers avoid GM seed. All have made the decision following vigorous
>>>pressure from anti-GM environmental activists.
>>>
>>> "They have it all wrong," said Lumen Foods' President, Greg Caton,
>>>"There is no credible scientist in the world today who can show that
>>>so-called genetically modified foods are any less healthful than those
made
>>>from traditional hybrid seed. In fact, the reverse is true. The FDA,
USDA,
>>>and EPA have all done exhaustive research into their safety and have
found
>>>nothing that remotely suggests that either the consumer or the
environment
>>>are at risk from GM seed."
>>>
>>> To help consumers understand some of the issues surrounding
>>>genetically-modified foods, Lumen Foods has set up a section on its web
>>>site, called "Biotech Education Series," that contains
government-sponsored
>>>studies, reprinted articles, and letters from scientists from around the
>>>world. (See http://www.soybean.com/bseries.htm).
>>>
>>> "We understand that Greenpeace and other eco-groups have to have
>>>fund-raising issues," Caton notes. "But their current campaign amounts to
a
>>>declaration of war on agricultural biotech science, and it's going to be
>>>their Waterloo. What they are doing makes as much sense as calling for a
>>ban
>>>on all computers because their monitors emit low-grade electromagnetic
>>>radiation. It's absurd. Once the public has figured out what they have
>>done,
>>>the greatest danger is that in the future, when really important
>>>environmental matters are at stake, few people will listen to them, and
>>>their more intelligent arguments will be relegated to the left-wing
fringe.
>>>This has to be stopped."
>>>
>>> About Lumen Foods
>>>
>>> Lumen Foods is a whole foods manufacturing company, located in Lake
>>>Charles, Louisiana. The company was founded in 1986 to take advantage of
a
>>>new development in food science for the manufacture of meat replacement
>>>products (or "meat analogs") from textured soy flour. It sells over 300
>>>manufactured and packaged health food products, ranging from vegetarian
>>>jerkies to dried fruits and vegetables to complete meal entrees to
>>long-term
>>>storage food items.
>>>
>>> For more information, please contact Greg Caton, (337) 436-6748,
>>Email:
>>>caton@ifu.net or visit the Lumen Foods web site: http://www.soybean.com .
>>>
>>> SOURCE: DigitalWork ( http://www.digitalwork.com )
>>>DigitalWork.com -- Your Business Workshop
>>>
>>>CONTACT:
>>>
>>>Lumen Foods, Lake Charles
>>>
>>>Greg Caton, 337/436-6748
>>>
>>>Email: caton@ifu.net
>>>
>>>Web: http://www.www.soybean.com
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>
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