It's interesting that you should mention the Agcare group! They are out of
control I think. Agcare claims to be representing all of Ontario's farmers
on the biotechnology issue, when in fact they are definitely not. Agcare
has become a group that seems to be nothing more than a farmer funded
apologist organization for the chemical and biotech companies.
Several months ago now, I wrote a letter to Agcare with my concerns
that they were misrepresenting many family farmers in Ontario with their
aggressive pro-biotech/anti labeling agenda. The main thrust of my letter
was that they should not be claiming to the general public that they are
representing all Ontario farmers with that view. I recieved no response.
About 3 weeks later there was an article on Agcare chairman Jim Fischer in
"Ontario Farmer" where Fischer stated that there have been a couple of
farmers who have disagreed with their biotech postion, but that Agcare has
always been quick to respond to those people and to their concerns.
Months later, I'm still waiting for my response! :)
How should an out of control group like this be countered? Many farmers who
do not agree with the positions of this group are not the type to attend
meetings or to speak out or to even contact their local director with their
concerns. There are other groups in Ontario which are not necesarily
representing the interests of those which they claim to represent. The
Ontario Corn Producers Association is one of them, Terry Daynard has been
spewing pro biotech propoganda and half truths about.
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: Maroc <maroc@islandnet.com>
To: sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu <sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu>
Date: Thursday, February 24, 2000 6:31 PM
Subject: Re: sanet-mg-digest V1 #1630
>Isn't it interesting how biotech corporate promoters use such contradictory
>arguments in their emotional frenzy to justify genetically engineered
>crops. University of Guelph professor Gordon Surgeoner told a pro-biotech
>gathering (Agcare) that soon "farmers will be able to contract to grow
>plants that carry genes for medicines, industrial products and a variety of
>products that will be welcomed by the consumer."
>
>And that plants producing everything from fuel to drugs to industrial
>products will offer farmers a chance to contract for five to eight million
>acres of land. Hello, I thought we needed every acre planted in
>genetically modified plants to feed the starving people of the world?
>These corporate shills are intelligent, capable people. They know the only
>interests of the corporate directors is control of the marketplace for
>increased profit margins, they have no interest in starving people or they
>would never have forced their Green Revolution on them in the first place.
>They also have no interest in the natural environment that is the breath of
>life in all its forms. And finally, they have no interest in the future of
>farmers, nor of farming and rural living as a vital foundation of our
>culture.
>
>Don Maroc
>natural and well-fed on Vancouver Island, Canada
>
>
>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Mar 12 2000 - 14:00:30 EST