New WikiLeaks Cables Show US Diplomats Promote Genetically Engineered Crops Worldwide

[EFerrari]

Thursday 25 August 2011
by: Mike Ludwig, Truthout | Report

Dozens of United States diplomatic cables released in the latest WikiLeaks dump on Wednesday reveal new details of the US effort to push foreign governments to approve genetically engineered (GE) crops and promote the worldwide interests of agribusiness giants like Monsanto and DuPont.

The cables further confirm previous Truthout reports on the diplomatic pressure the US has put on Spain and France, two countries with powerful anti-GE crop movements, to speed up their biotech approval process and quell anti-GE sentiment within the European Union (EU).

Several cables describe "biotechnology outreach programs" in countries across the globe, including African, Asian and South American countries where Western biotech agriculture had yet to gain a foothold. In some cables (such as this 2010 cable from Morocco) US diplomats ask the State Department for funds to send US biotech experts and trade industry representatives to target countries for discussions with high-profile politicians and agricultural officials.

Truthout recently reported on front groups supported by the US government, philanthropic foundations and companies like Monsanto that are working to introduce pro-biotechnology policy initiatives and GE crops in developing African countries, and several cables released this week confirm that American diplomats have promoted biotech agriculture to countries like Tunisia, South Africa and Mozambique.

http://www.truth-out.org/new-wikileaks-cables-show-us-diplomats-promote-genetically-engineered-crops-worldwide/1314303978

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[sabrina 1]

2. Should we be surprised? Isn't there a Monsanto guy in the

Obama administration? We need a new 'list' of all the stuff that has caused us Professional Leftists to be a little upset with this Democratic Administration.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. NOTE the word "diplomat", not corporate representative.

Diplomat, with ties to the federal government.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Meanwhile, real scientists keep turning up evidence that the GMO crops are whacked

and causing massive stanky skewed twisted disease-glotted progressive problems for soil, animals, and eventually for people.

The genetically mutant food conspiracy (R) -- with its bought-and-paid-for SuckerPuppet Faux 'Scientists'(R) -- is truly despicable...

[sabrina 1]

7. It is despicable.

It is actually, imo, evil. From all I've read about Monsanto's genetically altered 'food' I can only call what they are doing 'evil'.

Rightwingers told me once that even if it is not 'so great' it's 'better than letting these people starve' and 'will at least take longer to die' if they have some food to eat. That is the thinking that I call 'evil'.

[SpiralHawk]

10. That's among the Great Right Wing Lies of our time

GMO mutant crops are NOT more productive.

The biotech companies (R) and their right-wing cronies make noises like it is -- but it is not. The yield is no better. And all the inputs are highly toxic.

Ptoooey on right-wing genetically mutant facsimile GMO 'nutritional' clone crapola so-called ingestable 'product.'

[sabrina 1]

12. I know, but try telling them that. In fact the way this OP has been

unrec'd, try telling some on our side, now that we are the team in power.

What I know is that Monsanto was putting the small farmers in third world countries out of business. They could feed themselves and their families and villages, but not with Monsanto around. And how did they ever get to have patents on seeds? It truly is draconian.

[nineteen50]

5. All in the name of the American people

can you think blowback

[EFerrari]

6. Welcome to DU, nineteen50.

:)

[Kaleko]

16. No wonder that the USA is called the "Great Satan"

by those on the receiving end of its ruthlessness.

[paulk]

8. beyond disgusting

"The most subversive thing you can do in the U.S. is to grow your own food."

Bill Mollison

[EFerrari]

11. Right after the earthquake in Haiti

I read a story about Haitians burning bags of Monsanto seed that had been sent to them.

"Help" so beyond disgusting, you couldn't even see disgusting from there.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Is this more of the stuff that our "transparent" government has decided we don't need to know? K&R

[City Lights]

13. ...of, by, and for the corporations.

:puke:

[undeterred]

14. Diplomat = Lobbyist

[G_j]

15. some are probably former Monsanto employees

..