PM,
The thing is, we've been tinkering with genes for millennia.
Austrian monk Gregor Mendel figured out the rule of genetics decades before Watson and Crick figured out DNA.
Neat trick.

"Cross pollination" is a synonym for GM. It's just that with modern GM technology, we can not only mix genes from one corn variety to another. We can mix in the gene from an arctic fish, to make the corn (tomato) resistant to freezing. _Sear
Um no, it's not.  It's only in America where the corporation have used the phrase as to confuse and obfuscate the issue that it means that.
Definition

Genetic engineering alters the genetic makeup of an organism using techniques that introduce heritable material prepared outside the organism either directly into the host or into a cell that is then fused or hybridized with the host.[1] This involves using recombinant nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) techniques to form new combinations of heritable genetic material followed by the incorporation of that material either indirectly through a vector system or directly through micro-injection, macro-injection and micro-encapsulation techniques. Genetic engineering does not include traditional animal and plant breeding, in vitro fertilisation, induction of polyploidy, mutagenesis and cell fusion techniques that do not use recombinant nucleic acids or a genetically modified organism in the process.[1] Cloning and stem cell research, although not considered genetic engineering,[2] are closely related and genetic engineering can be used within them.[3] Synthetic biology is an emerging discipline that takes genetic engineering a step further by introducing artificially synthesized genetic material from raw materials into an organism.[4]

If genetic material from another species is added to the host, the resulting organism is called transgenic. If genetic material from the same species or a species that can naturally breed with the host is used the resulting organism is called cisgenic.[5] Genetic engineering can also be used to remove genetic material from the target organism, creating a gene knockout organism.[6] In Europe genetic modification is synonymous with genetic engineering while within the United States of America it can also refer to conventional breeding methods.[7] Within the scientific community, the term genetic engineering is not commonly used; more specific terms such as transgenic are preferred.

The corn they are talking about is Transgenic, and they don't want to tell you when they are selling it, because they don't want anyone to know so they can claim "Plausible Dependability". Further, as I mentions earlier, with Wal- Mart they can actually affect an entire market, so they can force the farmers to either use only the crop they want, or be put out of business. In other words, they are trying to do an major attack on the free market altogether. As you say, the corporation want only variety to be sold, so they can control everything for the profit.
If synthetic or processed fertilizers are used, the producers can't make the claim. So they use manure instead.
The synthetically fertilized crops are OK.
But it's not the Fertilizers that causing the issues. The Manure can be cooked and sterilized, that is still organic. Where most of the E Coli comes in, is from the fact the Big Aggie boys are hiring undocumented workers, putting them in the fields with no water to wash or drink with, no bath room facilities, and the threat of deportation if they make a peep about the lousy conditions. It all boils back down to the need for a 10 thousand percent profit margins for every penny spent, or the Big Aggie's bawl their eyes out that they are only making a couple of hundred billion in profits, barely enough to live on.
These days in the U.S. we do have huge monoculture crops; agri-bidness.
But we don't rely on our crops natural immunity. We use chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, & pesticides to protect them.- Sear
Very true, only the problem is that we are finding once again, nature decided it doesn't like this and so is busy breeding insect and other stuff that are resistant or immune to the stuff we are using ( We told you Mother Nature is Bitch smiley: laugh ). So its not really 'if' it happens, it "when it happens" that are going to end with the same thing that Irish faced. Big Aggie doesn't care, they will just more their farm someplace else and the American people can starve to death, for being stupid enough to trust these bastards.

And finally, it's about patents. If someone can patent the staple foods that we eat, they have us all by the short and curlies.- John

It's even worse than that; they have been developing strains that have sterile seeds, so that you can't plant the seeds from one crop. Holding back one tenth of the seeds so that you have a backup is no good anymore. The have worked hard to eliminate any other variety so that you have to buy the seeds from them. And if the crop fails, Oh well, they will just find another crop to sell you is their attitude.



``Really, Mr Collins,'' cried Elisabeth with some warmth, ``you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as may convince you of its being one.'' - Pride and Prejudice
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