Arcadia Biosciences Receives $855500 Grant to Fund Next-Stage Development of ... - MarketWatch (press release)

[Scott Adams]

Open Original Shared Link MarketWatch (press release) Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that, in sensitive individuals, results from a toxic reaction to certain proteins found in specific grains, ... Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[Lynayah]

Thank you for posting this interesting article. I found it fascinating. I also found it very disturbing. Did anyone else?

I'm not sure more genetically modified food is what the world, and especially the gluten-free community, needs right now.

[lobita]

Thank you for posting this interesting article. I found it fascinating. I also found it very disturbing. Did anyone else?

I'm not sure more genetically modified food is what the world, and especially the gluten-free community, needs right now.

I'm right there with you. I remember reading years ago about how scientists were trying to cross-pollinate wheat with corn to make a heartier corn plant. I was terrified, but haven't heard anything else about that.

I wonder why the scientific community is so quick to come up with complicated fixes rather than try to find out WHY celiac disease is 4x more common now than it was 50 years ago. Doesn't that tell you something is wrong with the growing industry of processed foods? But I guess that would upset too many people in that multi-billion dollar industry.

[Lynayah]

I'm right there with you. I remember reading years ago about how scientists were trying to cross-pollinate wheat with corn to make a heartier corn plant. I was terrified, but haven't heard anything else about that.

I wonder why the scientific community is so quick to come up with complicated fixes rather than try to find out WHY celiac disease is 4x more common now than it was 50 years ago. Doesn't that tell you something is wrong with the growing industry of processed foods? But I guess that would upset too many people in that multi-billion dollar industry.

Have you seen the documentary Food, Inc.?

[Takala]

This is not about expanding our food choices but creating a seed vendor's monopoly. In the short term, it's about this company getting stimulus funding to do nothing useful.

I would "enjoy" things a lot more if I could educate people on the giving end of this taxpayer's money so when these companies pitch for funding, somebody could say "that is ridiculous."

[VioletBlue]

Wow, it took some digging but I found exactly what I was expecting to find. Arcadia is owned by Anawah Inc which shares boardmembers and has "collaborated" with Monsanto on GMO programs since 2005. Basically no one does GMO work in the U.S. without Monsanto's involvement and blessing these days. So basically we're talking about Monsanto here; they're behind it through a veil of company names.

Do I trust anything Monsanto has a hand in? No, never, they're to blame for the destruction of an American way of life and for the modification without our knowledge of the very foods we eat.

But above and beyond that one of the biggest problems organic farmers using non GMO seeds have is cross pollination. Just because they have planted non GMO corn seeds doesn't mean their neighbors GMO plants can't and frequently do pollinate their organic corn plants resulting in GMO hybrids. So if Farmer A plants this new "safe" wheat and his neighbor Farmer B plants regular old Monsanto GMO high gluten wheat, Farmer A is going to wind up with a mixed bag of wheat only he's now able to label is as "safe".

[VioletBlue]

And yes, I HIGHLY recommend Food Inc., it's an eye opener. Netflix has it as a view now documentary that you can watch on your computer.

[Takala]

As soon as I saw that name "Arcadia" I thought, that's that company that's trying to stick parts of one grain into other grains to give it various characteristics, and they really don't care about whether or not the result is that it would end up ruining the ability of all humans to eat rice. wheat, sorghum, etc, because they're more interested in selling patented seed that is produced in other companies more cheaply.

Here's a list of a lot of stories about Arcadia

Open Original Shared Link

I had an article saved from the Sacramento paper about putting barley genes in rice to give it more drought tolerance, because this sort of research was banned here in CA, so they were doing it in China, but I've misplaced it- you can imagine what this would do if it affected the way the gluten intolerant/celiac reacts to the rice proteins. I found another version of it online here, this was back in 2006

Open Original Shared Link

In Davis, near Sacramento, Arcadia Biosciences has planted two experimental plots of genetically engineered rice. One variety is genetically engineered with a barley gene designed to help rice better consume nitrogen-laced fertilizer, which would cut down on the amount that ends up in ground water. The other variety makes it easier for rice to grow in salty conditions.

Arcadia received two of the nine USDA permits issued this year to grow small plots of experimental biotechnology rice in California. Bayer received four USDA permits, including an approval on Sept. 7, two weeks after it divulged its mistake. Another company permit is still pending. The USDA doesn't release locations of such test plots and doesn't comment on biotech permits.

The Japanese and the Europeans are very, very smart to be testing for and banning this sort of thing, but we here in the United States need to be just as vigilant.

[Takala]

Here is more information, right from Monsanto. Notice how they pitch is as a climate change good thing to do

Biotech Firm Plans to Fund GM RIce Crops with Carbon Credits (David Adam, The Guardian, January 8, 2008)

Open Original Shared Link

Arcadia Biosciences is working with the Chinese government to reward farmers in China that grow the firm's genetically modified (GM) rice, with carbon credits that they can sell for cash.

The Chinese project is in Ningxia, a tiny mountainous province in the north of the country, where fertilizer use is among the highest in the country. Working with local officials, the company is conducting experiments to measure the emissions from conventional rice - information required by the United Nations before they would allow the GM scheme into the Clean Development Mechanism, which rewards clean technology projects with carbon credits.

Arcadia's GM rice has not yet been planted there; the company must first get regulatory approval, as well as convince the government to allow farmers to sell the GM rice for food. China has commercialized GM cotton and minor food crops such as tomatoes, chilli and sweet peppers, but has drawn the line so far at staple foods including rice, corn and soybeans.

[Lynayah]

Wow, it took some digging but I found exactly what I was expecting to find. Arcadia is owned by Anawah Inc which shares boardmembers and has "collaborated" with Monsanto on GMO programs since 2005. Basically no one does GMO work in the U.S. without Monsanto's involvement and blessing these days. So basically we're talking about Monsanto here; they're behind it through a veil of company names.

Do I trust anything Monsanto has a hand in? No, never, they're to blame for the destruction of an American way of life and for the modification without our knowledge of the very foods we eat.

But above and beyond that one of the biggest problems organic farmers using non GMO seeds have is cross pollination. Just because they have planted non GMO corn seeds doesn't mean their neighbors GMO plants can't and frequently do pollinate their organic corn plants resulting in GMO hybrids. So if Farmer A plants this new "safe" wheat and his neighbor Farmer B plants regular old Monsanto GMO high gluten wheat, Farmer A is going to wind up with a mixed bag of wheat only he's now able to label is as "safe".

Bravo! GREAT research.