note about seed saving

[Guest guest]

Shari,

I am sure you and others are aware of the biotech giants like Monsanto that have rammed through "intellectual property laws" making traditional seed saving in many countries a CRIME!!!

Please, everyone, take time to write your representatives and complain loudly. Organic Consumers Association can give you more background. www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/seedsaving031405.cfm

Cheryl

----- Original Message -----

From: Shari Viger

Undisclosed-Recipient:;

Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 4:36 PM

Subject: Seed Savvy Quiz

Seed Savvy Quizby Annie B. Bond and Cait .Even if you're not a gardener, here is a quiz that could change the wayyou think about seeds forever. And if you are planning a garden, this ismust-have information! Find out what you should know about chemicallytreated seeds, genetically modified seeds, heirlooms seeds, and more.Making the right decisions about seeds is critical to the future ofhumanity. It is in the choices where we can find hope. Test yourknowledge here:1. You want to have an organic garden, and you know that seeds treatedwith pesticides and fungicides such as Thiram or Captan (chemicals shownto cause cancer in lab animals) don't belong in an organic garden. Howcan you tell if the seeds you want to buy have been chemically treated? A. They come in a packet that is clearly marked "chemically treated." B. The seeds are dyed a color that is unusual, such as pink. C. The seeds have a strong chemical odor. D. All of the above.Answer: B. By law, chemically treated seeds must be dyed.2. What about F1 hybrid seeds? Which statement about hybrid seedsis true? A. An F1 hybrid is the first generation of seeds produced by a cross (hybrid) of two varieties. B. F1 hybrids have advantages, including robust growth known as"hybrid vigor." But most are patented, making seed saving technically illegal;the seeds only reproduce using their own pollen (called "selfing"). C. Many F1 hybrids are bred for looks and to have tough skins thatresist damage in shipping at the expense of flavor and nutrition. D. All of the above.Answer: D. The supermarket tomato with skin like rawhide and a bland,watery flesh is perhaps the best example of what F1 hybrids leave to bedesired.3. Since there are so many genetically-modified seeds available, youwant to know more about them. Which of the following statements aboutgenetic modification is true? A. A seed that has been genetically modified has been cross-pollinated with other varieties of the same plant to produce hardier hybrids. B. Genetic modification means the DNA of the seed has been changed. Itis possible to splice a cold-water fish gene into a tomato plant, for example, to make the tomato resistant to cold. C. Genetically-modified seeds are always carefully tested for their long-term effects on health and environmental safety. D. All of the above.Answer: B. And it is important to note that there is currently nomandatory testing for the use of genetically-engineered crops, and noprotection in place protecting the world's food supply from beingcontaminated by modified seeds.Curious about the effects of hybridization and genetically modifiedseeds on the world food crop? Try these questions:4. The Irish potato famine, which was responsible for the deaths ofmillions, was caused by a fungal blight that wiped out the potato crop,which people relied upon for their main food supply. It could have beenprevented if: A. farmers had discovered the blight before it had a widespread effecton the potato crop. B. farmers had practiced better fertilizing techniques. C. farmers had grown a variety of potatoes, some of which would have probably been resistant to the disease. D. All of the above.Answer: C. The variety of potato grown in Ireland was imported from theAndes and was not resistant to the blight. If farmers had grown avariety of potatoes, some would probably have escaped the disease.5. How many different varieties of plants make up 90 percent of theworld's food crop? A. 20,000 B. 2000 C. 200 D. 20Answer: D. Unbelievable, but true. It's not hard to see how we could begearing up for another agricultural disaster if we don't diversify cropvarieties and plant more hardy, heirloom strains that have evolved tothrive in their own bioregions.6. Which of the following statements about genetically modifiedfoods is false? A. It has been estimated that upwards of 60 percent of all processed foods contain genetically-engineered ingredients. B. GM foods may impact human health, leading to higher risk oftoxicity, allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance, suppressed immune function,and cancer. C. Long-term effects of genetically-modified crops on environmentaland personal health and safety have been adequately studied, and nodanger has been shown to exist. D. All of the statements are false.Answer: C is false. Our supermarket shelves are loaded with GMingredients, which are being linked to a growing number of healthconcerns. And no adequate testing has been done to ensure thelong-term safety of GM foods.7. Genetically modified crops have been linked to: A. Troublesome behavioral changes in both lab animals and humans that have eaten them. B. Uncontrolled biological pollution that threatens numerousmicrobial, plant, and animal species with extinction. C. Contamination of life forms with possible hazardous geneticmaterial. D. All of the above.Answer: D. All the statements are true. Health and behavioral problemshave been linked to GM foods. For example, a Dutch experimenternoticed that, besides weighing more, mice fed GM corn "seemed lessactive while in their cages," and were "more distressed" than the othermice. "Many were running round and round the basket, scrabblingdesperately in the sawdust, and even frantically jumping up the sides."Barbara Stitt, author of "Food and Behavior," was able to modifythe "rude, obnoxious, and ill-mannered" behavior of students from aschool in Appleton, Wisconsin simply by changing their diet. GM foodswere taken off the menu.So, if I don't plant chemically treated or genetically modified seeds,what other choices do I have? 8. Heirloom seeds are: A. hugely diverse (10,000 different types of heirloom apples, forexample, compared to the very few hybrid types on the market). B. extremely valuable open-pollinated genetically diverse seeds thathave been passed from generation to generation. C. available to the home gardener through organizations like SeedSavers Exchange. D. All of the above. Answer: D. See Why It Matters to Buy Heirloom Plants and Seeds.http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/outdoors/415 You can contact Seed Savers Exchange herehttp://www.seedsavers.org/Home.asphttp://wwwcare2.com/channels/solutions/outdoors/1924