Our wonderful weekend finished with a fun morning and brunch out at the Ramsgate Brasserie.  Thank you to Harvey for these photos of our morning together:

Today’s blog has a different theme to the usual one.  It is connected to health and is something I think is incredibly important.  I ask you all to please READ ON – THIS IS IMPORTANT.  Important to me.  Important to you and potentially important to future generations.

I am against Genetically Modified (GM) crops for many reasons.  Partly because I do not think anyone can be certain what the long term effects may be on our bodies.  We are what we eat and I do not want my chromosomes to be effected by something I eat that has never previously existed.  Partly because I think companies such as Monsanto that produce these seeds, are falsely altering crop production and altering the natural balance of our ecosystems in ways we do not understand the impact of.  Partly because I think these companies are becoming too powerful so I refuse to buy anything produced by their seeds (as much as I am able to work out what they have produced).

The current issue that has really concerned me is seed patenting.  I have copied the following from a friend’s Facebook page as it explains the issue very clearly to me and so hopefully to you too.

The US, British and some EU governments want all seeds categorised and standardised. To achieve this they need testing. Testing costs vast amount of money. The only companies that can afford this are the likes of Monsanto, Bayer, BASF, Syngenta. This then leads to regulation and makes seed saving by individuals illegal. With their vested interest in GM seeds, they and their scientists advocate GM and sadly many people believe the marketing. Once farmers have bought GM they’re in a loop of only being able to buy seeds from the big companies who own the seeds and also having to, as the plants are deliberately sterile to create repeat business for seeds and their own chemical sprays. 

I checked, and guess what? Following a Supreme Court decision on 13th May farmers in the US can no longer save seed from year to year without breaking the law (or if the seed is modified sterile) having no crop. 
If we go the same way here, within a generation the means of producing even the simple food of a domestic vegetable patch will be owned and price controlled by big business.

Monsanto are buying seed companies.  Potentially, in a short period of time, all seeds could be owned by a few enormous companies.  No farmers will be allowed to save seeds to use for next year’s crops.  By altering seeds to make them sterile, we could end up with all seeds for our food having to be bought each year from a small number of companies who favour GM seeds.

The issue is not about whether you agree or disagree or don’t care about GM crops.  The issue is whether or not seed patents should be allowed and why.

To read more about the organisation protesting about the patents being given to companies like Monsanto, please click on No Patents On Seeds.  Then read about it and vote.  Hopefully you will vote against it.  At the very least,  have a look and consider it.  Please do not let the planet’s future seed production be owned by a handful of increasingly powerful companies, unless you think that is a good idea.  This is really important and effects us ALL.