http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-31/south-korea-latest-suspend-us-wheat-imports-aftermath-monsanto-rogue-wheat-discovery

South Korea Is Latest To Suspend US Wheat Imports In Aftermath Of Monsanto Rogue Wheat Discovery

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/31/2013 13:24 -0400

The global Monsanto genetically modified wheat scandal is getting worse.

As a reminder, recently news broke out that a rogue genetically modified strain of wheat developed by Monsanto, had been found in an Oregon field late last month. But while modified food has long been a diet staple, this particular breed was the first discovery of an unapproved strain, and what made things worse is the lack of any information how the rogue grain had escape from a field trial a decade ago. AsReuters reports, "even after weeks of investigation, experts are baffled as to how the seed survived for years after Monsanto had ceased all field tests of the product. It was found in a field growing a different type of wheat than Monsanto's strain, far from areas used for field tests, according to an Oregon State University wheat researcher who tested the strain."

The USDA was quick to deny any suggestion of public danger:

The USDA said the GM wheat found in Oregon posed no threat to human health, and also said there was no evidence that the grain had entered the commercial supply chain.

But the discovery threatens to stoke consumer outcry over the possible risk of cross-contaminating natural products with genetically altered foods, and may embolden critics who say U.S. regulation of GMO products is lax.

This is compounded by the still fresh memory of the glaring and repeated lies by the Japanese government in regards to the Fukushima explosion, making some wonder just how far the government is willing to go to cover up potential threats if the alternative is widespread panic.

It is all the more alarming because the wheat strain was thought to have been eliminated after test trials ended in 2005, as Monsanto abandoned efforts to secure regulatory approval due to worldwide opposition. While there have been more than 20 majors violations of U.S. regulations on handling or co-mingling biotechnology crops, none have ever involved wheat before.

Ironically, it was that master hypocrite Japan,which is now feeding its population ricegrown in the Fukushima evacuation zone, that was first to halt US grain shipments,

[M]ajor buyer Japan canceled plans to buy U.S. wheat while the Europe Union said it would step up testing.

Some analysts feared a potentially damaging blow to the $8 billion wheat export business, recalling the more than yearlong disruption to corn sales following a similar discovery in 2000.

"Unless there's a quick resolution, this is not going to be good for the export market," said Art Liming, grain futures specialist with Citigroup.

And as the global concern about just what consumers are putting into their mouths spreads, South Korean millers were the latest to just announce a suspension of US wheat imports:

South Korean millers suspended imports of U.S. wheat on Friday and some Asian countries stepped up inspections after the discovery of an unapproved strain of genetically modified wheat in the United States, but stopped short of imposing import bans.

South Korea - which last year sourced roughly half of its total wheat imports of 5 million metric tons from the U.S. - has also raised quarantine measures on U.S. feed wheat, while Thailand put ports on alert.

As more countries follow South Korea's example, Asia may suddenly find itself with a major wheat shortage:

Asia imports more than 40 million metric tons of wheat annually, almost a third of the global trade of 140-150 million metric tons. The bulk of the region's supplies come from the U.S., the world's biggest exporter, and Australia, the No. 2 supplier.

But Australia will struggle to soak up extra demand as its supplies tighten in the wake of unsustainably brisk exports and growing demand from domestic livestock farmers.

"The bulk of grain suppliers (in Australia) are cancelling shipping slots and selling grain to domestic feed mills and feedlots," said Stefan Meyer, a manager for cash markets at brokerage INTL FCStone in Sydney.

Japan is not rushing to find alternative sources of wheat, however, with the county's flour milling industry body saying they have sufficient stocks for the short term.

"We haven't thought about alternatives to the grade or proposed candidates to the farm ministry (at this stage)," said Masaaki Kadota, executive director of the Flour Millers Association of Japan.

Perhaps just as well: what better way to avoid even more soaring food import costs than due to an embargo on foreign grain imports. It is unclear if the proposed alternative will be five-eyed fish caught off the Fukushima coast.

Another country even more reliant on the US for wheat is the Philippines:

An industry official in the Philippines, which buys about 4 million metric tons of wheat a year and relies mainly on U.S. supplies, said the country could turn to Canada if it decides not to import from the U.S.

Hopefully Monsanto's GMed strain didn't mysteriously cross the Canada border as well. Which it very well may have: as of now the source of the spread of the rogue wheat is completely unknown:

Bob Zemetra, the Oregon State researcher, said a local farmer contacted the university in late April after noticing that some wheat plants survived an application of herbicide that was being used to kill off unwanted plants in the fallow field.

Most plants died, but a few wheat plants unexpectedly emerged after the spraying. Researchers determined the wheat is a strain of Roundup-Ready tested by Monsanto in Oregon fields from 1999 to 2001.

GM crops tolerate certain pesticides, allowing farmers to improve weed control and increase yields.

Zemetra said Monsanto had been field-testing spring wheat, while the "volunteer" plants discovered in the eastern Oregon field were winter wheat. The two varieties pollinate at different times, making it unlikely for the GMO traits to have been carried into the field by wind.

"That's why it's a mystery," he said.

Farmers, wondering whether their wheat could unknowingly be genetically modified, have flooded farm bureaus with questions. They should not spray crops with Roundup to check whether they will survive, said Mike Flowers, extension cereals specialist for Oregon State University.

The final word is not surprising: keep calm and keep eating.

"The recommendation right now is to not panic," he said. "We really need
to let the investigators do their jobs and get more information before
people panic. We don't know if it's widespread. Right now, we know it's
in one field."

There's that... And let's not forget the government is always there to help you.

But while the potential dangers are clear for all, one wonder: in a world in which millions of people eat the mystery meat contained in McNuggets, not to mention KFC, each and every day, isn't it a little too hypocritical to be worried about the genetic make up of a loaf of bread?

http://www.infowars.com/japan-halts-imports-of-u-s-wheat-after-usdas-shock-finding-of-genetic-pollution-from-gmos/

( impact on GMO contamination of US wheat didn't take long - Japans bans wheat ! )

Japan halts imports of U.S. wheat after USDA’s shock finding of genetic pollution from GMOs

Mike Adams
Natural News
May 31, 2013

It has already begun: Japan has just cancelled a large contract to purchase U.S. wheat. “We will refrain from buying western white and feed wheat effective today,” Toru Hisadome, a Japanese farm ministry official in charge of wheat trading, told Reuters.

As many readers well know, I predicted precisely this scenario just yesterday in a Natural News articlewarning about the consequences of genetic pollution. There, I wrote, “All wheat produced in the United States will now be heavily scrutinized — and possibly even rejected — by other nations that traditionally import U.S. wheat. This obviously has enormous economic implications for U.S. farmers and agriculture.”

Now we’re already seeing the result: the ditching of U.S. wheat by world nations that want nothing to do with GMOs.

Monsanto is a ticking time bomb for U.S. agriculture

This proves, without any question, that Monsanto’s genetic experiments which “escaped” into commercial wheat fields are now going to devastate U.S. wheat farmers. Expect the floor to drop out on wheat prices, and watch for a huge backlash against the USDA by U.S. farmers who stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars on this.

As the USDA has now admitted, Monsanto’s GMO experiments from 1998 – 2005 were held in open wheat fields. The genetically engineered wheat escaped and found its way into commercial wheat fields in Oregon (and possibly 15 other states), causing self-replicating genetic pollution that now taints the entire U.S. wheat industry.

“Asian consumers are keenly sensitive to gene-altered food, with few countries allowing imports of such cereals for human consumption,” writes Reuters. It continues:

Asia imports more than 40 million tonnes of wheatannually, almost a third of the global trade of 140-150 million tonnes. The bulk of the region’s supplies come from the United States, the world’s biggest exporter, and Australia, the No. 2 supplier.

Another incredible Monsanto achievement: the genetic contamination of the U.S. wheat supply

Nice job, Monsanto. You’ve managed to spew your genetic pollution across the fields of innocent U.S. farmers who are now going to lose huge sums of money due to the reject of U.S. wheat by all the other world nations that refuse to feed their populations GMO.

And a big thumbs up to the USDA, too, for screwing U.S. farmers by green-lighting open-field GMO experiments that we all warned were going to result in runaway genetic pollution. The USDA, of course, is the official cheerleading squad for Monsanto’s criminal “science” that we all know is a total fraud. How do these scientists now suggest this self-replicating genetic pollution be put back into the black box from which it emerged?

It can’t be done, of course. So now the entire future of the U.S. wheat supply is at risk thanks to Monsanto and the USDA. Nice one, folks. Score another victory for the scumbag destroyers in Washington D.C. and the greed-driven executives at our favorite corporation, Monsanto.

And remember: Genetically modified wheat is only the beginning. Monsanto has no doubt unleashed genetic pollution across many other crops as well. We’re now living in an age where Monsanto is essentially ejaculating its patented seed across all the farms of America, then claiming to “own” the contaminated crops. What a wonderful image of corporate responsibility and service to humankind. I can’t wait to see what other U.S. crops will be rejected by world nations due to Monsanto’s genetic pollution.

Sources for this story include:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-wheat-asia-idUSL3N0EB1JC…

Genetically engineered wheat escapes experimental fields planted across 16 states

GMO genetic pollution alert

Mike Adams
Natural News
May 30, 2013

The genetic apocalypse we’ve been warning about for years may have already begun. The USDA just announced they found a significant amount of genetically engineered wheat growing in farm fields in Oregon. As the USDA announced yesterday, “…test results of plant samples from an Oregon farm indicate the presence of genetically engineered (GE) glyphosate-resistant wheat plants.”

Why is this a big deal? Because GE wheat has never been approved for commercialization or sale. These strains of GE wheat escaped from GMO field experiments conducted across 16 states by Monsanto from 1998 to 2005. As the USDA states, “Further testing by USDA laboratories indicates the presence of the same GE glyphosate-resistant wheat variety that Monsanto was authorized to field test in 16 states from 1998 to 2005.”

And that means genetic pollution is already out of control. The GE wheat for which Monsanto claims patent ownership is now invading farms that never planted GE wheat.

All U.S. commercially-grown wheat now suspect

There are at least five serious ramifications from this:

#1) Monsanto can now sue all the farms where GM wheat has been found growing. According to U.S. federal courts, those farmers have “stolen” Monsanto’s intellectual property.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

#2) The spread of GM wheat from experimental fields to wheat production fields is proof that GMOs cause genetic pollution — self-replicating pollution with the potential to devastate global food production.

#3) All wheat produced in the United States will now be heavily scrutinized — and possibly even rejected — by other nations that traditionally import U.S. wheat. This obviously has enormous economic implications for U.S. farmers and agriculture.

#4) It proves the USDA cannot control the GMOfield experiments it approves. Open-field experiments are not “safe” nor “controlled.” They are experiments conducted in the open air, where genetic pollution is an inevitable result. The genetic pollution that began in 1998 can’t be put back into the box in 2013…

#5) U.S. consumers who eat wheat products are right now almost certainly ingesting some level of genetically modified wheat. This level may currently be very small — perhaps even less than 1% — but it is yet another source of GMO pollution in the food supply that could hugely impact Americans’ grocery shopping decisions.

U.S. wheat producers should be freaked out right now

Until today, Americans have been assured there are no GMOs in wheat products. They know that if you want to avoid GMOs, don’t buy corn. Wheat has always been seen as a “safe haven” from genetically modified food.

But now that myth has been shattered with the USDA’s announcement that they found GE wheatgrowing in farm fields in Oregon. If they found it in Oregon, it’s probably present in the 15 other states where GE wheat was openly planted in experimental fields, too.

Don’t worry about the safety of GE wheat, however. The USDA is absolutely sure it’s completely safe for you. And why? Because Monsanto told the FDA it was safe!

I’m not kidding. Here’s the USDA’s official explanation of this non-logic:

The detection of this wheat variety does not pose a food safety concern. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed a voluntary consultation on the safety of food and feed derived from this GE glyphosate-resistant wheat variety in 2004. For the consultation, the developer provided information to FDA to support the safety of this wheat variety. FDA completed the voluntary consultation with no further questions concerning the safety of grain and forage derived from this wheat, meaning that this variety is as safe as non-GE wheat currently on the market.

Oh, so the FDA “consulted” with Monsanto who told them their GE wheat was safe? I feel so much better already. Because Monsanto would never lie to the FDA about the safety of its GMOs.

USDA says it’s taking the findings seriously

“We are taking this situation very seriously and have launched a formal investigation,” said Michael Firko, Acting Deputy Administrator for APHIS’ Biotechnology Regulatory Services, a division of the USDA.

“Our first priority is to as quickly as possible determine the circumstances and extent of the situation and how it happened. We are collaborating with state, industry, and trading partners on this situation and are committed to providing timely information about our findings. USDA will put all necessary resources towards this investigation.”

Why is the USDA moving so quickly on this issue? Because they know the discovery of GE wheat growing in “the wild” puts the entire credibility of the U.S. wheat supply at risk. GMOs are banned in at least 27 countries around the world, and those countries will not likely allow genetically-contaminated wheat to be imported from the United States.

Depending on what happens next, we could be looking at a global embargo of U.S. wheat exports, meaning the U.S. wheat market would all but collapse. (This might be a good time to consider shorting some wheat futures if you’re into trading commodities…)

And while this would cause a short-term flooding of cheap wheat in the U.S. market (because nobody else is buying it), the drop in price would put so many wheat farmers out of business that wheat supply would be hard hit in 2014 and beyond, and that equals long-term price increases. GMOs being found in the wheat supply, in other words, means higher food prices for all Americans.

My repeated warning about a genetic apocalypse

It was just yesterday that I warned in a Natural News article about the potential for GMOs to cause a runaway genetic apocalypse. “A genetic apocalypse may devastate America’s bread basket,” I wrote, followed by:

Mark my words: there will come a day when Americans will wish they had burned all the GM corn fields to the ground. But by then it will be too late. The blight will be upon us, and with it comes the starvation, the suffering, the desperation and the riots. Hunger turns all family men into savages, just as greed turns all corporate men into demons.

There, I was talking about corn. But apparently this was too optimistic: wheat is now being impacted, too.

In that same article, I also stated, “the U.S. government is playing Russian roulette with America’s food future” — a statement that’s somewhat hilarious given that Russia won’t even play Russian roulette with its own crops. GMOs are a uniquely American form of corporate arrogance and genetic pollution. Nowhere in the world is agricultural imperialism so foolish yet so strongly backed by government gone bonkers.

By backing GMOs, the USDA is destroying the future of U.S. agriculture

The USDA announcement all but proves these warnings to be correct: GMOs really do escape experimental fields, and they really do infect and contaminate commercial crops in North America. Those crops then become tainted and are undesirable by 90% of consumers and most developed nations around the world. By allowing GMOs to continue to be planted anywhere in North America, the U.S. government is destroying the integrity of its agricultural industries for centuries to come.

Genetic pollution may never be able to be entirely removed from wheat, corn and other GM crops. And the worst part is that this genetic contamination may make these plants highly susceptible to threats that scientists have no way to anticipate or understand. While other nations around the world have exercised caution, the U.S. government conspired with Monsanto to abandon caution and risk the entire future of America’s agricultural industry on quack corporate “science” that has turned out to be a genetic pollution nightmare.

Sources for this story include:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/2013/05/ge_wheat_detection.shtml

http://farmfutures.com/story-usda-identifies-ge-glyphosate-resistant-…

http://tv.greenmedinfo.com/breaking-usda-finds-unnaproved-monsantos-g…