Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(NOTE:allquestionsaresubjecttochange)
1. AreGMOssafetoeat?
Answer:
Yesmultiplehealthorganizationsandscientificassociations,suchastheWorldHealth
Organization,theAmericanMedicalAssociation,theU.S.NationalAcademyofSciences,the
BritishRoyalSociety,andothers,haveallcometothesameconclusionthateatingGMfoodsis
nomoredangerousthaneatingotherfoods.BecausethereisnoriskthatisnotinnonGM
foods,thegovernmentdoesnotneedtoregulateGMOsunderpretensesoffindingwhetheror
nottheyresafe.
Evidence:
Governmentalregulatoryagencies,scientificorganizationsandleadinghealthassociations
worldwideagreethatfoodgrownfromGMcropsissafetoeat.TheWorldHealthOrganization,
theAmericanMedicalAssociation,theU.S.NationalAcademyofSciences,theBritishRoyal
Society,amongothersthathaveexaminedtheevidence,allcometothesameconclusion:
consumingfoodscontainingingredientsderivedfromGMcropsissafetoeatandnoriskierthan
consumingthesamefoodscontainingingredientsfromcropplantsmodifiedbyconventional
plantimprovementtechniques(i.e.plantbreeding).(www.monsanto.com)
Meaningofevidence:
Multiplereliablehealth,scienceandregulatoryassociationsagreethatGMfoodsaresafe
forhumanconsumption.
IfGMfoodsarejustassafeasregularfoods,thentheresnoreasonforthegovernment
tobeinvolvedinitsregulation.
OnthechancethataGMseedhasrisks,thescientistsarecapableoftestingand
regulatingthemselves.
2. HowareGMseedsfromMonsantocurrentlybeingregulated?
Answer:Independentscientistsandthecompaniesthatdevelopbiotechcropsconducttestsfor
food,feedandenvironmentalsafety.Scientistsatregulatoryagenciesreviewthisdataandare
responsibleforregulatingthecrops.Thismeansthattheyrealreadybeingregulatedand
consumed,sowhyshouldwehavegovernmentinvolvementinregulations?
Evidence:
Monsantomakessubmissionstoregulatoryagenciesincountrieswhereweplantosellour
seedorwherethecropiscommonlyimported.Regulatoryagenciesineachcountrymust
approveapotentialproductbeforeitcanbesoldtofarmers,orimportedforfoodand/oranimal
feedintheircountry.IntheUnitedStates,forexample,threeagenciesshareresponsibilityfor
overseeingandapprovingGMcropsbasedontheirspecificareasofscientificexpertise:
(www.monsanto.com)
Meaningofevidence:
IndependentscientistsarealreadyregulatingtheGMfoodsthatwearealreadyeating
whyshouldthegovernmentbeinvolvedifitsalreadybeinghandled?
3. Shouldthegovernmentplayalargerole(ifany)inhowGMfoodsaredisplayed,
regulated,andsoldbycompanieslikeMonsanto?
Answer:
NoMonsanto,alongwithothercompaniesthatsellorproduceGMfoods,ispartofthefree
marketintheU.S.,whichisdefinedasaneconomicsysteminwhichpricesarebasedon
competitioninprivatebusinessesuncontrolledbythegovernment,andassuch,shouldbe
allowedselltheirproducthowtheywantaslongastheyfollowtherulesandarenotendangering
theirconsumerswiththeirproduct.
Evidence:
Definitionofafreemarket:aneconomicmarketorsysteminwhichpricesarebasedon
competitionamongprivatebusinessesandnotcontrolledbyagovernment.
(http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/free%20market)
Amarketeconomybasedonsupplyanddemandwithlittleornogovernmentcontrol.A
completelyfreemarketisanidealizedformofamarketeconomywherebuyersandsellersare
allowedtotransactfreely(i.e.buy/sell/trade)basedonamutualagreementonpricewithoutstate
interventionintheformoftaxes,subsidiesorregulation.
(http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/freemarket.asp)
Meaningofevidence:Americaseconomicsystemsaysthatabusinessorcompany,like
Monsanto,canfreelysellaproductwithminimalgovernmentinterferenceorregulation.
LookatRonPaulquotes
Govermentapprovalforfree
PotentialQuestionsfromOpposingLegalTeam:
WhywouldyouwantgovernmentcompletelyoutofGMOregulationifMonsantoisgetting
fundingfromthegov?
Forthiswemightwanttosaysomethingalongthelinesofwellmakeourmoneyfromtheprofits
broughtinbyourproducts
Iftheyquestionyoufurtheronthis(ex.whatifthoseprofitsarentenoughtokeepyougoing),im
notsurewhatwecansaymaybewecouldbringuprandyspointthatbusinessesareobligated
tomakeaprofitforstockreasons,somonsantowouldntbedoingitsjobiftheywerentmaking
aprofit
(Howcanwemakethisworkforus?)
Theyllsaysomethingabouthowwerenotacompletelyfreemarketandshouldntbe.