Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries canceled its plan to buy 24,926 tons of western-white wheat from the U.S. Thursday after the discovery of genetically modified wheat in an Oregon field.
The wheat is a strain that had been field-tested by Monsanto from 1998-2005, which withdrew its application for approval when it became clear international buyers would likely avoid GMO wheat. Because the wheat has not been approved by the federal government, it’s illegal to grow or sell.
The U.S. is the world’s largest wheat exporter.
“This will have an impact worldwide, because our trading partners do not want genetically modified wheat,” Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union in New York, said in an interview. “This crop may be safe to eat, or it may not be. We don’t know because we haven’t done the proper scrutiny.”
Of course, no other genetically modified crops have been properly safety tested. The first patents for genetic modification of crops were filed just 30 years ago, in 1983. There’s no way to tell in that short of a time frame the real effects of GMO crops on the health of people, animals or the environment.
There is an astrological angle to this. Last weekend’s lunar eclipse across the Gemini/Sagittarius axis aspected one of the most sensitive lines in Monsanto’s chart — its midheaven. This incident happened the same week as the first worldwide protest against genetically modified foods, which was Saturday, May 25.
The Oregon farmer who made the discovery did so when he tried to kill wheat using Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer and found that several plants survived. The rogue wheat strain had been specifically modified to resist Roundup (specifically, the key ingredient glyphosate) — that’s to say, it was Roundup Ready wheat.
The farmer then rented an airplane and sprayed Agent Orange on the wheat but it only grew stronger. He then rented a small fighter plane and tried to bomb it several times, but it survived that too. Before using a thermonuclear device, he decided to call the Associated Press. Okay, just kidding about everything in this paragraph.
Monsanto, which typically sues farmers who unwittingly grow its patented crops, downplayed the discovery of its GMO wheat growing where it didn’t belong.
“This is the first report of the Roundup Ready trait being found out of place since Monsanto’s commercial development program was discontinued nine years ago,” said the company in a statement. “There are no food, feed, or environmental safety concerns associated with the presence of the Roundup Ready gene if it is found to be present in wheat.”
The company still claims that its PCB chemicals, banned in 1976 as an imminent threat to human health and the environment, are also safe.
Whether this is the first rogue wheat incident or not, the problem is that it’s not likely to be the last.
“This is another serious breakdown of their field trial system, which endangers farmers and the entire wheat industry,” said Bill Freese, science policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety, by telephone to Bloomberg Businessweek. “It’s especially troubling here because there hasn’t been a field trial of Roundup Ready wheat in Oregon since 2001, so it’s totally unclear where this is coming from.”
The mystery of the situation is not encouraging; that Japan is taking a stand with clear and dramatic economic consequences is — especially since it comes just days after two million people in 52 countries marched against Monsanto the GMO Giant.
“This is the first report of the Roundup Ready trait being found out of place since Monsanto’s commercial development program was discontinued nine years ago,” said the company in a statement.
Hello Eric
9 Years ago it was the reversal of the Lunar nodes, the North node in Taurus and the South node in Scorpio. It seems that the return of the Lunar nodes every 9 years would affect Monsanto?
Thank you for your article
The thought has come to mind several times recently that what we need is the equivalent to Gandhi’s march to the sea to make salt. In more than one article I’ve read this week, writers have made that same case, stating that perhaps it is Monsanto that will truly get things moving. I believe it is. The end game of modifying us through our food, air, water and all the plastic and chemicals we are exposed to could manifest in countless ways that include population control and trans-humanism. Now is the time to stop this insidious trend and we can do it.
Did they assume pollen knows where the boundaries are and conveniently drops at the edge of the field ?… no. and they don’t care. They need to be rendered obsolete.
Thank you for this piece, Planet Waves. This is a big deal. It’s such a big deal there is no way to tell how big right now. Your call about the most recent eclipse axis transiting the spine of the Monsanto chart is a vindication of the chart, and chill down the spine.
be: Thank you so very much, you master of all things Sibly. The timely nature of your response is exceeded only by the comprehensive and thorough nature of your analysis. Great work. You humble me once again.
As for me, this whole situation is going to take some thought. It’s a big deal.
It shows up in the U.S. (Sibly) solar return chart too. Last weekend’s lunar eclipse had it’s Sun conjunct the U.S. solar return Ceres and south node at 4+ Gemini. The U.S. solar return also had Jupiter at 5+ Gemini and Venus at 8+ Gemini, the same degree as the U.S. natal chart’s Uranus.
That solar return Venus was also sextile the trickster Mercury at 8+ Leo who rules Gemini and therefore Venus in that chart. The trickster has had much influence on U.S. values (Venus) this past year, and both Venus and Mercury formed a yod with Pluto at 8+ Capricorn in the solar return chart. This shows us that U.S. government (Capricorn) power (Pluto) needs to adjust in ways that fit into the transiting Pluto-Uranus square demands. Transiting Pluto, now retrograde, will station direct in September at 8+ Capricorn, so even if this story disappears from the headlines it will likely resurface in the Fall.
If you give a little leeway to Chiron’s maverick persona, he could symbolize “rogue wheat”, and in the U.S. Sibly (natal) chart, Chiron is opposite Juno (trading partners) and right now, transiting Ceres (food concerns) is squaring them both. Even transiting Moon conjunct transiting Juno, who were both squaring the south node (the path we’ve been on too long) and the north node (the path we should find) when this story broke, seem to beg the question why? The nodes have been in this same degrees for 40 days and 40 nights and will continue to be there for another 22 days. The Moon has already squared them 3 times in those degrees and will do so once more in June. The Sabian symbol for the south node is of a battle between “swords” and “torches” which has a key phrase of Polarization Of Values.
In the U.S. natal chart, Uranus (radical change) in Gemini (where the solar return Venus is) squares Ceres (grain) in Pisces who is conjunct Nessus (poison). The progressed U.S. Sun (growing consciousness) is also conjunct the U.S. natal Ceres. It’s time to end Monsanto’s tyrannical control of the agriculture business. Way past time.
Even last year’s solar eclipse in May had Ceres at 16 Taurus, where the south node is and has been for 40 days and nights, and Venus was at 23 Gemini retrograde, a degree that reverberates now as transiting Jupiter (who along with Mercury and Venus appeared in a stunning display in the night sky) completes his transit over it, reminding us of what’s really important. Now transiting Mars (along with Pallas-Athene) entering Gemini will drive home the message held in that solar eclipse, not just for the U.S. but for the whole world. We know too much to turn back now.
be