A ban on one of Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) maize lines in Germany has been reversed after the agricultural giant agreed to extra crop monitoring, according to this report on ENN.

Monsanto seems to have a habit of taking governments to court that don't bow to their major industrial will. The agricultural industry isn't just big business, it's the business that humanity's food security now largely depends on - and that's rather scary given that only a few players dominate.

In Australia, Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran predicts Victoria and New South Wales will lift the ban on genetically modified crops by next year... but a Japanese delegation representing almost three million Japanese consumers warned Australian farmers in October to steer clear of planting GM canola.

A GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) goes way beyond selective breeding of plants. It's where genetic material has been altered using  engineering technique that do not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination or both; for example taking a desirable property of a fish and splicing it into the gene of a vegetable. This isn't the stuff of science fiction; it's happening now - and if you're in a country like the USA, you're likely eating these foods already.

According to Clive James, chairman of the ISAAA, by 2015 the total area devoted to GMO crops globally will exceed 500 million acres. 

If you care about what you eat and what you feed your family, it's well worthwhile to spend some time researching the for and against related to GM foods.
Read more - The future of food.

Related - Heirloom and Heritage seeds