Prince Charles remains vehemently against genetically modified (GM) crops.

Prince Charles sparks debate over GM crops claims
Article in the Telegraph, following the Daily Telegraph's exclusive interview with Prince Charles

Extracts:

"In a statement setting the Prince against politicians who believe GM foods will be crucial to feeding under-nourished populations in the developing world, he said: "What we should be talking about is food security, not food production - that is what matters and that is what people will not understand."

His belief was backed up by Mike Childs, the campaign director for Friends of the Earth. "GM crops will not solve the food crisis - and forging ahead with an industrialised farming system will continue to fail people and the environment around the world," Mr Childs said.

However Phil Willis, a Liberal Democrat MP and the chairman of the Commons science committee, said the Prince's "lack of scientific understanding" would "condemn millions of people to starvation in areas like sub-Saharan Africa"."

"The Prince accused large corporations of conducting experiments with nature, which had, he said "gone seriously wrong". His comments were supported by Patrick Holden, a director of the Soil Association.

"If we go down this path I think we will put this country at risk. There could be a period of great difficulty in the next 10 or 20 years," Mr Holden said. "No evidence has emerged from the first round of GM crops of any public benefits. They have actually increased pesticide use in the farms that have used them.""

I've a lot of sympathy with Prince Charles' views on GM foods.

Prince Charles criticises Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its handling of agricultural policies.

Farmers 'let down' by ministers, says Charles - Sunday Telegraph

Extracts:

"The Government is jeopardising Britain's rural communities by failing to give proper support to farmers, says the Prince of Wales.

The "guardians of our countryside" have been let down and face a bleak future, he says in a veiled attack on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its handling of agricultural policies.

In a letter to a farming charity, he said farmers were enduring "some of the toughest times in living memory" because of the fiasco over missing subsidy payments that has left many facing ruin."

"More than 116,000 farmers across the country were supposed to have received their subsidies by mid-2006. By February this year, however, 25,000 cases were still under review, with the sums involved ranging from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands. About 10,000 farmers have not yet received anything.

This has cost debt-ridden farmers big sums in bank interest, and contributed to a huge rise in the numbers struggling to survive. Calls to the Farm Crisis Network from farmers asking for financial and psychiatric help rose by 60 per cent last year to the highest level since the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001."

Defra has been one of the government's more spectacularly poorly performing departments...)o: - The Department of Health is the worst...)o:


Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk
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The Prince of Wales, visiting a diabetes centre in Abu Dhabi, suggested that banning McDonald’s was the “key” to children eating more healthily.

Charles hits out McDonald's

Extract:

"The Prince spoke as he and the Duchess of Cornwall visited a diabetes centre in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and watched children packing healthy lunch boxes to encourage awareness of the disease.

As nutritionist Nadine Tayara told him they tried to discourage children from eating fast food, he retorted: “Have you got anywhere with McDonald’s, have you tried getting it banned? That’s the key.” "

"The United Arab Emirates has the second highest prevalence of diabetes in the world with 20 per cent of its adult population diagnosed with type two diabetes due to the sedentary lifestyle of this oil-rich nation, and the change in just 50 years from a harsh desert subsistence diet to a western fast-food culture. "

I must say that my sympathies are with the Prince of Wales on this matter, especially as it was a diabetes centre he and the Duchess of Cornwall were visiting. - McDonald's fast food restaurants mostly serve food that is high in salt/sodium and low in potassium and so is unsuitable for children. - Children are the largest group of people vulnerable to salt, and if fed a diet high in salt/sodium and low in potassium they are at risk of becoming obese because of fluid retention. And diabetes is one of the many other health problems that comprise the 'obesity collection', if I may coin a phrase. - Other members of the collection are heart disease, hypertension, breathlessness, depression, etc. etc. - See http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/children.html and http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/conditions.html

All overweight people suffer from fluid retention. - You can reduce this and lose some of the excess fluid you have in your body by eating less salt and making sure you eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. - You do NOT need to restrict calories!

Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it!
See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk and http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/children.html
(The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)