Learn about GMOs and how they impact our food supply. Join the conversation for transparency and safety in our diets.

Rallies for Food Transparency

GMOs—short for Genetically Modified Organisms—are now a regular part of our food supply.
Did you know you’re probably eating them every day? Most people don’t, because they aren’t labeled.

This past weekend, rallies were held across the United States, including one right outside the White House in Washington, D.C. The message was simple and powerful:

• We have the right to know what’s in our food.
• We want all genetically modified foods clearly labeled.
• We want factory-farmed and GMO-derived animal products labeled.
• We want independent, long-term studies on the safety of GMOs for people, animals, and the planet.
• We want the organic industry protected from cross-contamination and lawsuits targeting organic farmers.

These events were organized by everyday citizens, a true grassroots effort demanding transparency about what’s on our plates.

Can You Really Legislate Nature?

I find it astonishing that anyone believes we can legislate seed stock, GMO or otherwise.

Does the wind follow legislation? Does rain? The planet itself is always evolving, adjusting, and adapting.

When things go out of balance because of human interference, whether through genetic modification or chemical overuse, new viruses, fungi, and other imbalances arise.

Passing more laws won’t stop nature from responding. What we can do is vote with our voices and our wallets: say no to the widespread use of GMOs until we’re sure they’re safe.

Why Say No to GMOs?

Despite an increasing number of studies linking GMOs to potential health and environmental harm, the U.S. FDA continues to classify them as “substantially equivalent” to non-GMO foods. That means no labeling is required for genetically modified ingredients in non-organic products.

Without labeling laws, companies like Monsanto and other biotech giants can sell genetically engineered seeds and products that end up in our food chain—without us ever knowing. Personally, I want the choice to decide what I eat. Don’t you?

Three Reasons to Be Concerned About GMOs

Even a quick look beneath the surface raises serious questions.

1. Corporate Control Over Our Food Supply

It’s concerning to allow massive corporations like Monsanto to dominate the seed market and food production systems without transparency. Monsanto produces roughly 90% of all GMO seeds currently on the market.

Even more worrying, many of the company’s former executives now hold influential positions in the USDA, Congress, and even the Supreme Court. (Source: Serious Eats — see the full article here).

2. Unknown Long-Term Effects

No one truly knows what the long-term impact of GMOs will be on our health, our soil, or our ecosystems.

We already have warning signs. For example, Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” soybean crops were designed to resist the company’s own herbicide, but now weeds are evolving resistance.

In some cases, Monsanto has even had to pay farmers to use competitors’ herbicides to save its GMO crops. (Source: Grist.com — full article here).

3. Emerging Biological Concerns

Recent reports have linked genetically modified crops to alarming new biological issues.

Dr. Don M. Huber, a senior plant pathologist and coordinator for the USDA’s National Plant Disease Recovery System, has warned of a “new, self-replicating, micro-fungal, virus-sized organism” that may be linked to spontaneous abortions in livestock and plant diseases such as sudden death syndrome in soy and wilt in corn.

Dr. Huber cautioned that deregulating genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa could be “a calamity.” Nonetheless, on January 27, 2011, the USDA gave blanket approval to all GE alfalfa, removing previous buffer zone requirements.

Critics argue that this move could contaminate natural crops and severely damage the organic meat and dairy industries, which depend on GMO-free alfalfa. Once contamination occurs, control over these crops—and by extension, the food system—may fall entirely into the hands of biotech corporations.

(Source: Living Food Village — full article here)

What You Can Do

If this concerns you, and it should, there are ways to take action:

• Follow the movement at Millions Against Monsanto
• Visit organicconsumers.org to sign the Truth-in-Labeling Petition
• Head to JustLabelIt.org to demand better labeling laws

As consumers, we are at the top of the food chain.

We have power through awareness and choice.

It’s time to stop being food illiterate. Learn what GMOs are, how they affect our world, and make your voice heard.

It’s time to say no to unlabeled GMOs.