You may have noticed the term "GMO" being thrown around recently. For some of us, it is a term used every day in the fight to keep our nation's food safe, natural, and honest. For others, it is a cash cow, a way to ensure exclusivity in the succsessful sale of seeds and pesticides.
"GMO" stands for "genetically modified organisms", and is usually used in reference to crops, mostly food crops. The seeds for these crops have been manipulated in a supposed effort to increase nutrition, crop production, and disease/pest resistance. The success of these efforts in the end products aren't entirely clear. While the producers of these seeds are applauding their creations, farmers have reported reduced yields at harvest. Scientists have linked the ingestion of GMO foods with serious health problems, such as liver disease, infertility, and cancer. (Read more about the health risks associated with GMO foods here, here and here.) To make matters worse, many GMO crops are formulated so that they must sprayed with particular brands of pesticide in order to survive. Take a wild guess who produces the pesticide? Bingo, the same company that produces the seeds formulates and sells the pesticides, many of which have been linked to even more serious health hazards. GMO pesticides have been linked to hormone disruption, birth defects, and of course, cancer.
Monsanto
One of the most prominent producers of GMO seeds and pesticides is Monsanto, a monstrous corporation that has a long history of being uncooperative, at best, when it comes to making provisions for human health. Their army of lawyers, and endless coffers make them an almost insurmountable enemy of the organic food movement. In the history of their corporation they have managed to dodge accountability for posing serious health risks to the entire U.S. population. They've successfully patented seeds, and then used that patent to bully uncooperative farmers out of business. They've developed dangerous pesticides, then spread them widely across the country, infecting our water supply, food sources, and homes. Worst of all, they have managed to strangle any legislation that would slow down their path of destruction, or enable consumers to easily avoid the products they've produced. Even if you don't want to eat GMO's, you probably do so every day without even knowing it.
Eat for Food Freedom
That's where we come in. You and me, and all of our neighbors. As the local and organic food movement grows in popularity, it takes a huge bite out of Monsanto's pocket. Vote with your stomach. Vote with your wallet. Buying all organic and locally farmed foods may seem expensive, but it could mean the difference between eating poison or not. God willing, what we spend on groceries now, we'll save on doctor's bills later. Besides, I would rather my money go to my neighbors and to organic farmers than to Monsanto, even if that means spending a little more of it.
Activism
Another way you can help is to become an activist for safer foods, truth in labeling, and legislation against GMO food production. The grass roots movements for these causes is alive and well. All you need to do is reach out and lend a hand. Visit the following web sites to learn how you can take action.
One easy way to stay involved is to subscribe to action alerts and mailing lists from these web sites. Every day you will recieve emails for petitions, causes, and campaigns. If you take just a few minutes every day to write a letter, make a phone call, and spread the word, you can help make a huge difference. You may not feel like your single voice will be heard, but it is so much louder when it is combined with thousands of other like minded people. Thanks to the internet, being an activist is pretty easy.
Education
The truth is that most people don't know what we're up against when it comes to GMO foods. People eat them every day without ever knowing it. Chances are, that if people knew how dangerous these foods were, and were taught how to avoid them, they would also make efforts to steer clear, and maybe even jump on board the Truth in Labeling Campaign. Talk to your friends and family. Let them know what you know. There is a great movie that sums all of this stuff up pretty well. It is called The Future of Food. You can watch the entire movie online for free, or you can order a hard copy. Hosting a filming of this movie with your family and friends is a great way to get your circle fired up about this issue. Simply making an effort to talk about these issues will help. Let your friends and family know that you're not just buying organic so that you can feel like a fancy pants hippie. Speak up for all of our sakes.