Next time you go to the grocery store look around, do you see any packages labeled, “contains genetically modified ingredients”? My guess is no, unless you live outside the United States. There in lies a problem, you just may be buying and consuming, unknowingly, harmful food. Why does the US government not require manufacturers to label their products that contain genetically modified ingredients? Well because the Monsanto Corporation and many other industry lobbyists persuaded the FDA that they are no harm to humans. Has that been proven? The answer is no.

If you have never heard of Monsanto, well maybe you have heard of one their products, the herbicide, Roundup. Roundup, which kills unwanted weeds in yards all across America, is also used in commercial agriculture. Monsanto created what is called Roundup ready seeds for soy, maize (corn), sorghum, canola, alfalfa, and cotton, with wheat still under development. These Roundup ready seeds are genetically modified versions of traditional seeds that prevent Roundup from harming them. Once Monsanto “creates” a new Roundup ready or genetically modified seed, they patent it. Yes, they in essence patent life.

Monsanto has also been known to sue farmers that accidentally used their patented seed in their crop, even if it entered into their field without the farmer’s knowledge. The seed could have gotten there by cross-pollination, wind, animals, and any other natural way.

It really hit home when my local newspaper wrote an article about genetically modified seeds that can survive in drought stricken areas. Why not look at why we are in the mess now anyway; we changed nature, which caused global climate change. Is it necessary to change something else that naturally has the ability to change itself?

Besides the controversy surrounding Monsanto, there are health concerns, mainly because no one knows what potential harm we face.

“As we move on into this so-called biotech revolution and we start producing more and more transgenic manipulations, we’ll start seeing pieces of DNA interacting with each other in ways that are totally unpredictable…
I think this is probably the largest biological experiment humanity has ever entered into.”

- Ignacio Chapela (microbial ecologist and mycologist at the University of California, Berkeley)

The experiment has started and continues to spread and we are the subjects.

You, on the other hand have a choice, buy organic. All food that is stamped with the USDA Certified Organic logo has gone through strict testing to prove it contains at least 95% organic ingredients, meaning no GMOs.

“Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.” - USDA (US Department of Agriculture)

-bproctor