A Fork in the Road

Almost all non-organic processed food contains GMO ingredients, yet none of it is labeled so most of us are simply not aware that we are eating this experimental and untested lab- created food. Do you know that the typical boxed cereal is made from genetically modified corn and soy?  What does this mean for us?  What does it mean for our kids?  This manipulation of our food supply has been foisted upon us without regulation or our consent.  Then the question follows, why would we even want to eat GMOs?  Why would we want to endanger our health and the environment? Is there a benefit?

The claim is that GMO crops can feed the expanding population of the world, but if we look closely at what’s really happening, we see that it’s all about profit and power for a few huge corporations.  These corporations like Monsanto are not concerned with our health or the impact of their chemicals on the environment; it’s all about money, and they are fighting tooth and nail to keep us from knowing what contains GMOs.  This is why there is no required labeling yet.  But we can change that if we are aware of what is at stake.

You know the metaphor about the frog and the hot water, right?  If you drop a frog in hot water it will jump out, but if it is put into a pot of cold water and slowly heated, it won’t notice until it’s too late. Without labeling, we aren’t even aware that our food contains GMOs.  And if we don’t know about it, how can we have a say in what is in our food.  The only way to have a choice about what we eat is to educate ourselves.  Find out what GMOs are.  Find out why we are guinea pigs in this big experiment and why Australia, Japan, and the European countries have banned GMOs.  And look at the evidence of the harm GMO crops are doing to our seed supply, to family farms, and to the environment.

Over 85% of conventionally grown corn and soy is genetically modified, and if you look at the ingredients of just about any processed food in the grocery store, though you won’t find it labeled on the colorful packaging, you’re getting GMOs.  See if you can find processed food without some sort of corn or soy derivative (in addition to other GMO ingredients like canola oil and sugar beets.)  We’re talking cereal, bread, baked goods, boxed and frozen prepared dinners, chips, snack foods, and the list goes on and on.  How about dairy?  Milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream?  Well, did you know that unless it’s certified organic or labeled No rBGH, it is genetically modified with an artificial growth hormone that is used to pump up cows to produce more milk.  Do we want this in our bodies, not to mention the cruelty to the cows?  But right now, since many of us don’t know about this, we aren’t able to make a choice.

This is why we need to educate ourselves.  This is why it’s essential to support our local farmers who are growing food sustainably without genetically modified seeds.  Go to your local farmers markets and take a good look at the food that is offered there.  This is real food.  It sustains our bodies and is kind to the earth.  If we support this sustainably grown food, we make the choice not to support corporate manipulation of our food supply.  And if you can’t make it to the market, grow your own food, or buy directly from your local farmer, shop at the many co-ops and stores in the area that offer locally grown and organic food.  Insist on knowing what you are eating.  It’s one of the most important issues of our time.

Here are a few links for further reading:

http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/milk.htm

http://www.rodale.com/vandana-shiva

http://www.gmofreeoregon.org/about_gmos

http://www.organicitsworthit.org/quick/gmos-101?gclid=CIW2w4aV4q8CFSoZQgodN39BFg

http://www.oprah.com/health/Genetically-Modified-Foods-Affect-Health-and-Body