Food Fight!!!!!

I don’t get it. People are more concerned with who is sleeping with whom than about the food that they put in their mouth. Monsanto has been pushing their GMO food on the world for a long time. On Facebook, in emails, and elsewhere, people have been made aware of the concerns regarding these crops, but yet, there is more public notice about gays than there is about our food supply.  Let’s look at how much is all ready in the pipe.

According to the last figures I saw the GMOs currently in our food chain are thus:

Soy (85%)

Cotton (Cottonseed) (76%)

Canola (75%)

Corn (40%)

Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%)

Zucchini and Yellow Squash (small amount)

Even getting into some cigarettes:

Quest brand tobacco (100%)

So think about that. Those of you buying soy milk because you think it is healthier may very well be ingesting GMO food.  If you are using canola oil to fry your chicken or French fries, you may be using GMO foods. Corn is creeping up and that is in just about everything. If it isn’t a direct ingredient, then it is in high fructose corn syrup added to just about everything.  That is another issue, but let’s leave that for a moment.

Now while the US does not allow anything genetically modified to be identified in products, there are many countries that are either outright banning, in the process of doing so, or at least forcing labeling so that people can make their own choices.  Some states have taken the initiative. Maryland has banned GE fish. North Dakota and Montana have banned GE wheat.  The municipality of Burlington, VT has declared a moratorium on all GE foods.  However, other countries have banned or restricted the import and sale and even the field trials of GMOs.  Most of the Pacific countries like American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Australia, and New Zealand. In Europe, the countries include Norway, Austria, Germany United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Luxembourg, and Portugal.  But here in America, you have to look at who is working for the USDA and the FDA to see why we have not moved to try to stop these crops from taking over.  Why should we try to stop them? Aren’t they good for us?

A number of European studies have raised questions regarding fertility.  The studies say that the ability to reproduce is diminished with GMO use.  One study I read stated that after five generations, lab rats could no longer reproduce.  Kind of brings to mind the 2006 movie, Children of Men.  Other studies have stated that cancer cases increase as well as other illnesses.  Let’s take a moment to look at the supposed benefits.

We are told that GE seed has been modified to be impervious to the use of RoundUp. RoundUp is a Monsanto herbicide that is used to wipe out weeds. Making the seed impervious to RoundUp allows them to sell more RoundUp to farmers.  We are told that the bt seed produced by Monsanto creates its own pesticide in the plant to keep the bugs from eating the plants.  So there is the positive. Monsanto creates these seeds to allow us to use weed killer and to kill off bugs and gets to patent these. Oh, and they put a killer gene in them to prevent the seeds from being able to saved year to year, allowing Monsanto to ensure a constant stream of income.  So is this good?

Well, one thing that Monsanto left out of their equation to own the world’s food supply, nature. Nature adapts. The weeds have adapted and now superweeds that are also impervious to RoundUp have cropped up. So that negates that benefit. (Though the spreading of chemicals all over the land and the consequences of the overuse could be debated.)  So that still leaves the pesticide imbued crops that keep the bugs off themselves. Except….. Nature adapts and now superbugs have become impervious to that too. So two down, what does that leave us? The killer gene that keeps farmers from being able to save seed year to year and force them to return to Monsanto for new seed every year.  I hazard a guess that the problem with infertility may be derived from this transgenic killer gene.  So the only thing left is neutered seed and a Monsanto patent that forces farmers to buy from them. Note that in all of this, not once was there a mention that these GE/GMO crops produce more because that has been found to be false.  So what can we do?

I realize that organics can be more expensive, but if we can, buy more organics. Organics are currently under siege as companies like Monsanto are trying to get their stuff accepted into organics. Of course, with Taylor in the FDA, that could happen. The best might be to start growing your own. Buy either organic or heirloom seeds. Learn how to can, freeze, and store the food you grow. Learn how to preserve your seeds in order to keep them year to year.

Now, I have only talked about crops and seeds. I could go on and talk about livestock and the way we treat the animals that give of their life so we can eat. It could become a book. I would suggest renting the movies, King Corn, Food Inc. and the Future of Food.  Go to Google and search on GMO and read up on some of the things written all ready.  Google GE foods and find out about other foods like the GE salmon. The thing is that once these things are out there, there is no takes back. The pollen can migrate from GMO crops to organics and contaminate them and soon, all we have is GMOs.  Oh, Monsanto GMOs and you damn well better pay them. Please stop worrying about what someone is doing in their own bedroom and place more concern over what you are putting on your children’s plate.

My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.