Have you ever noticed food labels that proudly proclaim “Non-GMO” in big, bold letters?
If not, it’s definitely time to start.
I have talked ever-so-briefly in the past about genetically modified organisms (GMO) as it pertains to food in the context of soy, as soy is the most common GMO food source out there (followed closely by corn – and corn is in almost everything). Relatively new in the history of our food supply, the first GMO crops were introduced only about 20 years ago, in 1994.
| When reader Laurie dropped me a note suggesting I talk a little bit about California’s upcoming ballot measure, Prop 37, I was all over it. Those of us who don’t live in California may not know much (if anything) about this measure, but it’s super important to the future of our food. The measure aims to require labeling of GMO food.
This is huge. |
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Why? Quite simply, as goes California, so goes the rest of the country.
We’ve seen it time and again.
Remember “California Emissions Standards?” Once a common phrase on game shows that gave away cars, you don’t hear this anymore because emissions testing and requirements are now a common practice in most states.
Of course, we all know about their highly-publicized recycling efforts. Just try to obtain a plastic bag in San Francisco. Not gonna happen.
As a matter of fact, where I live in Washington State, there is a similar ballot measure — Initiative Measure No. 522 – aiming to achieve many of the same standards (if not better) than what is proposed in California, but this measure has been mostly overlooked outside of Washington. To be honest, we don’t even really hear about it here!
So, you’re getting the picture here. California is progressive. And, as the most populous state in the U.S., it is also influential. What happens in California sets the stage for what happens in all the other states. There are some concerns about Prop 37, nicely documented by Whole Foods here, and this particular proposition may not make it through the first go round, but the work being done right now is definitely important and could change the future of food labeling (and perhaps even production) in our country.
Why Are There GMO Crops?
To oversimplify a very complex topic, science (i.e., biotech companies) promotes GMO seeds because they are meant to be disease resistant, pest resistant, hardier, and better producing than traditional, non-modified or non-engineered seeds. This is of course driven by money, as for-profit businesses are.
Why Should We Care About GMO Foods?
Everyone has a different opinion on this topic, so I’ll tell you my opinion, but leave it to you to make up your own mind. By the way, I found this blog post that talks more about GMO labeling and Prop 37, written by Dr. Joseph Mercola, to be especially insightful in the area of GMO, biotech, and our food supply.
In a world that gets smaller every day as our population explodes, science promotes GMO as a way to feed the hungry, but, let’s think about this for a moment. Is it really? Or, is it a way for “for-profit” biotech companies to increase sales and drive profits? There is probably a good reason countries like Japan ban GM crops altogether.
I try my best to avoid GMO foods and synthetic anything. Synthetic is a bad word in our house. This pertains not just to produce and packaged foods, but things like sugar. We avoid artificial everything. No Splenda, no Sweet’N Low, and absolutely no aspartame.
Avoiding artificial sweeteners is possible. But, avoiding GMO isn’t always possible – we don’t know in a lot of cases how the food was produced, and something like 70% of corn crops in the U.S. are GMO (remember, corn is in everything!). But, I try to eat food in its most natural state possible. Personally, I don’t want science interfering what nature created. We don’t really know the long-term health impacts of manipulating food with genetic engineering – and we won’t for a long time.
What Can You Do
If you are concerned about GMO and genetically-engineered foods, you are not alone, but you also have options!
- Take some time to learn about GMO food labeling and the impact California could have by leading the way and passing Prop 37, especially if you live in California. If Californians vote yes, their decision will likely have a trickle down effect for the rest of us – and we could start having a conscious choice at the grocery store whether or not to by GMO foods.
- Be sure to vote – if you live in California (Prop 37) or Washington state (I—522), this November is important to the future of food labeling in your state.
- Buy certified organic when you can, as organic foods are prevented from having GMO or genetically engineered properties.
- Write to your congressman, your governor, your attorney general, and anyone else who you think can drive support for food labeling in your state. Yes, I know, that sounds cliché – but, your elected officials are your voice. If they don’t know this issue matters to you, they won’t get involved.
Knowledge is power, friends, and there is a lot of money in GMO. The folks that make the money from selling the GMO seeds don’t want you to know the end product was GMO because they don’t want to interfere with profits.
What are your thoughts? Do you care about GMO foods?
View Comments (4)
Yes! And thanks for the WF link. As you know I don’t trust WF so much, and I wish they would make more of an effort for all of their 365 brand products to be GMO free, but it’s almost impossible to avoid it. I am even wondering (and scared) that some day even our organic foods will have some sort of cross pollination of GM
I recently watched a movie on youtube about monsanto, and it was very sad and scary about corn crops deep in mexico that has already been contaminated with GM. I don’t know if there is anything we can truly do to stop it.
Hey, just saw the video from Organic Spies about the “expose” they did on Whole Foods and why they haven’t donated any $ to the cause.
Anyway, it’s funny because the video linked everywhere has been “removed from YouTube” because it violates it’s terms. I did google and by chance found it here
don’t know how long it’ll be up though.
I changed my email again. We’ll see if I get comments. LOL
Wow, Debbie, that is really insightful, thank you!
I am still connecting all the dots on this issue, but it struck me this morning that GMOs were introduced in 1994, a time when some of the population was overweight or obese, and now, not even 20 years later, we are looking at an obesity epidemic. I have no idea if there is a correlation — but it’s interesting, huh? I should look up the ratio of fast food locations to people as well, as that is probably the real cause, but it strikes me that food was simpler before GMOs, and people where thinner…
No comments on my new email. sigh. Oh well. bummer. I’m probably missing all the good ninja comments too!
Anyway, that is a great point about obesity. I bet you anything it’s directly affected because of all the sweet corn hidden in foods. Even if it’s just a little bit in a serving, think how many times what the food company thinks is a “serving” is really only 1/2 or a 1/4 of what people eat.
I’m wondering if GM has a lot to do with cancers as well. Who knows. If you think about it. A GM seed can be packed with it’s own pesticide. We’re eating that product, so instead of the pesticide being sprayed on the plant, where it has a chance of being washed off, it’s actually growing INSIDE the plants’ DNA so we’re ingesting that! It’s really quite gross.
I don’t necessarily think the employees in that video were purposely lying about GMO’s, I think most of them are not properly trained, thus are more on the side of ignorant than anything. But the more I think about it, (especially after I saw the WF sign about how they do not sell GM products) the more I really wonder about what WF is really up to, and how they would be affected if this law passes.
And to be fair, Trader Joe’s is just as bad, if not worse.