Think, Eat, Be Healthy

GMO’s In Our Food Supply

Real food does not need to be fixed! We are just not smart enough to improve on nature.

Real food does not need to be fixed! We are just not smart enough to improve on nature.

The Current Situation

We all need to think about genetically modified organisms and their introduction to our food supply. Man does not have a very good record when it comes to relations with nature. Our record when we try to improve upon nature is even worse. And even when things appear to be going well at first, major problems always seem to develop over time that negate all gains and then some.

Remember that nature has been fine-tuning species for hundreds of millions of years. Nature designs things for the long haul. Many species, such as turtles and alligators, are so successful that they have remained essentially unchanged for many millions of years. Other families of species, including the apes, continue to slowly evolve as conditions on earth change. It seems the height of hubris to think that a scientist can improve a plant or animal by adding genes from a different species to impart resistance to an insect pest or drive more rapid growth or add nutrition. I do not believe any organism to date has been genetically modified without new and substantial weaknesses eventually coming to light.

GMO’s are already in our food supply and have been for years, mostly as fodder for meat animals in the form of soy and corn. As more time passes, more and more studies are showing harmful health changes caused by GMO’s to the beef and dairy cattle and pigs that eat them. If they can negatively impact animals, they can almost certainly negatively impact our health as well. I advocate staying away from all GMO food, including all animal products fed a diet of GMO’s.

Ask Questions About GMO’s

eggs, glowing eggs, syringe

Genetically modified corn, soy and salmon – what’s next? What is being done to our food?

One of the first questions I think we should ask about GMO food items is: “Who wants to change this plant or animal?” The answer is always a large, multinational agribusiness corporation. These are not the most trustworthy or kindhearted companies. They do not want to genetically alter food species in order to eliminate hunger and starvation or to save farmers’ money or to reduce pollution or ecological impact. These corporations want to sell GMO foods because doing so will generate huge profits. I have yet to see any interest from the agribusiness industry in the long term consequences of introducing genetically modified species into the food chain and their inevitable escape into the wild.

Next I ask: “Is genetically modifying the organism really the best way to achieve the stated goal?” Genetic modification is very expensive work, both the preliminary research and the actual gene changes. The modified organism does not usually breed true so each new generation must be repurchased from the corporation. Many of the same goals could be achieved with conventional, time-tested breeding techniques that are known to be safe for people and the environment. This conventional breeding route might take a little longer but is much cheaper in both money and natural resources.

It is important to ask: “Why do we need this GMO?” Is the genetic modification really going to solve a problem or just create new problems? Are weeds such a problem that making the plant artificially resistant to strong herbicides is necessary or is it just an excuse to sell more herbicides to farmers? Will making a plant or animal immune to one disease make it more vulnerable to others? Does making a crop drought resistant make it weaker in other ways? Will the modified crop increase food production or just make it easier for the mono-crop industrial farmer?

These questions must be asked and we must demand straight answers based on long-term independent studies. We cannot accept answers to these questions based on short research studies funded and carried out by the same companies selling the GMO’s. If there are no good answers, these products should be rejected outright.

What To Do

beet sprouts

Beet sprouts in the backyard garden

To totally avoid GMO’s, buy as much organic food as possible. This is especially important for corn and soy products. As good as or better than organic is to buy from local small farmers with good, sustainable production standards. Doing this also ensures against constant doses of industrial herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Crops from these sources are usually more nutritious, as well, because the healthier soil supplies more minerals and nutrients than the soil of large, mono-crop industrial farms.

Speak out for required GMO labeling whenever possible. Big agribusiness is fighting this tooth and nail because they know most consumers would reject GMO foods. We have a right to know what we are eating, especially if it might harm our health. For now, the money spent by big agribusiness on lobbying and campaign contributions is keeping labeling requirements on hold but we must keep pushing.

Grow your own food, or at least a little of it. Plant a backyard garden or just a pot of herbs and salad greens on a windowsill. Get that connection to where your food comes from back again. Know what truly fresh, ripe produce smells and tastes like. Let your body get the benefit of gardening exercise and a little extra sunshine on your skin. These things have all been proven to contribute to overall health. It will also drive you to buy produce as fresh and local as possible to continue getting that flavor.

Stay away from highly refined and processed foods, or as I like to call them, “manufactured food-like products.” These items, from snacks to candy bars to frozen entrees to condiments, are the easiest way for large industrial food manufacturers to slip GMO’s and other nasty ingredients into the food supply. Just avoid all of these products and stick to a healthy whole food diet. Real food does not require an ingredients’ label.

The four steps above constitute voting with our wallets. Money talks, loudly and clearly. Corporations are profit driven. When it becomes clear that there is more profit in naturally grown food than in genetically modified organisms, the GMO’s will quietly go away, with or without government regulation or labeling.

Recent News About GMO’s

Please explore the articles on the following links for more information about GMO’s. Think about these issues, form your own opinions and then do what you know is right.

http://organicconnectmag.com/vermont-legislature-passes-first-real-gmo-labeling-bill/

http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/gmo-soy-is-scarier-than-you-think/

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13426/tom-colicchio-asks-congress-to-scrap-anti-gmo-labeling-bill.html

http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/russia-bans-import-of-gmo-products-promotes-organic-food/

http://organicconnectmag.com/risky-business-big-food-companies-lawsuits-gmo-labeling/

http://organicconnectmag.com/non-gmo-sustainability-debate/

http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/u-s-gmo-policy-hurting-exports-costing-jobs-as-china-rejects-us-gmo-corn/

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13319/new-bill-aims-to-hide-the-truth-about-gmos.html