Concerned about GMO foods
I am a mom with two young children living in Columbia Falls. I, like most moms, work hard to make good choices about the food I feed my family. But I am growing increasingly angry that corporate food giants are refusing to label just what is in the foods they are marketing to all of us, and rather heavily to children.
At the same time, bio-tech companies are buying up control of seed sources, genetically modifying these seeds, and making it increasingly difficult for farmers to continue to grow non-genetically modified seeds.
Food, a basic necessity for survival, has become a gambling piece in a game to make money. It’s no longer just about a hot dinner that families gather around discussing their day’s work and play. Food is traded on the stock market.
Its nutritious qualities are compromised with genetically modified organisms (GMO), pesticides, preservatives and chemical food dyes. Less sweet, salty and fatty are marketed as healthier options, even though they still aren’t good for us and still just as addictive as their counter parts. It’s big business compromising the quality of life for a buck — hundreds of billions of bucks a year.
Last month over Memorial Day weekend, about 500 Flathead Valley residents joined hands with more than 2 million people around the globe in protest of the health risks of GMOs at an event called the March Against Monsanto.
The educational event brought awareness to patrons of the food system about the harmful use of GMOs as well as the information of corporate rights of seeds predominantly owned by Monsanto. The collective request from the weekend protest was to label GMOs. Many feel the emerging scientific evidence shows there is a need for a complete ban of GMO foods and seeds.
The Farm Bill being debated and finalized by the U.S. Senate and House this summer is where many Flathead residents are now focusing and encouraging folks to get involved and to call Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, and Rep. Steve Daines. Urge them to support amendments to this bill calling for the labeling of GMO foods and for protection of the rights of individual states to require labeling of GMO foods.
Wikipedia defines a GMO as “an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.” Basically, proteins in a plant’s DNA are moved, removed or added to provide a solution that allows a plant to withstand the use of chemical treatment, such as insecticides, herbicides and fungicides during its growth.
Pests that the chemicals are meant to kill are now mutating to survive the intensified use, and in turn data reported by the USDA demonstrates pesticide use has skyrocketed in order to get the job done. There are even studies that have found “superbugs” that are chemically resistant.
So Monsanto, a biotech company that brought to market chemicals such as Agent Orange, DDT and a host of other banned chemicals, owns the Round Up Ready patented seeds and accounts for 70 percent of our planted cash crops (a combination of soy, corn, canola and cotton). And, they conveniently own Round Up, which is the combination of chemicals the seeds were created to withstand.
Monsanto is pushing to amend the Farm Bill now before Congress to provide them a permanent protection act that would indemnify them from any problems that might arise due to the long-term effects of GMOs or the use of chemicals. Again, it is important to ask Baucus, Tester and Daines to oppose any such amendment.
As a mom, I can’t ignore the dramatic increase of cancer, food allergies, ADHD, obesity and more health problems since the introduction of GMOs. When I look at the data on GMO-modified foods being analyzed by the Center for Disease Control and a multitude of reputable organizations who keep a citizen watch on our food system and epidemic trends, I know it is time to speak up. I hope you will, too.
Naomi Morrison lives in Columbia Falls.