—GMOs, Gene Patenting, and the Corporatization of Our Food Supply
This post is on Healthwise
October 11, 2014
Story at-a-glance
- The award winning documentary “The Future of Food” covers the genetic engineering of food, gene patenting, and corporatization of the food supply
- Genetic engineering is complex and unpredictable, resulting in pieces of DNA interacting with each other in unexpected and potentially dangerous ways
- Oregon and Colorado have GE food labeling initiatives on this November’s ballot; labeling laws have passed in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine
- Between 2012 and mid-2014, Monsanto and GMA spent more than $100 million to successfully block GE labeling legislation in more than 30 states
- Americans spend more on organic foods with each passing year; polls consistently show about 90 percent support GE food labeling
Part 2
The Revolving Door Between Government and Industry
The genetic engineering of our food system is proceeding essentially unregulated, despite the fact that three federal agencies are responsible for the safety of genetically engineered foods.
- The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for assessing the environmental impacts of GE crops and regulating GE crop field testing. However, in a study of more than 8,000 field test applications, not a single environmental assessment was required by USDA. In fact, new USDA rules actually cut the time in half that it takes GE seed developers to go through a regulatory review.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates insecticides. Bt insecticide is engineered into every cell of Bt crops. EPA approved an exemption for residue tolerance levels for Bt toxin in GE soy foods and animal feed, so that Monsanto and other pesticide companies can incorporate as much as they want. The agency also recently raised allowable levels of glyphosate in food by significant amounts.9, 10 Allowable levels in oilseed crops such as soy were doubled, from 20 ppm to 40 ppm just last summer. It also raised the levels of permissible glyphosate contamination in other foods—many of which were raised to 15-25 times previous levels.
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for food safety. Every novel substance in food must be tested. However, GE foods (such as soy lecithin and corn syrup) were granted "GRAS status" (generally regarded as safe) using the argument of "substantially equivalent"— which exempts them from testing or labeling. This was done through a former VP of Monsanto Michael Taylor, who was deputy commissioner of the FDA in the early 90s. Despite many studies in the last 20 years disproving the substantially equivalent claim, the FDA has failed to reverse its decision.
How does the government get away with this? It's fairly simple. It fills its regulatory positions with corporate shills—there's a revolving door for people with industry ties, such as Michael Taylor, Linda Fisher, Donald Rumsfeld, and others. Monsantohas deep roots in Washington, DC. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft received Monsanto's largest contribution to any political candidate in the 2000 election, toward his campaign for senate re-election. Corporate interests explain why the government continues to look the other way.
Subsidizing the Junk Food Industry
While the agrichemical industry rakes in record profits from GE seeds, farmers lose money growing them and can't stay in business without government subsidies. As of the time of this film (2004), the farmer's cost for growing one bushel of GE corn or soy was $3.20, and their return was about $2.20. Obviously, farmers were unable to stay in business with this sort of margin, so agricultural subsidies were created. When wealthy countries subsidize crops, there are global repercussions—the markets of developing countries are undercut, making subsistence farming virtually impossible.Subsidies support only the most widely grown industrial crops—corn, wheat, and soybeans—ergo, those that go directly to the processed food industry. Far from providing us with nutrition, US agricultural subsidies contribute to the declining health of Americans and fuel the obesity epidemic. It's complete idiocy... junk food is subsidized in one department, while another department across the hall funds an anti-obesity campaign.Over the past 15 years, taxpayers have paid corn farmers more than $77 billion in subsidies, and more than 75 percent of the funds are paid to a mere 10 percent of America's farmers. Farm subsidies are no longer based on need. Mega-farms receive an annual fixed cash payment based on their acreage, whether they need them or not. Large corporate farms receive the majority of farm subsidies while small farmers receive little to none. You subsidize the junk food industry with your taxes, whether you consume their products or not. As farm subsidies are already in the federal budget, a better approach might be to reallocate them in a way that provides incentives to farmers who grow healthy crops using sustainable farming methods.
A Three-Step Self-Help Plan to Avoid Genetically Engineered Foods
On a brighter note, consumer spending trends reflect America's growing awareness about the shortfalls of the industrial food system. Consider America's growing hunger for organic foods:11, 12
- In 1990, Americans spent one billion dollars on organic foods
- In 2003, they spent $13 billion
- In 2009, they spent $24.8 billion
- In 2013, they spent $35.1 billion
- A recent report showed that 65 percent of consumers prefer foods with organic ingredients
In a recent interview, research scientist and internationally recognized sustainability expert Dr. Elaine Ingham suggested the following three-step plan to help you avoid GE foods:
- Choose local organic food. This is a must if you want to stop supporting the likes of Monsanto with your hard-earned dollars. Genetically engineered seeds and materials are not allowed in organic farming and food production, so at present it's the only way to ensure you're not accidentally buying something with GE ingredients. Beware that the terms "natural" or "all-natural" on a label has absolutely NO meaning when it comes to GE ingredients—the natural label is in no way interchangeable with the certified organic label.
- Improve the soil in your garden and grow your own vegetables. This is my new passion. Please refer to my interview with Paul Gautschi to learn simple strategies you can use to make your home or local garden thrive.
- Support GMO labeling campaigns. With elections quickly approaching, this is the time to get the word out to your friends and family about the importance of passing labeling laws. Forward this article as widely as you can to increase awareness about this important issue.
I recently named the GMA “the most evil corporation on the planet,” considering the fact that it consists primarily of pesticide producers and junk food manufacturers who are going to great lengths to violate some of your most basic rights—just to ensure that subsidized, genetically engineered and chemical-dependent, highly processed junk food remains the status quo.The insanity has gone far enough. It’s time to unite and fight back, which is why I encourage you to boycott every single product owned by members of the GMA, including natural and organic brands. To learn more about this boycott, and the traitor brands that are included, please visit TheBoycottList.org. I also encourage you to donate to the Organic Consumers Fund. Your donation will help fight the GMA lawsuit in Vermont, and also help win the GMO labeling ballot initiative in Oregon in November.Voting with your pocketbook, at every meal, matters. It makes a huge difference. By boycotting GMA Member Traitor Brands, you can help level the playing field, and help take back control of our food supply. And as always, continue educating yourself about genetically engineered foods, and share what you’ve learned with family and friends.[+] Sources and References
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/11/gmo-food-labeling.aspx
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