I’m suspicious of anything that messes with nature. I have yet so see evidence that we can improve upon what nature provides.
I think if you manipulate something that is found in nature, you are asking for trouble. Don’t get me started on the Frankenstein cows they have created that product human breast milk!
GMOs (or GE) are organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. – World Health Organization
Do you want to eat vegetables that have pesticides built right into them. I don’t!
We know enough now to be concerned about the dangerous effects GMO food can/will have on our health and our environment, with possibly disastrous consequences.
A number of studies over the past decade have revealed that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife, and the environment. Human health effects can include higher risks of toxicity, allergenicity, antibiotic resistance, immune-suppression, and cancer.
Furthermore, GMO is changing farming. The use of genetic engineering in agriculture has led to uncontrolled transgenic pollution, threatening numerous microbial, plant, and animal species with extinction; a dramatic increase in pesticide use; and the creation of herbicide-resistant “superweeds.”
What is very disturbing to me is that GMO and organic farming can not co-exist because of lateral gene transfer. An organic farmer can’t really product organic food if he has a GMO farmer just down the street. The crops will cross pollinate and effect each other. So what will that mean for organic farming in the future?
It gets worse: GMOs have the ability to transfer genetic information horizontally into those who consume them. So when we consume GMO food, we don’t know how it will affect our health — now or later in life. It’s genetic roulette.
Our children are at risk the most. GMOs have been introduced into our food supply in 1996, and by now over 80 percent of our food contains GMOs in North America.
Did you know? I’m not surprised — because GMO food doesn’t have to be labeled in the U.S., so you don’t know what you are buying in the store. Unsuspecting consumers by the millions are being allowed to purchase and consume unlabeled genetically engineered foods.
The FDA says it believes that GE foods are “of the same or equal quality” and don’t require GMO food to be tested or labeled.
How convenient. The FDA should be watching out for our well-being, yet when you research this further, you come to find out that mega biotech companies like Monsanto are in control and manipulated the government.
Why I Decided to Only Buy Organic Food
My husband was reading Jeffrey M. Smith’s “Seeds of Deception” and telling me just a few things he learned from the book:
“Laboratory rats fed a GM crop developed stomach lesions and seven of the forty died within two weeks. The crop was approved without further tests.”
I’m no scientist and I can not verify how many top scientists who tried to alert the public about the dangers of GMO were really harassed or fired, but I’m a mother who wants to feed her child healthy food, and this was the last straw for me.
I’m not going to risk playing Russian Roulette with my son’s health or mine.
Right then and there I opened the cupboards and pulled out every food we had that didn’t have the “organic” label on it. I boxed it up and donated it to the local food pantry the next day.
I decided enough is enough — I’m only buying organic or non-GMO verified food for our family from now on. It’s the only recourse I have to avoid GMO, because the U.S. doesn’t label GMO foods and denies me the right to make an informed choice.
I have a right to know if food I’m putting in my body and feeding my child has been genetically tampered with.
Many other countries do label GMO foods, and consumers there are demanding to know (at least 22 countries, as well as all of the EU member states, have mandatory labeling laws for GE foods). I and 92 percent of Americans want GMO (GE) food labeled as such.
Until GMO foods are clearly identified for the consumer for what it is, I’m going to only buy organic food and support grocery chains like Trader Joe’s who quarantee me that they don’t carry GMO foods.
We have a right to know — identify GMO for what it is!
If the FDA and the companies that make and sell GMO food are so sure that their food is healthy, then I challenge them to proudly label their products with “GMO” logos.
But they don’t do that, because they know their products are not the same — their food is made and gene manipulated and full of pesticides for the biggest profit, and they don’t really care to provide healthy and nutritious food.
Labeling is essential for me. I want to be able to know that my family is consuming risky genetically engineered foods.
Do you care about the safety of our food supply? Do you want to know if you are eating GMO food? Then voice your concern!
Sources and resources:
Why GMO And Organic Can Not Co-Exist: Lateral Gene Transfer
Tell FDA to Label Genetically Engineered Food Just label it — we have a right to know! Petition you can sign.
20 Genetically Modified Foods Coming to Your Plate
NON GMO Project: Everyone deserves an informed choice about whether or not to eat GMOs. List of products that might not be organic but are at least non-GMO. Petition you can sign.
Want to learn more? HealthyChild.org is my favorite resource for healthy and non-toxic living.
Daneilia says
I love all the information. This is a reason why we are doing mostly Organic. We just don’t have a Whole Foods or Organic resources here. So we buy what we can at the local store.
Jasanna says
I just signed a petition to get stores to label if their foods contain GMO’s. I want to buy all organic, but can’t afford to right now. I do buy all I can though! Hopefully eventually!
http://munchtalk.blogspot.com/
Dagmar says
Hi Jasanna,
thanks for signing the petition and demanding GMO to be labeled! If you eat less meat or no meat (which is also a lot more sustainable) you could buy more organic food. But every little bit helps to vote with your wallet.
Cheri D says
Dagmar, Thank you so much for this very informative article. I knew that GMO food was not good for us but I did not realize the enormity of the dangers! I too will be buying even more organic food from now on. Right now most of our food in organic and I’m going to talk with the local health food store where I primarily shop to see if they sell only food without GMO, which I am pretty sure they do. This is really scary!
Dagmar says
Hi Cheri,
I only scratched the surface to make the topic of GMO palatable for more people. If you are interested in more researched, the book Seeds of Deception is a great book.
Laurie says
Great topic Dagmar, and good information. I’ve just been reading about this and it is crazy how GMO and related are affecting our food supply. I especially am concerned about cross-pollination, because I feel like I can’t even trust organic labels at all. Thanks for sharing!
rebekah says
Great post, and I’m right there with ya … but I do have a problem with one part of your post:
Right then and there I opened the cupboards and pulled out every food we had that didn’t have the “organic” label on it. I boxed it up and donated it to the local food pantry the next day.
Yikes! This was something I struggled with for a while and, ultimately, had to come to the conclusion that other people’s children are just as valuable as mine. When I’m donating to a food pantry, why in the world would I donate food that I consider poisonous for my own family? If you won’t feed it to YOUR kids, why would you intentionally feed it to someone else’s?
Just something to think about. ( :
Dagmar says
Hi Rebekah, I feel the same way and struggled with the same decision, believe me.
BUT some families don’t have enough food to feed their families, and I think it’s worse that those kids don’t have food in their stomach. Plus, you can be guaranteed that most of the food that is being donated or bought by food pantries are also GMO foods. Those families, sadly, are not getting organic food, and they are not expecting to get it when they ask for food at the food pantry. Sad but true. So I decided instead of wasting my box of food and throwing it out, I’d donate it.
Plus, there are plenty of families who don’t believe in the danger of GMO food and eat it.
Craig says
GMO’s are more serious that people realize. It’s binding to DNA is a means for genetic alteration and not for the better.
Angela Chee says
Thanks for sharing. I’ve recently become more aware about GMO’s too! While I’ve always tried to buy organic when I can, I was unaware that some organic foods may also be GMO, like cereals or other products that use canola oil, corn, soy etc. You need to look for the GMO certified label. Does Trader Joe’s guarantee non-GMO foods? I didn’t know that. Even with their corn and other packaged goods? I love them, but I still check the labels of what I buy.
Craig says
All foods at Trader Joe’s with the Trader Joe’s Brand label are guaranteed GMO free. Other products not necessarily.. even if labeled Organic.
Join and look for the Non-GMO Project symbol at your local stores and health stores. Those are companies that participate in the non-GMO project. A great effort. Web-site below. You can even submit products for them to research.
http://www.nongmoproject.org/
http://nongmoshoppingguide.com/
All we have to do now is stop the deadly Chem-Spraying across the Country.
Good shopping!