Showing posts with label corporate farming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corporate farming. Show all posts
Posted by
Deanna Lack
comments (0)
Fact. A new International Journal of biological sciences studied the effects of genetically modified (GM) corn on rats. They linked it to organ damage. Here's your Huffington Post link, and here's the text of the actual study.
Fact. The only study on the effects of GM foods done prior to this was a 90-day study done by Monsanto (the company that has patents on most GM seeds) for FDA approval (that wasn't skewed, I'm sure). Most chronic conditions will not show up in 90 days. The above study concludes: "These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown."
Fact. These genetically modified seeds, now in use for a decade, are being used to grow 95% of soy crops and 80% of corn crops in the US, and a host of other crops grown in large quantities. In fact, if a farmer wanted to find non-GM seeds, they might have difficulty even finding them. Consider: how many of the products you consume use US corn oil, corn syrup, soybean oil, soy and corn flour? Most things you eat, I'm guessing. And a lot of that produce is probably GM, too, but, here's the real problem.
Fact. There is currently no legislation demanding that a product be identified as having been grown from GM seeds, or containing crop products grown from GM seeds. Therefore, even if you wanted to completely eliminate GM products from your diet and your home, you would be unable to do so, UNLESS you buy absolutely everything organic, as anything with the organic label is not permitted by law to be genetically modified.
GM crops can cross-pollinate with crops that aren't, so even if some people chose to grow non-GM crops, the neighbor's field might "infect" theirs. Worse, Monsanto crops now carry a "terminator" gene that kills embryonic seed, so that the farmer can't save seed for the next year - that's right, the crop is rendered incapable of reproducing - so they have to buy more seed from Monsanto the next year. What happens when THAT spreads by cross-pollination? And I haven't even gone into the fact that most of the above genetic modification is done so that crops can be mass-sprayed with herbicides. That's an entirely different rant.
I think you should vote with your dollars - buy organic, for now - and also write your congressman, because I think this is a huge threat to health and safety. GM products MUST be labeled as such.
I'm on a crusade here. If this disturbs you, pass the info on, please.
More links, more info.
Can that Terminator gene really cross-pollinate?
If so, is that a threat to world food supply?
And finally, a documentary on what Monsanto is doing for YOU.
Fact. The only study on the effects of GM foods done prior to this was a 90-day study done by Monsanto (the company that has patents on most GM seeds) for FDA approval (that wasn't skewed, I'm sure). Most chronic conditions will not show up in 90 days. The above study concludes: "These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown."
Fact. These genetically modified seeds, now in use for a decade, are being used to grow 95% of soy crops and 80% of corn crops in the US, and a host of other crops grown in large quantities. In fact, if a farmer wanted to find non-GM seeds, they might have difficulty even finding them. Consider: how many of the products you consume use US corn oil, corn syrup, soybean oil, soy and corn flour? Most things you eat, I'm guessing. And a lot of that produce is probably GM, too, but, here's the real problem.
Fact. There is currently no legislation demanding that a product be identified as having been grown from GM seeds, or containing crop products grown from GM seeds. Therefore, even if you wanted to completely eliminate GM products from your diet and your home, you would be unable to do so, UNLESS you buy absolutely everything organic, as anything with the organic label is not permitted by law to be genetically modified.
GM crops can cross-pollinate with crops that aren't, so even if some people chose to grow non-GM crops, the neighbor's field might "infect" theirs. Worse, Monsanto crops now carry a "terminator" gene that kills embryonic seed, so that the farmer can't save seed for the next year - that's right, the crop is rendered incapable of reproducing - so they have to buy more seed from Monsanto the next year. What happens when THAT spreads by cross-pollination? And I haven't even gone into the fact that most of the above genetic modification is done so that crops can be mass-sprayed with herbicides. That's an entirely different rant.
I think you should vote with your dollars - buy organic, for now - and also write your congressman, because I think this is a huge threat to health and safety. GM products MUST be labeled as such.
I'm on a crusade here. If this disturbs you, pass the info on, please.
More links, more info.
Can that Terminator gene really cross-pollinate?
If so, is that a threat to world food supply?
And finally, a documentary on what Monsanto is doing for YOU.
Watch The World According to Monsanto in Educational | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Posted by
Deanna Lack
comments (0)
You can buy this easy to do Indoor Lettuce Growing Kit from Pleasant Hedges on Etsy
The more I learn about the food industry, the more depressed and alarmed I get. Really, the more I think about it, food shouldn't be an industry at all. Maybe specialized foods? But when you get right down to it, the main motivation for the people putting food on your plate is not your well being, it's their bottom line. Their profit. As a result, walking through the aisles of the grocery store yesterday, surrounded by all the flashy colorful packaging, I felt like... well, a consumer. One who consumes. Without thought.
"Agribusiness" or "corporate farming" is done by megacorporations encompassing not only the farm, but the whole chain of food processing, from seed supply to agricultural chemicals, processing, transport, etc. These companies have powerful lobbies in Washington to keep the status quo. They supply convenience, but often not nutrition or taste (beyond the taste of high fructose corn syrup). There are myriad reasons I think this system is a serious problem, which I'll go into at a later date.
But is there an alternative? Well, sure. You could buy a couple of acres, quit your day job, and grow all your own food. (Honestly, I'd love to). While that's not an option for everybody, there are small efforts you could make in that direction - put a tomato in a pot on your patio this year, or grow some lettuce indoors. It'll save you money, and then you'll know what you're putting in your body.
Any others alternatives? I have a few suggestions. First, find out if there's a farmer's market near you. If you're in Tennessee, check out http://www.picktnproducts.org to find out who's got fresh (often organic) produce for very reasonable prices. Other states may have similar sites, which you should be able to find through a simple Internet search.
Or, you could join a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, you buy a share in a farm at the beginning of a growing season, and the farm contracts to supply you with fresh produce for a period of time. Length of time and products vary, and many CSA farms are certified organic, or often organic but not certified (the process of certification is a pain). Some of them you pay for the entire year up front, and some you can pay monthly or weekly. What can you get? The variety is astounding: fresh eggs, meats, produce, honey, and more. Then you arrange to pick up your basket usually on a weekly basis. I am definitely doing this this year, though I haven't chosen a farm yet. You can go to http://www.localharvest.org, type in your zip code, and find farms near you participating in this program, see what they're growing, visit their websites. If you still need reasons to support local agriculture, check out this post.
Buon appetito!
"Agribusiness" or "corporate farming" is done by megacorporations encompassing not only the farm, but the whole chain of food processing, from seed supply to agricultural chemicals, processing, transport, etc. These companies have powerful lobbies in Washington to keep the status quo. They supply convenience, but often not nutrition or taste (beyond the taste of high fructose corn syrup). There are myriad reasons I think this system is a serious problem, which I'll go into at a later date.
But is there an alternative? Well, sure. You could buy a couple of acres, quit your day job, and grow all your own food. (Honestly, I'd love to). While that's not an option for everybody, there are small efforts you could make in that direction - put a tomato in a pot on your patio this year, or grow some lettuce indoors. It'll save you money, and then you'll know what you're putting in your body.
Any others alternatives? I have a few suggestions. First, find out if there's a farmer's market near you. If you're in Tennessee, check out http://www.picktnproducts.org to find out who's got fresh (often organic) produce for very reasonable prices. Other states may have similar sites, which you should be able to find through a simple Internet search.
Or, you could join a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, you buy a share in a farm at the beginning of a growing season, and the farm contracts to supply you with fresh produce for a period of time. Length of time and products vary, and many CSA farms are certified organic, or often organic but not certified (the process of certification is a pain). Some of them you pay for the entire year up front, and some you can pay monthly or weekly. What can you get? The variety is astounding: fresh eggs, meats, produce, honey, and more. Then you arrange to pick up your basket usually on a weekly basis. I am definitely doing this this year, though I haven't chosen a farm yet. You can go to http://www.localharvest.org, type in your zip code, and find farms near you participating in this program, see what they're growing, visit their websites. If you still need reasons to support local agriculture, check out this post.
Buon appetito!
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