Consider this: much of the corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar beets, and canola in the United States are genetically modified. This means the ingredients made from them, including such common ingredients as corn syrup, soy lecithin, sugar, vegetable oil and cottonseed oil, are genetically modified as well. In fact, according to California’s Department of Food and Agriculture, 70% of processed foods in American supermarkets now contain genetically engineered (GE) ingredients. At this time, none of these products are required to be labeled as genetically engineered.
The following companies sell or have sold Monsanto GMO seeds...
Audubon Workshop
Breck’s Bulbs
Burpee
Cook’s Garden
Dege Garden Center
Earl May Seed
E & R Seed Co
Flower of the Month Club
Ferry Morse – For more information on Ferry Morse (I’m getting a TON of emails because they are also listed on the CRG page, please see my note on facebook)
Gardens Alive
Germania Seed Co
Garden Trends
HPS
Jungs
Lindenberg Seeds
McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers
Mountain Valley Seed
Osborne
Park Seed
Park Bulbs
Park’s Countryside Garden
R.H. Shumway
Rocky Mountain Seed Co
Roots and Rhizomes
Rupp
Seeds for the World
Seymour’s Selected Seeds
Snow
Stokes
Spring Hill Nurseries
Totally Tomato
T&T Seeds
Tomato Growers Supply
Vermont Bean Seed Co.
The Vermont Bean Seed Company
Wayside Gardens
Willhite Seed Co.
http://www.organicitsworthit.org/quick/gmos-101?gclid=COTj0Mu5j7ACFYgFRQodmUtgow
What are GMOs?
"GE seeds were introduced commercially in 1996 and now dominate the production of corn, soybeans, and cotton in
the United States. GE crops contain one or both of two major categories of traits:
• Herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops, more commonly known as "Roundup Ready crops," are genetically engineered to survive direct application of one or more herbicides during the growing season,chemicals that would otherwise kill or severely stunt the crop.
• Bt crops are engineered to produce toxins...that kill certain agricultural insect pests."*
For more visit information, visit http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/about-gmos/.
But are GMOs safe? And what are their negative effects?
How safe are GMOs?In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe.
How widespread are GMOs in our food supply?
Have you ever wondered just how many GMOs are out there? If not, you might be surprised to learn that 86% of corn and 93% of soybeans grown in the United States is genetically modified. In fact, according to California’s Department of Food and Agriculture, 70% of processed foods in American supermarkets now contain genetically engineered (GE) ingredients.
You might also be surprised to learn that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has decided to allow the unrestricted use of another GE crop: alfalfa. USDA also decided to continue to allow planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets despite a court order to complete a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before making any decision on deregulation for genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets.
How can you avoid GMOs?
The best way to avoid GMOs is to choose organic. By law, organic products must be made and produced without the use of genetic engineering. That is why at every phase in the production process, organic processors and producers are required to take steps to make sure that you and your family are getting all the benefits you need and want and none of the things you don’t—including GMOs. That means not planting or treating land on which organic food and fiber is grown with prohibited substances (including GMOs); creating buffer zones to prevent contact between organic and non-organic crops; cleaning machinery to prevent contact between organic and non-organic items and minimize the risk of contamination; and storing organic and non-organic ingredients separately to ensure that the organic products have as little risk as possible of containing GMOs.
Learn more about why GMOs are prohibited in organic production and processing, as well as the steps taken by organic producers and processors to prevent against GMO contamination.
Also check out Label It Now – What You Need to Know About Genetically Engineered Foods, a downloadable e-book whose proceeds support the Just Label It campaign.
Know what to look for on labels to avoid GMOs.
What effects do GMOs have on human health?GMOs are currently not labeled or tracked in our food supply, making it impossible to conduct long-term studies on the link between GMOs and human health problems. However, because we also do not have information conclusively proving that GMOs are safe, it impossible to rule out the possibility that GMOs may indeed cause health problems.
Why effects do GMOs have on the environment?• GMOs lead to the growth of “superweeds” Just as the heavy use of antibiotics contributed to the rise of drug-resistant supergerms, American farmers’ near-ubiquitous use of the weedkiller Roundup has led to the rapid growth of tenacious new superweeds. The reason for this is that when a crop is repeatedly sprayed with Roundup to kill a given pest, the pest develops a resistance to the Roundup. The new "superweed" requires more herbicide to be applied in order to keep it under control.
•GMOs lead to the rise of "superbugs."
Research conducted the Iowa State University found that corn that was genetically modified to resist certain pests (rootworms) is being harmed by those pests, because the pests have become resistent to the pesticides being applied to them.
• GMOs result in the increased use of toxic and persistent pesticides As GMOs become more resistant to pesticides and herbicides, more of these substances are needed to prevent the growth of undesirable plants (i.e. weeds). In turn, the increased use of pesticides and herbicides results in increased environmental pollution and human exposure to toxic substances.
According to research conducted by The Organic Center, GE crops have been responsible for an increase of 383 million pounds of herbicide use in the U.S. over the first 13 years of commercial use of GE crops (1996-2008).
• GMOs may reduce biodiversity and put our food security at risk As more scientific effort and funding is dedicated to the development of genetically engineered seeds and crops, and more farmers become reliant on them, the stock of non-genetically engineered seeds and crops decreases. This, in turn, reduces crop and seed diversity and creates conditions under which our food supply becomes more vulnerable because it is dependent on the survival of a small number seeds and crops.
Research shows that the vast majority of GE crops are used to feed animals in rich countries rather than people in poorer nations. For instance, South America’s expanding GE soybean plantations produce soy meal for Europe’s livestock industry, and have reduced food security by displacing poor farmers and reducing land area planted to food crops like corn and beans for local consumption. Additionlly, researchers attending the September 2009 World Seed Conference in Rome pointed out that seed companies using genetic engineering are reducing crop diversity, which could have serious consequences for the world’s food supplies.
Learn more about why there are concerns about GMOs.
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