skip to main |
skip to sidebar
STOP MONSANTO: STOP GMO
GMO are genetically Modified Organisms that can cause cancer & brain damage when ingested. They are highly toxic to the body & the planet.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment