Spilling the Beans newsletter- Campaign Mobilizes Health Conscious Shoppers to Non-GMO Brands...........

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Spilling the Beans, October 2008 

 

 

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** Action Alert: Take thishandoutto your local natural food store, and ask them

to install a Non-GMO Education Center. **

Campaign Mobilizes Health Conscious Shoppers To Non-GMO Brands

By Jeffrey M. Smith

Non-GMO Education Centers are now appearing in natural food stores nationwide.

These six-foot high blue towers feature books, DVDs, CDs, and handouts about

genetically modified organisms. The sign on top offers two potent messages. The

first—“Healthy Eating Starts with No GMOs”—is the slogan that The Campaign for

Healthier Eating in America wants shoppers to understand. The second is what the

Campaign wants shoppers to do: “Ask for Non-GMO Products.”

A similar one-two punch already knocked down genetically engineered bovine

growth hormone (rbGH or rbST). Consumers learned that milk from treated cows is

less healthy; it has more pus, antibiotics, growth hormone, and IGF-1—a hormone

linked to cancer (see www.YourMilkonDrugs.com). When shoppers asked for

non-hormone-treated milk, the food industry responded. Wal-Mart, Starbucks,

Kroger, and about 40 of the 100 top dairies so far have removed rbGH products

over the past couple of years. Monsanto recently abandoned the cow drug

altogether, selling it off at a steep discount to Ely Lilly’s animal division

Elanco.

The demise of rbGH began in trend-setting natural food aisles before spreading

mainstream. That is the Campaign’s plan for genetically modified (GM) crops,

which they expect to follow closely on the heels of rbGH.

No one knows exactly how many devout non-GMO shoppers are needed to achieve the

“tipping point,” but because GMOs offer no consumer benefits, the critical mass

will likely be quite small—perhaps 5%. With a population of 300 million, that

translates to only 15 million people or 5.6 million households. Now consider

that 28 million people buy organic products regularly; another 54 million

occasionally shop organic. Thus, the tipping point can be generated exclusively

by health-conscious shoppers.

The vast majority of these folks would choose non-GMO brands if given a clear

choice. That’s why the most important item in the Education Center is the

Non-GMO Shopping Guide. The free 16-page pocket Guide lists brands as GMO or

non-GMO, and also explains how to evaluate other food items not yet listed. 

View the Press Release explaining how the Non-GMO Shopping Guide can help you

create a Non-GMO Thanksgiving

On the top row of the Education Center next to the Guides are free GMO Health

Risk brochures, providing extra motivation to shop non-GMO. They summarize many

of the alarming documented risks of GMOs, including allergies, toxins, new

diseases, and nutritional problems. These and other problems are further

elaborated in the popular DVDs and books available in the shelves below,

including the DVDs The World According to Monsanto, Future of Food, and The GMO

Trilogy, and the books Seeds of Deception, Genetic Roulette, and Your Right to

Know.

* View the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.

* View the GMO Health Risks Brochure.

* Purchase 50of the Guides and/or Brochures, price approximately at our cost.

Natural Food Stores play pivotal role

Whether or not natural food stores host the full Non-GMO Education Center, they

can still distribute GMO Health Risk brochures and Shopping Guides at no charge.

They can also download the Retailer Campaign Kit, which includes staff education

materials, articles for their website or newsletter, and publicity materials and

handouts to use in conjunction with free public showings of the blockbuster new

documentary The World According to Monsanto.

Nature’s Pantry of Independence Missouri demonstrated the impact of a natural

food store Non-GMO Campaign. They ran a series of five of our articles in their

printed newsletter, circulation 19,000. Another was written for their 20-page

Kansas City Star insert, that went to 190,000 homes. 

“After reading the articles,” says store manager Michele Conway, “a lot of

shoppers are now very aware of what they are eating. We have customers coming in

specifically looking for labels that say non-GMO or organic, much more than

before.”

In October 2008, the store sponsored a free public showing of the feature-length

filmThe World According to Monsanto, as well as a GMO lecture. More than 20,000

bag stuffers announcing the lecture were distributed over three weeks. 

Nature’s Pantry co-owner Bob Perkins says, “Our events are about educating

customers. We hope to be the catalyst for GMO education in the Kansas City area,

and our customers will help spread the news. They will take the story to their

friends.”

While his primary motivation is customer education and better health, Bob sees

an impact on his bottom line as well. “We have the largest selection of organic

and non-GMO in town, so we are getting more loyal customers who are seeking

non-GMO.”

Michele says, “People are shocked at what is in their food. We are looking at

the long term effect of this education. People will tell their friends, who will

tell their friends. It will snowball.”

Message Spreads to Physicians, Chefs, Schools, Websites, Organizations...

Since the Non-GMO Education Centers and Shopping Guides were made available in

October, several physicians have ordered them as patient education materials.

Chefs and schools are also distributing materials, as are magazines, websites,

and other organizations. The non-GMO tidal wave is being launched.

When Europe reached the non-GMO tipping point in April 1999, within a single

week virtually all major manufacturers publicly committed to stop using GM

ingredients in their European brands. Now, with so many stores and organizations

jumping on board to educate consumers about GMOs, the Campaign expects to

achieve the US tipping point before the end of 2009. 

ACTION ALERT:

Downloadthe information to give to your natural food store, ask them to carry

the Non-GMO Education Center, and get involved with the Campaign for Healthier

Eating in America. Several natural products distributors carry the Centers. If

you want to order a Center for your own business, you can also contact

charles for details.

Other action alerts:

* Tell Hershey’s to Kiss GM Sugar Goodbye! 

* Tell USDA (by Nov 3!!) not to allow GM papayas to grow in Florida

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© copyright Institute For Responsible Technology 2008

Jeffrey M. Smith is the author of publication Genetic Roulette: The Documented

Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, which presents 65 risks in

easy-to-read two-page spreads. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the top

rated and #1 selling book on GM foods in the world. He is the Executive Director

of the Institute for Responsible Technology. www.responsibletechnology.org,

which is spearheading the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America. Go

to www.seedsofdeception.com to learn more about how to avoid GM foods.

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Spilling the Beans is a monthly column available

at www.responsibletechnology.org. The website also offers eater-friendly tips

for avoiding GMOs at home and in restaurants.

Permission is granted to publishers and webmasters to reproduce issues of

Spilling the Beans in whole or in part. Just email us

at column to let us know who you are and what your

circulation is, so we can keep track.

The Institute for Responsible Technology is working to end the genetic

engineering of our food supply and the outdoor release of GM crops. We warmly

welcome your donations and support.

Go to www.responsibletechnology.orgor click hereif you'd like to make a

tax-deductible donation. Click here if you would like to become a member of the

Institute.

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