Label GE foods, and national coop month

[Guest guest]

October is National Coop Month so support your local coop, and join

the movement to get GE foods labeled in the United States. Talk to

your local coop and see if the are organizing a campaign to push for

labeling products with GE foods. PCC (pccnaturalmarkets.com) is my

local coop with 40,000 members and lots more nonmember shoppers, they

are organizing a campaign in my area.

 

 

The issues

There are no long-term human studies on the safety of eating GE

foods. There is evidence that genetically engineered (GE) food

material transfers to the human gut and mutates. GE crop pollen

cannot be contained and already GE canola has crossbred with wild

plants, creating " superweeds " and destroying organic canola farming

in Canada. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that an

herbicide used on " Roundup Ready " GE crops already threatens 74

endangered plant species.

The FDA's policy on rBGH (a genetically engineered growth hormone

used by the dairy industry), in fact, was crafted by Michael Taylor,

once an attorney from a firm representing Monsanto, the largest

biotech company in the world. Taylor joined the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration, developed the policy on rBGH, then returned to

Monsanto. There are dozens of examples showing a so-called " revolving

door " between the biotech industry staff and the government

regulatory agencies.

 

What you can do

Purchase certified organic foods. Avoid foods with the most common GE

ingredients, such as non-organic corn, soy, canola, and dairy. Write

your legislative representatives to support mandatory labels on GE

foods. Petition your local school board and food service provider to

ensure the school lunch program prohibits genetically-engineered milk.

 

 

Links

Organic Consumers Association, http://www.organicconsumers.org

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods,

http://www.thecampaign.org