Okay, we've all been hearing a lot about GMOs, and most of us are adamantly against them. But do you understand the reasons why we should take a stand against them?
- It's becoming more and more evident that genetic engineering is destroying the environment.
- It's never been proven to be safe. Those conducting the research that says genetic engineering is safe, are the very ones who are profiting from those same GE crops.
- So far, without the appropriate research, the only thing we can count on is unpredictable results.
- GMOs are harming the ecosystem.
- They are creating super weeds and super bugs.
- Over 90% of all corn, soybeans, and sugar beets are genetically modified, making it nearly impossible for us to avoid. GMOs are being forced on us without out consent.
Learn more about why we need to continue to fight against the monsters at Monsanto by watching this short informative video. Do it for you. Do it for your family. It's that important.
It's Friday! That means I'm going to give you some tips on replacing the bad with the good on this week's segment of Instead Of This Use This. Like I promised yesterday, today we're talking GMOs, or rather, how to avoid them.
These days in America, it seems you almost need a magic wand in order to avoid genetically engineered foods, right? Continuing on with a recent report from the Environmental Working Group, here are three ways to avoid GMOs:
Buy organic
Sounds simple enough. But it's not always easy. Many people don't have access to grocery stores that offer a nice selection of organic foods. Others find it way too expensive to fit into their budgets. It's a real dilemma, but if you truly want to keep your family away from food that's been engineered in Frankensteinian ways, you have to find a way to work organics into your budget. But how?
- Eliminate as many disposable products as possible from your home. Cloth napkins and rags can replace paper products. Cloth diapers are, in the long run, much cheaper than disposable diapers.
- Homemade laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent are less expensive than store bought ones (unless you're used to buying the Dollar Store, toxin-laden brands).
- Limit meals out (where you're sure to be dining on genetically modified food anyway).
- Sacrifice some other things -- do you really need that new purse? Do your kids need that new game.
- Get creative and enlist your whole family to help discover ways to cut back on certain things so you can all eat healthier, organic foods.
It can be done, folks. Sometimes, it just takes a bit more effort.
Buy "Non-GMO Project Verified" foods
That's right. Just look for this label.
What does the label mean? It means, to the best of their knowledge, the food bearing this label does not contain any genetically engineered ingredients. Of course, with the problem of cross contamination that I mentioned yesterday, there is never a 100% guarantee here.
The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization offering a detailed and voluntary certification process to food producers who allow them to test and verify their food. It is the only organization offering independent verification for GMO products in both the United States and Canada.
Finally, grab a copy of EWG's Shopper's Guide to Avoiding GE Food
By the way, the letters GE and GMO are interchangeable (in case you were wondering). Genetically engineered and genetically modified are the same thing.
Since eating only organic and Non-GMO Project Verified foods are not always options for today's busy moms, this shopper's guide helps you find products made without ingredients likely to be genetically modified. It also helps you decide which products are the most important to buy that are non-GMO. You can get your copy here.
Oh, and it's important for you to know I did not receive any compensation for this post or the others I wrote regarding the EWG. I simply appreciate the work they do and thought the info I've shared would be of value to all of you. I hope it's helped.
So, what have we learned today? Instead of this (genetically modified foods), use/buy/consume this (Organic or Non-GMO Project Verified foods).
Now, to see if I can get that magic wand working....
Presenting you with alternatives,
You can access the other posts in this series by clicking the links below:
The GMO trade-off
Dr. Frankenstein, you've created a monster
The EWG's Factory Four -- can you spot the GMOs?
Today, I just want to continue this week's series on the EWG's report on GMOs. On Monday, I told you about a few products to watch for that may or may not be genetically engineered. Yesterday, I listed the Environment Working Group's Factory Four (the most common GE ingredients in food). Now, I thought it would be good to fill you in on some other info we all need to know.
Did you know that while the U.S. government mandates strict safety evaluations on each new drug before it hits the shelves, there is no requirements to do the same for GMOs. None. Is that because they're safe? Of course not. The fact is there have been few studies, and they've all been conducted by independent scientific institutions. The independent research includes testing for carcinogenicity, for harm to fetuses, and for long term risks to animals and humans. The government hasn't bothered.
As we continue to genetically modify the crops to make them herbicide-tolerant, we reap the "benefits" of what the industry calls "superweeds." These weeds have mutated in order to survive the herbicides sprayed on them. As a result, 61 million plus acres of farmland in the U.S. have Roundup-resistant weeds cropping up everywhere (according to Farm Industry News 2013). So what happens? The farmers have to treat their fields with older, more toxic herbicides (dicamba, and 2,4-D). In addition to posing an increased risk of cancer, these chemicals cause birth defects and reproductive problems. That's not a assumption. It's a documented fact.
So, the bottom line is that these genetically engineered crops have created the need for even more toxic chemicals being sprayed on our food! Does this not make you furious?! According to Charles M. Benbrook, research professor at the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at Washington State University, herbicide-tolerant crops that stimulated superweed growth caused farmers to use an estimated 527 million pounds more herbicide between 1997 and 2011 than they would have needed had they planted only non-GE crops. Click here to read more about this issue from Environmental Sciences Europe.
Then there's the problem of cross-contamination. Wind, insects, floods, and machinery all play a part in cross-contamination of crops due from the pollen of GE plants. Wonderful. Some of the results include a potential lost income for organic farmers totally $90 million annually from their corn crops alone -- and that's according to research over a decade ago by the Union of Concerned Scientists!
Do genetically engineered crops produce more? Perhaps. But at what cost? Thanks to Monsanto and the likes, we now have many, many more herbicide-resistant weeds and our exposure to toxic pesticides is higher than ever. Gee, thanks.
On tomorrow's Use This Instead Of This, I'll touch upon some ways to avoid GMOs. All week, I've presented problems. Tomorrow, I'd like to present some solutions.
Caring about you and your families,
Other posts in this series:
Dr. Frankenstein, you've created a monster
The EWG's Factory Four -- can you spot the GMOs?
