Say NO to GMO

We are hearing an awful lot about genetically modified products lately and I thought that I would expand on this in this week’s blog post.

One of my favorite GMO educators is grade 8 student Rachel Parent. When she was 12 years old, she chose to do a speech on GMOs for all the students at her school in Aurora, Ontario. She decided on this topic because of “the opportunity to change so many lives, to better everyone’s health, and help improve our overburdened health care system.”

Rachel also understands that GMOs are affecting the entire planet, from humans to bees, to the entire earth, and our kids’ futures. She ended up winning a medal for her speech.

The following is from her website www.gmo-news.com, which is a great resource educating on the impact GMOs have on our planet. Such an inspiration at such a young age!

What’s a GMO?

A GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) is an organism formed in a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic.

 

What kinds of traits have been added to food crops?

• Herbicide tolerance crops, which let the farmer spray weed-killer directly on the crop without killing it.
• Pesticide-producing crops, where the plant becomes a pesticide.

 

Why should you be concerned about GMOs?

• Various feeding studies in animals have resulted in tumors, damaged immune systems, smaller brains, livers, birth defects, reproductive problems and infertility.
• GMOs have also been linked with allergies, various digestive and bowel syndromes and even autism in humans.

 

Which foods are Genetically Modified?

• Soy (94%), cotton (90%), canola (90%), sugar beets (95%), corn (88%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash (over 24,000 acres).
• Products derived from the above, including oils from soy protein, soy lecithin, cornstarch, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
• Approximately 90% of all products on supermarket shelves contain GMO ingredients. 

 

How do GMOs impact the environment?

• Crops are being genetically engineered as “Roundup Ready” so they can withstand massive spraying with the toxic pesticide Roundup, which doesn’t readily break down in the environment. and ends up in our streams and water sources.
• New super weeds and super bugs are becoming Roundup resistant, so more and stronger pesticides are being used.
• The built-in pesticides found in genetically engineered crops may be largely responsible for the dying off of many insects, including honey bees and Monarch butterflies.

 

What can you do to avoid GMOs?

• Read labels and avoid buying processed food products containing corn, soy, canola, and vegetable oil.
• Look for the “NON-GMO Project” label.
• Get a copy of the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.
• Buy organic whenever possible.

 

What can you do about GMOs?

• Tell everyone you know!
• Write letters to your Member of Parliament and demand GMO labeling.