GMO's: Genetically Modified Organisms

Mamas Reading Labels wants to make sure you Mamas out there know the facts about GMO's. So, what are GMOs you ask Mamas?

According to the Non-GMO project site (http://www.nongmoproject.org):

“GMOs(“genetically modified organisms”) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.

Meanwhile, a growing body of evidence connects GMOs with health problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers’ and consumers’ rights”

Are GMOs safe?

Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In more than 60 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 and sale of GMOs. In the U.S., the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.

Ok… Is this information not a bit scary Mamas?!

AGAIN: the same corporations that created GMO’s also conducted the trials (of which the government approved GMO's for consumption and markets) and profit from their sale!

Wow! What a conflict of interest here! Clearly these companies have profits in mind and NOT our health or best interests! Again, did you catch that above, In 60 countries around the world there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs…

In the U.S., GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food. What is wrong with this picture? Why does the US allow this in our food supply? This is what we want you Mamas to start thinking about... Why is this ok in the US? But banned in all other developed and some under-developed nations?

Would you like me to stop here? I would, but I have to share the following...Not only are GMO's bad for us, but also the environment.

What are the impacts of GMOs on the environment?

Over 80% of all GMOs grown worldwide are engineered for herbicide tolerance. As a result, use of toxic herbicides like Roundup has increased 15 times since GMOs were introduced. GMO crops are also responsible for the emergence of “super weeds” and “super bugs:’ which can only be killed with ever more toxic poisons like 2,4-D (a major ingredient in Agent Orange). GMOs are a direct extension of chemical agriculture, and are developed and sold by the world’s biggest chemical companies. The long-term impacts of GMOs are unknown, and once released into the environment these novel organisms cannot be recalled.

How do GMOs affect farmers?

Because GMOs are novel life forms, biotechnology companies have been able to obtain patents with which to restrict their use. As a result, the companies that make GMOs now have the power to sue farmers whose fields are contaminated with GMOs, even when it is the result of inevitable drift from neighboring fields. GMOs therefore pose a serious threat to farmer sovereignty and to the national food security of any country where they are grown, including the United States.

How can I avoid GMOs?

Choose food and products that are Non-GMO Project Verified!

You can download an app for your phone and scan foods in the grocery store and it will tell you whether or not the food contains GMO's.

Source: http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/

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