Over the years I have had increasingly more interest in my personal health and wellbeing. Now that I am married, I also have invested interest in my husbands health and want to make sure I am preparing meals for us that are the best for our health. Since I am the primary grocery-shopper, the decisions I make about the foods we eat will affect our bodies, so I feel a sense of responsibility to know what I am feeding my family. So, I have been doing my research...and what I have found is alarming!
I've seen a few documentaries on the food industry, the importance of fruits
and vegetables, and the effects of genetically modified foods. The most recent documentary I have seen is The Future of Foods:
The Future of Foods
Before you make your next grocery list, you might want to check this out. The FOF sheds light on the shady relationship between agriculture, big business and government. It talks about the origins of genetically engineered food and what GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms) are doing to our food supply. Not only do these foods contain harmful chemicals, bacteria, and antibiotics but because they are corporate hybrids they can be patented. If the wind picks up a seed that has been patented and drops it on someone's farm and it cross pollinates with their crops, the strain of the crop may contain the marker gene that was patented. The farmer can then be held liable for violating patent law. Incredibly, many farmers have been sued for this very reason. Farmers are being put in a position where they feel they have to buy these genetically engineered patented seeds each time they plant for fear of being sued. This affects everyone because it dramatically reduces the quality of the produce.
I'm a label reader so any processed foods have to meet certain criteria. Ingredient labels show us what harmful ingredients are in food like MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, BHA & BHT, artificial colorings, etc., but why don't they label genetically engineered produce? Shouldn't we know how our fruits and vegetables are being farmed? If my corn on the cob is classified as a pesticide because any insect that eats it dies, (yes, this is true) I want to know!
So, Monsanto is a large company that produces genetically engineered, patented seeds; herbicides and pesticides (like Round Up weed spray); and more. They have bought out tons of seed companies and are dominating the industry.
"Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food, our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job."
-Phil Angell Director of Corporate Communications - Monsanto
NEW YORK TIMES, Oct. 25, 1998
The scary thing is that some of Monsanto's former top executives are now working for the government in the FDA and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).
"Whoever controls the seeds, controls the food."
-The Future of Food
Other food documentaries that are worth watching:
Food, Inc. (really good!!!)
Oscar-nominated documentary that sheds light on the food industry and it's detrimental effects on our health and environment. This is an eye-opener for sure!
King Corn
Two guys move to Iowa to plant and acre of corn (America's most grown and subsidized grain) and they follow it into the US food supply. They found corn in almost every processed food in the grocery store. The two friends even plucked 2 hairs from their own heads and researchers found strands of corn in their hair...that is how much processed corn we are consuming!
Killer at Large
This explains "why obesity is America's greatest threat" because is causes 110,000 deaths a year and contributes to 1/3 of all cancer deaths in the US. Despite concerns, little is being done on the public policy level.
