For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page, Millions Against Monsanto page.

On World Food Day, October 16, 2011, millions of Americans marched, protesting and demonstrating in over sixteen hundred cities and towns in the USA. The ‘Millions Against Monsanto’ rallies were heard around the world and demands that the FDA start requiring the labeling of all Genetically Engineered food. Currently no law exists requiring labeling of GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) so consumers have no way of knowing if they are consuming Genetically Engineered Food. The ‘Big Biotech Corporations’ including Monsanto have been profiting from the patenting of food through Genetic Engineering. They have also been creating a Global Monopoly on food. These corporations want to profit from every morsel of food you put in your mouth. Other countries around the world require labeling of GMO food and more recently some countries have banned GMO’s for the protection of public health and the environment.

As a scientist I feel that it is irresponsible of our appointed servants to have compromised the health and welfare of this great nation and the world for the benefit of Syngenta, Monsanto, Dow, Dupont and other corporations. The recent approval of GMO Alfalfa is another travesty for the world . Up to 90% of US soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, and sugar beets are now genetically engineered and routinely inserted into human and animal foods with no labels or safety testing. Approximately 80% of current grocery food items contain GMOs; while according to US Department of Agriculture statistics, the majority of beef, pork, poultry, dairy, and eggs come from CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) feeding Genetically Engineered grain.

The USDA recently approved a new variety of corn genetically engineered by Syngenta to make it easier to process into ethanol. This puts the public health in danger of corn-based food ingredients being contaminated with unwanted and dangerous genes designed for bio-fuels and further promotes a monopoly against all farmers in conventional non Genetically Engineered agriculture. Contamination is inevitable and Syngenta’s Genetically Altered Seed will cause harm to non GMO varieties regardless of whether or not it has been adequately assessed for its potential to cause illness, a key concern with new genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This is another StarLink disaster waiting to happen.