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

Poor wages, trade policies that dump foreign agricultural products into the market undercutting farm prices, and government policy that pushes small farmers off their land – these are the causes of hunger. (Photo: flickr / cc / luke chan)

Yesterday I heard someone talking about how the US has a responsibility to “feed the world”. I have a real problem with this, who gave us this mandate?

The thought of the US “feeding the world” is ridiculous in so many ways, but more so, it is condescending to say the least, to the rest of the world. Who made us keepers of the world? Who decided we knew how to feed them and who decided the people of world were incapable of feeding themselves?

In the first place they may not want to eat what we want to feed them, which would be mostly Genetically Modified (GM) corn and soy and fat beef with hormone residues. Sorry, I don’t want to eat that either.

Corporate agribusiness apparently determined it was their right to decide what the world should eat and thanks to their healthy campaign contributions, the US government politically and economically supports their agenda. International trade deals currently being negotiated with the European Union (TTIP) and the Pacific Rim nations (TPP) would, among other things, force acceptance of GM crops and prohibit labeling of GM foods. So, this would be law, the world would grow GM crops and the world would eat GM food, like it or not.

Unfortunately many farmers bought into the “promise” of GM crops and by default, a dependence on chemical fertilizer, toxic pesticides and the questionable utility and safety of GM as animal feed and as a major ingredient in processed foods that people eat. In the US the vast majority of food (organic food being the exception) has GM content, because that is what is grown here-and many would wish that scenario on the rest of the world.