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I ran across this article today and thought it was really great, so I had to share it here. It's too long to post the entire thing to this blog, so I'm including the link
This is a great article, especially if you really don't know much about GM foods. It tells you just why GM foods are harmful and will give you a great idea why I make such a fuss over GM foods.
Whether genetically modified (GM) foods are beneficial or harmful is still controversial, but some people would prefer to avoid them until the evidence is clear. Most foods we eat may contain ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs)--everything from baby formula and food to our dairy to even our meat. If you live in Europe, avoiding GM foods is easier since laws require labeling. However in the US and Canada food manufacturers are not required to label if their food is genetically modified or not. As such, here are some guidelines for steering clear of GM foods in your diet, if that is your choice.
Steps
Become familiar with the most common applications of genetic modification. These are the products (and their derivatives) that are most likely to be genetically modified:
Soybeans - Gene taken from bacteria (Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4) and inserted into soybeans to make them more resistant to herbicides.[1] See How to Live With a Soy Allergy for more information on avoiding soy products.
Corn - Gene from the lepidoptera pathogen microorganism Bacillus thuringiensis inserted into corn genome to produce the Bt toxin, which poisons insect pests.[2] May be present in high fructose corn syrup which is prevalent in a wide variety of foods in America.
Rapeseed/Canola - Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to pesticides
Sugar cane - Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to pesticides
Rice - Genetically modified to resist herbicides; not currently available for human consumption, but trace amounts of one GM long-grained variety (LLRICE601) may have entered the food supply in the USA and Europe.[3]More recently, golden rice, a different strain of rice has been engineered to produce significantly higher levels of beta carotene, which the body uses to procduce vitamin A. Golden rice is still undergoing testing to determine if it is safe for human consumption.[4]
Cotton - Used for making cottonseed oil.
Dairy - Cows injected with GE hormone rBGH/rBST; possibly fed GM grains and hay.
Buy food labeled 100% organic. The US and Canadian governments do not allow manufacturers to label something 100% organic if that food has been genetically modified or been fed genetically modified feed. However, you may find that organic food is more expensive and different in appearance from conventional products. Also, just because something says "organic" on it does not mean that it does not contain GMs. In fact, it can still contain up to 30% GMs, so be sure the labels say 100% organic.
This applies to eggs, as well. Eggs labeled "free-range", "natural", or "cage-free" are not necessarily GE-free; look for eggs to be 100% organic.[5]
Purchase beef that is 100% grass-fed. Most cattle in the U.S. are grass-fed, but spend the last portion of their lives in feedlots where they may be given GM grain, the purpose of which is to increase intramuscular fat and marbling. If you're looking to stay away from GMOs, make sure the cattle were 100% grass-fed or pasture-fed (sometimes referred to as grass-finished or pasture-finished). The same applies to meat from other herbivores such as sheep. There is also the slight possibility that the animals were fed GM alfalfa, although this is less likely if you buy meat locally. With non-ruminants like pigs and poultry that cannot be 100% grass-fed, it's better to look for meat that is 100% organic.
GMO-free marshmallows
Seek products that are specifically labeled as non-GM or GMO-free. However, it is rare to find products labeled as such. You can also research websites that list companies and foods that do not use genetically modified foods, [6], but be aware that information is often incomplete and conflicting interests may not be declared.
Shop locally. Although more than half of all GM foods are produced in the US,[7] most of it comes from large, industrial farms. By shopping at farmers' markets, signing up for a subscription from a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, or patronizing a local co-op, you may be able to avoid GM products and possibly save money at the same time.
More and more small farms are offering grains and meat directly to customers, in addition to the usual fare (vegetables, fruit, herbs).
Inspecting non-GMO cabbage
Shopping locally may also give you the opportunity to speak to the farmer and find out how he or she feels about GMOs and whether or not they use them in their own operation.
6. Buy whole foods. Favor foods that you can cook and prepare yourself, rather than foods that are processed or prepared (e.g. anything that comes in a box or a bag, including fast food). What you lose in convenience, you may recover in money saved and satisfaction gained, as well as increased peace of mind. Try cooking a meal from scratch once or twice a week--you may enjoy it and decide to do it more often.
Tips
If you have the land, time, and resources, grow your own food. As long as you make sure you're not buying GM seeds, and aren't near any GM plants which could cross-pollinate, you'll know for sure that the food which comes from your garden is not genetically modified.
At chain and non-chain restaurants, you can ask which, if any, of their foods contain GMs, but the wait and kitchen staff are not likely to know.
Producers who label their food GM-free aren't making any health claims regarding the product.
As food shortages and hunger crises loom on the horizon, I found Pollan’s speech -- and the ideas it represents -- to be a ray of hope. There is a reason why Joel Salatin, the farmer mentioned in the video, can easily call his farm Polyface “beyond organic.”
“We are in the redemption business,” it says on the farm’s homepage. “Healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture.”
What a breath of fresh air.
Contrast that to the plague of modern agriculture, whose factory farms are among the worst polluters in the United States, and it’s easy to see how the future of our land and food supply lies in people who are willing to embrace the principles of permaculture.
What is Permaculture?
The Permaculture Institute puts it quite well. They define permaculture as an “ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of human endeavor.”
The word itself comes from “permanent agriculture” and “permanent culture,” and at its foundation is developing agricultural and other systems that are interconnected and dependent on one another. In other words, they mimic the natural ecologies found in nature. The focus is not on any one element of the system, rather the focus is on the relationships between animals, plants, insects, soil, water and habitat -- and how to use these relationships to create synergistic, self-supporting ecosystems.
“Though the problems of the world are increasingly more complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple,” said Bill Mollison, co-founder of the world-wide permaculture movement. And I couldn’t agree more.
What is Needed is a Return to Nature
Those of you who are new to the natural health scene may find it surprising that the modern food system is in danger of collapsing. The food system began its dramatic decline the second the world turned away from the farming practices of our ancestors, and began to attempt to outdo nature with technology.
Now, producing food on a massive scale at the lowest price possible has taken precedence over obeying the laws of nature. The system is pushing natural systems and organisms to their limit, forcing living creatures to function as machines.
Of course, “whatever we may gain in industrial efficiency, we sacrifice in biological resilience,” Michael Pollan pointed out in Our Decrepit Food Factories.
Soon, the animals, and consequently your food supply, become unhealthy. The honeybees begin to get sick and die off. The bacteria prove that they can outwit man-made antibiotics, and create super-versions of themselves.
And as nature has shown us many times before, when you take away one part of this integrated, living system, things begin to crumble.
You may be wondering what you can do about all of this. Well, short of starting your own sustainable farm (which you can do on a small-scale in your own backyard), you can steer clear of foods that come from factory farms, and instead support sustainable agriculture movements in your area.
You can also stay informed and help to spread the word about the problems with the modern food system. Michael Pollan, for those of you who don’t know, is a New York Times author who has written extensively on this topic. He wrote the brilliant article about the perils of factory-farmed beef back in 2002, and he also published the book Omnivore's Dilemma in 2006, which is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the future of food.
(NaturalNews) With food prices rising, the dollar falling, and the economy reeling, it is becoming increasing important that we learn how to grow a portion of our own food. The first steps are obtaining and sprouting seeds, so we'll explore those topics here.
Enzymes Are Your Friends
It may seem hard to believe, but life forms on Earth are constantly submerged in two of the most corrosive substances in the Universe: Oxygen and H2O. Seen at the microscopic level, we are dissolving like an antacid tablet in water. What keeps us alive in this highly solvent medium? It turns out that the enzymes in raw food offset the damage we sustain, reversing the aging process. A rare disease called Progeria, Hutchinson Gilford causes extreme premature aging due to lack of enzyme activity. New studies at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences link autism to reduced enzyme activity.
Though we all eventually succumb to the ravages of time and oxidation, we can slow the process by consuming living foods that are rich in enzymes. Fresh, raw foods like sprouts are among those foods containing the most enzymes, but for the healthiest and freshest sprouts it is best to grow them yourself.
Sprouting Sunflower Seeds
Most of us have tried sunflower seeds, but it's likely they were no longer alive. The ones we had were probably already shelled, dried, roasted, irradiated, salted, preserved, bagged, shipped, and stored for long periods of time, by which point every last enzyme had perished. Wouldn't it make sense to consume living seeds? Real seeds will lay dormant for many years or until activated by moisture.
After sprouting, most edible seeds such as Alfalfa, Broccoli and Radish are left in the sun for a couple of days to produce Chlorophyll (a process called Greening or Photosynthesis). Sunflower seeds are ready to eat once they sprout so they are a great first choice for sprouting. Along with containing nearly every vitamin, fresh sprouts actually produce minerals not present in the original seed through a process called transmutation, so they are an extremely cost effective form of nutrition. (Instructions for sunflower sprouts are provided at end of this article).
Seed Types
After learning to grow sprouts you may try growing sunflower greens, whole sunflowers or other vegetables. It is important to understand the main types of seeds:
* Heirloom seeds (also called Heritage seeds) will reproduce the same every generation. Most of us assume all seeds are like this.
* Hybrid seeds are the product of two unique plants and the seeds will gradually revert to the dominant parent over subsequent generations. While providing more variety, these seeds must be purchased again each season to obtain the same crop.
* Genetically Modified (GMO) seeds are patented and require a license fee and a contract to use certain pesticides. Some GMO crops are designed to produce sterile (terminator gene technology) seeds. GMO seeds mix both plant and animal matter in ways that nature never intended. Recent studies showed that GMO crops have 10% lower yields.
GMO companies like Monsanto are part of the pesticide industry and they have been aggressively buying up seed companies for the past 20 years. Corporations prefer fruits and vegetables that are picked before ripening and have tougher skin in order to survive shipping. However if given a choice, consumers prefer fruit with more delicate skin and flavor. Farmers of generations past dedicated their entire lives to producing seeds for plants that would grow well in their local area, only to have them go extinct due to commercial interests.
"Fair Trade" alliances such as CAFTA and Codex Alimentarius seek to irradiate, patent and/or genetically modify all seeds. The new Iraqi Constitution only permits farmers to plant Monsanto GMO seeds. Canada's ridiculous C-51 legislation seeks to regulate all seeds and plants as "prescribed foods" which would effectively ban seed saving. However, seeds should be regarded as treasures and seed diversification is essential if we are to withstand food viruses such as the one that caused the Great Potato Famine in Ireland in the 1840s.
The Seed Exchange Garden Seed Inventory is a catalog of catalogs offering virtually every available Heirloom seed in the U.S. Seed to Seed, Seed saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth is the companion book. An informative DVD documenting the dangers of GMO foods is The Future of Food. Help stop C-51 at www.stopc51.com.
About the author
Neil McLaughlin is a Computer Scientist and Inventor specializing in 3D Graphics and Simulation.
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