“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air; and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
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Genesis 1:29-31
“Any politician or scientist who tells you these [GMO] products are safe is either very stupid or lying.”
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David Suzuki, CC, OBC, FRSC, Ph.D, Geneticist
Not so long ago, God-given fruits and vegetables made up our grocery stores’ produce sections—food we trusted for nourishment and health. Now with genetic modification of food that is often no longer the case.
A more recent addition to our grocers’ shelves are products labeled “organic” and others designated “Non-GMO.” What do these labels mean? Why should we care?
The “USDA Organic” seal means, with respect to crops, no synthetic fertilizers or synthetic pesticides or sewage sludge (Hungry yet?!) were used nor were crops genetically engineered or irradiated. With regard to animal products, the label indicates that the livestock were fed organically grown feed, were not treated with antibiotics or synthetic hormones, were not clones, and were raised with outdoor access.
The “Non-GMO” seal denotes that products are free of any genetically modified organism. Genetically modified organisms are changed at the genetic level by artificial manipulation—adding genetic material from different species or by making other changes that cannot happen in nature, like, inserting fish genes into strawberries to increase cold tolerance.
There are two basic kinds of GMOs: Pesticide (bug killer) producers and herbicide (weed killer) resisters. Foods with pesticide producer GMO contain foreign DNA that kills insects; food with herbicide resisters contain foreign DNA that is immune to weed killers.
While, theoretically, some may view this as progress, studies reveal GM crops have resulted neither in higher crop yields nor in decreased use of pesticides. Actually, GM crop yields are often lower and receive 21% more herbicide.
There is no reliable evidence that GM food is safe for long-term consumption. On the contrary, science has proven that eating GMOs can cause cancerous tumors, heart disease, birth defects, and infertility.
Yet, the FDA allowed this “Frankenfood” on the market over 20 years ago without so much as a single safety test. At the time, concerned scientists and clergy sued the FDA in an attempt to force it to follow its own rules. The case was dismissed. Clearly, nothing would stop—or slow—the GM food train.
In 2013, despite mounting evidence of negative impacts on health and the environment, Obama signed into law what became sarcastically known as the “Monsanto Protection Act.” The law bars federal courts ability to stop the sale or planting of GM crops and seeds. Monsanto’s GMO seeds are above the law.
By 2016, 90% of Americans had learned enough about GMOs to request labeling on foods denoting the presence of GM ingredients. (European Union countries enjoy labeling laws—and only 5% of the food is GM.) Our bought-and-paid-for “representatives” in Washington passed a federal law denying states the ability to require such labeling. The reason? Concern labels would “create confusion.”
Meanwhile, the “revolving door” of US agribusiness and biotech to FDA and USDA positions keeps turning. Former Monsanto VP and current “Food Czar,” Michael Taylor exemplifies the blatant conflicts of interest and explains how biotech and the federal government so often act in concert.
There is no other way to state it: By consuming GM foods, you are a participant in an experiment. Unless you like the idea of being a human guinea pig, avoid GM food. In practice this is very difficult as 75% of food is genetically modified. Processed foods, unless labeled otherwise, almost certainly contain GM ingredients.
The best way to avoid GMOs is to purchase food labeled organic or non-GMO. It is more expensive. That said, most “junk food” and restaurant food contain GMOs. So eliminating the processed garbage and avoiding dining out can save you money as well as health problems.
Extremely powerful forces pushed GMOs onto the market. GM food is a major part of a “grand design” to move us toward a “one-world government.” By purchasing organic or non-GMO food, we can each do our part to frustrate this aspect of “their” scheme. Then we can nourish our bodies with the food our loving God has so graciously gifted us.
