So why should I care about Genetically Modified food?

I can remember asking myself that question a few years ago. What was all the hubbub about anyway?

Within this last year, I saw two documentaries that really changed the way that I look at food. One is Food, Inc which is available on Netflix to watch instantly. The second is The Future of Food, which you can watch on www.hulu.com.The first film is more about the food that we eat now and where it actually comes from. The Future of Food takes a much closer look at the company Monsanto and it's practices of patenting Genetically Modified food and how it affects farmers and us. BTW, I'm writing this in hopes that you will go to this site and send a letter letting the USDA know you are against allowing Monsanto to use Genetically Engineered Alfalfa. The deadline to tell them is March 3rd.

So again, why should I care? It has only been since 1980 that it has been possible to patent "life" as in, genetically modified seeds. This gives corporations the power to own and control the species of the earth. Monsanto is one of these corporations. They are the company that owns Roundup (one of the best weedkillers, as it kills almost anything green). They have modified their seeds to withstand the herbicide, so only their seeds survive. Sounds great, right? Yeah...I'll explain why it's not so great...

First, to change a seed's DNA is not so simple. Seeds are just like us and try to be resistant to something that wants to change their DNA. So how do scientists do it? By sneaking it in with something that diseases or weakens that cells allowing the new genetic material to get into the DNA. That's right, they overcome the natural immunity of the seed by infecting it. I don't know about you, but when I think about someone infecting my food so that they can change it....it doesn't sound like something...very appetizing or natural and healthy.

Second, now that the company owns the patent, any farmer who wants to use it, pays for a license to purchase and grow the seed (and of course buy the Roundup). So if I'm a farmer and I choose to grow my food organically, I just save some of my own seed and then replant it from it year to year. I'll deal with the weeds my own way. Right? Now, let's say my neighbor uses Monsanto's Roundup and seed. One day he's driving down the road with his seed and some of it blows into my field. Unbeknownst to me, I'm growing his seed with mine. That's right, Monsanto's Patented seed that I'm not paying them for. Why does that matter? Because they are going to send out men, that are secretly going to take samples in my field and when they find out that I'm growing some of their seed, Monsanto will give me two choices. Pay a fine and start growing Monsanto seed, or be sued until I'm too bankrupt to continue the court case. This happens ALL the time, I'm not making it up. It wasn't even my fault, right? How can someone possibly keep the different seeds separate? From cross-pollinating? From blowing from one field to the next? The point is you can't. Monsanto wins it's court cases, because even though it's not my fault I'm growing their seed, it's still their seed...Some brave farmers try to fight the companies, but most end up paying the fine and succumbing to the all powerful Monsanto.

Third, this brings us to the GE alfalfa that Monsanto wants to continue using. Let's talk about cattle for a minute. Say that I'm a cattle rancher and dairy farmer and I like to raise organic milk and beef. For me to certify my organic beef, my cattle must be fed organic food. I like to feed my cattle alfalfa, and I grow the organic alfalfa myself because I want to ensure it's the best for my cattle. My neighbor is a farmer and happens to grow alfalfa as well. He, however, wants to try Monsanto's alfalfa. The problem is that alfalfa is pollinated by bees. Bees don't really understand property rules and before long, my organic alfalfa has been cross pollinated with his. My alfalfa will no longer be organic because any genetically modified food cannot be certified organic. So now my beef can no longer be certified organic, nor any milk derived from my milk cows. Let alone the fact that if Monsanto were to find out that my alfalfa is GE, I would owe them a huge fine. Oh, and in the meantime, all the people who were paying big bucks for my organic food, weren't really getting organic food... Is it starting to become a clearer picture? I wonder how long it would take for all the alfalfa in the world to become contaminated, mutated, and ruined by Monsanto?

In conclusion, I personally do not feel that food that has been infected and mutated is the best choice for our future. Farmers are being forced to change their livelihood and freedom for the benefit of Monsanto. Finally, it is impossible to control the spread of GE seeds by cross pollination, and not have it affect everyone's food in the long run. Our USDA should be protecting our food and our farmers from predators like Monsanto, but that isn't the case. Over the years, Monsanto's board of directors and officers have switched places back and forth with the highest positions in the USDA. The USDA is not protecting us, it's protecting big corporations like Monsanto. Please contact the USDA (through the True Food Network) and tell them, you don't want Monsanto's GE Alfalfa. We need to send a clear message that we care about where our food comes from and how it is grown.

(I'm only at the beginning of learning about GM food, so if I've made assumptions or mistakes, please educate me!)