by Mike Barrett
August 24, 2012
from
ActivistPost Website
Due to the near future voting on
November 6, 2012 for
California’s Proposition 37, there has been a
lot of heat going back and forth concerning GMO foods.
Up until now,
10′s of million of dollars have been funneled into the opposing side
of the bill, with biotechnology giant Monsanto dishing out a
whopping $4.2 million alone.
Monsanto has even recently
published a
page on their site titled ”Taking a Stand: Proposition 37, The
California Labeling Proposal,” where the GMO giant attempts to
logically explain why it is against GMO labeling.
Needless to say, the post reeks of false and misleading statements,
and oftentimes downright deception.
Here are the top 7 lies Monsanto
wants you to believe regarding GMO labeling and Proposition 37.
-
The bill "would require a
warning label on food products"
GMO foods will not
require a warning label (although they ought to!)
Actually,
foods made with GMOs would say ”partially produced with
genetic engineering” or “may be partially produced with
genetic engineering,” - not a warning label, but a clear
warning sign to those of us who want to avoid GMOs.
The
whole idea of the GMO labeling bill is to make consumers
aware of what they are consuming, not to bash GMOs on every
label. We have a right to know.
-
"The safety and benefits of
these ingredients are well established"
This may be the most
comical statement of all. While no long-term studies portray
the dangers or benefits of GMOs, countless studies using a
‘shorter’ time interval show not only how GMOs are a danger
to humans, but also the environment and the biosphere.
One study published in the International Journal of
Biological Sciences shows that GMO corn and other GM
food is indeed contributing to the obesity epidemic and
causing organ disruption.
Through the mass genetic modification of nature via GMO
crops, animals, biopesticides, and the mutated insects that
are created as a result, mega biotechnology corporations are
threatening the overall genetic integrity of the environment
as well as all of humankind.
This is just one reason that GMO crops are continuously banned around the world in
nations such as,
-
“FDA says that such labeling
would be inherently misleading to consumers”
While the FDA may think
that labeling GMO foods would be misleading, in reality the
exact opposite is true.
Most consumers are in the dark when
it comes to GMOs residing in their purchased foods. Foods
being sold that contain hidden GMOs are much more misleading
than letting the consumer be aware.
The FDA may call it ‘misleading’ since ‘GMOs are safe,’ but
research shows that this is far from the truth.
-
“The American Medical
Association just re-affirmed that there is no scientific
justification for special labeling of bioengineered foods”
Although true, the
American Medical Association also recently called for
mandatory premarket safety studies for GMOs - a decision
virtually polar opposite of the above quote.
It seems that
the AMA is being inconsistent no matter which view is taken.
Here is a quote from Consumers Union recently noted in its
reaction to AMA’s announcement:
The AMA’s stance on mandatory
labeling isn’t consistent with its support for mandatory
pre-market safety assessments.
If unexpected adverse health
effects, such as an allergic reaction, happen as a result of
GE, then labeling could perhaps be the only way to determine
that the GE process was linked to the adverse health effect.
-
"…the main proponents of
Proposition 37 are special interest groups and individuals
opposed to food biotechnology who are not necessarily
engaged in the production of our nation’s food supply"
Not engaged in the
production of our nation’s food supply?
Countless farmers,
food producers, and consumers who are engaging with their
hard-earned dollar support
Proposition 37. In fact, many
farmers have
taken legal action against Monsanto in the past for
widespread genetic contamination.
Here is a growing
list
of endorsements for the GMO labeling bill.
-
"The California proposal would
serve the purposes of a few special interest groups at the
expense of the majority of consumers"
Monsanto says “at the
expense of the majority of consumers.”
Maybe the biotech
giant isn’t aware that GMO labeling is so desired that the
pro-labeling side has a 3-to-1 advantage, based on
recent polls. The majority of consumers actually want
GMO foods to be labeled.
It is no secret that government
organizations such as the
FDA and USDA are in bed with Monsanto, but this is a
decision for the people - not any government organizations.
It has also been revealed that Monsanto has control of
virtually all
U.S. diplomats, and the company has even used its
massive influence to force other nations to accept their
genetically modified crops through economic threats and
political pressure.
-
"Consumers have broad food
choices today, but could be denied these choices if Prop 37
prevails"
There is absolutely no
reason to think that because of Proposition 37, food choices
would become more limited.
Actually, the bill would add
value to the purchase by consumers, as no one would need to
‘eat in the dark’ and unknowingly consume GMOs.
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