Safe Alternatives for Baby and Child

You may know that GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms, but the whole story behind this science is nothing less than SHOCKING.

The video below, which digs deeply into the roots and reasoning behind GMO, was so overwhelming to us, we had to find out if all of this was true. So, we went looking for answers. We wanted to know how GMOs are affecting our children and their future.

We asked the expert Jeffrey Smith, a leading spokesperson on the health dangers of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), the questions parents want answers to.

Here is what he shared:

What is GMO?

GM plants, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola have had foreign genes forced into their DNA. And the inserted genes come from species, such as bacteria and viruses, that have never been in the human food supply.

Gene insertion is done either by shooting genes from a “gene gun” into a plate of cells or by using bacteria to invade the cell with foreign DNA. The altered cell is then cloned into a plant. These processes create massive collateral damage, causing mutations in hundreds or thousands of locations throughout the plant’s DNA. Natural genes can be deleted or permanently turned on or off, and hundreds may change their levels of expression.

Has the effects of GMO on our children even been tested in a long enough duration to truly know the possible dangers of consuming GMO on a daily bases?

No testing on children has ever been done on GM foods!

In what industrialized nations is GMO banned and what countries require mandatory labeling?

Nearly all industrialized countries require labeling of GMOs, excluding the US and Canada. Many countries ban or restrict the planting of GMOs; very few ban GM foods.

GMO Video That Will Astonish You

Jeffrey Smith continues to share his knowledge in a detailed interview with us below. But first, this video is a MUST SEE, all the way to the very end! Find out why they are saying GMO is the largest biological experimented humanity has ever entered into.

Also, quotes such as this will make you truly want to wake up to what you put into the mouths of your little loved ones: Phil Angell (Dir. of Coorporate Communication), “Monosanto (the second largest GMO producer in the world) should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Their interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring GMO’s safety is the FDA’s job.” (New York Times, Oct. 25, 1998.)

We are truly happy to bring you this interview and video because we will follow up this article, in just a couple days, with important tips on avoiding GMO completely!

Why has it been introduced to the market and why are GM foods produced?

The primary reason companies genetically engineer plants is to make them tolerant to their brand of herbicide. The four major GM plants, soy, corn, canola, and cotton, are designed to survive an otherwise deadly dose of weed killer. These crops have much higher residues of toxic herbicides. About 68% of GM crops are herbicide tolerant.

The second GM trait is a built-in pesticide. A gene from the soil bacterium called Bt (for Bacillus thuringiensis) is inserted into corn and cotton DNA, where it secretes the insect-killing Bt-toxin in every cell. About 19% of GM crops produce their own pesticide. Another 13% produce a pesticide and are herbicide tolerant.

“The FDA is mandated to promote the biotech industry. Thus, they ignore the desire of 9 out of 10 Americans who want GMO labeling.”

There is also Hawaiian papaya and a small amount of zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, which are engineered to resist a plant virus. GM sugar from GM sugar beets is expected to be introduced in late 2008.

Why isn’t there a mandatory labeling here in the US to protect consumers, would nobody buy it if it would have a label? Any hope in sight that this will happen?

The FDA is mandated to promote the biotech industry. Thus, they ignore the desire of 9 out of 10 Americans who want labeling, in order to protect the economic interests of 5 Ag biotech companies.

According to a recent CBS News/New York Times poll, if GMOs were labeled, 53% of Americans would not eat them. Barack Obama committed to require GMO labels if elected. But we are not waiting for the government. The Institute for Responsible Technology is placing Non-GMO Shopping Guides in stores and on websites nationwide. See ResponsibleTechology.org.

What are the issues of concern for the environment?

In addition, GM crops concentrate corporate control of food, increase herbicide use without increasing average yields, endanger food security, are detrimental to sustainable and organic farming, and trap farmers in a cycle of debt and dependence. They shrink biodiversity, harm beneficial insects, damage soil bacteria, contaminate non-GM varieties, and persist in the environment. All of these concerns were echoed in the UN International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) issued this year. Moreover, the presence of self-propagating genetic pollution might outlast the effects of global warming and nuclear waste.

Do GM crops need less pesticide?

The pesticide producing plants can require less sprayed pesticide, but the pro-GM advocates do not take into account the millions of acres of pesticides being produced from within the crops. Even so, the 16 million pound decrease in applied pesticides over the first 9 years in the US is dwarfed by the 138 million pound increase of herbicides used on Herbicide-tolerant crops. The herbicide increase went up by another 120 million of the next 2 years, as use is accelerating due to herbicide-tolerant weeds.

Does GMO farming effect organic farms that are in close proximity to them?

Organic crops can and do become contaminated with GMOs from cross-pollination.

Why are genes being patented?

This allows companies to collect royalties, require farmers not to save seeds year after year, and gives the corporations control over the food supply.

We very much appreciate Mr. Smith’s willingness to share his expertise about GMO with our readers. Stay tuned, our next post covers which foods our babies and toddler eat which are mostly genetically modified and great tips you can use to avoid this unpredictable gene revolution.

About Mr. Jeffrey Smith Mr. Jeffrey Smith has counseled world leaders from every continent, influenced the first state laws regulating GMOs, and has united leaders to support The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America, a revolutionary industry and consumer movement to remove GMOs from the natural food industry. A popular keynote speaker, he has lectured in 25 countries and has been quoted by government leaders and hundreds of media outlets across the globe including, The New York Times, Washington Post, BBC World Service, Nature, The Independent, Daily Telegraph, New Scientist, The Times (London), Associated Press, Reuters News Service, LA Times, Time Magazine and Genetic Engineering News. The Institute for Responsible Technology serves as the premier meeting ground for the leaders of America’s non-GMO community. Since its founding in 2003, it has sponsored groundbreaking research, fought for public policies that support GMO eradication, safety and testing, and created unparalleled resources so staff, boards, and consumers of every age can improve their health management.

We also contacted a couple of our favorite natural grocery stores for their take on GMO. Here is what they shared:

Letter from Whole Foods Regarding GMO

Hello Sandra, Thank you for contacting us with your concerns. Our goal at Whole Foods Market is for all our own company branded products to be created from non-genetically engineered ingredients and processes. When developing products, we will intentionally source non-genetically engineered ingredients and, if not commercially available, we will encourage producers to work to meet this goal. Through our support of organic agriculture along with our commitment to providing informed, consumer choice, Whole Foods Market will label any Whole Foods Market branded products that are verified to be created only from non-genetically engineered ingredients and processes. A program to update current labels is underway. Any Whole Foods Market branded products created with only non-genetically engineered ingredients will be labeled as such so customers can make an informed choice. As organic products must, by law, be created only with non-genetically engineered ingredients, all organic Whole Foods Market branded products will be labeled as not grown from genetically engineered seed. We also encourage our branded manufacturers and producers to create products without genetically engineered ingredients or processes and to label them as such. Buying organic products throughout our stores is another way for customers to choose non-genetically engineered foods. Accordingly, we encourage manufacturers and producers to label organic products as not grown from genetically engineered seed. I hope this information is helpful. Best Regards, Michele Fleming Customer Service Administrator Whole Foods Market - Southern Pacific Region

Letter from Trader Joe’s on GMO

Hi Sandra, Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We do not have any lists of products that contain GM. The statement that all products in Trader Joe’s private label are sourced from non-genetically modified ingredients is a guarantee for our customers so that they don’t have to read through ingredient labels to determine if this is the case. This is not to say that all other branded names contain gmo, we just cannot make that guarantee on their products. Thanks for shopping at Trader Joe’s!! Sincerely, Tiffany Trader Joes

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