My Green Life

An article was recently forwarded to me by an avid Ron Paul and personal property rights supporter regarding the harmful environmental effects of genetically modified organisms found in many of the crops we consume. Ever since a Botany college class trip to Monsanto to hear their side of the story, I have been interested in the ongoing discussion over the impacts of GMOs. Some argue that GMOs could prevent hunger in all nations, while others admit that there would be plenty of food without the use of GMOs, but the actual distribution of the excess is unevenly distributed. Some might argue that the chemicals are solely on the exterior of the plant and easily wiped off before consumption, while others insist that those unnaturally modified genes are inside the plant, unable to be merely washed off. What has been most frustrating to me, however, is the cross pollination that inherently occurs and results in organic produce being contaminated by pollen of plants that have been genetically modified. So, I have taken the challenge to avoid Monsanto’s GMOs as much as possible starting with purchasing organic sugar whenever possible. Bytestyle.tv states that “about half of our sugar supply comes from sugar beets. Monsanto introduced their genetically engineered Roundup-Ready Sugar Beets to the market last year, and this year, their beets will comprise over 90% of the US sugar beet harvest.” Another easy way to make a difference is to avoid the purchase and use of Roundup weed killer. Here are a few additional recommendations from that email:

HOW TO AVOID GMO FOODS:

1. Look at the stickers on fruit - there is a PLU code with either 4 or 5 numbers. If your fruit’s label has 4 numbers, it is conventionally grown. 5 numbers starting with a 9 means it was organically grown, and 5 numbers starting with an 8 means GMO. (I have blogged about this before.)

2. Buy local & talk to your farmers - this is the best way to ensure you’re eating real foods. It’s estimated that up to 85% of pre-packaged and processed foods contain GMOs, so buying fresh from the farm is a great way to avoid that. (My husband and I enjoy buying our produce from a stand run by a great Italian man passionate about good food who gets 90% of his produce locally.)

3. Avoid the Top Four GMO Crops of Soy, Corn, Canola and Cottonseed - most blended oils in North America contain canola and cottonseed. Replacing these with 100% extra virgin olive oil is a safe alternative. (EVOO is healthier too!)

4. Encourage your favorite food providers to label their food GMO-free. We don’t need the government to force companies to label their foods, and we’re seeing more and more that we as consumers have tremendous power, and if enough of us ask for GMO-free labels, and support the companies that use them, we’ll see a huge increase in labeling. And we’re already starting to see this.

5. Buy Organically Grown Food - For now, the organic certification process is a relatively safe bet to ensure your food is free of GMOs, although this may not be the case in the future. Help support global sustainability by purchasing certified organically grown food.

6. Conventional Sugar - Over 90% of this year’s sugar beet harvest will be Monsanto’s GM Roundup-Ready Sugar Beet. That means if you are using sugar, or eating anything with sugar in it, you’re eating GMOs. Alternatives to sugar are listed here.(I never knew!)

7. Grow your own food - Plant a garden using heirloom seeds! (Home grown produce tastes great, and it is incredibly satisfying.)

I just read a pretty interesting article in the Christian Science Monitor that went into more depth on a story I heard on the radio yesterday. Now, I’m not sure if this is just some PR blitz (which I’m sure it is to some extent) or if Wal-Mart is really taking an interest in becoming more environmentally friendly, but, whatever the motivation, Wal-mart has begun developing a method to compile and present on the packaging the environmental impact of each of the goods sold. They plan to rate factors such as emissions and water conservation in order to better inform the consumer so he/she can make more educated decisions on what to purchase. The software they are funding could then be utilized by other companies that are interested in displaying that information. I think this is a revolutionary concept, but I do wonder the impact it will have. Will Wal-Mart shoppers even bother to consider the environmental impact of a product, or will they just look for the yellow price tag? Also, will businesses be inspired to change their detrimental practices if they are aware that people could be judging the product not only on its durability and function, but its sustainability? I, like many others, am still skeptical about Wal-Mart’s business practices, but this seems to be a step in the right direction in winning back some respect from the environmentalists.

As my husband keeps driving into my head, all regulatory changes happen on a local level. It is impossible to expect the federal government to know each individual’s desires, but if you approach issues locally and in your community, change can happen over time. A small community in Australia has proven that the people can have a voice. Common citizens jumped on board with the banning of water bottles and spoke out against the destructive environmental impact the manufacturing and disposal of plastic bottles causes. The voting was near unanimous with all but two voters (one of which was a bottled water representative) among 356 siding with the environment. This story just proves how operating locally can be effective and people’s voices can be heard! Good work Bundanoon!