Right now a debate rages on the merits "genetically modified organisms" or GMO's, transgenic food plants, etc. (They all mean the same basic thing, by the way.) These plants are genetically engineered (as opposed to hybridization, which occurs even in nature), created in labs by scientists paid by corporations that only have profits in mind. These foods are not adequately tested for long term effects on our health, they pollute the native species and threaten natural diversity of food plants, are controlled by a handful of giant corporations and the list goes on. Unfortunately, the debate rages only among a handful of people because this issue has been so well covered up with the smoke and mirrors that Big Ag uses to keep it quiet.
I have a HUGE problem with all of this because it was rammed down the throats, literally, of the American population and for the most part, people don't even know it. There is no labeling required on these types of foodstuffs so you are consuming them without even knowing it. We have been blindsided by Big Ag on this one and they have made a great effort to keep us in the dark. The latest food safety act that was recently passed by Congress fails to address this issue and instead deflects our attention away from it and onto other food safety concerns. Whether this is by design or not is questionable.
Many people who are so adamantly anti-GMO, myself included, take the position that we should require labeling, like most of the rest of the civilized world does, on these products so that we can MAKE OUR OWN CHOICES. I don't know about you, but I resent being a guinea pig for Big Ag. Luckily, there is salvation in the fact that certified organic regulations strongly prohibit the use of ANY genetically manipulated seed being used in any certified organic production. But not everyone has access, logistically, economically, etc., to certified organic food. That is another reason why local food is so important. As a consumer, when buying locally, you can get to know your farmer, so that you can quiz him/her about the origin of their seed, instead of being fed a bill of goods from someone with an agenda other than your health and wellbeing.
The following is a random sampling of videos, interviews, clips, etc. that are not intended to sway but rather to serve as a wake up call to those of you who do not have a grasp of this situation. Hopefully they may serve as a good jumping off point into the depths of this most important food issue. I have included videos from not only the US, but other parts of the world where this issue is also a hot button. Most Europeans are much more aware of this than we Americans are but only because they import much of their food from elsewhere and so the issue of GMO's had been viewed from a bit of a different aspect.
