The Non-GMO Healthy Eating Revolution

An unsung hero to consumers world wide, Jeffrey M. Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology (www.responsibletechnology.org ) is leading an epic grassroots battle to defeat the biotech industry’s militaristic march for food-dollar supremacy through genetic engineering. Using his best weapon – a pen – Mr. Smith’s articles, books and films have exposed the reckless science behind genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

 

Doctors and scientists say Health Care Reform starts with No GMOs. They have identified 65 health risks from maintaining a GMO diet. GMO Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods International commentator, best-selling author and independent filmmaker, Jeffrey Smith urges us all to help halt the biotech industry’s GMO-machine from taking over the world’s natural food supply with his new Consumer Action Plan.

A decade ago, Society took little notice of the biotech industry’s seismic investment in GMOs, or its stated desire to own the world’s seed and animal food sources. But now, with the list of serious human, animal and environmental effects from GMOs rising, interest groups across the globe have lined up against the biotech industry’s unsupported claims of GMO food safety.

GMO Defined

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are the result of laboratory processes that artificially insert foreign genes into the DNA of food crops or animals. Those genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans. GMOs are not safe, but have been in the food supply since 1996. Labelling is required in Australia and New Zealand, but although most Americans say they would not eat GMOs if labelled, the US does not require labeling.

Leading spokespersons of the Non-GMO Healthy Eating Revolution, such as Jeffrey Smith, Dr. Amy Dean and Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, believe the non-GMO tipping point has arrived, and the time has come for the world’s consumers to swing the balance back in the direction of a health-risk-free, non-GMO diet.

They say that once consumers understand the long-term health consequences of eating biotech foods, they will alter their buying habits and change to non-GMO brands.

Conscious Living spoke with Jeffrey Smith.

CL: Mr. Smith, what is a GMO and why should we stop eating them?

JS: Genetically modified organisms have had genes from other species forced into their DNA. The process creates numerous unpredicted side effects, which can lead to both health and environmental problems. In fact, our research demonstrates irrefutable evidence of harm to the health of animals fed GMOs, and points to serious risks for people. Problems include sterility, infant mortality, potentials for cancer, immune system and allergy problems, organ damage, gastrointestinal disorders, and death.

CL: What does your Consumer Action Plan – only 5% – figure mean?

JS: Since food companies do not gain any advantage from using GM ingredients, even a small percentage of consumers changing to non-GMO brands could make GMOs a marketing liability, forcing their withdrawal. We believe that in the US only 5% of shoppers – 15 million people or 5.6 million households – is more than sufficient to trigger an industry-wide cleanout.

Such a tipping point was witnessed in Europe. After the European media reported the risks of genetically modified (GM) foods in early 1999, consumer concern quickly reached a tipping point. Within a single week, virtually all major food manufacturers committed to removing GM ingredients from their European brands. This market rejection has kept GMOs out, in spite of official approvals by EU authorities.

Corporations continue to sell GM foods in the US, where 60% of consumers mistakenly believe they have never eaten GMOs in their lives. The fact that GM food flourishes in the US on the basis of consumer ignorance leaves the biotech industry extremely vulnerable. If GMO health risks got onto the national radar screen, a European-style tipping point could be achieved. I believe it will happen very soon.

CL: Why would farmers want to grow GM crops?

JS: The primary reason why farmers choose GMOs is the disinformation provided by the biotech companies. The #1 reason that US soy farmers took up GM soy, according to a survey, was because they believed it would increase their yield. But thousands of independent field trials confirm that GM soy reduces yield by 5-10%.

After the introduction of GM corn eliminated US exports to Europe and caused a drop in corn prices by an estimated 13 to 20%, the CEO of the American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) said, “The ACGA believes an explanation is owed to the thousands of American farmers who were told to trust this technology, yet now see their prices fall to historically low levels while other countries exploit US vulnerability and pick off our export customers one by one.”

Even a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2006 report stated that “currently available GM crops do not increase the yield potential of a hybrid variety… In fact, yield may even decrease…” The USDA “could not find positive financial impacts in either the field-level nor the whole-farm analysis” for adoption of Bt corn and Roundup Ready soybeans. They said, “Perhaps the biggest issue raised by these results is how to explain the rapid adoption of [GM] crops when farm financial impacts appear to be mixed or even negative.”

Australia was enjoying a price premium on their non-GM canola, but a small number of influential farm organizations and politicians were duped into believing that GM canola would help, in spite of overwhelming evidence that it lowered yield, contaminated non-GM varieties, and would shut several export markets or receive lower prices.

There are some farm management advantages to GMOs, which allow farmers to spray herbicide on their genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops, but the overall impact on farming has been a net negative.

CL: Why do we need to eat 100% grass-fed or organic meat?

JS: Secret US government documents made public because of a lawsuit revealed that the scientists in charge of food safety in the US Food and Drug Administration were quite alarmed about the introduction of GMOs. In addition to citing possible allergies and toxins that could easily be created in the foods, the Center for Veterinary Medicine warned that toxins might bio-accumulate into the milk or meat of the GM-fed animals. Unfortunately, the scientists were ignored, no research has been done to evaluate this threat, and we are feeding livestock huge amounts of potentially toxic GM feed. To avoid this in your diet, eat 100% grass-fed, organic, or wild caught meat.

Consumers as guinea pigs

CL: Why do you think the Australian and US governments have so actively promoted GMOs, and can you explain why the US in particular supports a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) policy?

JS: Biotech advocates have spread promises around the world of unprecedented economic advantages of GMOs. Sadly, the White House during the first Bush administration believed the hype, and then ordered the regulatory agencies to promote GM food in hopes that it would strengthen the economy and make American products more competitive overseas. The FDA therefore recruited Michael Taylor, the former attorney to biotech giant Monsanto, and later their vice president, to be in charge of policy at the agency.

Formerly secret FDA documents revealed that policy ignored the science and the scientists, and declared GMOs to be generally recognised as safe. This allowed them onto the market without any required safety studies. They abdicated their responsibility and used consumers as their guinea pigs. Likewise, the GMO review process by authorities in Australia is also a fa̤ade Рtotally incompetent to identify most of the potential problems with GM foods. And of course GMOs did not help the economy in the US. The opposite ensued. The government has been forced to spend 5 billion per year to prop up the prices of the GM crops no one wants.

CL: What tools are available on your website for consumers and schools?

JS: At HealthierEating.org we have Non-GMO Shopping Guides and tips, brochures, articles and reports on the health dangers of GMOs, a video for parents and schools called Hidden Dangers in Kids’ Meals, audio downloads and podcasts, dozens of articles, and a fully scripted PowerPoint presentation that people can download.

CL: Jeffrey Smith understands exactly how the biotech industry’s regulatory GMO gamesmanship and excessive influence has derailed and mothballed meaningful food safety regulation across the globe. His articles, books and films present us with a constant and chilling reminder that government regulation is failing us, and that GMOs remain largely untested. As he raises his pen to inscribe a copy of his latest book Genetic Roulette, he writes just two words: Safe Eating.

Leading spokespersons of the Non-GMO Healthy Eating Revolution, such as Jeffrey Smith, (far left) Dr. Amy Dean (above) and Dr. Jennifer Armstrong (left), believe the non-GMO tipping point has arrived, and the time has come for the world’s consumers to swing the balance back in the direction of a health-risk-free non-GMO diet.