When GMO Food is Sold as Organic

Organic farmers whose field is contaminated with GE seed or pollen can still sell their product as organic that year.

Organic farmers are not allowed to purchase and plant genetically engineered seed. However, if their crops are contaminated by a neighbor who is growing genetically engineered food or they are sold GE (genetically engineered) seed they thought was organic, the farmer can still sell their crop as organic (even if they find out it has been contaminated) as long as they can prove they did not knowingly plant genetically engineered seed. 

Farmers have no recourse if their organic food is contaminated by GE fields.

So far farmers who have had their conventional or organic crops contaminated by GE plants have not been able to win court cases in the United States. Therefore, they are being protected by the organic labeling companies by at least allowing them to sell their contaminated food as organic. However, this does not protect the consumer. Something needs to be changed here. The farmer needs to be able to have laws that support organic farming and protect organic farmers from trespass of GE pollen on their crops.

What can we do to stop the continual growth of GE crops.  

We could stop it dead in its tracks if we simply refuse to purchase it. We can demand our food stores only purchase non GE food. There is easy to use testing for determining if a plant or seed is GE or not. Farmers, grocers and the public can purchase it. Tell all your family and friends to demand GE free food.

Which foods should always be tested?

All corn,  soy, canola, and cotton seed oil should be tested now. Even the organic ones should be tested as it is now thought that at least 3-4% of all organic corn, soy, and canola is contaminated.  The testing should be at the farmers level or the distributors level. However, anyone can be testing. Start telling your grocery store that you want your Corn (corn oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn meal) Soy (soy protein, soy lecithin, soy oil, soy sauce, soy isolates) Canola (canola oil) Cotton (cottonseed oil to all be tested for genetically engineered genes).  Tell them you don't want to buy products that are not tested if they carry these ingredients.

Non GMO Project

There is also a third party verification from the Non GMO Project that manufacturers can use to verify their food is safe.

Dairy Food Contamination
For farmers who grow alfalfa, sell alfalfa or grow the seed, they should also be testing. If you purchase alfalfa for your dairy animals, test it or make sure the grower, distributor has tested it before buying the alfalfa. For the person who eats dairy foods, find out if the manufacturer of your dairy foods gets milk from farms that feed non-GMO alfalfa to their dairy cows/goats.

Support labeling for genetically modified foods. 

Start labeling laws in your state for genetically modified foods. Some counties have started making their county an area where you can't grow genetically engineered food. You simply get the county to pass an ordinance and it is so. Go to GMO Free Jackson County to see how they are doing it.  That is easier than going state wide.  Passing laws to make it illegal to grow GE food in your area protects the family gardens from being contaminated in your area as well as the farms.

Stop Monsanto from Putting a Rider on the Ag Bill

I am too busy on my farm to write much this time of year, BUT I can't ignore this: Monsanto has convinced congress to add a rider to the 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would end judicial review of approvals of new genetically engineered crops.

If this rider (Sec. 733) isn't removed, organic and non-GMO farmers will lose their access to the court system and they'll have no recourse when the U.S. Department of Agriculture illegally approves new genetically engineered crops that threaten to contaminate their fields and seed supplies.

Monsanto's sneak attack is a response to successful lawsuits brought by the Center for Food Safety on behalf of organic and non-GMO farmers and seed growers that have attempted to block planting of genetically engineered sugar beets and alfalfa while the USDA conducted a court-ordered review of the dangers of contamination.

A vote on an amendment offered by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) to strike Monsanto's rider from the appropriations bill was expected this week, but will likely be delayed until after the July 4th recess. Let's use this time to spread the word and send tens of thousands of letters to Congress! 

Click here to tell your congress person to support the DeFazio amendment to remove this provision from the Ag Appropriations bill.

Save the Bees, SIgn This Petition to Ban Clothianidin

Tell the EPA: Ban the pesticide that's killing bees! 

In the next week, the EPA is expected to issue a decision on the pesticide Clothianidin -- which scientists believe is a major factor in the alarming decline in U.S honey bee populations, known as Colony Collapse Disorder.
 

Since 2006, one third of U.S honey bee populations have been dying off. One third. Every year. That's a terrible rate of species destruction on its own, but it's also a serious threat to our food supply. Honey bees play a crucial role by pollinating 71 of the 100 most common crops, which account for 90% of the world's food supply.

The EPA will be issuing a decision soon. If the agency doesn't act, it won't review Clothianidin again until 2018 -- and by then it could be too late for the bees.

 

Tell the EPA: Bee die-offs are an emergency. Ban the pesticide that's killing bees. Click here to sign the petition.