On what planet do you think that the idea of non-GMO labeling is really starting to happen? It's going to take a lot more than a few votes on Changemakers, to combat the evil (yes evil) of GMO and those who produce same.
We have been working for the past 4 years on launching the Non-GMO Project, and the first "Non-GMO Project Verified" labels will start appearing in the next couple of months. Please check out our website: www.nongmoproject.org
Thank you for founding the non-GMO Project. If we don't know what foods are and aren't GMO, there's no way we can vote with purchase decisions. This is a crucial first step. I love the seal too - great design!
It is a right and expectation that consumers should have knowing what is in their food. I applaud those committed to the non-GMO project and encourage all of you to increase your awareness of this issue and it's global impacts.
This is an important contributor to encourage non violent revolution as is also in progress with vaccination and corrupt medicine. Every move we can make away from corporate control in our daily lives moves the global citizenry toward unity consciousness and now is the time to do all we can.
It's so important that consumers have the right to know what they and their families are eating. I also applaud this project for tackling this denial of information. I urge everyone to vote for this important project.
I think yes people should definetely know what is in their food for sure,but we should all be avoiding GM crops right NOW in the food we eat and give to our families so that in the not too distant future the Earth will no longer be contaminated with GMO's .I urge people of all nations to print off the following flyer and hand it out to as many people as you can.Thanks.NO TO GMO!! http://www.gmwatch.org/images/stories/10reasons.pdf
The non-GMO project is worthy of global recognition and congratulations to those involved.
There is nothing that is achieved through GM that can not be achieved by non-GM means. The most popular trait is Roundup Ready where a gene from factory sludge is added to a plant to give it resistance to the chemical produced in that factory (glyphosate/Roundup). This trait is happening in our weeds without us wanting it to and easy to produce by non-GM means.
GM popularity is because of the patent involved where the research sector can form alliances with the multinational corporations so that choice is restricted and all farmers become contract growers for a single supply chain.
Governments have allowed the patent owner to write their own rules of introduction in exchange for public plant breeding alliances and these rules clearly remove the choice for farmers to be able to market as non-GM.
It is essential that GM products are labelled as GM as it is not possible for non-GM farmers to produce a labelled non-GM product due to contamination.
Anti GM activists are ordinary people with genuine concerns that are being ignored by people with a vested interest and it is a shame that those with a vested interest are also hijacking voting results on this site (Biofortified blog).
Changemakers is an excellent initiative but change should be for the better, not for individuals to profit from alliances with corporations.
Julie, you must have read the article from GM Watch claiming that the 'biotech industry' is fixing the vote. Quite the contrary, our surge of support comes from the science blogging community, not 'vested interests.' You know, the Non-GMO project was founded by vested interests of a different kind, and finally, their Executive Director Megan Westgate and I talked on the phone today and we both agreed that GM watch should not make false accusations like that. Today I wrote reason #3 why I think Biofortified deserves a vote, Honesty: http://www.biofortified.org/2009/10/reason-3-honesty/
I do want to add that I am a founding member of the Non-GMO Project, and my only "interest" in helping start it was to make sure my children have the freedom to choose traditional, delicious, healthy heirloom foods. This is a completely values-driven initiative, which is why we were granted federal public-benefit non-profit status. All of us who founded the Project are responding to a loud and clear request from concerned citizens across the U.S. and Canada.
Can I win the Michael Pollan prize if I vote AGAINST the GMO fortified thing? Where is the "honesty" you are talking about? If you want to be honest, just label the GM food for what it is. Easy. Done. Label it. Bottom line, I do not want GM foods in my body. I want the freedom to choose GM or not. I want to know what foods are GM modified. I do not want my garden contaminated by GM cross-pollination. Don't try to convince me. I don't want it stuffed down my throat. What's the problem? Label it.
I would like to take this opportunity to say that I am not an opponent of GE labeling per se, however many of the ideas people have about labeling foods with these ingredients seem to serve only one purpose - avoidance by those who are hardcore against it. But such labeling ideas don't say anything about how they were altered, so they don't actually tell you what you are eating. They tell you only one of the techniques used to make what you are eating. Mandatory labeling schemes are imposing the will of only a few people on the rest of us. Indeed, studies have shown that although the vast majority of people support labeling them, it appears to be only for informational purposes. When the cost is factored in, support dries up. Only a small segment of the population are willing to pay more than $10 per year for such labels, and they will add more than that to the cost of food.
This is why the Non-GMO Project is a little different than other labeling campaigns, and maybe it is something you would be interested in. But polls and market-related studies have also consistently shown that people are much more worried about pesticides on their food than they are about GE ingredients. When faced with the decision between pesticide-sprayed corn or fruit versus labeled GE corn or fruit, most choose the latter. How come there is no labeling system for pesticides? Even organic farms use their own toxic cocktails, they just happen to be 'natural.' We discuss this and other things at our site, maybe we might see you there in the future?
Thanks Karl for bringing forward the fact that labels "don't say anything about how they were altered, so they don't actually tell you what you are eating."
To anyone interested in getting a general idea of what genetic information might be included in a GMO seed or plant, you can visit the U.S. patent and trademark website www.uspto.gov
Do a general search in patents for "transgenic" or "corn" , "soy", "snake" etc. Make a selection of some sort of seed variety. Scroll at least 3/4 of the way down or do a search for "further embodiments of this invention". Here one can learn about the information potentially transfered to the seed and plants genetically.
Exeprts from such a search on a corn gene on the site:
"Examples of such traits known to those of skill in the art (of transgenics) include, but are not limited to, male sterility, waxy starch, herbicide resistance, resistance for bacterial, fungal, or viral disease, insect resistance, male fertility and enhanced nutritional quality."
"A viral-invasive protein or a complex toxin derived therefrom may also be used for viral disease resistance."
a novelty from Soybean cultivar S060298 search:
"An insect-specific venom produced in nature by a snake, a wasp, etc. For example, see Pang et al., Gene 116:165 (1992), for disclosure of heterologous expression in plants of a gene coding for a scorpion insectotoxic peptide."
Interesting claim that the public would choose GE labeled food over pesticide laden food. Do you think the public would choose GE foods if they caught on that these plants are formulated to make their own pesticides? Let's do an experiment.
It's simple: I want to know what I'm buying. As a consumer, I should be able to. If GM is so great, then the GM supporters should want GM products labeled as such so they can seek them out. When a company (and an industry) is producing something but doesn't want people to know that they're buying its products, that seems problematic.
My vote is for the non-GMO project all the way. I'm so thankful that there is an organized group of individuals aligned in providing consumers with what is known in other fields as "informed consent". It is the lack of public awareness that has allowed the misuse of GMO technologies to infiltrate our livlihoods, our bodies, foods and medicines. Neither the agro/chemical/pharma industries nor U.S. government have honored our voices and concerns as we ask them to slow down mass introduction of these technologies. These technologies are novel, highly influential to the natural environment and unpredictable to human biology, a dangerous formula made more dangerous as they are disguised as not only good for human kind but necessary for our survival.
This is a BIG issue and the first step is expanding awareness. The non-GMO project is a major contributor to increasing public awareness. Thank you. Your contribution will shape the future of food policies, international trade, environmental relationship, plant stewardship and self-care as they all connect to the issue of bio-engineering. Viva non-GMO project!!!
How does your program work with others like Wal-Mart's planned green labeling program (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/business/energy-environment/16walmart....)? It seems that one risk to educating the consumer is having multiple labeling or certification systems that provide good information but confuse or overwhelm the buyer.
Comments
Great to see you enter the challenge. We should all have the right to choose what's on our plate. The Non-GMO Project will allow us to do just this!
It's so exciting to see the much needed and long awaited idea of verified non-GMO labeling starting to really happen!
On what planet do you think that the idea of non-GMO labeling is really starting to happen? It's going to take a lot more than a few votes on Changemakers, to combat the evil (yes evil) of GMO and those who produce same.
We have been working for the past 4 years on launching the Non-GMO Project, and the first "Non-GMO Project Verified" labels will start appearing in the next couple of months. Please check out our website: www.nongmoproject.org
We vote with purchase decisions. Please vote for Non-GMO food. Industrialized food is destroying Health, Happiness, and Life.
Thank you for founding the non-GMO Project. If we don't know what foods are and aren't GMO, there's no way we can vote with purchase decisions. This is a crucial first step. I love the seal too - great design!
It is a right and expectation that consumers should have knowing what is in their food. I applaud those committed to the non-GMO project and encourage all of you to increase your awareness of this issue and it's global impacts.
This is an important contributor to encourage non violent revolution as is also in progress with vaccination and corrupt medicine. Every move we can make away from corporate control in our daily lives moves the global citizenry toward unity consciousness and now is the time to do all we can.
It's so important that consumers have the right to know what they and their families are eating. I also applaud this project for tackling this denial of information. I urge everyone to vote for this important project.
I think yes people should definetely know what is in their food for sure,but we should all be avoiding GM crops right NOW in the food we eat and give to our families so that in the not too distant future the Earth will no longer be contaminated with GMO's .I urge people of all nations to print off the following flyer and hand it out to as many people as you can.Thanks.NO TO GMO!!
http://www.gmwatch.org/images/stories/10reasons.pdf
The non-GMO project is worthy of global recognition and congratulations to those involved.
There is nothing that is achieved through GM that can not be achieved by non-GM means. The most popular trait is Roundup Ready where a gene from factory sludge is added to a plant to give it resistance to the chemical produced in that factory (glyphosate/Roundup). This trait is happening in our weeds without us wanting it to and easy to produce by non-GM means.
GM popularity is because of the patent involved where the research sector can form alliances with the multinational corporations so that choice is restricted and all farmers become contract growers for a single supply chain.
Governments have allowed the patent owner to write their own rules of introduction in exchange for public plant breeding alliances and these rules clearly remove the choice for farmers to be able to market as non-GM.
It is essential that GM products are labelled as GM as it is not possible for non-GM farmers to produce a labelled non-GM product due to contamination.
Anti GM activists are ordinary people with genuine concerns that are being ignored by people with a vested interest and it is a shame that those with a vested interest are also hijacking voting results on this site (Biofortified blog).
Changemakers is an excellent initiative but change should be for the better, not for individuals to profit from alliances with corporations.
Julie, you must have read the article from GM Watch claiming that the 'biotech industry' is fixing the vote. Quite the contrary, our surge of support comes from the science blogging community, not 'vested interests.' You know, the Non-GMO project was founded by vested interests of a different kind, and finally, their Executive Director Megan Westgate and I talked on the phone today and we both agreed that GM watch should not make false accusations like that. Today I wrote reason #3 why I think Biofortified deserves a vote, Honesty:
http://www.biofortified.org/2009/10/reason-3-honesty/
I do want to add that I am a founding member of the Non-GMO Project, and my only "interest" in helping start it was to make sure my children have the freedom to choose traditional, delicious, healthy heirloom foods. This is a completely values-driven initiative, which is why we were granted federal public-benefit non-profit status. All of us who founded the Project are responding to a loud and clear request from concerned citizens across the U.S. and Canada.
Can I win the Michael Pollan prize if I vote AGAINST the GMO fortified thing? Where is the "honesty" you are talking about? If you want to be honest, just label the GM food for what it is. Easy. Done. Label it. Bottom line, I do not want GM foods in my body. I want the freedom to choose GM or not. I want to know what foods are GM modified. I do not want my garden contaminated by GM cross-pollination. Don't try to convince me. I don't want it stuffed down my throat. What's the problem? Label it.
I would like to take this opportunity to say that I am not an opponent of GE labeling per se, however many of the ideas people have about labeling foods with these ingredients seem to serve only one purpose - avoidance by those who are hardcore against it. But such labeling ideas don't say anything about how they were altered, so they don't actually tell you what you are eating. They tell you only one of the techniques used to make what you are eating. Mandatory labeling schemes are imposing the will of only a few people on the rest of us. Indeed, studies have shown that although the vast majority of people support labeling them, it appears to be only for informational purposes. When the cost is factored in, support dries up. Only a small segment of the population are willing to pay more than $10 per year for such labels, and they will add more than that to the cost of food.
This is why the Non-GMO Project is a little different than other labeling campaigns, and maybe it is something you would be interested in. But polls and market-related studies have also consistently shown that people are much more worried about pesticides on their food than they are about GE ingredients. When faced with the decision between pesticide-sprayed corn or fruit versus labeled GE corn or fruit, most choose the latter. How come there is no labeling system for pesticides? Even organic farms use their own toxic cocktails, they just happen to be 'natural.' We discuss this and other things at our site, maybe we might see you there in the future?
Thanks Karl for bringing forward the fact that labels "don't say anything about how they were altered, so they don't actually tell you what you are eating."
To anyone interested in getting a general idea of what genetic information might be included in a GMO seed or plant, you can visit the U.S. patent and trademark website www.uspto.gov
Do a general search in patents for "transgenic" or "corn" , "soy", "snake" etc. Make a selection of some sort of seed variety. Scroll at least 3/4 of the way down or do a search for "further embodiments of this invention". Here one can learn about the information potentially transfered to the seed and plants genetically.
Exeprts from such a search on a corn gene on the site:
"Examples of such traits known to those of skill in the art (of transgenics) include, but are not limited to, male sterility, waxy starch, herbicide resistance, resistance for bacterial, fungal, or viral disease, insect resistance, male fertility and enhanced nutritional quality."
"A viral-invasive protein or a complex toxin derived therefrom may also be used for viral disease resistance."
a novelty from Soybean cultivar S060298 search:
"An insect-specific venom produced in nature by a snake, a wasp, etc. For example, see Pang et al., Gene 116:165 (1992), for disclosure of heterologous expression in plants of a gene coding for a scorpion insectotoxic peptide."
Interesting claim that the public would choose GE labeled food over pesticide laden food. Do you think the public would choose GE foods if they caught on that these plants are formulated to make their own pesticides? Let's do an experiment.
It's simple: I want to know what I'm buying. As a consumer, I should be able to. If GM is so great, then the GM supporters should want GM products labeled as such so they can seek them out. When a company (and an industry) is producing something but doesn't want people to know that they're buying its products, that seems problematic.
My vote is for the non-GMO project all the way. I'm so thankful that there is an organized group of individuals aligned in providing consumers with what is known in other fields as "informed consent". It is the lack of public awareness that has allowed the misuse of GMO technologies to infiltrate our livlihoods, our bodies, foods and medicines. Neither the agro/chemical/pharma industries nor U.S. government have honored our voices and concerns as we ask them to slow down mass introduction of these technologies. These technologies are novel, highly influential to the natural environment and unpredictable to human biology, a dangerous formula made more dangerous as they are disguised as not only good for human kind but necessary for our survival.
This is a BIG issue and the first step is expanding awareness. The non-GMO project is a major contributor to increasing public awareness. Thank you. Your contribution will shape the future of food policies, international trade, environmental relationship, plant stewardship and self-care as they all connect to the issue of bio-engineering. Viva non-GMO project!!!
where does one vote? I see nothing.
Voting has ended : ( But you can sign the consumer pledge on our website (http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/consumer-pledge/) and join us on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/nongmoproject). Thanks for your support!
How does your program work with others like Wal-Mart's planned green labeling program (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/business/energy-environment/16walmart....)? It seems that one risk to educating the consumer is having multiple labeling or certification systems that provide good information but confuse or overwhelm the buyer.