Stephen Murray
Our food, water and air are our most basic necessities. We need reliable
information about each of these so we can make the choices we need for
our health. Proposition 37 is about claiming our right to know what is
put in our food.
But I argue that it's more than just a simple labeling initiative about
genetically modified organisms(GMOs). It is the people's attempt to check
the influence of corporate money in politics, reign in the ills of
rampant corporatocracy, and protect our worlds genetic legacy.
Over the last 20 years our world's seed supply has become consolidated
in 6 transnational pharmaceutical/chemical corporations which now
control more than 60% of the world seed supply, these Big 6 are the
major opponents of Prop 37 :
Monsanto, DuPont, Bayer, BASF, DOW and Syngenta. They have spent $20 Million against.
This consolidation is reducing our food's biodiversity while
simultaneously introducing experimental genetic strains. Seed lines are
becoming extinct, seed banks are disappearing and the farmers' centuries
old practice of seed saving is being eradicated due to predatory legal
pressures by this oligarchy of chemical conglomerates led by Monsanto.
Crops aren't self-contained. It's impossible to keep a genetically
engineered gene within a single field- birds fly and pollen is spread by
the wind. Nearly all food products are contaminated by GE ingredients,
but many over-do it intentionally.
A trip down the cereal aisle offers insight to the food processors
interests: Mothers Bumpers, Kashi cereal, Kix cereal, and Back to Nature
granola, amongst many others, all say they are "Natural". Testing
reveals these Breakfast cereals contain ingredients that are between
28-100% Genetically Engineered. This misleading labeling would stop with
Prop 37. These corporations, listed in the same order as their brands
above, are also major opponents of Prop 37 :
PepsiCo, Kelloggs, General Mills, Kraft. They have spent $6 Million against.
The opponents have been caught in multiple deceits and they are spending
$1 Million dollars each day to curtail our rights. They've turned to the
tobacco and big oil spin machine to sell GMOs. Their arguments, removed
from the marketing spin, are simple and paternalistic: GMO's are safe,
you don't want to know, you're not smart enough, you can't afford it,
it's not ambitious enough, it's too late. None of these are satisfactory
or believable.
49 nations, including Europe, Japan, China, Brazil, India, and Russia
mandate labeling of GE foods. The FDA already requires labeling of 3000
ingredients, additives and processes as well as labeling for major food
allergens such as wheat, peanuts, and shellfish. According to studies
the cost to the consumer per product would be $0.001 for labeling or
less than $4/year to substitute a non-GMO ingredient.
Farmers will grow what the market demands but as consumers we are not
allowed to participate in this market, Prop 37 offers transparency and
the right to make choices - it places democracy and rights of living
breathing humans over corporate secrecy.
Food manufacturers and the Big 6 chemical seed companies have
intimidated farmers, our legislators and congress over GMOs for the last
20 years. Our government has proven unable to arrest this predatory
corporatocracy, it's up to the people to step in.
I urge you to support Proposition 37 and our right to know.
Stephen Murray was a candidate for CC City Council in April 2012 and is active in the anti-fracking movement.
