Connecticut Sets Precedent As First State To Pass GMO Labeling Law

Connecticut will require manufacturers to label genetically modified foods, but only after four other states - including one that borders Connecticut - enact similar measures. In addition, any combination of Northeastern states with a combined population of at least 20 million must mandate GMO labeling.

GM foods sold in Connecticut will bear the message “Produced with Genetic Engineering.”  More than two-dozen states, including some in New England, are considering similar laws.

South Korea Joins Japanese Ban On U.S. Wheat After Shocking GMO Contamination

South Korea has joined Japan in announcing a halt on imports of U.S. wheat due to the USDA’s recent announcement that commercial wheat grown in the USA is contaminated with Monsanto’s genetically engineered wheat.

GMOs are outlawed or shunned nearly everywhere around the world. Only in the USA have GMOs managed to avoid being labeled or outlawed — and that’s primarily due to Monsanto’s financial influence over lawmakers.  However, Monsanto shares plummeted 4 percent on Friday following the announcement by South Korea.

It is now likely that all wheat produced in the United States will be more heavily scrutinized - and possibly even rejected - by other nations that traditionally import U.S. wheat. This obviously has enormous economic implications for U.S. farmers and agriculture.

Toxins Found In Monsanto Crops Damage Red Blood Cells

Studies are showing that Bt toxins found in Monsanto crops are harmful to mammalian blood by damaging red blood cells and more. RBC’s are responsible for delivering oxygen to the body tissues through blood flow.

Bacillus thuringensis (Bt) is a bacterium commonly used as a biological pesticide. It is a microorganism that produces toxic chemicals. It occurs naturally in the environment, and is usually isolated from soil, insects and plant surfaces. Prior to this study, Bt was thought to be toxic only to insects,  but recent studies are proving otherwise.

Japan Suspends Imports Of GMO Wheat From U.S.

Japan, the largest market for U.S. wheat exports, suspended imports from the United States and canceled a major purchase of white wheat on Thursday after the recent discovery of unapproved genetically modified wheat in an 80-acre field in Oregon.

How the altered crop made its way to the Oregon field remains a mystery. The strain was developed by Monsanto to make wheat resistant to the company’s own industry-leading weed killer. Monsanto tested the type of altered seed in more than a dozen states, including Oregon, between 1994 and 2005, but it was never approved for commercial use.

Organic Consumers Association Responds To Whole Foods Market's Plan To Label GMOs By 2018

Whole Foods Market announced last week that it will require labeling of all foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in its U.S. and Canadian stores by 2018. 

Organic Consumers Association called on Whole Foods, the nation’s largest national organic foods retailer, to move up its labeling deadline to July 2015, and to take the lead in the organic industry to end deceptive labeling practices by requiring all the stores’ products that include the word “natural” in their labeling or packaging to be GMO-free.

“We ask that Whole Foods step up its timetable for GMO labeling, to coincide with the July 2015 deadline prescribed by I-522, the citizens’ initiative for GMO labeling in Washington State. We also call on Whole Foods to stop selling products that contain GMOs under the misleading “natural” label, and to require any product in its store called “natural” be GMO-free.”

China-US Project Allegedly Tested Genetically Modified 'Golden Rice' On Kids

China’s health authorities will investigate allegations that genetically modified rice was tested on Chinese children as part of a Sino-U.S. research project, state media said Tuesday.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention investigation came after a report last month by environmental group Greenpeace claimed that a U.S. Department of Agriculture-backed study used 24 Chinese children aged between six and eight to test genetically modified “golden rice.”

What Exactly Is A GMO - And Why Should You Care?

GMO stands for “genetically modified organism” and can refer to plants or animals created by way of gene-splicing techniques. Splicing merges DNA from different species to create combinations that would not occur naturally in nature. Genetic engineering is not to be confused with cross-breeding (the practice of combining, for example, dog breeds).

Beyond potential health impacts, genetically modified seeds restrict biodiversity and create hairy situations between organic farmers and those using genetically modified seeds. Genetically modified seeds can drift into organic fields; with patenting laws making it possible for companies to sue farmers who use their seeds without permission.

Farmer Speaks Out Against GMO Propaganda

• The folks who are running and funding the campaign against California’s Proposition 37, which would require mandatory labeling of GMOs, have never worked on behalf of small farmers or consumers. Why would we think they are suddenly on our side? 
• Heading up the campaign are the same folks who, backed by Big Tobacco, fought anti-smoking initiatives in California. They are the same people who, with a little help from Big Oil, tried to repeal California’s clean energy and climate laws.
• The $25 million that has so far poured into the “No on 37” campaign comes from huge biotech, chemical and food processing corporations (Monsanto, DuPont, Dow AgriScience, Pepsi, Coca-Cola). These are all companies whose primary motivation is profit, not the protection of consumers or farmers.