This whole GMO thing has been fairly new knowledge for me. A friend of mine had her little boy early on during my pregnancy and posted a lot about organic food, products, etc. I had found the Babyganics product line, and was using their products, along with Seventh Generation for cleaning with Andrew and she and I discussed how great it was that products like that were available for our little ones. Later on, I noticed she had RSVPed to a "March against Monsanto" event. After looking at what they were about and what they were doing, I signed us up for the Tampa rally.
So, one Saturday morning, we packed up Andrew and headed out. All I can say is that it was the coolest thing I have ever been a part of. Upon arriving we were a little confused and unsure what was going on, but everyone was super friendly and welcoming. We were given 2 T-Shirts for about $5 (They were made by one person and he was giving them away for whatever you had to spare). People had brought extra signs, so we were given a few. Water was being passed around, people offering sunscreen, face painting, etc.
Soon we got started. It was a HUGE long walk with chanting things like "Hell No Gmo", and passing out flyers. They had water stations every so often and the police kindly showed up to make sure we could cross all the crosswalks safely. They were also very nice and helpful and were thanked by almost everyone as we walked. At the end we stopped in a park where local organic restaurants showed up with plates of GMO free food that was delicious! People gave each other rides back to their cars, played music, etc. It was so peaceful and just a really neat experience in general.
All I can say is that the benefits of eating all organic/ GMO free waaaayyyy outweigh any of the cons. Yes, it's a bit harder to find (though getting easier all the time) and it can be expensive (though I have done cost comparisons and really there are very few items that are more expensive). It is better and safer for you and your children to be eating organic/ GMO free and if we can do it on $100 or less a week for three people and be eating comfortable, most people can afford it. Even WIC will let you use your $10 for veggies and fruits on organic stuff.
IF we can make an effort to be buying more organic food not only are we supporting our local economies more, but organic food will be easier to get and cheaper. With Monsanto holding organic seeds hostage, it's very hard for organic farmers to do what they do, but they do it for us and the planet. So why not support them?
Check out the event page here! -- please commit to buying your groceries for the week/ month, etc all organic/ GMO free on November 30th, 2014. After Black Friday on Friday, Small Business Saturday the day after, we can add 'Save the Food Sunday' on the end.
List of GMO free brands to buy -- not as hard to find as you may think! Even Ben and Jerry's is on the list! :)
"There are two sides to every debate, what would you tell the naysayers who are in support of major companies like Monsanto and GMOs?"
"You may support them, but they couldn't care less about you. Because, at the end of the day, these companies aren’t concerned about you or the earth, about sustainability and farmers, they care about profit. Whatever they can do to secure more profit, they will do. They spend millions convincing us, and the farmers they are bleeding dry, that we need them and that they have our best interest at heart. It’s propaganda, not science. And if the naysayers naysay these facts as my own fiction and the passions of a misinformed dunce, I would point to the hard facts about GMOs turning up every day around the world. No increased yield, no drought tolerance, no flood resistance, no sustainability, not practical or affordable for smallholder farmers in most places in the world. The growing evidence cannot be ignored. Unless, in fact, the naysayers are really blind believers unwilling to face the truth."
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