Monsanto & the Merchants of Death

In the 1990s, Monsanto scientists gene-spliced corn, soy, cotton, and canola with foreign DNA, enabling these "Frankencrops" to survive massive doses of RoundUp, the #1 world-wide selling herbicide since at least 1980 (also brought to you by Monsanto). Farmers could repeatedly spray their fields with RoundUp, killing weeds but not the crop.

Unfortunately, the collateral damage of heavy RoundUp spraying includes groundwater pollution, toxic residues in crops, and destruction of essential soil microorganisms.

The Genetically Modified (GM) crops themselves create herbicide-resistant Superweeds and spread genetic pollution to organic and non-GMO crops as well as plant relatives. Last but certainly not least, Monsanto's GM foods have been linked to serious health damage - not only for animals, but humans as well.

Today, a major portion of cropland in the US is sown with Monsanto's "RoundUp Ready" corn, soy, cotton, canola, and sugar beets. Eighty percent of these GM crops are then sold as animal feed to the nation's 125,000 factory farms or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) that produce most of the non-organic meat, dairy, or eggs sold in grocery stores or served in restaurants, schools, and hospitals. The other 20% of Monsanto's Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's) are laced into non-organic processed foods (soy lecithin, corn or sugar beet sweeteners, cooking oils, etc.), and are found in every grocery store aisle.

There is a direct correlation between our genetically engineered (GE) food supply and the $2 Trillion the US spends annually on medical care, namely an epidemic of diet-related chronic diseases. Instead of healthy fruits, vegetables, grains, and grass-fed animal products, US factory farms and food processors produce a glut of genetically engineered (GE) junk foods that generate heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Low fruit and vegetable consumption is directly costing the United States $56 billion a year in diet-related chronic diseases.

Monsanto's GM crops are highly profitable for the food industry, turning cheap, federally subsidized, genetically engineered crops and GE-fed animals into cheap, ubiquitous, junky foods. But from the standpoint of public health and environmental sustainability, Monsanto and their factory farm collaborators are nothing less than merchants of disease and death.

A critical mass of consumers would turn away from GMOs and Factory Farmed meat, dairy, and eggs - if they knew what they were eating.

Please join and support the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) in their new Truth-in-Labeling campaign:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.cfm

LNH NOTE: We've said it before, and we'll keep saying it -- Know your food source -- where it's grown, how it's grown. Read labels. Whatever you put in your mouth has a positive or negative impact on your body, mind and spirit. Don't believe me? Have you ever over-eaten? or took in more than your fair share of the 'party'? Then you know first-hand, not only did your body suffer, but your mood did, too. Chemicals, food additives, hormones and antibiotics driven into our food source make us feel sick and impede our quest for optimized health.

We suggest you consume organic, locally grown, hormone and antibiotic-free foods. If you don't have a local organic market in your area, look into a co-op. Information is available online to get started.

Healthy New Year!

OC