What That In My Cereal? Or Why Mosanto Wants to Rule the World
Connect The Dots, Episode Two by CIA Corn Spy

This morning, I woke up to a bowl of corn flakes with some strawberries and run of the mill organic soymilk. I started wondering, could the corn in my cereal have been mixed up with that corn genetically engineered to produce medicine? Sure, Prozac has become the candy of American society, although I certainly don't want my breakfast to be part of some Orwellian nightmare. I mean, it was only recently that engineered cattle feed made it into Taco Bell's taco shells, but then again, maybe that's just the karma of the fast food industry. Then I started worrying about the strawberries. I read somewhere that somebody had crossed strawberries with a flounder so they could withstand the cold. Hmm… sushi-strawberry anyone?

It seems the folks over in Europe are pretty worried about the genetically modified foods, shouldn't I be too? Most of Europe has banned imports of food sources grown in the U.S. due to the concerns over bioengineering of crops. I know we've had a bumpy ride with the French, but this is pretty much the entire European Union. Hell, some third world countries won't even take our extra food for free!

I get to thinking, what is the big deal with engineered food? I've heard claims that world hunger can be ended by creating foods that can be grown in areas with poor soil conditions or drought. Seems like a good idea, but whose idea is it? Well, not sure where it all started, but one company's name, Monsanto, comes up quite a bit. These guys are a monster company (Monsanto, monster, Monsanto, hmm…) that has become a leading player in the creation of genetically modified foods. I watched an interesting show on PBS recently, a broadcast of NOVA titled "Harvest of Fear" that discussed GMO, or "genetically modified organisms," and the industry that produces them. One spot on Monsanto showed where, for "free", they assisted an African scientist in developing a species of sweet potato that grows much larger than the traditional variety grown in the region.

Monsanto's frankenfood potato is a perfect example of the "achievements" of engineered food and providing solutions for starvation. Still, claiming their assistance was "free" holds as much truth as the telemarketer last night who called me offering a "free gift." Not minutes after, one of Monsanto's own executives stated that the reason they supported the research is that so the African farmers could become wealthy farmers and buy more Monsanto products. That doesn't seem so altruistic anymore… If I can't trust their motives, definitely driven in the quest for another dollar and shareholder satisfaction, why would I trust them with the integrity of my food? Sounds like a good reason to get outside, plant a garden, and do it the old fashioned way.
Given the opportunity, would I eat a mutant vegetable? I think it would depend on what it was. I hate seafood, so the thought of a sushi-strawberry kind of gives me the creeps. Unfortunately, I think somebody else has already made the choice for me. Due to a lack of labeling laws and requirements, most foods that are engineered are not marked, and apparently the supermarkets are loaded with them. It seems the food industry is against having to label their frankenfoods for fear I might actually prefer to buy something made from plants that have evolved and been eaten by people over thousands of years rather than something whipped up in a lab last year.

As for the loss in sales… kind of makes me wonder whose interests are being served here? The manufacturers want money, Monsanto wants money -- is it the money or is it the food? Seems like a trivial thing, but I prefer to choose my food based on whether it's good to eat, not that it will help my stock portfolio. Sadly, I think wholesome food is losing out. 70 percent of this year's soybean crops are the so-called Roundup Ready soybean engineered by Monsanto (yep, these guys again). This soybean has been modified so that it is resistant to virtually any amount of Roundup dumped on the plants (conveniently, Monsanto also produces Roundup). Hell, I won't coat my yard with Roundup, why would I want the residue coating my organs?

Setting aside my preferences, I have to wonder what real safety considerations are there? From what I can tell, nobody really knows since there is a void of research on the impact of these foods, nor has there been the "test of time." I heard that even the FDA won't vouch for the safety of frankenfood because the companies dreaming these things up either don't have sufficient research or simply refuse to turn records over (and why?). Some of these crops are engineered to withstand pests by integrating a natural deterrent or toxin into the plant. I find it interesting that these toxins are bad for pests, but supposedly acceptable for human consumption… I don't want to be the guinea pig here. Even DDT was once deemed safe, but the cumulative effect of consumption eventually harmed species higher on the food chain. Some experimental crops expected to be unsafe, but unfortunately, as with the Taco Bell taco shells, even with the strictest of control these WILL eventually end up in food, hopefully not in mine.
As I think again of my garden, I have to wonder about the ecological disaster that could be waiting if these modified foods completely integrate with the natural species and permanently enter the food supply. Already, many crops, particularly corn, are already hybrids, tainted with modified species and are no longer entirely natural. Even worse, many of the marketed seeds include a "terminator gene" that essentially prevents the plants from producing fertile seeds. It would be a scary future if all natural plants - flower, fruit and vegetable - slowly vanished through hybridization and replacement seeds and plants had to be purchased from the patent holder every season. I'd hate to have to tell my grandchildren tales of the days where you could pick sweet strawberries off the vine and apples from the tree in your own backyard.
I can't help but ponder how these genetically modified foods are bad for pests, unharmed by chemicals, good for profits and yet somehow good for me. Corporations want me to buy their frankenfood in the supermarket, but don't want to label it since I might actually decide I want the "real thing." I think its time for me to put down the mystery food and get out and work in the garden, since I know what I'm eating when its time for harvest.

References & Suggested Reading
http://www.thecampaign.org/
http://www.foodrevolution.org
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/
http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/GEFood.asp
http://www.seedsofchange.com/

CIA Corn Spy
Connects the Dots...

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