• Jeffrey Smith The leading consumer advocate promoting healthier, non-GMO choices Posted on 2011-12-07 12:25:36 Inspiring story shows shortcut to end GMOs Read this inspiring story below to find out what is possible with your financial support. I think it�s a real eye opener for those who think ending GMOs is a long, drawn out, and difficult process.

  
  
  11 minutes

  It took the audience just 11 minutes - 11 minutes to give up food brands they had grown up with and to commit to seek healthier non-GMO food. Of course this group had already been against genetically modified organisms as a concept. This was Greenfest after all; and in San Francisco no less. But when I asked them to honestly rate themselves on a scale of 1-100 how vigilant they had been at avoiding GMOs, the largest number of hands went up for lowest category - 1-20. That's typical of most US audiences. And so is what happened next� Continue reading →

• NPR Show on Labeling GMOs

  On Tuesday January 3rd, Diane Rehm will be dedicating her show to the topic of labeling genetically engineered foods. This is a great opportunity for listeners to be introduced to the issue, and to ask questions. It is a live call in show and the call-in number is 1-800-433-8850. Please tell all your friends!

  The show plays at 10am EST January 3, 2012

  Find a station near you: http://www.npr.org/stations/ Continue reading →

• Review of Roundup Herbicide Health Effects as reported by Antoniou et al., (2011) Below is a list of the potential health disorders that have been observed from exposure to the herbicide glyphosate as documented by the report of Antoniou et al., 2011. Below, each potential health disorder is presented separately, along with �quotes� extracted from their report and with the respective citations of refereed publications provided by the authors. Continue reading →
• Genetically Engineered Food - An Overview Sept 2011 | Food and Water Watch | Genetically Engineered Food

  Since the 1996 introduction of genetically engineered crops - crops that are altered with inserted genetic material to exhibit a desired trait - U.S. agribusiness and policymakers have embraced biotechnology as a silver bullet for the food system. The industry promotes biotechnology as an environmentally responsible, profitable way for farmers to feed a growing global population.

  But despite all the hype, genetically engineered plants and animals do not perform better than their traditional counterparts, and they raise a slew of health, environmental and ethical concerns. The next wave of the �Green Revolution� promises increased technology to ensure food security and mitigate the effects of climate change, but it has not delivered. The only people who are experiencing security are the few, massive corporations that are controlling the food system at every step and seeing large profit margins.

  Continue reading →

• The Flip-Side: What Bill Gates Doesn't Know About GMOs | TakePart - News, Culture, Videos and Photos http://t.co/vk54k4MM about 5 hours ago
• Enjoy episode #7. -Michelle http://t.co/3sbQnFNo about 5 hours ago
• GeneWatch UK - 2012 http://t.co/zHZwXoaJ about 7 hours ago
• GMO Free Idaho video page! Check out all of these videos to share! http://t.co/pY3pCFNs about 7 hours ago
• "The giant bio-tech firm Monsanto yesterday announced a major withdrawal from the UK amid intense opposition to... http://t.co/buAUt8Yx about 7 hours ago

Genetically modified foods�
Are they safe?

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) doesn�t think so. The Academy reported that �Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,� including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. The AAEM asked physicians to advise patients to avoid GM foods.

Before the FDA decided to allow GMOs into food without labeling, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GM foods can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored.

Since then, findings include:

• Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on Bt cotton plants
• Mice eating GM corn for the long term had fewer, and smaller, babies
• More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks, and were smaller
• Testicle cells of mice and rats on a GM soy change significantly
• By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies
• Rodents fed GM corn and soy showed immune system responses and signs of toxicity
• Cooked GM soy contains as much as 7-times the amount of a known soy allergen
• Soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced
• The stomach lining of rats fed GM potatoes showed excessive cell growth, a condition that may lead to cancer.
• Studies showed organ lesions, altered liver and pancreas cells, changed enzyme levels, etc.

Unlike safety evaluations for drugs, there are no human clinical trials of GM foods. The only published human feeding experiment revealed that the genetic material inserted into GM soy transfers into bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GM foods, we may still have their GM proteins produced continuously inside us. This could mean:

• If the antibiotic gene inserted into most GM crops were to transfer, it could create super diseases, resistant to antibiotics
• If the gene that creates Bt-toxin in GM corn were to transfer, it might turn our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories.

Although no studies have evaluated if antibiotic or Bt-toxin genes transfer, that is one of the key problems. The safety assessments are too superficial to even identify most of the potential dangers from GMOs. See our Health Risks brochure and State of the Science report for more details and citations.

Recent health studies provide growing evidence of harm from GMOs:

GM Corn Damages Liver and Kidneys
Meat Raised on GM Feed is Different
Roundup Could Cause Birth Defects
Genetically Modified Soy Linked to Sterility

THE CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHIER EATING IN AMERICA

Our goal is to stop the genetic engineering of our food supply.

Although the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may be one of the most dangerous health and environmental problems we face, it can be one of the easiest of the battles to win. The key is found in the tipping point, whereby a small number of individuals can move the market, forcing GMOs out of our nation�s food supply.

Even a small percentage of shoppers avoiding genetically modified (GM) brands is enough to trigger an industry-wide cleanout. It�s been done before! The Europe Union reached a consumer- driven tipping point in April 1999 and within a single week, virtually all major manufacturers publicly committed to stop using GM ingredients in their European brands. This has kept GMOs out of food in the EU, in spite of government approvals. Similarly, consumer concern about possible links to cancer forced Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Kroger, Dannon, Yoplait and most of the 100 top US dairies to remove products from cows treated with genetically modified recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH or rbST).

It�s time to turn GMOs into a marketing liability and reach the tipping point against all GM ingredients.

The critical number to reach the tipping point in the US could be as little as 5% - 15 million people or 5.6 million US households�simply switching brands to avoid GMOs as they shop. In 2009 Non-GMO labels became the fastest growing store label. And, everyday, more people are getting the facts, joining the Campaign, and buying Non-GMO. We�ve created the Non-GMO Shopping Guide online and the �ShopNoGMO� iPhone App free at the iTunes App store. Retail stores nationwide are displaying our Non-GMO Education Centers filled with books, DVDs, and free brochures that drive home the message that �Healthy eating starts with no GMOs.�

Together, we can reach the tipping point and push GMOs out of the entire food supply, protecting our health and the health of future generations.

If you have never heard about genetically modified organisms(GMOs), you may not know that they may be one of the most dangerous health and environmental problems we face. Animal studies show GMOs cause immune and insulin problems,organ damage, gastrointestinal dysfunction, accelerated aging, and higher death rates. Those risks have lead The American Academy of Environmental Medicine to ask physicians to advise all patients to avoid GM foods.

The key is creating a tipping point where a sufficient number of shoppers in the US avoid GM ingredients, and force major food companies to stop using them. We�ve already seen a tipping point in the use of genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH or rbST) in the U.S. Consumer concerns forced Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Kroger, Dannon, Yoplait and most of the 100 top US dairies to remove products from cows treated with rbGH or rbST. It�s time to turn GMOs into a marketing liability and reach the tipping point against all GM ingredients.

Help Push GMOs Out of the Food Supply

Buy Non-GMO
Start eating healthier now! Use the Non-GMO Shopping Guide to eliminate GMOs from your diet. Buy non-GMO and organic food products and ask your local store managers to carry non-GMO products.

Join the Campaign!
Become a member (it�s free!)�and be a part of the Non-GMO tipping point. Keep current on the issues with our e-newsletter Spilling the Beans.

Educate Yourself
Get the Facts�about the health risks of GMOs and how to avoid them. Quickly become an �expert� on GMOs by using the information provided here.

Involve Others by Taking Local Action
Spread the Word�to friends and family members. Help others learn how to avoid GMOS.

Engage Your Community
Use the Campaign materials and Action Tool Kits at our website to engage your community and create a buzz on this issue:

• Send this information through your social media networks
• Distribute Non-GMO educational materials at events
• Organize a house party to show one of our DVDs
• Inspire restaurants to offer non-GM food
• Get other organizations involved
• Meet with others to form a local action group

By working together, we can reach the tipping point of consumer rejection and Make It Happen!
Questions? Click here to contact us.

Remember to Sign the Petition to President Obama for meaningful GMO labeling!