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Life expectancy seems to continue to grow and I believe a large part of that is better nutrition. I grew up in Iowa, and I can tell you nearly all the farmers I knew were using hybrids. We ate a lot of that corn raw in the field, probably just after they sprayed, I don’t know. I was a kid and it was delicious. I think someone can rationalize a conspiracy about just about anything, if they try really hard. I know a few folks that truly believe Santa Claus is a corporate shill. That may very well be, however I think it is pretty benign.
Make the choices that make you happy. To GMO or not to GMO, to stop using antibacterial soap or not, to brush you teeth with only baking soda, to only ride in people powered vehicles, whatever the case may be, if it makes you feel good, go for it. For me, I just can’t really concentrate on all of that. In the end if you say, “Boy, I wish I wouldn’t have eaten that GMO eggplant in 2010” then I guess you have your answer. Gotta go, now I want a hot dog.
europe doesn’t allow gmo foods — either to be grown or imported. hmmmm. as for monsanto, or ADM, they are the world’s suppliers of seeds. this is an issue i have studied for more than a dozen years. the info is there if you have the time or interest to find it, especially the gmo corn in mexico. my grandparents lived way into their late 80’s by eating a natural diet, (no junk or processed food), much of which they grew themselves, in addition to having chickens and bees, etc. “back then” there was actually a lot less heart disease than there is now. if the modern diet is so wonderful why do we have skyrocketing diabetes and obesity rates? when i was growing up seeing an overweight person was an oddity. for me, the biggest advantage to eating organic is that — hopefully — i am not eating gmo food, or things that have been doused with dangerous chemicals. i realize that i am out of the mainstream on this, but that’s okay, i’m used to it.
Were it that it was all that simple . . .
maravilla, my grandparents on both sides lived to be ninety or older and none of them sweated the origins of their foods. So, by that comparison, yours didn’t fare so well after all, did they?
The reason there was a lot less heart disease “back then” is, in large measure, because heart disease is a degenerative condition associated with long life, and our grandparents’ generation, on the whole, didn’t live that long.
Actually, heart disease is a positive indicator of the health status of a population. If there’s a lot of heart disease, it means that people are living long enough to develop it. If a lot of people are dying of heart disease, it means that they’re not dying of communicable diseases the incidences of which have been greatly reduced by the development of modern vaccines and sanitation techniques.
All that said, I fully agree that the modern American diet, largely driven by Madison Avenue influences, lies at the very heart of the skyrocketing incidences of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. How to turn that around? That is the question . . .
I think that precisely the fact that there is no specific scientic evidence to support the fact that GMOs are not harmful would be incentive enough to avoid them. I for one do not want to be part of a human experiment for Monsanto. But I think we also need to consider the ethical side of things. Monsanto has genetically modified much of their seed with what is known as terminator technology that ensures that seeds cannot be saved by farmers for replanting. This forces you to go back to Monsanto to buy more seed. Something I’m sure our grandparents never did. Further, for any seed that is not engineered with terminator technology, if you buy from Monsanto then you must continue to buy from Monsanto. And if you are a farmer who doesn’t buy from Monsanto and Monsanto seeds from a neighbouring farm blow onto yours and take root, they will come after you with a vengence. It’s happened here in Canada and in the US. This is all about contolling the food source… as Kissinger said…“If you control the oil you control the country; if you control the food you control the population.” Do you want to be contolled?
i watched a great movie last night — The Informant with Matt Damon. it’s all about ArcherDanielsMidland and how they price fix a corn derivative called lysine — which they put into every kind of food, along with high fructose corn syrup. it’s not just portion control that made the world fat. it’s the addition of this product that is partially to blame. after watching the movie, i sure don’t want these people in charge of any food i eat, which is why i don’t consume packaged goods. and i sure don’t want monsanto engineering my food, so i will take my chances eating organic everything and stay away from food that has been processed or manufactured using gmo corn or soybeans.
I think you make a very valid point, maravilla. The corporate interests that control farming in North America are more interested in profits than in food value. They can produce, store and deliver more dollar value in high fructose corn syrup than in whole corn, corn meal, etc. So it’s in their interest to see that product in every possible processed food. And since high fructose corn syrup is both calorie-dense and also a very powerful sweetener, it has contributed mightily to changing Amercians’ tastes in favor of more sweetness and also added materially to the caloric load.
When we first came to Costa Rica, we noticed that locally produced baked goods are typically not as sweet as we’re used to. Why? Because the Costa Rican palate hasn’t become fully accustomed to the high sweetening power of high fructose corn syrup (but they’re probably working on it).
John makes an equally valid point about portion sizes. Used to be you could buy a carton of six six-ounce Cokes or Pepsis which was also what vending machines sold (but not in schools). Try to find that portion size today. And while one certainly could drink six ounces of a twenty-ounce Coke, how many of us actually do? Likewise, Starbucks, McDonald’s and the rest have all increased portion sizes.
So the marketers are, in a very real way, forcing us to consume more. And it’s not just soft drinks. Restaurant portion sizes are off the chart, too, as John also points out. And again, who really cuts their steak in half and brings half home?
Looks like i am going to have to research the prevalence of GMO foods in Costa Rica for the new magazine.
Thanks for the link maravilla. Let’s hope that we finally have the scientic evidence to support the risks associated with GMO to make our governments listen and stop corporations like Monsanto from unleashing their poison on the masses. I look forward to the results of your research. Let me know if I can help.
There is evidence that GMO’s are harmful, actually a couple of studies out there, If your really interested in this discussion I strongly recommend that you see the movie “Food Inc.” It will go into some of the studies and also go into why there have been very few studies in general. By the way GMO’s are banned not only in European countries but many other countries in the world have also banned it or are requiring food labeling to indicate GMO use. Actually Africa would not accept food aid from the US because of GMO’s (more about this in the movie) another movie that addresses this is “The Future of Food”.
This is just a little commentary not directed at anyone. Interesting how folks in general don’t trust the US government (or should I say corporate system) but are willing to follow the FDA guidelines on food, The same agency that is run by ex Monsanto employees (makers of GMO’s) that head back to Monsanto after their work is done. Also interesting how the FDA scientists have warned about GMO’s and shockingly the FDA directors or should I say Monsanto employees in control bury it. It should be noted that both the Bush and Obama admin had/have Monsanto employees. Also it’s a bad argument that because Americans have not been sick or the life span has increase in the US that there is no problem. Well how do we know that its not causing health issues? GMO’s have been around since the 80’s but until the last ten years has not been wide spread. Folks the infant mortality rate in the US keeps increasing unlike European nations or for that matter Costa Rica. Our cancel rate continues to climb, more so then other countries. Could this be from GMO’s?
Ever hear of Agent Orange? (yes a chemical from Monsanto, not much different in reality from GMO government policy) How many years did it take the government to admit to the human damage, “the deadly illnesses associated to Agent Orange exposure can take 20-30 years to develop” http://www.agent-orange-lawsuit.com/facts.htmlSorry about the rant but folks please educate yourselves on the food we eat, just watch the movies and then do your internet search (homework)…you will be shocked!
I read the blog again and I want to respond to some questions that were put out there: just a disclaimer here, I am not an expert on this subject but I have done my research and you should too.
Two more questions arise: First, why would someone want to propagate a genetically modified strain? [b]MONEY[/b]
Increased yield would be one good reason ACTUALLY IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DECREASE YIELD.
Improved disease resistance would be another, NOPE ACTUALLY DISEASE HAS INCREASED AS THE RESISTANCE TO GROUND UP GROWS.
Enhanced nutritional value of the resulting food product might be a third, WRONG AGAIN ITS ACTUALLY LESS
Second, why would someone wish to eat a genetically modified food? THEY WOULD NOT EAT IT IF THEY WERE INFORMED. IN MOST CASES, THUS THE STRONG LOBBY TO NOT LABEL IT IN THE US. HOW MANY AMERICANS EVEN KNOW WHAT A GMO IS?
Well, decreased cost due to higher yields or lower losses to disease, deterioration in storage or predation might be one reason. ACTUALLY THE COST HAS ACTUALLY GONE UP IN GREATER RATE THEN OTHER FOOD PRODUCTS, LOOK INTO THE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES.
AFTER SEEING THE MOVIES AND TAKING A LOOK AT THE STUDIES AND INTERNET LINKS PROVIDED BY THEM, YOU WILL BE CERTAINLY ABLE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND IF YOU HAD CHILDREN, YOU CERTAINLY WON’T LET THEM EAT GMO’s
i agree with you totally. it’s one of the reasons i have been organic for so many years — at least they claim to not use gmo seeds, and are prohibited from doing so, and i have to trust them because i sure don’t trust Big Agra. i haven’t even scratched the surface of this topic as it relates to food in costa rica. that organic bytes article i posted has some great research sites, videos, and articles. for people to sit idly by while our food is being manipulated is a hard thing for me to understand. why there haven’t been riots over the use of hfcs and the damage its wrought is also a mystery.
Another good documentary that may be difficult to get in the US (I think it’s been banned) is “The World According to Monsanto”. It’s a French production but I managed to snag a copy here in Toronto. Another eye-opener.
I understand that a supreme court ruling is currently on the table Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms, No. 09-475 to decide if the USDA illegally approved the use of GM sugar beets without considering the affects to organic farmers, consumers or the environment. The kicker… Clarence Thomas, former Monsanto lawyer is hearing the case. Conflict of interest…not according to Thomas. How many products are made with sugar from sugar beets? Soon everything we eat will be infected with GMO. Let’s hope that the real scientists (not the paid and bought pseudo-scientists) along with doctors and the consumers make a stand.
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