Taking a Stand Against the GM Food Movement

Guest post by Karen Flores

It is nothing new to hear about the growing control that multi-national corporations (MNCs) are having over our food industry with genetically modified (GM) foods, which are infiltrating every aspect of the consumer food market. It is increasingly difficult here in the US to find foods that have not been genetically modified in some way.

What is new to hear is that more and more countries are willing to take a stand against the giant MNCs and ban GM crops in their countries. With entire countries enacting bans against GM crops, this is an enormous leap in making arguments known over the concerns of GM foods. Ireland has made the decision to ban GM crops and offers a voluntary labeling system that identifies food which are GM-free. Ireland’s decision is based on many factors from the obvious to the more subtle.

Clearly there are health concerns revolving around GM foods and what kind of long-term health issues that may arise. But additionally, Ireland recognizes that its local farmers would not be able to compete against the giant subsidized food industry as is seen in the US and Canada. Over time, the MNCs would gain control over much of the economy and Ireland’s local businesses would be suffocated and eventually become extinct. Another beneficial reason for Ireland to ban GM crops is that with consumers increasingly demanding natural foods, Ireland stands to be a good source country for non-GM foods that can me exported to other countries. It will be clear that foods grown in Ireland or other countries with a ban against GM crops will be naturally produced.

Ireland will likely face an uphill battle against MNC giants, such as Monsanto. Last year, Monsanto filed a suit against the German Government when it enacted a ban against GM corn. Monsanto is clearly trying to preserve the economic opportunities in Europe and is willing to battle it out against countries that ban GM crops; realizing the potential influence these bans would have on other European countries that may be flirting with the idea.

As more countries start to ban GM crops and take a stand for additional testing and research, there may be a glimmer of hope toward more natural food choices and less control by MNCs.

Fresh, Healthy, & Local from a Vending Machine

What if you could get fresh healthy local food from a vending machine?  If you live in Germany, you can!  A German farm, Peter-und-Paul-Hof, is collaborating with a vending machine company to sell sell fresh milk, eggs, butter, cheese, potatoes and sausage along hiking trails in Switzerland and in thirteen German towns and communities through Regiomat vending machines. This approach provided a cost effective solution for the farm to reach end consumers at reduced costs.

Onion News Network Takes on Taco Bell

Ready for a chuckle? Check out this video from Onion News Network, entitled "Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature."



Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature

The Tangled Web of Biofuels, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Food Prices

Despite goverment insistence that biofuels are not to blame for increased food prices and Sen. Grassley's claim that "the recent criticism of ethanol by foreign officials (is) “a big joke,” the evidence continues to mount against first-generation biofuels.

Research has already shown that Brazilian soy biodiesel, European rye ethanol, European rapeseed biodiesel, and US corn ethanol all have a worse life cycle impact on the environment than petrol. Now two reports have been released that connect biofuels to increased food prices.

Oxfam has released a report, Another Inconvenient Truth, stating that biofuels are responsible for 30 percent of the increase in world food prices. The report goes on to state that biofuels' contribution to increased world food prices have pushed 30 million people into poverty. According to the report,

Biofuels are presented in rich countries as a solution to two crises: the climate crisis and the oil crisis. But they may not be a solution to either, and instead are contributing to a third: the current food crisis....(T)he most serious costs of these policies – deepening poverty and hunger, environmental degradation, and accelerating climate change – are being ‘dumped’ on developing countries.

In a related report from the World Bank, Biofuels: The Promise and the Risks, they state that liquid biofuels from agriculture have pushed up feedstock prices, increased competition for land and water, and resulted in a 60% increase in the price of maize from 2005 to 2007. The report goes on to suggest that first-generation biofuels have not lived up to their promise of reduced greenhouse gas emissions and reduced reliance on oil, but second-generation biofuels (from waste) hold more potential.

Both reports urge governments to proceed with caution on biofuel mandates and strategies. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has introduced legislation that would freeze U.S. biofuel mandates at current levels. In the meantime, the British government has decided to slow the expansion of biofuels.

Are Genetically Modified Foods Part of the Solution?

In a recent Ethical Corporation Editorial, it is suggested that we should reconsider "often vilified" genetically modified (GM) crops for the role they can play in addressing climate change-related food crises. They argue that climate change will cause a decrease in food production while the world's population will increase.

The Editorial states, "Biotechnology companies can help answer the climate-related food crisis in three ways: reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with farming; developing crops better able to withstand extreme weather brought about by global warming; and making biofuels production more efficient."

The article concludes, "GM alone cannot solve the world’s emerging food crisis. But there could be areas where GM crops can step in where conventional breeding techniques have so far failed....The potential benefits of GM in combating global warming, if verified, could mark the start of its rehabilitation in the eyes of the general public."

Read the full Editorial in Ethical Corporation magazine.

The Sustainability of Corn-Based Products

Corn-based products are considered to be environmentally-friendly because they are an alternative to petroleum-based products. Many products are made from corn, such as clothing items, carpet, food containers, tires, and now computers. But to be fully sustainable, we must consider the triple social, economic, and environmental impact of agriculture for use in manufacturing products. This is a summary of the ongoing debate.

Social Impact: Food Shortages

Jean Ziegler of the UN states, "Using land for biofuels would result in massacres" due to a reduction in the amount of food aid sent to developing countries by richer ones.

According to the Global Risks Report 2008 from the World Economic Forum, "Food security, at the nexus of a number of issues from energy security to climate change and water scarcity, may be emerging as one of the major risks of the 21st century....The consequences, particularly for the most vulnerable communities, may be harsh."

Other foods, such as agave plants (for tequila), are now being supplanted by the more profitable corn crop.

Economic Impact: Higher Prices

The Global Risks Report also states, "In 2007, prices for many staple foods reached record levels. The price of corn in late 2007 was 50% higher than 12 months previously. The price of wheat was double. Global food reserves are at their lowest in 25 years and, as a result, world food supply is vulnerable to an international crisis or natural disaster."

"In 2007, (UK) food and drink prices rose at their fastest rate in 14 years, at 4.7%. In the US, food prices were up 4.4% year-over-year at the end of 2007 – double the rate of non-food, non-energy inflation – partially due to increased acreage devoted to corn to make ethanol." Food prices increased even more in developing countries.

Environmental Impact: More Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Research has shown that US corn ethanol has a worse life cycle impact on the environment than gasoline, partly because it takes more energy to produce. And research has also shown that corn-based cups and food containers ranked 2nd (of 4 plastics products) in energy usage, only behind PET plastic containers (frequently used for soft drink bottles). And deforestation is occuring in order to plant palm oil and soya for biofuels.

In using corn and other agricultural crops for the manufacture of products, we must consider the triple social, economic, and environmental impact in order to be fully sustainable.

Learn Free Vocabulary & Give Free Rice

In a previous post, I discussed how video games are being used to spread the sustainability message. Now there is Free Rice, an online vocabulary-building game. For each word you get correct, they donate 10 grains of rice to feed the hungry through an international aid agency. The rice is paid for by the advertisers on the site. Over 2,000,000 grains of rice are donated daily. Go ahead, test your vocabulary, expand your knowledge, and give Free Rice!

Update: rice is distributed through the UN Food Program.

Peace Cereal - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

Peace Cereal (owned by Golden Temple) is a line of organic cereals devoted to personal health and a peaceful planet. From their web site: "10% of the proceeds from Peace Cereal sponsors an annual gathering to pray for peace; International Peace Prayer Day. On this day, we traditionally bestow Man and Woman of Peace awards to Peace activists, as well as Peace Cereal grants to nonprofit organizations working for peace."

In addition, Peace Cereal founded the Socially Responsible Business Awards "to honor companies who have demonstrated excellence in integrating social responsibility in multiple facets of their businesses." Past winners include Seventh Generation, Tom's of Maine, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Wild Oats.