Check out this blog from PLAN Intern Sarah Short who is a Master of Social Work student from the University of Southern California. Join thousands of people around the world this Saturday as they March Against Monsanto and demand our food be safe and labeled.
Saturday October 12, 2013 – March Against Monsanto
This Saturday, hundreds of marches will be held across the U.S and the world to bring awareness of the increase in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply. The world wide “March Against Monsanto” will bring together activists and concerned citizens to protest corporations, like Monsanto, that continue the practice of manipulating our crops and controlling farmers through litigation to produce crops that have not been proven safe. Monsanto also seeks to profit off of climate change. 
Currently, over 85% of corn and 91% of soybeans are genetically modified, this means, the DNA from another species (bacteria, insects, or viruses) are artificially combined to produce plants that resist herbicides and produce their own pesticides. Corn and soybeans are not the only crops thing being altered by Monsanto, thousands of other plants and animals have as well, such as: pigs injected with human grown genes and fish with cattle growth genes. It is estimated that nearly 75% of foods in our supermarkets contain genetically modified ingredients.
Despite the fact that 18 countries have banned, and over 60 countries require labeling of GMOs, Congress has yet to pass any laws to required labeling. While other countries refuse to allow GMOs in their food supply until proven safe, the US has decided to allow them until proven unsafe: we are their science experiment. The FDA has the authority to label over 3,000 ingredients in our food, such as: milk, peanuts, and soy. The FDA also has the authority to label GMOs, yet they will not. Interestingly, the Deputy Commissioner of Policy at the FDA spent over 10 years working as an attorney representing Monsanto.
Numerous studies have questioned the safety of these new genetically modified organisms and the risk to human health and the environment could be disastrous. In contrast to studies questioning the safety of GMOs, the USDA has claimed NO pre-market studies will be performed on crops and biotech companies are responsible for performing their own safety studies. In response, Monsanto has stated: “There is no need for, or value in testing the safety of GM (genetically modified) foods in humans”.
Please join hundreds of others to show your concern against the use of GMOs in our food supply!
March Against Monsanto | Saturday, October 12, 2013 | 10:30 am | Freemont Street East, Las Vegas