Yes,\u00a0and I am going to tell you why. There is so much buzz about GMO\u2019s recently, especially with General Mills announcement of labeling their original Cheerios with a \u201cnot made with genetically modified ingredients\u201d label. (By the way, oats are the ingredient of Cheerios and there are no GMO oats.)<\/span><\/p>\n Let us start this conversation by discussing what is a GMO.<\/span><\/p>\n GMO stands for \u201cgenetically modified organism\u201d and it allows intentionally selected individual genes with the desired trait (which contains DNA) to be transplanted from one organism to another. Farmers and gardeners have been creating plant hybrids for as long as they have grown plants. Farmers use genetically modifications as a more efficient and precise method for this process. Scientists do not force the transplants as some may think\u2013either the DNA crosses or it doesn\u2019t, just like in nature. Also, one common misconception is a GMO is a thing. Wrong. It is a breeding technology.<\/span><\/p>\n One comment I hear over and over is GMOs are poison. But when you look at the research,\u00a0over 2 trillion<\/em>\u00a0meals have been served with absolutely no<\/em> evidence of\u00a0ANY<\/strong>\u00a0ill effect from\u00a0ANY<\/strong>\u00a0GE food. I can go on and on and on with hundreds of statistics and research that proves GE foods are safe. But when you are a mom and it\u2019s your responsibility to feed your family healthy and safe food, you can\u2019t help but take notice of these claims against GMOs. Emotion takes over and statistics go by the wayside. <\/span><\/p>\n 1) Lack of Trust<\/em><\/strong>. Many people don\u2019t trust big ag companies like Monsanto. Our emotions take over when we think of corporations, whom we don\u2019t think care about us, having a significant influence on our food supply.<\/span><\/p>\n 2) Nostalgia<\/em><\/strong>. Why can\u2019t we just go back to how we used to grow plants? Plus, we just\u00a0don\u2019t understand science and what GMOs mean for our food, or our families. Can\u2019t we just go back to the good ole\u2019 days in how our food was grown?<\/span><\/p>\n 3) Confusion<\/strong>. <\/span><\/em>Moms are confused when they go to their local grocery store. Is this food healthy? Will this food hurt me or my family\u2019s health? What does this label mean? Unfortunately, retail food fear marketing capitalizes on this confusion and we (consumers) are the victims. They want us to buy certain foods because we are confused and fearful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 4) Victims of propaganda food wars<\/em><\/strong>. There are many other countries that are banning GMOs, so they must know something we don\u2019t, right?<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s delve a little deeper into these common claims about GMOs:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n First, Monsanto is no longer. Bayer bought Monsanto, but many people do not know this piece of information. I can\u2019t defend some things Monsanto has done in the past, but I can defend some of the outright rumors. One common rumor is they sue farmers for trace amounts of their patented GMO seeds. Nope, nada. They have never<\/em> sued a farmer for trace amounts of their patented GMO seeds. Now, if you intentionally plant seeds, where an agreement was signed, saying you will not plant them, yes, you may be sued. There are other myths, so I recommend checking out\u00a0Myths about Monsanto\u00a0to learn more.<\/span><\/p>\n The fact is,\u00a0plants naturally produce their own pesticides<\/a>. Why is that? For survival. We consume a significant amount of plant-produced pesticides and don\u2019t even realize it.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Genetic modifications happen in nature and also through conventional methods of plant breeding.\u00a0The strawberry never existed in nature as it is now and was directly changed by human crossing<\/a>. In addition, they have recently discovered the sweet potato<\/a> was genetically modified. 8000 years ago.<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In a nutshell, many of those decisions are political. The decision to go GMO-free has really nothing to do with the safety of GMOs, but rather other political pressures. Any many of those countries import GMO grain to feed livestock.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not easy at all. It takes anywhere from 13-15 years and about $136,000,000 to bring a GMO to market. It needs to be approved by the FDA, EPA and USDA, all who test the seeds rigorously for any potential health issues.<\/span><\/p>\n One reason \u2013 the GMO technology is better for the environment and is just one tool farmers can use to improve efficiencies<\/em>. We use fewer pesticides on our farm and that\u2019s good for the environment. There is less runoff (70% less), less water is needed, less soil erosion (90% less), less plant disease and less pesticide exposure to my husband. But it\u2019s just not benefiting farmers, consumers can benefit as well. Genetically engineering can mean higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids (save the salmon), higher vitamin content, better food shelf life, fewer allergens (think of peanuts with no allergens) and many more benefits. But in order for these improvements to happen, we can\u2019t be afraid to use technology. And there are many more waiting on \u201cthe shelf\u201d just waiting for consumer approval.<\/span><\/p>\n There are only 11 foods that have been approved for genetically engineered<\/a> \u2013 corn (both field and sweet), soybeans, cotton, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, papaya, apple, potatoes, pink pineapple, and squash. That\u2019s it.<\/span><\/p>\n It may seem like \u201cGMO-free\u201d label indicates the food is better than those without the label, but that isn\u2019t exactly right. Nutritionally, GMO and non-GMO foods are identical. <\/span><\/p>\n Moms need to be\u00a0smart consumers<\/strong>\u00a0and not fall for \u201cfood fear\u201d marketing tactics. I know\u2013it\u2019s hard. And all too often, consumers end up paying more for the \u201cGMO-free\u201d. Remember the \u201cfollow the money\u201d adage? That\u2019s exactly what this is about. It\u2019s about the money. In regards to General Mills Cheerios decision-the old and new Cheerios are the same.\u00a0Oats are the main ingredient in Cheerios and oats are not Genetically Engineered.<\/strong>\u00a0The little bit of sugar used for taste is highly processed, which means it contains no DNA, therefore cannot be genetically engineered. Do you see where this is going?\u00a0Let\u2019s be smart, moms<\/em>. Let\u2019s do our research and not fall into \u201cfood fear\u201d marketing campaigns. These companies know exactly what they are doing and it means big dollars ($) for these companies.<\/span><\/p>\n And if this isn\u2019t enough, we have the backing of reputable science authorities including the U.S. National Academics of Science, the British Royal Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science,the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization (and many more organizations) support the conclusion that genetically modified\u00a0foods are safe<\/strong>. So are you going to believe these reputable organizations or what someone, who most likely has no science background, has written on the Internet?<\/span><\/p>\n Look at who is on our side. Science has won out and is on our side. Our intelligence is on our side. Because,we as consumers need to stand up and be aware of our emotions and \u201cfood fear\u201d marketing and not let it take over our common sense and our reasonableness. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For more information about GMO\u2019s:<\/span><\/p>\n 10 Things You May Not Know About GMOs<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Top 5 Myths about GMO\u2019s \u2013 A Mom\u2019s Perspective<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat are GMOs?<\/span><\/h2>\n
GMO Concerns<\/span><\/h2>\n
What about \u201cbig ag\u201d Monsanto?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Plants should not have genes transplanted, which allow them to produce their own pesticides<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Genetically engineering is just unnatural<\/strong>. <\/span><\/h2>\n
Why are other countries banning GMOs?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
How easy is it to bring a genetically modified seed to market?<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
So why do we need GMOs?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
How many foods are genetically modified?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Biotechnology](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mnfarmliving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/1186789_589371537772222_438252091_n-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200\")
<\/a>So what are moms supposed to do?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
As a mom and grandma, I am not afraid of GMOs<\/strong>. <\/span><\/h2>\n
And this is why it\u2019s okay to feed your family GMO\u2019s<\/strong>.<\/span><\/h2>\n