So much of the food that Americans consume is genetically modified or has genetically modified ingredients. Ninety percent of American adults consume genetically modified foods (GMO's) either knowingly or unknowingly (Blatt 2008). This was very shocking to me. Agriculture has come so far that we are genetically engineering seeds to do adapt to certain weather conditions and resist certain pesticides and herbicides.
But, Monsanto's control over the GMO industry definitely has some negative consequences. They have so much power and an ample amount of money that it seems to be impossible to negotiate fairly with them. The only entity that has the power to impose regulation on Monsanto is the federal government; but many of the government officials related to the issue are on Monsanto's side.
GMO's only have been used on such a large scale in recent history, so there is not much data on the long-term effects it can have on the human body. There is a chance that genetically engineering so much of our food may come back to bite us in the future. But one thing is for certain, Monsanto's power must be broken up in order for the small farms and local economies of the dense agricultural areas to survive in this country.
It definitely was a shocker when I first learned the details about Monsanto's monopoly. Its kind of eye opening too how in Food Inc. they even throw in the visual representation in the supermarket of all of these brands really only being a handful that are ultimately influenced by Monsanto. Although we're completely killing all hopes of biodiversity of species with Monsanto, I agree that the long term effects really need to be looked into.
ReplyDeleteIt is alarming to see the high amount of GMOs that are currently used in so many products across the country. One of the main reasons is because labeling for GMOs is not mandatory, and many lobbyist (especially Monsanto) are fighting to keep it this way.
ReplyDeleteSince corn and soybeans are used in the vast majority of products that you can find in supermarkets, the chances that you are consuming something genetically modified are very high. And Monsanto wants to keep it this way, because it monopolizes the industry and they can continue controlling farmers and most sectors of agriculture.
By supporting local farms, not only you're boosting small businesses, but you are empowering the diversity of products and honing more ethical practices that increase the overall wellness of the community and society!