Authors: Thaer & Fola

 

1. DID YOU KNOW?

 

• Whole Foods has knowingly been selling GMO products for years, hiding them under the “natural” label.
• GMO products can be found in Whole Foods salad bar, packaged foods, meats, dairy products and some of the Whole Foods branded vitamin line.
• Whole Foods knowingly trains its employees to say they do not carry any GMO food.
• Whole Foods has makes an estimated $2-$3 billion a year in sales of GMO products.
• Whole Foods financially supports Monsanto through the GMO sourcing supply chain, selling all sorts of products made with Monsanto’s GM corn.
• Two-thirds of Whole Foods products are labeled “natural” instead of certified organic.
  Whole Foods seeks a “coexistence” with Monsanto, making deals with the USDA for genetically modified alfalfa and commercialized engineered crops.

 

 

Over 90% of Americans have said they want labels on GMO products and yet, the House passes a bill to prevent mandatory GMO food labeling. Our fight against GMO is never-ending but we, The GMO Project are motivated to implement a day of action specifically targeting Whole Foods. Whole Foods Corporation proudly depicts their business as a supermarket chain specializing in organic food.

Whole foods is not the only perpetrator behind the problem of GMOs but politicians as well play a part in the interest of only making a profit without knowing the facts of whether GMOs are truly harmful or beneficial to the human body. Representatives Collin Peterson of Minnesota, Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, Mike Conaway of Texas, and Kurt Schradler of Oregon are all cosponsors of the legislation; who also sit on the House of Agricultural Committee. They all attain six-figure salaries from providers of agricultural services and products during the 2014 election cycle. Politicians are not limited to the names above, there are countless others who all have the same motive in mind; keep pumping GMOs into food so money can continue to fill their already fat pockets.

 

Many countries have strict rules and regulations about GMO’s and are adamant about their exposure. Those who haven’t banned or modified the way GMOs are sold and consumed are taking active measures to do so. Sixteen countries ban the sale or growth of seeds and other GMO related products. See the chart below to find out more.

 

 

 

 

Italy:	The four regions Tuscany, Molise, Lazio, and Marche and around 25 provinces, cities, and communes including Rome, Milan, Turin, Brescia and Genoa banned GE crops.
Austria:	Bans on three GE maize (Novartis, Monsanto, and AgroEvo), the federal institution for Less­Favoured and Mountainous Areas is pressing for GM free legislation and published and published a study on GE­free zones, initiatives in the States of Vorarlberg and Salzburg to ban GE trials.
France:	Ban of PGS and AGROEVO HR rapeseed.
Germany	Bans of Novartis Bt maize. The initiative “No GE on communal land” of Friends of the Earth Germany launched activities in several German communities to discuss and vote on GE­free resolutions.
Luxembourg	Ban of Norvatis Bt maize.
Portugal	Ban of Norvatis Bt maize.
Greece	Ban of AgroEvo HR rapeseed, moratorium of GE crop trials.
Spain	The three provinces of Castilla­La Mancha and Baleares banned GE food.
Norway	Banned the import of several GE crops and products that contain antibiotic resistant genes.
Australia	The state of Tasmania banned GE rapeseed as weed; Western Australia has banned commercial GE planting.
Thailand:	Banned imports of 40 GE crops for commercial planting, but not for research purposes.
Saudi Arabia	Banned foods that are made from GMOs and declared not to import GE wheat.
Egypt	Declared not to import GE wheat.
Algeria	Banned the import, distribution, commercializations and utilization of GE plants except for research purposes.
Brazil	Planting of GE seeds in prohibited by federal law in Brazil for the time being.
Paraguay	The Ministry of Agriculture plans to ban GE crops from commercial planting.