OMG GMO

So I have known the evils of GMOs for a while but choosing not to eat GMOs is pretty hard work. The lack of labels for products containing GMO means that anything (especially processed foods) can contain GMO by-products. The best bet it to choose organic all the time but this isn't always easy, especially at this time of year when organic produce in Canada usually means a hefty carbon bill for transport from Florida or overseas. So I have done some research and for the most common GMO in North America, I will make them my organic priority.

"According to the only human feeding study ever conducted on GMOs, the gene that makes genetically modified soy resistant to Roundup actually transfers to the DNA of the human gut bacteria and continues to function" Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology interviewed in Brairpatch jan/feb 2009

My top 3 GMOs to avoid:

1. Corn - 60% of crops have been modified to resist pesticides so farmers can bathe the corn in chemicals... yuck .. the concern here is not so much the actual corn on the cob but more so the corn by-products that you will find in almost all processed food items

2. Soybeans - 89% of N. American crops are modified to be resistant to herbicides... I never was into soy so much anyway but still...

3. Sugar (from Sugar Cane or Sugar Beets) - pesticide infusion again .... I am committed to buy organic even if it is expensive but I figure I will use less which is better for my health anyway

My 1 product to avoid overall:

1. Cotton - this is a really scary one.. Cotton crops use 25% of the world's insecticides and 10% of the world's pesticides... a single t-shirt is sprayed with a third of a pound of pesticides... I can't shop anymore!!! Seriously! I usually pick-up a cheap top every week or so, but every label I look at the says 100% cotton makes me sick to the stomach! Thanks goodness for American Apparel tops and Levis eco-jeans - that will be my new look going forward :) Then on the GMO side, it should come as a surprise that cotton crops are modified to be pest-resistant...
OMG GMO ...