By Madie Murray
On Oct 23, I received an email from the California Right To Know organization that contained a plea from Alice Waters, renowned author, food activist, and founder of the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California. In it, she stated, “On November 6th, the future of food is at stake at the ballot box” and urged the signing of the Chefs’ Position in Support of Prop 37 that requires clear labeling of foods that are genetically engineered. (Her letter and the chefs petition may be found at https://www.carighttoknow.org/chefsforprop37?recruiter_id=142666)
Waters also stated that she agreed with Carlo Petrini, founder and president of Slow Food International who said “this is our moment to do something really important for everyone on this planet.”
California is taking an unprecedented stand against GMOs, and I’m sincerely hoping we do, too, by voting for San Juan County to become a GMO-free county. It’s one small step toward controlling the relentless march of GMOs into our food supply.
We are NOT “elitists, ignorant of the benefits…” or “uncaring about the planet and its inhabitants” as the writers of the Statement Against Measure 2012-4 on our ballot pamphlet states.
Oh, quite the contrary! We are taking a courageous step in telling Monsanto, Dow Chemical and other huge corporations making enormous profits risking the health of American citizens that our little county has the wisdom to say not in our back yard!
Madie Murray is Chair of the Farm to Cafeteria Committee and a member of the Orcas Island Education Foundation
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Well said, Madie! We have a unique opportunity here and I hope the public understands this from all perspectives; economic, health, environmental, quality of life.
If we can keep our seed strains uncontaminated, we can economically benefit by selling our unpolluted seeds to others, and we can keep vegetable varieties from going extinct. Please, people – look to your bird seed. If it contains GMO grains, not only might they harm the birds, but if they grow and flower, they might pollute the pure open-pollenated seed strains. GMO crops decimate the environment, causing more disease and insect damage and rendering fields barren. Do the research.