Join Right to Know CT for a GMO town hall meeting May 23

An important message from our Executive Director, Bill Duesing:  

Friends,

We can't let Monsanto keep control of our legislative process through threats and disinformation.
 
90 percent of Americans want to know if GMOs are in their food.  A pré vote tally of CT representatives indicated that 85 percent of them supported the labeling legislation.
 
Monsanto (and its biotech buddies) don't support labeling.
 
Look at the results in CT and VT (no labeling) and compare that to what you'd expect in a democracy.
 
Did you see the latest damnation of industrial food?
 
KPMG, a major accounting firm says that the food industry produces over $2 worth of environmental and resource damage for each $1 in profits.
 
Other information indicates that the industrial food system produces at least $1.50 in medical costs for each dollar of profit, just for the big three diet related diseases-obesity, diabetes and heart disease. We've been told that one in three children born in this century will develop diabetes and that currently many teenagers are developing this expensive and dangerous disease.
 
So just these two categories, which likely miss some things-like the cost of food related cancers and allergies-indicate that for each $1 for food system profits, humans and the environment pay $3.50 in costs.
 
The profits of the food industry are literally coming from destruction of the health of people and the environment.
 
It is time to get serious about our food system. Little else is so important.
 
Our food choices are powerful tools for change. Eating locally, organically and lower on the food chain are ways each of us can make a difference.

You are invited to join us at a Right To Know CT town hall-style meeting. 

Wednesday, May 23

Church of the Redeemer, UCC

185 Cold Spring Street, New Haven, CT 06511

10:20 am – 12:00 noon 

We will discuss a number of key campaigns and initiatives we will be undertaking over the next few months to educate and influence Right to Know CT's three main constituent groups: farmers, consumers and legislators. Leaders spearheading these efforts will briefly present them to the group and welcome members to volunteer to help. We will also discuss strategic partnerships and invite members to take ownership of and manage these relationships on behalf of Right to Know CT. During the communal share, members will have an opportunity to share with the group any program, event, initiative, project, etc. they are involved with and invite others to participate. We will also be organizing groups by geographical areas and encouraging attendees to sign up for Jeffrey Smith's Tipping Point Network. Representative Richard Roy, the original sponsor of the GMO labeling bill will be in attendance. We hope to see you there.

5 Things You Need to Know About GMOs

Michele Jacobson, a certified Clinical Nutritionist and the author of Just Because You’re An American Doesn’t Mean You Have To Eat Like One!, recently wrote an article entitled 5 Things You Need to Know About GMOs.  We've talked about this issue a lot because it deserves being talked about, and the second that we lose momentum over this issue is the second the bills currently pending nationally and statewide lose ground.  If you still haven't contacted your legislator in Connecticut, or haven't signed the Federal petition, here are some excerpts from Michele's article that might sway you to do so:

Why You Want To Avoid GMOs
What about the effects of GMOs on us after we’ve eaten them? Human studies are sparse to date, but there is a broad call for more research due to suspicion that foods made from GMO plants are linked to an increase in allergies. Indeed, “soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced.”2 Additionally, “scientists recently found GE insecticide in corn showing up in the umbilical cords of pregnant women.”

Where Does The Rest Of The World Stand?
“Unlike most other developed countries – such as 15 nations in the European Union, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and even China – the U.S. has no laws requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. Yet polls have repeatedly shown that the vast majority of Americans, – over 90% in most studies – believe GE foods should be labeled.”
 
Labeling in the EU is mandatory. Even some countries in need of aid have restricted the use of GM food. The United States is the only country in the world that allows the unregulated and unlabeled distribution of genetically modified and genetically engineered foods to be sold.

What CanYou Do?
As it turns out, there is quite a bit you can do on a personal level to make your stance known.
1 - Avoid GM and GE foods to the best of your ability! It’s not so easy, as they have really infiltrated our food system, but by avoiding processed foods and paying attention to labels you can at least stand a chance.
2 - Buy 100% certified organic food. While guaranteeing your safety from genetically modified foods, this also makes a statement to producers that you don’t support GMOs in our food system. It’s simple supply and demand (or, in this case, demand and supply). Although it certainly isn’t the only reason to buy organic foods, it’s a great reason to start.
3 - Many states have bills pending the labeling of GMO products. Or, at JustLabelIt you can sign a petition for the FDA to require that all genetically engineered foods be labeled as such.
4 - Raise awareness! Talk about it to your friends, point out the No GMOs label on packaging, and pass this article along to a friend.

For more GMO information, please visit our website.  We all have a right to know what is in our food!  Please contact your legislator today and let your voice be heard!