The beef, poultry, fish, and swine conglomerations that dominate this country are not alone, in their domination or practices. Eating vegan, and feeling (as I've mentioned in other posts) somewhat "gloaty" about my health and lack of toxin and pesticide intake, I was more than shocked to realize that mass agriculture (like its meaty counterparts) has its own underhanded hierarchy. Like Tyson, Purdue, and Smithfield farms dominate far over 50% of the poultry market, Monsanto and ConAgra have 90% of farmers in this country by the balls. Their genetically modified (or GMO) seeds are being grown in almost every large scale production farm in this country, and they're suing the other 10%. In case this info has not caused a sense of alarm...BE ALARMED. Here's why you, me, and everyone in this country (and others) should feel impending doom.
1) The working definition of GMO (compliments of wikipedia)-"A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species."
A different species can be present in our produce, dairy and meat because of the use of genetic modification which increases yields. Again, BE ALARMED.
2) If you are vegan or vegetarian, and think you've won the clean food lotto.....guess what? 90% of the soy beans produced in America are genetically modified to withstand the use of pesticides. So, don't think just because you eat like a bird you're safe from the plight of factory farming or production!!! BE SERIOUSLY ALARMED. If you are anything like me, a large percentage of the protein in your vegan/veg diet comes from GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM WHICH MAY CONTAIN DIFFERENT SPECIES'(whatever that means...it sounds really wrong to me)!
3) Genetic modification to corn has made it extremely cheap and easy to produce for a billion different causes. One is high fructose corn syrup. The ads paid for by the corn industry of america, saying that high fructose corn syrup isnot bad, are lying. Its bad. It is also so easy to produce, that cows are being fed corn which is difficult for them to digest because they naturally would only graze on grass. It also makes them fatter quicker, which means they go to slaughter sooner. Sounds fun. This means they are subjected not only to shorter lives than they would lead in nature, but those lives are cramped unhappy, tiresome, filled with feces and disease, and to top it off, they probably have a chronic tummy ache. That sucks.
4) Monsanto will sue the pants off of any farmer not willing to succumb to the evil of producing GMO's for a million and one completely ridiculous reasons.
The business of poisoning this country with GMO's is sad and awful. But, look at us. We don't need to abide by seasonal production of fruits and veggies, and the shelf life is longer, and we can pay miniscule prices. But we're killing ourselves.Or worse, we're letting Monsanto and Conagra kill us, and take our money at the same time. The only way to stop this is to vote with our dollars, and buy local and seasonal. That means giving up certain things depending on the time of year.
Do you think we can do this? I'm exhausted and I want to write and research more about this,but I'm curious, do you think we can live with limited options and shorter shelf lives and slightly more expensive groceries by buying local and seasonal? Would it be worth it? Let me know in the comments.
P.S. Watch Food Inc if you haven't, its really eye opening.
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