Organics vs GMO Debate: Whole Foods or Not. Who's On Your Side?

Last week a big vote was made. Whether you heard about it or not, I seriously suggest looking into what's happening to the food on your plate. It's common knowledge high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, MSG and other nasties are just not good for us. But what isn't as well known and certainly not advertised, is the real scene behind the charade. Since starting this six-months to a better me thing with Tammy, I've taken a heightened interest from the inside all the way out. I want to know more about why things are good for me or not, where they come from, how and why. So, I've been doing a lot of extra reading and movie watching. It's a bit like being back in college, studying up every night. But this time, I'm learning about things happening every single day, while I'm awake and asleep, that go into making my life and everyone's life possible.

Last night I watched The Future of Food. Put that on your Netflix cue. It's well worth it. After last week's news about Monsanto, GMO's, Organics and Whole Food's, I felt I really should know more about what all this news really means. 

First off, I know it's not good. Reading the news put an ill feeling in my side. If you

haven't yet, browse this letter from the Organic Consumer Association. In short, things with our food supply could go from not-so-good to pretty darn worse, and fast. If Whole Food's stocks are any indication of what the letter outlines, people are not happy.

So here's why, well at least, a very short version of it.

Monsanto=not nice. Why? Monsanto sells genetically modified seeds to farmers. These seeds seem fine and dandy because they'll grow under some of the harshest conditions, stand up to chemicals and pesticides, producing glorious looking foods for our super markets. Seems ok right? These seeds are patented, which is fine if you're selling a lampshade or computer, but seeds like to travel. There are things like wind, birds and other forces of nature that like to transport seeds from one field to another. If Monsanto finds a farmer with plants from their seeds in their field, Monsanto can and will sue the living daylights out of said farmer. This forces farmers who'd been cultivating their own seeds for decades into buying Monsanto seeds, using pesticides. Many farmers are forced into lawsuits and horrible debts that rob retirements right from the hard working families. Really, that's not very nice at all.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. When you get down to it, owning a patent on a live, living anything runs some serious ethical risks. Why on Earth would a massive corporate company want to own seeds? If they own the seeds, they can dictate how they're planted, cultivated and produced. Monsanto and other large corporations end up owning a massive portion (and all of it if they had their way) of the food supply, and I'm just scratching the top here. The Future of Food really explains the whole thing in detail, right down to the genetics and ethics of it all.

So that's the GMO side. On the Organics side, you have a lot of smiling faces. A lot of people not giving up. I'm one of them. I have hope. I believe if we can all voice what we think is right to our local, state and federal governments, we can change all of this. Organics aren't just better for your body, they're better for the planet. If you want evidence of this, just start looking into it more. And if you don't know where to start, I have a number of movies you should add to your Netflix cue and books to investigate. But really, I think doing our own research is the greatest motivation we can all gain so much from.

Now Whole Food's comes into the picture. What people are now learning is a lot of products Whole Food's has been carrying on their shelves contain GM ingredients. Wait a second? I thought Whole Food's was on my side, our side, the Organics side. I mean, they sell things that are good for my body and planet right? In theory sure, and some of their stuff checks out ok, but the fact of the matter is, they've been selling a whole lot of GM food under people's noses, complete with Natural and Organic labeling. Not so nice either.

So who's on your side? And by side, I mean the side of creating sustainable agriculture and commerce, healthy foods, happy communities and a generally better world. There's a reason I'm not getting into the specifics here, it'd be about a whole book, or five. But I strongly encourage you to check into this stuff, share with your friends and family, take action and make the most of this situation.

The future our food is facing right now is not a pretty picture, and it's not happening in another country. It's happening right here and right now. We are all a part of a massive shift taking place in all areas of life. Despite the seriousness of this situation, learning about it can be fun and helpful, starting now.

If you see: The Future of Food, Food Matters, No Impact Man, Blue Gold and even The Cove, you will be moved. There isn't a better time than Wintertime in Chicago to make a move and get thee in front of a screen to view these movies. It's cold, it's going to snow a lot and we can't sit around doing nothing any longer. I promise, these movies are well produced and are as entertaining as they are informative.

So let me know what you decide. How do you think we can make a difference, who's on our side, who's not and how we can positively change things?

It's kind of funny really how I learned about all this stuff. I just wanted to take better care of my self. Take my healthy eating to the next level, ease my arthritis, clear up my skin, enjoy more fulfilling relationships and so many other little changes that can make my life better, and I wind up learning about all kinds of not nice stuff happening in the world. It seems to me if I'm going to keep treating my body and mind in a way that's healthy and beneficial, it's only right and good to ensure others have the same opportunity today, tomorrow and hundreds of years down the road.