A QUEST TO FULFILL HUNGER OF THE BODY AND MIND POST 2015 Is Genetically Modified Food A Solution? August 28, 2014, 11:45 - 13:00 United Nations Trusteeship.

A QUEST TO FULFILL HUNGER OF THE BODY AND MIND POST 2015

Is Genetically Modifi ed Food A Solution?

 Augus t 28 , 2014 , 11 :45 - 13 :00

Un i ted Na t ions Trus teesh ip Counc i l  

sponso red by

The Light Millenniumas pa r t o f the

65 th Annua l UN-DP I /NGO Con fe rence : 2015 AND BEYOND

Our Ac t i on Agenda : T h e r o l e o f c i v i l s o c i e t y i n t h e p o s t - 2 0 1 5 d e v e l o p m e n t

a g e n d a

What The Fork Are You Eating?

A Food System Gone Awry

What We Can Do About It?

My Thought

Small Changes in Food Choice

Can Make BIG Everyday Diff erences

A Curious Student

Hope’s Edge: Circa 2002

A Food System Gone Awry

“ A l l a ro u n d m e ex p e r t s w e re p re d i c t i n g f a m i n e , s a y i n g w e ’ d re a c h e d t h e e a r t h ’ s l i m i t s t o f e e d o u r s e l v e s .

More chemica l s ! B igger Farms! More Techno logy ! w e re t h e m a n t r a s o f t h e d a y.

Ye t , i n t h e b a s e m e n t u n i v e r s i t y l i b r a r y w h e re I h a d g o n e t o p u r s u e m y c u r i o s i t y a s t o h o w w e m i g h t f e e d t h i s s m a l l p l a n e t , I d i s c o v e re d t h a t w h a t I w a s h e a r i n g — the exper ts ca l l - to -a rms—was , f rank ly, wrong . N o t o n l y w a s t h e re e n o u g h t o f e e d u s a l l ; t h e re w a s m o re t h a n e n o u g h . Wo r s e t h a n t h a t , t h e s t r a t e g i e s t o u t e d t o b r i n g u s p l e n t y — t h e c h e m i c a l s , t h e l a rg e s c a l e f a rm s , t h e t e c h n o l o g y — m i g h t a c t u a l l y m a ke t h e f o o d c r i s i s w o r s e . ”

(Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé)

Is There a Silver Bullet?

M o n s a n t o , t h e w o r l d ’ s l e a d i n g b i o c h e m i c a l g i a n t , p ro d u c e r o f p e s t i c i d e s a n d G M O s e e d s s a y s :

GMOs are a s i lver bul let

What is Monsanto’s Reasoning?

1. Produce more food => Population growing

2. Produce better food => More nutrit ious food is needed

3. Create effi cient production => Better use of fert i l izer, herbicides and pesticides

But are GMOs Really The Answer?

1. 1/3 of the food wasted (300 mi l l ion tons) is suffi cient to feed the wor ld ’s 900,000,000 hungry (FAO UN)

2. Golden r ice (genet ica l ly modifi ed to produce Vi tamin A) => Not so golden

3. More chemica ls are being used and Monsanto and other b iochemica ls profi t

GMOs and Your Health

No evidence disputes or supports human safety People are gett ing s icker

Evidence disputes animal safety 2013, Dr. Don Huber, world

renowned plant pathologist to Tom Vi lsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture: Monsanto’s Roundup Ready corn and soy—a new pathogen appears to be causing infert i l i ty and spontaneous abort ions in epidemic proport ions in catt le

Marion Nestle: Are GMOs Safe?

“Science-Based”I f GMOs safe => No rational reason to oppose them

“Societal Value-Based”Even if GMOs are safe => Plenty of other reasons to oppose them

Reasons to Oppose GMOs

Agricultural & environmental control to biotech

Small farms lost Biodiversity lost Increased use of chemicals Lack of true understanding of the

long-term health eff ects for humans, animals and the environment

A Societal Perspective: We Want the Right to Know

2 0 1 2 C a l i f o r n i a P r o p 3 7 R i g h t t o K n o w B a l l o t M e a s u re f a i l e d

2 0 1 3 C o n n e c t i c u t / 2 0 1 4 M a i n e R i g h t t o K n o w L a w p a s s e d b u t c a n n o t b e e n a c t e d u n t i l 4 n e i g h b o r i n g

s t a t e s p a s s t h e s a m e l a w

2 0 1 4 Ve r m o n t R i g h t t o K n o w J u n e 2 0 1 4 G r o c e r y M a n u f a c t u r e r s A s s o c i a t i o n ( G M A )

a n d a l l i e s fi l e d a l a w s u i t t o s t o p Ve r m o n t f r o m r e q u i r i n g m a n d a t o r y l a b e l i n g o f G M O s

N e w Yo r k , N e w J e r s e y , M a s s a c h u s e t t s , N e w H a m p s h i r e , C o l o r a d o a n d O r e g o n h a v e i n i t i a t i v e s

64 coun t r i e s a round the wor ld require l abe l i ng o f gene t i ca l l y eng inee red foods bu t not the Uni ted States

Navigating GMOs in the U.S.

A v o i d t o p G M O c r o p s i n c l u d i n g : C a n o l a ( 9 0 % U . S . c r o p ) C o r n ( 8 8 % U . S . c r o p ) C o t t o n ( 9 0 % U . S . c r o p ) P a p a y a ( m o s t o f H a w a i i a n c r o p ) S o y ( 9 4 % U . S . c r o p ) S u g a r b e e t s ( 9 5 % U . S . c r o p )

U n d e r s t a n d t h a t p a c k a g e d f o o d s t o d a y c o n t a i n m a n y G M O i n g r e d i e n t s

A v o i d t h e A r c t i c A p p l e a n d A q u a B o u n t y S a l m o n

P L U ( p r i c e l o o k - u p n u m b e r ) b e g i n n i n g w i t h 8 c o u l d i n d i c a t e G M O ( t h o u g h n o t r e q u i r e d )

U S D A O r g a n i c a n d t h e N o n - G M O P r o j e c t s e a l s h e l p n a v i g a t e G M O s

S t a y u p d a t e d o n c r o p s t h a t a r e g e n e t i c a l l y m o d i fi e d t h r o u g h n o n g m o p r o j e c t . o r g

Take Action:Your Right To Know GMO

www.centerforfoodsafety.org www.consumersunion.org www.foodandwaterwatch.org www.fooddemocracynow.org www.justlabelit.org www.organicconsumers.org www.responsibletechnology.org www.ucsusa.org

Book Release: January 1, 2015

www.stefaniesacks.com