Environmental Commission Conversation Corner
Our guest is: Ruth Molloy of NYSAGE (N.Y. State Against Genetic Engineering)
Topic: Genetically engineered foods, lobbying on June 15, 2005 for mandatory labeling of GE foods intended for sale to the general public
Q. Who are you and where do you live and work?
A. I am a resident of New Paltz and have lived in Ulster County since 1975.
I work as the grocery buyer at the High Falls Food coop and I consider
myself a veteran of the health food industry with approximately 20 years
experience. That has given me a broad perspective on marketability of
natural and organic foods during the last few decades. Especially since the
USDA organized it¹s organic standards around 1997. I live and breath the
subject of food and food health.
Q. What is the name of your organization and what does it stand for?
A. We are called NYSAGE which stands for New York State Against Genetic
Engineering. Our immediate objectives are consumer education, corporate
liability and with the current petition campaign and lobby day we wish to
affect legislation surrounding mandatory labeling for seeds and food
products that have been genetically engineered.
Q. How was NYSAGE started and who is in it?
A. NYSAGE has its real beginnings with a squad coming out of the Park Slope
Food coop in Brooklyn headed by Paul Bermanzahn who is an activist in
regular politics and in food politics.
Q. What are food politics?
A. Food politics are, for example, when the USDA in the 1990s was trying to put together the organic natural standards it initially came up with three standards among others which were unacceptable to the population at large. They were; organic foods could contain sewage sludge, irradiation and could be G-E (genetically engineered). Around that time there was a lot of
jockeying going on where large food distributors were gobbling up the
smaller organic companies who could no longer compete with them and this
created a advantageous lobbying strength for the large corporations. If
there hadn¹t been the already established consumer organizations such as
Mothers For Natural Law and the regional organic certification programs such as NOFA (North East Organic Farm Association) then the political strength of the corporations would have prevailed. It was a truly unified and successful consumer effort.
Q. Why is this so important to you in particular and why is it so important
for people to get involved?
A. The G-E (genetically engineered) piece of it is not just isolated to
organic foods though it is threatening organic standards world wide.
Monocultures (powerful groups such as corporations and the political
structures that support them) in Agriculture are destroying cultural life
style and expression, threatening livelihoods, economic well-being and on a
national level it is creating an economic burden that we will all feel
eventually through the inability to trade those commonly traded crops such
as corn, soy, cotton and canola because the larger companies will own the
rights to all of them.
Q. For the average person to understand; what are genetically modified
organisms (GMO) and why are they potentially harmful?
A. GMOs are the actual altering of a living organism on the level of its
DNA. For example, companies who experiment with G-E are putting Arctic
Flounder genes into a tomato to make it more cold resistant. It raises
questions on ethical and safety levels…might we have a toxic reaction to
this sort of splice? What might it do to the natural genetic health of the
flounders and the tomatoes? how would this effect the entire food chain¹s
health? I raise the ethical part not from morals but from a person¹s freedom to choose to for example not to eat meat and then when they ingest a tomato that has fish genes in it where does that leave them? Also, there hasn¹t been enough testing..real scientific testing. Most of the testing is done by the corporations themselves and then being ³reported² to the FDA from what I have read, particularly by Jeffrey Smith in Seeds Of Deception. How might those ³results² affect us?
Q. Who is doing this genetic engineering of foods and food sources such as
seeds?
A. The biggest player is a company called Monsanto. Many of the original
biotech interests have been bought up by them. Monsanto produces everything
from RoundUp ( a weed killing herbicide) to the purchase of the majority of
seed companies in the US and elsewhere so that they literally have a
monopoly on the very source of our foods.
Q. Where are GMOs found in the foods we buy, what are some products?
A. Soy, cotton and canola and corn. Anything that has these ingredients are
at risk. When you read the label of your foods, especially and mostly those
that are not certified organic, look for these ingredients; soy flour, soy
oil, soy lecithin, corn flour, corn starch, corn oil, corn syrup, canola oil
and cottonseed oil. you find these ingredients a constant in most processed
food.
Q. Why is labeling so very important?
A. Well just as the consumer has the right to know fats, calories, vitamins,
minerals and cholesterol and we¹re allowed to know the actual ingredients of
a product, we are also entitled to know where genetic modification has
taken place and what foods contain ingredients that have been modified. The
documentary, The Future of Food showed me how astonished people are when
they find out what is really going on. People are coming forward on this
issue who may have simply said,² Oh yeah..I heard about that.² Now they
say,² I knew it was going on but I didn¹t know the extent of it².
Q. Where can we purchase food that is safe or even relatively free of GMO
ingredients?
A. There are a number of ways to do that. Know you grower..are they
certified organic or low spray or no spray or conventional growers? It¹s
really only within the developing trust between our grocers and farmers and
we, the consumers that we can be assured of our food safety. Most seasonal
and local grown food is not being tampered with right now. Certified organic
food remains the safest, to date.
Q. How would we know if the seeds we buy for our gardens are GMO safe?
A. Unless it says organic then there is NO legislation nationally or
statewide that addresses seed labeling. There is one exception to this. VT
has a labeling law for seed. Hopefully after June 15th, we will, too.
Q. June 15th, 2005 is a lobby day in Albany. What is lobby day about and why
is it important to lobby?
A. The bio tech industry is very aware of consumer inspired efforts to
address the labeling situation and initiate legislation in many areas of
food safety. They have become particularly aware of the efforts of NYSAGE
and we are expecting a very strong showing on the part of the industry to
lobby their interests in the market place. It is not in their interest to
require labeling because it will most certainly affect what people choose to
purchase. For NY consumers to counteract the bio tech strength can only be
done with a strong voice and considerable numbers on June 15th. Our
legislators are people like us who we have elected to work for us..they are
actually members of the working class, too. The job that they have before
them must be influenced by their constituents. If that influence is not
present, then they must assume that there is no interest and we loose the
opportunity to influence our own future. It¹s important for each an every
state, but specifically NY, to use its own sovereignty while the political
environment allows it to. High School students have to learn about civics
and government. Most are unaware of each states¹ constitution. The intention
of the government is to protect this sovereignty as conscripted into the
Constitution of the United States. We the constituents, the voters, ARE the
government and we cannot leave it in the hands of our elected officials
without input from us.
Q. What are the bills supporting mandatory labeling and who is sponsoring
them?
A. Bill-A03165 DiNapoli Bill-S01637 LaValle Bill-A01969 Ortese
Q. If I can¹t get to lobby day, what can I do?
A. Writing, calling e-mailing your reps. You can find your reps. by going to
http://assembly.state.NY.us/ or call 518-455-4218.
FOR THE SENATE http;//www.senate.state.ny.us
Even if you miss lobby day, keep the pressure on them.
Q. In order to really have an impact as a private citizen, how often should
I write or call my representatives?
A. A very good example is a petition campaign. The numbers of citizens who
show interest make an impact but I think that if we all contacted them
monthly it would really make a difference. The reps get information on bills
at certain times and a month gives them time to have gotten and read the
bills.
Q. Is there any ways in which we can support our local farmers to plant and
grow with GMOs in mind? What impact would it have on them to choose non-GMO
farming? Is it even possible with wind and bird transfer of seeds?
A. Cross pollination is a severe issue. (GMO seeds are carried to other land
areas via wind and animal excretion where they make contaminate pure crops)
I wish I could say something to really put us at ease. Its a big
consideration especially as to the effect on our organic crops. We have to
be willing to educate farmers..invite them to events and to participate in
activities such as a viewing of films like the Future Of Food or give them
books such as the Seeds of Deception. It could help to ask for organic
crops..the more you ask the more you will find it. There are farmers in New
Paltz who are not organically certified but who are never the less enjoying
successful relationships with consumers who know their farming practices and
who are their neighbors. For most of us, the bottom line is to have a
successful business. Support the farms who use good practices and give your
support to those who show interest in making healthy changes.
Q. How might I join NYSAGE or some other group who is taking action to
protect our food sources?
A. Joining NYSAGE is a simple thing…come to an event, contact someone and
get involved! Call…518-234-1942 and speak to Louise Johnson or log on to
NYSAGE@yahoogroups.com You can obtain more information on a national level
at www.sosfood.org There is also www.thecampaign.org and
Ask your favorite grocer where they get their food and are they aware of
GMOs. State that you won¹t purchase them or that you would be willing to
purchase certified organic foods if they would carry them. Again, what we
will buy, they will supply. Conscientious producers are labeling the food
products as non-GMO look for these labels. Needless to say buying organic is
the most direct statement you can make.
Q. Do you think it really matters that we get involved? Does my voice and
opinion really count?
A. Yes! If we don’t start vocalizing we are in big trouble. The silence has
been deafening for far too long. So many of us have in our personal lives,
long term relationships that suddenly go awry because we expect our partners
to read our minds and they can¹t. We have to create the environment for a
healthy partnership with our food producers and our elected officials. The
firmest foundation for that is on a local and a statewide level. Your voice
and opinion really counts as long as the person standing next to you and the
person next to them recognizes the value of their own voice. It¹¹s matter of
unity.
Q. Why are you so passionate about this topic?
A. Well! I think of Dr. Arpad Pusztai, employed to the Rowett Institute in
Scotland who devoted his entire life to the field of genetic modification.
He ended up blowing the whistle based on the results of the research he was
doing by speaking out. In this manner his reputation and his life’s work
were destroyed in the scientific community. I feel that a person like
myself, who has devoted my life to healthy food could end up in a similar
position if something isn¹t done soon. It really sticks in my throat that I
can no longer say if you buy organic you ARE safe but rather now I have to
say you “should” be safe. From a personal perspective, to be so involved in
a consumer niche of organic foods, GMOs would effect so many people. I don¹t
know where we would go if we lost control over the basic integrity of our
food.