We garden for many reasons, but whether it’s a hobby, habit or homesteading way of life, gardening has a purpose. It feeds us. What’s more, it gives us the opportunity to control where some of our food comes from.
I do it to avoid pesticides, to assure that the methods used to grow my food are sustainable, and to reduce my carbon footprint (fewer miles from farm to table, less pollution from chemicals, lower water usage through bio-intensive planting methods). But I also do it to steer clear of Monsanto.
Avoiding Monsanto Crops – harder than you think
While it’s true that Monsanto currently only sells its GMO seeds to commercial growers, we’re not far away from having GMO sweet corn approved for the home gardener. Since corn pollinates via the wind, that means no garden is safe from cross-contamination of genetically engineered DNA. And with the recent approval of GE alfalfa for animal feed, it’s very likely that any meat consumed in America–and vegan alternatives for fertilizers– will soon (if not already) contain GMO traces as well.
What Can We Do?
The good news is that the world is no longer taking this sitting down. Those who care, those who take an invested interest in their food supply have the opportunity to show up and contribute to the world’s largest protest this Saturday: The March Against Monsanto.
Gatherings are scheduled all over the world, from Norway to New Zealand and from the US to Japan. It’s a chance to stand with countries big and small to have your voice heard. If you’ve ever felt like 1 person can’t make a difference, now you can join millions –or perhaps billions–to make that collective voice louder. Whether you want GMO ingredients labeled or eliminated altogether, this Saturday you can stand for what you believe.
I’ve always been an armchair activist, but this Saturday I will take the Metro downtown to Pershing Square to take part in what I hope will be a historic day. The day the world collectively said “No” to Monsanto.
I hope to see you there.
To find an event in your town or state, click here.
