What are we really eating?

I completely agree with you, that Growth Modified plants are getting out of control. We deserve to know what we are eating and why it is such a controversial issue. I once had a history teacher tell me that everything in the country is run by the same people, the way he explained it was: the people who run the white house, own the car companies, own the gas companies, run the show. This is the way he explained the reason there are not more, cheaper fuel efficient or fuel-free cars. The chain would lose money if they distributed more electronically or solar-power run cars because their very own gas companies would no longer be making a profit if the cars no longer needed fuel to work. Of course this is a bit of a stretch. But the same exact thing is going on with Monsanto seeds and how they are controlling what people consume. The same people modify the seeds to be resistant against roundup that own roundup. What really startles me is that we aren’t doing enough to stop this. People in other countries are starving because the crops they grow give them a “bare minimum” income, which doesn’t even account for food. This is unacceptable! People in the United States can rarely afford to eat healthy because we live in a society where healthy foods cost more than the stuff made with corn syrup or soybean oil that fills the center aisles of most grocery stores. And is there a label on your Twinkies that tell you they were made with GM corn syrup? Not a chance. The government subsidizes corn and soybeans and no one wants to grow anything good. I feel the public is uninformed about most of the issues regarding this subject. Something has got to change.

Wow, I never knew that such issues existed with food! I just eat food and trust that what I eat is totally fine, and that the food I ate was made by good people with good intentions of providing people, homes, countries with nutrition and supplies essential for life. This really is an amazing topic and issue. After reading both comments and watching the video, I am very much concerned about what is going on in the world today. Its amazing how ‘hidden’ this issue is, it’s a behind the stage matter that many people, like myself, were/are so unaware of. I agree with the both of you- I feel as if the things we eat are highly questionable in today’s society, and definitely controversial. After watching the video clip posted, I am definitely concerned of the farmer and dealer relationship, and how it has become so troubling and scary to the point that people would describe it to being like a drug addict tied down to their drug dealer. This analogy really shows and proves that yes, companies like Monsanto are really controlling and the masterminds behind the food supply issue. There is famine in basically every country in the entire world right now, and to know that farmers who grow and produce the food (we are privileged to eat) are restricted from producing anymore for themselves because they ‘don’t own the product’ is ridiculous! I 100% feel that there needs to be a change in this. It’s horrifying to know that there is a key source to the famine of today yet nothing is being done about it. What do you think the reason that no one has really made the move to stop businesses like Monsanto from corrupting the food industry? What’s there to be afraid of? Why are companies like this doing what they do?

This is terrifying! I had no idea what was, or is for that matter, going on with our food. I think as Americans convenience is a big part of our life. I believe we know something is going on with our food, but choose not to see it. One thing that I didn't know is that most European countries have either banned or label GM foods. This is concerning. There is a reason people are choosing hunger or, even in extreme cases, death. Why does this not make us question the wholesomeness or health of our food? Are we choosing to be ignorant so we won't have to deal with this issue? Is this something that needs to be dealt with or left alone? I really like that question: "Do we deserve to know what we are eating?" I think that is a question on everyone's mind who reads that article. I strongly believe that we have the right to know every single thing that goes into our food, so we can make an informed decision about what we eat. We need to stand up and find out what they are doing to our food!! This article is a good example of why we need to be aware of what is in our food.

http://www.familymagazinegroup.com/foodnutrition/story_4+Dangers+To+Your+Child%27s+Brain+In+Your+Grocery+Cart!.html

Be informed consumers and ask questions! Don't put it off because of convenience. You'd be surprised how many of your favorites food have some downright questionable products in it.

The thought of all of this makes me sick to my stomach and it is obvious that something needs to change. What I am the most concerned about is how will we be able to make a difference? Not all of us are able to afford the high priced foods that guarantee “natural” ingredients. Even then, if we are able to afford these foods are “natural” ingredients actually being used? How are we ever supposed to know? We are putting our faith into an institution where the main concern is not the people but how much money they are making.
What really got my attention was that some foods are being modified with fish and insects. This seems so barbaric to me and disgusting. Also, the fact that third world countries have a ban on GM foods just proves how terrible they are.
Another situation that startled me is that huge companies such as Monsanto have the power to create products that need other products in order to grow and the company happens to make the product that helps the growth. They are manipulating the system and Monsanto is not the only company doing this. With the combined power of major companies I feel that we are doomed. I wish there was an obvious answer to this on what we should do in order to change but I feel that there is not. We can personally make better choices but that does not mean others will, and the situation as a whole will never move forward.

While the concern raised about genetically modified foods is entirely valid, I think it's of little concern to an American public who can't even consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. In hindsight, while these details are of great importance, from a snapshot perspective of the American (and lately, global) obesity epidemic, they are just that: details. As a burgeoning dietician, would I rather see an overweight individual choose a powdered donut just because the apple he or she was reaching for just happened to be one that was sprayed with pesticides that are potentially harmful? Or, perhaps because it was a genetically modified fruit created in a lab? Certainly not! There is absolutely no doubt that organic, non-genetically modified foods (whether they be apples or the wheat that was ground into flour to make a donut) are healthier for both the environment and the people, but for the average, American consumer, these are pittance concerns to learning how to put a healthful meal together that includes something green which doesn’t begin with the word “Mountain” and end in “Dew.” Will we someday return to the polycultured family farms? Absolutely, but why should genetically modified foods be a concern if people aren’t even eating real food anymore?

Baby steps, people—baby steps.

Firstly I just have to say how funny that trailer is! They're talking about very serious issues within the food industry and agriculture, and it looks like a bad 80s music video! I just thought that was pretty comical.
Anyway, I had no idea such huge problems were going on in today's agriculture. I think the United States should follow in the footsteps of the European countries that have either banned GM foods or demanded labeling of GM foods. We deserve to know what is in the foods that we are buying, and I think in knowing and understanding what goes into these products, as consumers, people will institute change. As Americans, we often assume that the products available to us are the best products around and we often desire convenience rather than nutritional value in our food; what we don't realize is that this is a false sense of security. We are given products that are controlled in an oligarchical system, where such a select few industries control food production through vertical integration that we forget that their main goal in what they do as a company, is to make money and sell their products. Our country's government needs to step in and exercise their power to execute laws which provide consumers with the information they need to know when purchasing food. Farmers have stopped using Monsanto products in an attempt to stop the cycle of power and control that they seem to have over the food industry; if more Americans become aware of this issue, the demand for change will likely become necessary and regulations over GM food will change how the agriculture industry is being run.