Recently I taught a Wellness Class in New York City and found myself engaged in a healthy debate about the unhealthy business of genetically modified foods. The intellectual sparring that transpired with the person who was ‘pro’ genetically modified foods was that they were good for us because of the larger size of the food being grown genetically we could feed more hungry people…and don’t we need to do that?
I completely agree that we need to feed hungry people but not at the expense of their health. I will take the hit on the organic apple the size of
my palm instead of one genetically modified to be the size of a newborn’s head. I will take the hit on the organic cucumber being the
length of my hand versus the length of my forearm.
I suppose that this is what the pharmaceutical giant Monsanto had in mind when they engaged in genetically modified foods in the first place…profits. The so-called “smart shopper” will automatically choose the larger apple and the longer cucumber because they are bigger, glossy, and cost less – a seemingly no-brain move for the consumer.
The savvy consumer will automatically go for the foods that have the dirt on them, are smaller, are not polished, and cost a bit more. We will also buy less because they have a shorter shelf life…as they should because they are not genetically modified.
Here is an excellent 10 point list from the Health Freedom Alliance on why genetically modified foods should be avoided to help you make an informed choice.
http://blogs.healthfreedomalliance.org/blog/2010/02/05/10-reasons-why-we-dont-need-gm-foods/
