31 minute video

The Tide is Turning Against Genetically Engineered Foods
With your help, we can fight back against Monsanto

Dear laura,

From power grabs like the Monsanto Protection Act, to people fighting back in Connecticut by passing the first genetically engineered foods labeling law, the news has been full of stories about GE (or GMO) foods. Last night, even the Colbert Report talked about GE wheat! While not all of the news is good, the fact that it’s being shared is a very good thing, because it means people are listening.

First, there was the farmer in Oregon who discovered GE wheat growing in his field, where it never should have been, because GE wheat has never been approved for use! We still don’t know how it got there, or how widespread it might be.

Then, there’s GE salmon. We’ve known for a long time that GE salmon could breed with wild salmon if it ever escaped, spreading its engineered genes and decimating native populations. Now, a Canadian study has found that GE salmon can also breed with brown trout, an entirely different species of fish, and that their hybrid offspring can out-compete native species. With GE salmon on the verge of potential approval by the FDA, this news is alarming: if approved, GE salmon could wreak havoc on our environment.

New GE products are being considered for approval every day. Soon, a GE potato could find its way into McDonalds fries (more news on that soon). To make matters worse, Congress’s last budget bill included the so-called “Monsanto Protection Act” which lets biotech companies keep selling GE seeds even while lawsuits are challenging the approval of those products.

But it’s not all bad news. Across the country, Food & Water Watch is fighting alongside our partners and concerned citizens like you to require labels on GE foods, so we can all know what’s in the food we’re eating. Just this week, we celebrated as Connecticut became the first state to pass a GE labeling law! But the law won’t go into effect unless other states pass GE labeling laws. So now we’re redoubling our efforts in other states, from Maine to Illinois and beyond, and at the same time we’re pushing for a federal law to require GE labeling nationwide.

We can’t stop GE foods without your help. We need more field organizers on the ground educating the public about the risks of GE foods. We need more independent research like our recent corporate profile on Monsanto. We need more citizens urging their lawmakers to do the right thing and stand up to Monsanto. And we’re counting on your support.

Can you donate today to help fight GE foods?

Thanks for all you do,

Jo Miles
Online Organizer
Food & Water Watch
act(at)fwwatch(dot)org