Labeling genetically modified foods in Washington

Labeling genetically modified foods in Washington

We have a right to know

Initiative 522 supporters, who want genetically modified foods to be labeled, gathered for a rally outside a Grocery Manufacturers Association meeting at the Westin Hotel in Seattle. [Mark Harrison, The Seattle Times.]

The recent article regarding the labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) failed to mention that genetically engineered crops require more of Monsanto’s herbicide, Roundup, because the weeds it is supposed to kill have become resistant to it and have turned into super weeds, requiring more of the chemicals that generate huge profits for Monsanto. [“On voters’ plates: genetically engineered crops,” page one, Aug. 11.]

It is beyond me why anyone would think that eating genetically modified foods doused with more chemicals than conventional foods is a healthy thing. The animal studies coming out are proving them to be anything but healthy. The monarch butterfly population has plummeted by 59 percent in the past year, because all that Roundup has killed most of the milkweed, which is their primary food source. If something isn’t done soon, they could be gone forever.

It’s dangerous that the U.S. government and Monsanto have unleashed GMOs into the marketplace without any conclusive long-term studies. They’ve turned the American people into guinea pigs.

Mother Nature exists for our benefit. Monsanto exists solely for its own best interests and profits, so having it control our food supply is scary.

Vote yes on Initiative 522! We have a right to know exactly what we’re eating, and to avoid GMOs if we chose. Seattle Times letters to the editor