Last week, Chris, James, and I watched the Future of Food, a documentary about genetically-engineered crops, monoculture, and big agriculture companies. You can watch it on Hulu here.
Even if the idea of genetically modified food doesn’t bug you, the mafioso tactics of Monsanto surely will. What started out as a green revolution in the seventies to help more people grow more food has turned into an aggressive and dangerous power play for one company to have control over what no one company (or institution) should have control over.
And Monsanto has the money, the government connections, and the will to make it happen.
What can you do? One thing is to join Just Label It in pressuring the FDA to require labeling of genetically modified foods.
From the Just Label It homepage you can easily send a pre-composed email to the commissioner of the FDA.
In other ag news, the 2012 Farm Bill will likely be voted on in the Senate this week. Like previous farm bills, this bill includes billions in subsidies for large commodity growers of corn and soy but does little to support real food crops. Read more about it at FoodFight2012.
And here you can find contact forms for Georgia senators if you’d like to let them know your thoughts about this bill as they consider it this week.
FWIW, here is the brief message I sent Senators Chambliss and Isakson. (If you agree, feel free to copy/steal any part of this in your messages.)
Dear Senator Chambliss,
As you consider the Farm Bill this week, please know that I am among the citizens of the US (and residents of Georgia) who believe that the subsidies to large corn and soy growers have gone on too long and are dangerous to the health of our nation. If we need to subsidize agriculture, the recipients should be farms growing food that people actually eat (like vegetables and fruits) and smaller local farms feeding their communities. De-centralized, small agriculture has the same benefits as de-centralized, small government. The inverse is also true.
Sincerely,
Susan Loper
thoughtful consumption 
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