Seeds are making me think

This is going to seem like a total departure from you are used to on this blog, and you would be right. Let's just say that these days, I'm having a hard time writing about my life, because I have always tried to be honest and frank. But I have of course always held back some things, out of respect for my children, other family members, etc. These days, I have to hold back more than what I can share, and so I find myself writing long posts that I must delete, or writing drivel. So instead, I will just tell you about an article I read and a movie I saw that has me thinking and doing research.

In Vanity Fair's Green Issue last May, I read the article "Monsanto's Harvest of Fear" and it not only shocked me, it made me think a lot about mega corporations, food supply, and the way very few people/corporations actually control a lot of the world. (Haliburton is another company that strikes ire and fear in me).  I happen to be a tad granola-crunchy, with my Hybrid car and my compost pile, so the thought that one company controls the seed market and that their seeds happen to be GMOs really made me angry and think about the food that my family eats.

Yesterday, we went to see a documentary about the same company, The World According to Monsanto, a France/Canada production that not only looks at the farmers being sued over the seeds, but the dirty practices Monsanto has used to take over land in South America and India with their GMO seeds. It's scary stuff.

I happen to live in Canada, where Bovine Growth Hormones (shocker: produced by the same company!)are illegal so I don't have to worry about my milk supply, but the seeds are another story. It's for sure making me take the time to go to the farmer's market and buy from independent, organic farms. But the reality is that any pre-packaged product I buy has probably come into contact with some product derived from their GMO seeds.

I'm going to be doing more research on this. I realise they are a huge company and we can't stop them, but maybe we can force labeling of food stuff so we can make informed decisions when we shop.

In the mean time, I urge you to read the article, and if the movie plays in your neck of the woods, it's really worth seeing.

Comments

[Amanda]

I am currently read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle...and they cover Monsanto...crazy and horrifying.

Am thinking of you as you navigate the other stuff. And I am here if you need to talk.

[Beverly]

Hope all is well with you or will be well enough soon!!

[Elise]

Canadian organic canola growers have been battling Monsanto for years now. Basically they are asserting that Monsanto's practices make it impossible for them to produce organic canola. It's a fascinating case and right in your backyard.

http://www.saskorganic.com/oapf/

I second Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and also the Omnivore's Dilemma. Both are easy reading and very eye-opening.

I'm facing having to buy a new car and am torn about whether I should pay the premium for a hybrid or go for a small car that has great gas mileage. I love my station wagon and there currently isn't a hybrid alternatives. Maybe I'll check out the new VW diesels and see how they compare.

[Bill McDorman]

The answer to the fears about control over seeds is to recreate communities that save their own seeds from plants adapted to their own climate and needs. This is the ritual that made civilization possible. No seeds, no agriculture. No agriculture, no villages. No villages, no cities. No cities, no civilization. Rejoin the ritual. Save your own seeds. You can find detailed seed saving information on the site of this 20 year-old non-profit:

http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html

[Heather Ann]

I do hope that you and those in your family are okay.

[Katie J]

The privacy issue is very understandable. I hope things are ok, but please only share what you're comfortable with.

As for the article, I'll read it once I'm over the jet lag and can focus because it sounds like an important read. I'll keep an eye our for the movie.

Hope all is well.