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MONSANTO VS. ORGANIC FARMING Noor H. Salem, Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach December 2014 ABOUT ME: •Received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan •I am now a certified Holistic Health Coach •Ran a health advice column with The Muslim Observer Newspaper •Ran a food blog with healthy recipes and treats since 2012 •Blackbeanbrownies.wordpress.com •Saving the rest for my cookbook coming soon iA! CEO of Holistic Noortrition, LLC. www.holisticnoortrition.com Find me on Facebook: Holistic Noortrition, LLC. TODAY’S PRESENTATION Who is Monsanto GMO- Genetically Modified Organisms What they “say” Why GMO evolved to begin with. The real facts about GMO hazardous health impact Government & Monsanto Relation Organic Farming Versus GMO Conventional Farming Versus Organic Pesticides: Organic versus Conventional Wheat: How it’s different Dairy: Organic vs. Conventional Some good news: The Non-GMO Verified Project WHO IS MONSANTO MONSANTO: The largest producers of chemicals for agriculture. Power of Monsanto is expanding, while marginalizing small farmers. Today, they are the world’s largest GMO producers. More than two decades in controlling Washington with $$$$$. Monsanto CLAIMS genetically engineered crops can: can produce more food Have more nutrients Fight disease and insects Need fewer chemical pesticides What we see: Widespread cancer, disease, birth defects, obesity. More money in their wallets. What is Genetically Modified Organisms •A process of changing the genetic makeup of cells, altering their genetic material so they could have traits they wouldn’t naturally have (like pest control). Example: You have a crop that does not survive the September frost, or perhaps doesn’t survive the spraying of herbicides. What do you do? Find a crop that does, take the genes from the bacteria of that crop and shoot it in the other. It’s done by a mad scientist, not nature. Thus they create a “toxin” that leaves pests away. When crops reproduce this toxic gene is passed down to their offspring. •Cancer- the new flu •Suddenly everyone has cancer. Brain cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, etc. •It cannot be just genetics. Some environmental factors (foods, pesticides, genetically modified organisms) play a huge role in this. (Ocean Robbins) •We happened to see an increase in cancer, heart disease, and obesity the last 20+ years. Coincidence? I don’t think so. WHY DID GMO’S EVOLVE? In an effort to make it easier for farmers to control pests in these crops, genetic engineers created something called 'BT Toxin'. To make produce taste better, last longer, and grow faster! They took a gene from a bacteria that grows naturally and engineered it into the corn and soy crops so the plants would fight off the insects themselves. After ingestion, BT Toxin attacks the cells of the insect’s gut, essentially causing the insect’s stomach to explode. Both Monsanto (the company that created it) and the FDA assured the public that there was no risk to humans ingesting BT Toxin, claiming the digestive system would destroy the toxin. 26 nations BAN genetically modified food 64 nations require labeling of genetically modified food Monsanto is spending BILLIONS to win votes against GMO labeling. Take a look at what Cheerios was made with in 1945 and what it is made with now: 1945 ingredients: oat flour, salt, sugar, sodium phosphate, malted wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamine (Vitamin B1), and riboflavin 2013 Ingredients: whole grain oats (includes the oat bran), modified corn starch, sugar,Salt, tripotassium phosphate, wheat Starch, vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) added to preserve freshness. (Likely GMO ingredients in bold and red). HOW TO AVOID GMOS Since GMO labeling doesn't currently exist in the US it’s important to understand where your food comes from and to avoid processed foods. There are nine primary Genetically Engineered food crops, but their derivatives are in more than 70 percent of supermarket foods, particularly processed foods. The most prevalent genetically modified crops include canola, corn, papaya, soybeans, and sugar beets. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind: Buy whole food and organic food whenever possible Purchase beef that is grass-fed Seek products specifically labeled as non-GMO or GMO free. (This is rare; it’s not required yet by the USDA) Avoid aspartame, which is derived from a GM organism Shop locally. Most GM food produced in the US comes from large, industrial farms Grow your own food or join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Learn how to read PLU (Product Look Up) codes. A 5-digit code starting with 8 is a GMO product ISN’T THE FDA SUPPOSED TO HELP? Yeah….about that…. WHY FREAK OUT ABOUT GMO’S? Genetically Modified Food: Haven't been around long enough for us to really test the deal. So far, things haven’t been looking good. Can initiate inflammation in your gut- which overtime leads to chronic disease, autoimmune disease, and GI disease. Can lead to cancer, birth defects, and more disease. Bad for the environment. If the workers are covered up in body suits spraying Monsanto crops, why would we not be worried about consuming it? P R O B L E M CONVENTIONAL VERSUS ORGANIC PRODUCE SO, DOES ORGANIC PRODUCE REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? The EWG (Environmental Work Group) analyzed the residue pesticide testing on U.S. produce. Apples are #1 on the list, and strawberries are #2. It’s not a winning number, they rank HIGHEST in pesticide reside, and these pesticides last even after washing the produce. This is where the dirty dozen comes in. Some of these produce on the dirty dozen list had over 76 pesticides! KEY FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND: Fact to keep in mind: Almost all frozen produce, even if conventionally grown have a lot less pesticides and preserve more nutrients. “ The washing and blanching to prepare fruits and vegetables for canning or freezing removes or destroys approximately 80-90% of pesticide residues, according to the U.S. based National Food Processors Association.” “The residue levels in canned peaches are drastically lower than for fresh peaches.The processing requires vigorous washing which removes most residues from the skin. ” DIRTY DOZEN & CLEAN 15 DIFFERENCE IN PRICE DIFFERENCE IN NUTRIENTS Okay, you understand our food system is a complete MESS. But, there is good news, there is hope. THERE IS GOOD NEWS FILMS I RECOMMEND: SOURCES: http://eartheasy.com/eat_pesticides_produce.htm https://groovybeets.com/how-gmos-hurt-your-health/ http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php# http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment /global-warming/food-how-altered/