Rally for the Right to Know About GMOs in Your Food

Unless you produce your own food or buy only organic, there's no way to know if your meals contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The Organic Consumers Association, Institute for Responsible Technology, and other activists are understandably pissed about that lack of transparency — and they're planning on going public with their feelings.

The Organic Consumers Association's Millions Against Monsanto campaign aims to get one million people to publicly stand against GMOs by World Food Day on October 16, 2011. In the meantime, the campaign is organizing a rally this coming Saturday, March 26, 2011, to protest the lack of labeling for foods containing GMOs. While the main rally will be held in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., local events are cropping up across the U.S. in places like Colorado, California, Florida, Oregon, and New York, just to name a few.

This week's "Right to Know" rally focuses on one of the biggest flaws in our food system — the fact that GMOs or products containing GMOs don't require any kind of additional labeling. This complete lack of transparency leaves consumers clueless as to whether they're eating all-natural or scientifically altered foods — to the detriment of the environment, the sustainable food movement, and possibly human health. To that end, consumer activists plan to storm the Capitol and cities across the U.S. with one major message: "We have a right to know what, exactly, we are eating."

Activists will give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other officials the message that genetically modified (GM) foods need to be labeled as such, but that's not all: Consumers will make three other demands. From the Millions Against Monsanto press release: "We want factory farmed animals and genetically modified animal products labeled. We want independent, transparent, long-term studies done on the safety of GMOs for animals, plants, and humans. We want the organic industry protected from cross-contamination and lawsuits to organic farmers."

The demands are certainly comprehensive, and given the national uproar over the recent deregulation of GM alfalfa and sugar beets, there's no better time for this rally. Notable foodies like Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser have publicly come out against the approval of GM alfalfa, while others like Mark Bittman have decried the lack of labeling for GMOs. It's a sentiment that the American public clearly shares: In a recent MSNBC poll,96 percent of respondents said that they wanted GMO foods to come with labels identifying them as genetically modified. Ninety-six percent!

GM giants like Monsanto have assaulted our food system for too long, and it's encouraging to see such a huge number of consumers starting to really fight back. If you'd like to join the Rally for the Right to Know, visit the event's Facebook page.

If you can't attend the rally but still want to protest GMOs in our food supply, fear not: There's still a way you can help. The Institute for Responsible Technology is asking dozens of major food producers and retailers like Kraft, Kellogg's, and ConAgra to publicly reject GM alfalfa. Tell these companies that you want them to ditch GMOs by signing the Institute for Responsible Technology's petition.

Photo credit: SierraTierra via Flickr