Monsanto vs. Vermont
By Sydney Emo, Grade 10
It’s true that we are what we eat, and anyone that can understand the significance of that statement would have to agree that it’s extremely important to know exactly what we are eating. People wouldn’t knowingly go out of their way to buy food with ingredients that could cause cancer, yet we buy food like that all the time because those cancer causing ingredients aren’t labelled. What about genetically modified food? Does that sound appetizing?
Thanks to Monsanto, the company ruling the agricultural industry with their genetically modified seeds, much of the food we eat is probably not as “natural” as we think it is. 93% of the population is in favour of having any GMO food products clearly labelled, and the State of Vermont is the first state to bring forth a bill that would force companies to label all of their GMO products properly. Of course, as always, multi-billion dollar corporations really do not have the public’s best interests at heart, so for them, this proposed bill is nothing but a danger of them losing profit. Monsanto has wasted no time in defending its profits and is now threatening to sue the state of Vermont if the bill passes. (more…)
Food Security: The Future of Food
By Brendan Chan, Alumnus
An article about a couple from East Vancouver and their garden was published in Georgia Straight. According to the couple, Jodi Peters and Jeffery Radke, the reason why they decided to rent was because they were allowed to grow their own food. However, this statement was not formalized as part of the contract. The couple has been renting since November 2009, and their garden has been running since then. Their extensive knowledge on food has transformed a normal green lawn into a flourishing Gaia’s Garden that consists of a vegetable garden, a greenhouse, rain barrels, and an aquaponics system. Through gardening, the couple has been able to not only sustain themselves, but also grow food for their neighbors and others in the community. However, on August 5, 2011, they were given instructions by their renter to remove the garden. (more…)
