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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0177.003 2012-2014 Good Morning Councilmembers: My name is Merle Hayward and I am a food safety advocate. I'm testifying in support of Resolution 80-13 to label GMO food products. I have spent a lifetime creating the life I want to live, much of it in California with like-minded people, teaching farmers how to growing organic food, converting many growers like Lundberg to plant organic brown rice. This was in reaction to the highly poisoned environment in the 60's and 70's, when our birds of prey could no longer reproduce, and the land had to be cleaned up of toxic farm chemicals. When corruption could still be overcome. President Obama just signed a bill containing a Monsanto rider that will confer immunity to biotech corporations from federal or state courts. Monsanto tells us to buy organic if we are so concerned, but only a few with expendable income can do so, leaving other consumers with no choice, and with the recent approval of GMO alfalfa, animal feed for organic farmers is threatened, thusly organic meat, eggs, and milk. For those who believe the Monsanto propaganda, like their GMO seed is tested for safety or their industry is highly regulated by the government or the are going to feed the hungry, please be informed, this is just one more piece laid in place of their master plan to genetically modify and patent every food seed on the planet. Those who value food safety, diversity and freedom must stop it. U.S. consumers will truly have no choice in food purchases, essentially being force-fed genetically modified organisms that infect the entire food chain beginning with beneficial soil organisms, pollinating insects, pets and farm animals, and the blood of our unborn fetuses. Coinciding with mass planting of GMOs, these diseases have risen dramatically: gastroesophageal reflux, inflammatory bowels, ulcerative colitis, intestinal infections, Crohn's disease, all degenerative diseases of the digestive track. Diabetes is off the charts and GMOs have been shown to cause insulin resistance. Doctors treating autistic children alleviate severe intestinal problems when GMOs are removed from their diets. In the last five years, U.S. birth rates are down 30 percent. Respected plant pathologist, Dr. Don Huber, reports high farm animal abortion rates by an unknown organism found in aborted fetal tissue tied to RoundUp Ready GMO feed. 62 nations label GMOs. Labeling GMO products, meats, eggs, milk, GE fish, and pet food, will go a long way in allowing people to choose the kind of health and environment they want. Comm. N 17 Ref. Ref. Date VAR ? 8 20:',.? e .1 A. . . Diabetes ,,, Gastrcesopflageal Reflux Isea-2eas it velt-zas4 . . a . AN•"e . . •--. , A , - t .:, .. ... • 411*•110••*"."41P.......-1°' . . • , WPC%■, as-1.:.1 Dot WON bxxxxi e%I 1 X. w ov.. .. 0...11,....O......V.. . .. i n fl arrirrat 0:y 90-4,isal Divease. Ulcerative Cotitis 7141i-7;QA VSS4-2004. A. fil 0,... .v- 14 # . ,gE_ ..........se"..........0°..'4"'41".....4 t 44 AP. dit 1st . ,,,x. A . .. ?ay..,•"est, C10.6.0.......;.u It WO .,,,,-c t.W: —- ——---—— — -------.- . ..., . ' .iftWilo.IlinMelos 0 1111110•1411M101.111. Gastrointestirsai inlectionl Grohn's nisoase ',RI!, :1-1.1c 1.1101,•=e04` 4* , _.; .1 • /I. 11• lear..........00...a.,...4p....4sPIP"1"41114'111 f,im. i&-fr•-•-•-41-41 -4°.A ''''- i : r.z * 0110sotenrovelatit ' ..- ., •-•••4 .04 4111i. iik SOO AO IN MINAS 000111111.111 0 MOO.•Mlinimir , . . . w http://www.naturalnews.comJ032407Bt insecticide GMOs.html Discovery of Bt insecticide in human blood proves GM() toxin a threat to human n health, study fini by Jonathan Benson, staff writer (NaturalNews)A new study out of the University of Sherbrooke, Canada, recently found Bt toxin, a component of certain genetically-modified (GM) crops, in human blood samples for the first time. Set to be published in the peer-reviewed journal Reproductive Toxicology the new study shreds the false notion that Bt is broken down by the digestive system, and instead shows that the toxin definitively persists in the bloodstream. The GMO industry has long alleged that Bt toxin, which is derived from a soil bacterium known as Bacillus thuringiensis, is harmless to humans. The built-in pesticide has been integrated into certain GM crops to ward off pests. Bt corn, for instance, has actually been designed to produce the toxin every part of the plant which are later eaten by insects, livestock and humans. In the recent study, researchers Aziz Aris and Samuel Leblanc evaluated 30 pregnant women and 39 non-pregnant women who had come to the Centre Hospitaller Universitaire de Sherbrooke(CHUS) in Quebec, Canada. Upon taking blood samples, researchers detected the Bt CrylAb toxin in a shocking 93 percent of maternal and 80 percent of fetal blood samples.And 69 percent of non-pregnant women tested positive for the toxin in their blood. All women involved in the study had been consuming a typical Canadian diet which, like in the US, is riddled with GM materials and toxins. Conventional soy, corn, canola, sugar beets and potatoes, for example, are in many of the foods eaten in both the US and Canada, which explains why Bt toxin was highly prevalent in the women's blood samples. And the fact that Bt toxin was detected even in unborn babies shows that the chemical is easily passed from mother to child, and that it persists far longer than the biotechnology industry claims it does. Clearly, the toxin is harmful both to pests, livestock and to humans.Animal feeding studies have shown a 45% spontaneous abortion rate in livestock that produce milk and meat for humans. Earlier studies have already shown that Bt toxin and other pesticides end up contaminating and persisting in the environment, which makes it a major public health concern. L GX C‘120-i l'.1A-bite-e- First-Ever Lifetime Feeding Study Finds Genetically Engineered Corn Causes Massive Tumors, Organ Damage, and Early Death By Dr.Mercola The first-ever lifetime feeding study evaluating the health risks of genetically engineered foods was published September 2012 in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology found that rats fed a type of genetically engineered corn,that is prevalent in the US food supply, for two years developed massive mammary tumors,kidney and liver damage, and other serious health problems. This new study joins a list of over 30 other animal studies showing toxic or allergenic problems with genetically engineered foods. Link to article: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/22/superbugs-destruct-food- supply.aspx?e_cid=20120922 DNL_art 1 According to the authors: "The health effects of a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize (from 11%in the diet), cultivated with or without Roundup, and Roundup alone (from 0.1ppb in water), were studied 2 years in rats. [Note: this level of Roundup is permitted in drinking water and GE crops in the US] In females, all treated groups died 2-3 times more than controls, and more rapidly. This difference was visible in 3 male groups fed GMOs. All results were hormone and sex dependent, and the pathological profiles were comparable. Females developed large mammary tumors almost always more often than and before controls, the pituitary was the second most disabled organ; the sex hormonal balance was modified by GMO and Roundup treatments. In treated males, liver congestions and necrosis were 2.5-5.5 times higher... Marked and severe kidney nephropathies were also generally 1.3-2.3 greater. Males presented 4 times more large palpable tumors than controls, which occurred up to 600 days earlier. Biochemistry data confirmed very significant kidney chronic deficiencies;for all treatments and both sexes, 76% of the altered parameters were kidney related. These results can be explained by the non linear endocrine- disrupting effects of Roundup, but also by the over expression of the transgene in the GMO and its metabolic consequences." t � p t# ---)4 1.1„ Witi ' - ..itir - 1 ' ,' r iiiii' 'its. V . , , W.', ,. . . y ;9255 GMO G . 9202 R Labeling Around the World Currently, 62 countries around the world require labeling of genetically engineered foods. Unlike most other developed countries-such as 15 nations in the European Union, Japan,Australia, Brazil,Russia and even China-the U.S.has no laws requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. Below is a full list of countries that require labeling (courtesy of The Center for Food Safety): 1. Australia 35. Mali 2. Austria 36. Malta 3. Belgium 37. Mauritius 4. Bolivia 38.Netherlands 5. Bosnia and Herzegovina 39.New Zealand 6. Brazil 40.Norway 7. Bulgaria 41. Peru 8. Cameroon 42. Poland 9. China 43. Portugal 10. Croatia 44. Romania 11. Cyprus 45. Russia 12. Czech Republic 46. Saudi Arabia 13. Denmark 47. Senegal 14. Ecuador 48. Slovakia 15. El Salvador 49. Slovenia 16. Estonia 50. South Africa 17. Ethiopia 51. South Korea 18. Finland 52. Spain 19. France 53. Sri Lanka 20. Germany 54. Sweden 21. Greece 55. Switzerland 22.Hungary 56. Taiwan 23. Iceland 57. Thailand 24. India 58. Tunisia 25. Indonesia 59. Turkey 26. Ireland 60. Ukraine 27. Italy 61. United Kingdom 28. Japan 62. Vietnam 29. Jordan 30. Kenya 31. Latvia 32.Lithuania 33. Luxembourg 34. Malaysia REFERENCES: Journal of Applied Technology http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/333136: Long term rat GMO feeding study by Professor Seralini of University of Caen, France Earth Open Source http://www.earthopensource.org/index.php/5-gm-crops-impacts-on-the- farm-and-environment/5-5-myth-gm-bt-crops-only-affect-target-pests-and-their-relatives GMOs affect soil ecology. Mercola.com http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/10/dr-don-huber- interview-part-1.aspx: Interview with Prof. Don Huber on reproductive failure. Institute for Responsible Technology www.responsibletechnology.org: Concurrent Rise in Degenerative Diseases. Common Dreams https://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/03/22-9: Transgenic genes found in China's major rivers. Index Mundi http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=us&v=25: Falling U.S. birth rate. Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/births fertility june 2012/births june 2012.html: Falling birth and fertility rates. a .. r REFERENCES: Journal of Applied Technology http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/333136: Long term rat GMO feeding study by Professor Seralini of University of Caen, France Earth Open Source http://www.earthopensource.org/index.php/5-gm-crops-impacts-on-the- farm-and-environment/5-5-myth-gm-bt-crops-only-affect-target-pests-and-their-relatives GMOs affect soil ecology. Mercola.com http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/10/dr-don-huber- interview-part-1.aspx: Interview with Prof. Don Huber on reproductive failure. Institute for Responsible Technology www.responsibletechnology.org: Concurrent Rise in Degenerative Diseases. Common Dreams https://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/03/22-9: Transgenic genes found in China's major rivers. Index Mundi http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=us&v=25: Falling U.S. birth rate. Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/births fertility lune 2012/births June 2012.html: Falling birth and fertility rates.