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Natural Awakenings South Jersey

NoGMONJ Grassroots Education for the Tipping Point

Apr 29, 2011 03:44PM ● By By Linda Sechrist

According to Organic Processing Magazine, most Americans are unaware that they are eating genetically modified foods because the United States, unlike the European Union, Japan, South Korea and other nations, does not require such foods to be labeled. Opposition to GM foods is strong in Europe. Switzerland has a national ban on GM crop production, while Austria, Greece and Poland have strong GMO-free policies. Nearly 50 EU regions, which are the equivalent of American states, have declared themselves GMO-free. In October 2007, Italian food producers, consumers and conservation groups collected three million signatures in a petition drive to ban GM food in the country. In the same month, French President Nicolas Sarkozy suspended plantings of GM crops.

Marilyn Eppolite, founder of NoGMONJ, a grassroots group in New Jersey, is dedicated to educating consumers about the health risks of GM foods and how to avoid them. “Our goal is to educate the public so that we can create a tipping point of consumer rejection for genetically modified foods in the marketplace, which in turn will eliminate the mass production of GM crops and its problematic effect on the environment and our health,” says Eppolite, whose grassroots education campaign contains references to several online videos and webinars, including YouTube TEDx Talks by articulate presenters. “It’s one of the best ways that people can learn how politics affect our food,” advises Eppolite.

Three of NoGMONJ’s recommended videos:

YouTube.com/watch?v=rixyrCNVVGA
“TEDxAustin—Robyn O’Brien 2011, Crusader for Cleaning up the Food Supply.”

YouTube.com/watch?v=Z6T37m4r3yo&p=CE159C603C7ED781
“TEDxManhattan—Ken Cook, President Environmental Working Group, “Turning the Farm Bill into a Food Bill."

EWG.org/agmag/2011/03/farm-subsidies-paid-to-the-members-of-the-112th-congress
“Cut Spending—But Not My Farm Subsidies!”

To get involved locally or for more information, visit NoGmoNJ.weebly.com.

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