Organic Brands Oppose GMO Labeling [#JustLabelIt]

GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), which are different than plants that have evolved through selective breeding, have always freaked me out. The fact that we do not know what type of effect the have on our bodies and on children's bodies is a scary thought. Personally, I do not want to take the risk. In the United States, we have been brainwashed to think that just because something has not proven to be harmful / toxic / deadly over and over again, that it is okay to consume it or use it (innocent until proven guilty). On the other hand, in most of the other countries, governments ban products and foods until they are proven to be safe (guilty until proven innocent).

I try to avoid GMOs by buying Organic foods or buying foods with the "Non-GMO Project Verified" seal. Shopping at Whole Foods Market allows me to buy some of the lesser knows organic brands and avoid the "Big Food" industry. However, unless I do the research, I might not know that the brand I am buying is owned by a "Big Food" parent company. After reading this article, I realized that it is even more important to know the parent company and their philosophy on organic and sustainable foods. Reviewing the list of Organic/Natural Brands that I buy and how much money has been donated by the parent company to oppose GMO labeling has opened my eyes. The only option I see is to boycott these companies.

Here is my list of products/brands that I have bought in the past, but will not buy any longer. As far as the rest of the list, I'm not going to buy them either.

1. Naked Juice
2. Honest Tea
3. Bear Naked
4. Kashi (I stopped buying any Kashi products last year when I did some research on the supposed "all natural" ingredients that are not quite as natural)
5. Cascadian Farm
6. Muir Glen
7. Horizon (I do not usually buy because the milk is ultra-pasteurized, which kills off most of the nutrients)

So what can you do? You can educate yourself through resources like the Non-GMO Project. You can oppose GMO by voting with your dollars. You can support companies that are committed to not using GMOs. And you can talk about it with your family, friends, coworkers, and your online network (#JustLabelIt).