A coalition of Monterey Bay Area farmers are speaking out in support of California’s Proposition 37 to label genetically modified foods or GMOs. At a news conference held on Oct. 24—Food Day 2012—at the Downtown Santa Cruz Community Farmer’s Market, the coalition responded to the barrage of negative advertising on the proposition currently filling the media.
“Consumers want to know what they are eating,” said Sandra Ward, owner of New Natives Microgreens in Freedom. “The cost of changing labels is not an issue, the problem is that these big multinational companies want us to eat blindly.”
More than $35 million has been contributed to the campaign to defeat Prop 37. With nearly half of that money coming from the “Big 6” pesticide and GMO seed companies: Monsanto, Dow, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta and DuPont. Additional millions have been poured into the campaign by big ag businesses like Pepsico, Nestle and Conagra.
“There’s no reason that people shouldn’t know what’s in their foods,” said Jamie Collins, who owns Serendipity Farms in Monterey. “The ads are very deceiving, the real fear of these corporations is that once people know what’s in their food they might make different choices.”
While the effect of GMO crops on human health is unknown, USDA research suggests that genetically engineered crops—especially corn, cotton and soybeans—have driven up the use of pesticides over the past 15 years. In addition, they have contributed to a vicious circle of pesticide-resistant superweeds and ever stronger chemicals needed to control them.
“It’s not about organic vs conventional,” said Jeff Larkey, who owns the 65-acre Route One Farm in Santa Cruz. “It’s about transparency, which is a plus for consumers and for farmers. The ones against this are those who benefit from people being in the dark.”
“Consumers need to start voting with their food dollars and with their votes,” he added.
GMOs are already labeled in more than 50 countries around the world, including the entire European Union, Japan and China. Ronald Donkervoort, who owns Windmill Farm in Moss Landing said that labeling of GMO foods in his native Holland has not been a problem.
“In my country nobody has $35 million to defeat something like this and ensure that the 1% wins against the 99%,” said Donkervoort, who grows only open-pollinated heirloom vegetables on his farm to “keep demand for these type of seeds alive.”
Food activists across the country are keeping a close eye on the California election, which takes place on November 6th. It is widely believed that if Pro 37 wins and California requires GMO labeling, companies will use the same labels nationwide. Author Michael Pollan recently wrote in the New York Times that Prop 37 is a bellwether issue and the first real chance for the burgeoning food movement to flex its political muscle.
Santa Cruz Mayor Don Lane also looks at the battle in political terms: “Truth in labeling is important, but this is a real grassroots movement and it is going up against Monsanto! I’m just hoping that grassroots wins.”
The Santa Cruz City Council has unanimously endorsed Proposition 37 and the mayor read an official proclamation in the Farmer’s Market declaring it Food Day 2012. The proclamation, written by Carolyn Rudolf, owner of Charlie Hong Kong restaurant, acknowledged Santa Cruz as an “epicenter of the healthy food movement” and a “model of the organic farm-to-table movement.” Some 25,000 Food Day events took place across the country.
About the author
Deborah Luhrman is publisher and editor of Edible Monterey Bay. A lifelong journalist, she has reported from around the globe, but now prefers covering our flourishing local food scene and growing her own vegetables in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
