gmo

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross called Amazon’s recent $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods a “clever move” because it marries Amazon’s marketing and distribution expertise with a “high-quality, niche retailer.”

An often forgotten truth is that it is not just military warfare that can cause injury to innocent bystanders, the same inescapable happens in economic warfare initiated by governments, as well. But in the latter case, the human “collateral damage” is a targeted victim.

If humans are to survive and thrive, we need to expand the use of modern industrial agriculture.

Deceit and collusion drive campaigns to ban a vital, popular, safe, affordable herbicide.

Controversy continues to rage over whether foods from plants modified with molecular genetic engineering techniques should have to be labeled as such. The battle has been fought for years in the media, Congress, state legislatures, federal courts and through referendum issues. Most mandatory-labeling proposals have failed, and none is currently in effect–for good reason: They fail every test–scientific, economic, legal and common sense. That hasn’t prevented the more ignorant and ideological legislators from continuing to try.

Approximately 800 million people on planet Earth are currently malnourished, and 2 billion additional people are expected to populate the world by 2050. Only the widespread embrace of bioengineered or genetically modified (GM) crops and animals can solve the persistent problem of hunger and lessen the impact of pest-borne diseases without doing untold damage to the environment.

In today’s edition of The Heartland Daily Podcast, H. Sterling Burnett, managing editor of Environment & Climate News speaks with Mischa Popoff. Popoff is an author as well as a Heartland policy advisor. Popoff comes on the podcast to discuss organic farming and GMO foods.

The environmental movement has tried for years to promote world governments that control all activities of its citizens through environmental scares that demand community actions. Dangers from global warming, natural gas, and increasing food supply with genetically modified foods are recent examples.

“There’s a war here,” the New York Times columnist proclaimed at a food conference last year. His battle is America’s next social justice crusade much like civil rights and suffrage. But this time, the oppressors are McDonald’s, Wal-Mart and Monsanto. From soda to sugar to meat, Bittman has declared war on nearly every ingredient in the American food system.

From grocery stores to Mexican restaurants to coffee shops, do-gooder retailers are serving up a side of liberal politics with every purchase. Earlier this year, Starbucks had to ditch its “Race Together” promotion after backlash from customers who wanted to leave black and white to coffee and cream. Now Chipotle is the latest overpriced chain forced to backpedal: on its claim to “remove the few GMOs in our food so that our customers who choose to avoid them can enjoy eating at Chipotle.”

As far as organic stakeholders are concerned, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must be banned. Even new GMO crops that would provide benefits to organic farmers and the world’s poor are out.

But apparently television and restaurant fame don’t hold enough gravitas for this wannabe political star. Over the last few years, Chef Colicchio has emerged as the face of the food movement, culinary elitists who insist that every bite of food is a political statement (think climate-change folks going after your shopping cart instead of your SUV).

The organic food movement grows every year. Many people are attracted to its acclaimed health benefits and superior produce compared to more ordinary foods. Organically grown food is particularly favored over genetically modified foods (GMOs). Indeed, it is hard to find an upscale restaurant or grocery store that does not loudly proclaim its non-GMO status.