This may be yesterday’s news to you, but did you know that Monsanto owns or controls roughly 90% of the GMO seeds in the world. These “special” seeds have been genetically modified to produce their own pesticide or survive repeated spraying with Monsanto’s toxic herbicide Roundup.

By the way, these genetically altered seeds were never designed to help farmers increase their yields, but rather, to increase Monsanto’s profits via the sales of chemicals such as Roundup and their high-priced patented seeds that farmers are then forced to buy year after year.

Needless to say, Monsanto has considerable political clout. Because of this, Americans everywhere are being denied the right to know whether their foods are genetically engineered or not!  This is dangerous for all of us, as we do not yet know the true long-term effects these manipulations will have on the general population.

Listed below  are 10 facts about Monsanto and GMO”s, and how they can adversely affect your health, local farmers, and the planet:

1. There are no GMO labeling laws in the US
2. There is no safety testing for GMOs
3. Monsanto puts small farmers out of business
4. Monsanto products pollute organic farms and the world
5. Monsanto blocks government regulations
6. Monsanto falsely advertises Roundup as “biodegradable”
7. Consumers reject bovine growth hormone
8. GMO crops do not increase yields
9. Monsanto controls US soy market
10. GMO foods may lead to foods allergies and cancer.

So, what can we do? Here a a few suggestions to help you get started:

1. Buy organic whenever possible
2. Avoid processed foods of all kinds, but espeically those containing corn, soy, cottonseed and canola oil unless organically certified. Always read your labels!
3. Call or send a letter to your elected officials asking them to support labeling and safety testing of GMO’s as well as subsidies to help family farmers make the transition to organic.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is preparing to reintroduce a bill to require mandatory labeling of all GMO foods. Oh, and lets not forget to remind President Obama that during his campaign he promised to support labeling of GMO products!

It’s time to send a message to the biggest Biotech Bully of them all, Monsanto!