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by Laurel Hopwood, NEO Sierra Club Agriculture Co-Chair
Monsanto is up to more mischief. This huge multinational manufacturer
of agrochemical and genetically manipulated (GM) crops now expects
to increase its bottom line through our craving for sugar.
Farmers in the U.S. planted GM sugar beets for the first time this
year. Roundup Ready® sugar beets are genetically manipulated to resist
the toxic weed killer, Roundup®. Farmers can then spray Roundup on
the entire field without killing the sugar beets. It’s likely that
this herbicide will end up in foods containing sugar. Exposure
to glyphosate, the active ingredient of Roundup, is linked with numerous
illnesses, such
as non-Hodgkins lymphoma and changes to our hormonal system.
Organic farmers are in a frenzy about the planting of GM beets.
Pollen, which spreads in the wind or by wildlife, can transfer
genetically engineered genes into organic crops. Crops cannot be
marketed as organic
if they become contaminated with GM genes. I’ve received pleas from
organic farmers to encourage consumers to urge the Hershey Company not
to accept GM sugar in their products. This action would discourage farmers
from planting GM beets if they can ’t market their product.
Hershey's in Brazil announced that it will not use GM beet sugar
in the products it makes in Brazil, but the company has offered
no assurance here in this country. Isn ’t
this a double standard?
To voice your concern, here is
Hershey’s contact info:
Email: PR@hersheys.com
Mail: Mr. David J. West, President and CEO,
The Hershey Company
PO Box 810,
100 Crystal A Drive,
Hershey,
PA 17033-0810
Call: 800-539-0261 or 717-534-6799
Fax: 717-534-6760
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