Why Prop 37 Failed and What We Can Do
California’s Prop 37 is the ballot initiative that would have made it mandatory to label foods containing GMOs. Unfortunately, 53% of California voters voted against it.
Prop 37’s failure is likely a result of the giant marketing campaign against the measure led by Monsanto. To give you a sense of what this ballot initiative was up against, Monsanto and big agriculture spent $46 million on advertisements knocking Prop 37, compared to the $8 million spent by proponents of the bill. Monsanto and other big ad companies outright lied to voters to beat Prop 37.
Monsanto used a carefully crafted marketing campaign to trick voters. They illegally used the FDA logo in their Prop 37 mailings and used the Stanford University logo to imply that the FDA and Stanford University supported their position. Monsanto also paid a PR firm to conduct a “study” demonstrating that food prices would inflate if Prop 37 passed. These aren’t the only election offenses Monsanto committed. Ocean Robbins exposes their anti-Prop 37 strategy in an article published on The Huffington Post.
Monsanto’s strategy worked this time, but the fight isn’t over. While we continue to lobby for GMO labeling, buy organic as much as you can.
We have a right to know what is in our food.
How can we get laws like Prop 37 passed nationwide?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Photo source: kcet.org
23 comments
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Mark,
You mention "campaign" like it's some sort of conspiracy but no plot or payroll is large enough to influence the body of science that supports GMO. I'm just as concerned over unfair monopolistic or exploitive practices but we must be judicious in ferreting these out. You know who it helps to cry wolf? The wolf.
As a >10-year vegan and animal rights activist myself I've changed my own mind on GMO after I listened to the scientists and learned how science works. I hope to see a day where this technology can be leveraged to make it easier for people to live, let live, and help live for all animals. This has already been demonstrated and we're just scratching the surface. The more people needlessly dig in their heels the more we all languish.
GM is an important tool that should not be so dismissed. It behooves us to employ every tool at our disposal for the betterment of all on this planet. That is truly the kind life!-
Mar 5, 2013 at 1:35pm0 0The issue isn't whether or not GMOs are bad for you, it's a matter of labeling. The public should have a right to know what they're eating.flag
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One thing we should be aware of is that some the components of the campaign against Prop 37 are actually still running. Parallel to the lies and dirty tricks that the No on 37 group used, a campaign was launched to invalidate organic food in general. A key piece was the infamous "Stanford Study" (http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/is-the-stanford-organics-study-a-threat-to-our-health/). Also, and perhaps more important is the continuing effort to brand anyone who is anti-GMO as "anti-science." This campaign is running right now. The Mark Lynas "flip" from anti-GMO to pro-GMO is a part of this. A prolific comment poster named Kevn Folta, a bio-tech professor at University of Florida is also a player in this campaign. The real facts are that Monsanto has ruthlessly suppressed any science about GMOs that is not coming from their paid scientists. (Kevin Folta is not one of Monsanto's people. His "research" is funded by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, which has a "sister" company called the Florida Strawberry Patent Service.) There's a documentary about scientists being attacked for coming out against GMOs: http://organicconnectmag.com/wp/gmo-scientists-under-attack/. Lastly, we need to be aware that we are up against a company that is not just intent on monopoly power in the food industry, they have largely achieved it. Monsanto's profits nearly doubled last year. This should telegraph to us that their willingness to protect these profits has increased apace. This is not intended as a doom and gloom view. But our right to know what we eat has been ruthlessly suppressed by these people, and understanding your enemy is the key to overcoming them. -
Thanks for your feedback Dave, I appreciate it!
I'm reading through the peer reviews now. I know he is not "credentialed" which is why I said it is insightful.
One thing; I'm sure how organic is a freeze on a technology? What do you mean by that?
Organic farmers just means no pesticides or GMO's. To me, that's food at it's purest. Not sure what is has to do with technology.
Blessings,
heath -
@Rhi:
Keep in mind that GMO does NOT mean that it is pesticide free. In fact, it can be the opposite. Monsanto (producer/creator of something insane like 96% of GMO food in the world) also produces pesticides and herbicides. Heard of RoundUp? They are made by Monsanto, who then also makes RoundUp resistant GMO crops. So, now farmers can spray the heck out of their crops without worrying about damaging them. If faced with no other alternatives, I would certainly buy the 'normal' tomato with pesticides over the GMO tomato with perhaps even more pesticides/herbicides.
There is a lot of evidence that Monsanto's marketing campaigns (showing that GMOs are the solution to the world's problems of food security, pesticides, herbicides, etc) are basically propaganda. A great activist in this area is Vandana Shiva. I saw her in a great documentary that unfortunately I can't remember the title of (one of several docs she's been in), let me know if you want me to track down the name. -
not only do I think the food costs and taxes probably scared people off, but the so-called exceptions to what would be labeled. It was only plant-based food. It claimed that no meats, dairy, or other animal products would have such a label. Even if these animals are being "fed" GMOs, we deserve to know about it! It's not just the edible plants that are endangered by all these unnecessary additives. If this food labeling applied to all foods offered in the American market, it would probably have a bigger following. -
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I have come across petitions on Twitter to promote Prop 37. I suggest searching them out and signing them. Your voices need to be heard.
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I think that in Australia we are very lucky because all go MUST be labeled as such and there are no exemptions it is either HMO or gmo free. This was headed many yrs ago by a big debate and protests and petitions and letters. This means that canola is not allowed to be called gmo free because of pollenation.
I try to by organic wherever possible however it is double the price and since I don't earn a lot it is difficult. But I will always buy gmo free produce because seriously no one really knows what will happen and it is unnatural to have this in your body. -
I agree with Anne's comments to a point. Corn is a grain and really shouldn't be eaten anyway. Buying our produce from local farmers should avoid the seedless fruit. I would like to know what is GMO and what isn't but I would much rather just have ACCURATE ingredients in the list on the label. No liquified cane syrup. Its sugar! And the worst is NATURAL FLAVOR. I mean what is that?! I want to know if it is lard or another natural flavor. Ingredients should be completely transparent and list the source. If the company is putting so many ingredients in there that cant be pronounced then you shouldn't be eating it anyway! And if you are a super hero your food shouldn't even have a label as it probably wont even be in a package. Enjoy real food! -
I agree with Anne's second post -- if GMOs are to be labelled (and they probably should be), people need to understand what these labels actually mean.
You will find the majority of people who are against GMOs, are uneducated on the matter. There is very little danger in consuming GMOs... Heck, if I had the option of a genetically modified disease-resistant tomato, or a 'normal' tomato covered in pesticides (which actually ARE poison), I know exactly which one I would choose!
The biggest risk is what they can potentially do to the environment. I think with the right controls implemented, GMOs can actually save world problems... -
In considering how to change anything, I fall back on the Abraham/Hicks' Law of Attraction teachings: Focus on what we do want rather than 'fighting' what we don't want.
I think it is important to visualize and affirm a healthy, organic food supply that is easily affordable, universally available, and clearly labeled. And then we need to make that happen by buying foods from those companies that honor our belief system. It does take mindfulness and commitment, but will not take long to shift if enough of us focus our energy in this way.
Remember, WE ARE creating this new world and we do that with mindfulness of what is important - in this case organic foods that are available to all at affordable prices. That leaves Monsanto with the choice to either get on board with organic (not happening) or to go away.....
Much love,
Lori -
Alicia,
I understand Monsanto is often cast as the bogeyman but it's an exaggeration to say the No on 37 was led by Monsanto and/or that they used carefully crafted marketing tricks.
Karl Haro von Mogel at BioFortified did a lot of work around this issue keeping track of both Yes and No on Prop 37 groups and wrote several detailed posts. For more info an what happened with the use of the FDA logo and all please see:
The FDA, The FBI, and Prop 37
http://www.biofortified.org/2012/11/the-fda-the-fbi-and-prop-37/
There's also a great followup on the defeat:
Why did Proposition 37 Fail?
http://www.biofortified.org/2012/11/why-did-proposition-37-fail/
It seems both sides had blunders but I wouldn't be so quick to judge either of them as malicious attempts or tricks. It was a heated campaign and mistakes were made.
If you would like more information regarding GMOs from non-Monsanto scientific sources we would love to share the work we've done at Vegan Chicago to find them.
thanks,
-Dave
Vegan Chicago -
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I wish we could stop calling it "genetically modified organism". Everything is genetically modified. Corn was not domesticated, but created almost from scratch. Squashes, gourds, pepper...apples...bananas don't even have seeds??? Everything has been genetically modified as a process, can't we just say stop putting poision in our food? Monsanto has ill intentions and evil at the core, but I just can't help but be a bit literal on the subject.
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It so unfortunate that corporations and politicians are so easily able to manipulate the public by using our fear of increased costs, taxes, etc. Shame on them. We all need to stop being so swayed by economic fears and start being more critical. Come on people! I also think it is absolutely insane that we are putting "food" into our bodies and don't even know what is in this "food" or how it was produced. People say that we have a free-market and consumers can vote with their dollars. That is completely false when we don't have enough information to make those choices, and (in at least some cases) don't even have alternatives available. Let's be honest, how much food in your local, average grocery store is REAL food? I mean, how is it just accepted that other people and giant corporations can tamper with our food, and not even tell us what they are doing? We are all a bunch of lab rats, making a few corporate guys rich. It makes me so angry. How are we allowing this???
I don't know what we can do to get Prop 37 passed nationwide, or anything similar in Canada (where I live). I think we need to look at how things progressed in the EU and, most importantly, we have to stop accepting this as "just the way it is" and stand up for ourselves. Let's speak up, everyone! Get the dialogue growing! -
I agree with you, Alicia. Of course we should be given all the info possible about the food we eat and whether it contains GMOs. Unfortunately, big business corps have too much say in this world and are in hoc with government. Also, I suppose, it was also up to the voters to see through Monsanto's 'spiel' and unfortunately, they didn't. Maybe the prospect of possible rising food prices did play on people's fears in these tight monetary times, Alicia.
On a lighter note, have a good day, Kind Life peeps, and especially of course, Miss Silverstone! xo.
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