Monarchs and Monsanto UPDATE

Last year I did a post in support of California's Prop 37 which would have required labeling of foods containing GMOs. We know how that turned out. Monsanto spent millions to defeat it and they were successful. Sort of. There is good news and bad news. Which would you prefer to read first? Take your pick.

The BAD

http://news.yahoo.com/why-monarch-butterflies-dying-record-numbers-124400524.html

[T]he decline is due in great part to the widespread use of the herbicide glyphosate. In key U.S. states where the butterfly feeds and breeds — Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, parts of Ohio and the eastern Dakotas — farmers have planted more than 120 million acres of corn and soybeans genetically modified to resist the herbicide… That allows them to use glyphosate to kill milkweed, the monarchs' essential food. [Los Angeles Times]

The GOOD

Whole Foods is doing what Monsanto spent millions to prevent from happening in California.

http://www.prevention.com/food/smart-shopping/whole-foods-gmo-policy

Despite the ubiquity of GMO foods, consumers intent on avoiding them may have good reason to do so: Pesticides that GMOs are bred to resist have been linked to a handful of health problems, including food allergies, developmental disorders, and even some cancers. The products have also been linked to environmental concerns, including increased mortality rates among monarch butterflies and other insects. Prevention News. Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/smart-shopping/whole-foods-gmo-policy#ixzz2Niw4GpJ0

This is last year's post, & includes the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. Because of Whole Foods, all is not lost. We can pressure our favorites grocery chains to follow their lead, and if you have a Whole Foods near you, show your gratitude.

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6120674036008744145#editor/target=post;postID=645181133150838316