GMOS AND THE DEBATE ON FOOD DEMOCRACY Over the centuries the concept of democracy has evolved into many shapes and forms becoming increasingly complex, bureaucratic, and authoritarian. Granted, it’s without doubt pure democracy would fail in today’s society, however we are increasingly losing vital aspects of the civil liberties and freedoms that is the heart of democracy. Democracy, in the general sense, is a form of governance whereby all citizens possess equal rights in the voting of issues such as legislative officials, laws, and matters that affect daily life. In most democratic processes majority rules. Democracy therefore is a lot more than simply showing up on Election Day to cast your vote for a political candidate. By definition democracy should also provide for the opportunity to vote on important issues that affect matters of daily life. This brings me to the debate on Prop 37, a California state proposition which, if passed, would require the mandatory labelling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients. The concept of food, including its composition and how it’s grown, is most definitely a matter that affects daily life. However, our food system in North America has become increasingly a matter of large corporations as opposed to a matter of the people. Furthermore, these corporations work jointly with government bureaucrats to develop food policies, laws, and communication strategies “that affect our daily life”. The USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid, now known as MyPlate, is a great example how corporate interest has exerted significant influence over food matters. The power of the collective is more and more becoming the power of the few. ascentahealth/blog/entry/gmos-and-debate-food-democracy
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 06:28:14 +0000