GMO crops on Boulder County Open Space

Letter to the Editor
Naturally Boulder Board of Directors
re: GMO crops on Boulder County Open Space

August 30, 2011

 

Naturally Boulder: Say NO to GMOs on Boulder County Open Space

As representatives of the local natural and organic foods community, the Naturally Boulder Board of Directors urges our Boulder County Commissioners to vote NO for GMOs on Boulder County Open Space.

While genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are not allowed in organics, not all of Naturally Boulder’s membership consists of organic companies. The pervasive nature of GMOs on U.S. farmland – be it through planting of GMO seed or GMO drift that contaminates neighboring fields – has translated into 93% of all soy and 86% of all corn grown in the U.S. now being GMO. Additionally, currently 95% of all sugar beets grown in the U.S. are GMO, and sugar beets make up approximately 55% of all sugar produced in this country. This leaves our industry with very few choices for unadulterated soy, sugar and corn-derived ingredients, such as oils used in many product formulations, should our food manufacturers choose to avoid GMOs. Additionally, as our consumers demand more environmentally friendly packaging, one of the clear leaders is PLA – compostable package made from corn – but that, too, is made from GMO corn due to the lack of availability and high price of non-GMO corn.

We have already started to see choices for better products and better packaging shrink due to GMOs in the food chain, and there are several more GMO-approved crops, such as Alfalfa, that have yet to flood the market like corn and soy have. Genetically modified seeds have not been in production long enough to determine their safety, and several studies point to environmental perils related to the planting of GMO crops.

As an industry, we benefit from the Boulder brand, which stands for a healthy lifestyle, the epicenter for organic and natural foods, and a leader in environmental consciousness. Boulder residents came here to provide a better, healthier life for their families and their future. At Naturally Boulder, we nurture the Boulder brand and we believe that Boulder County must uphold the promise of Boulder in the decisions it makes today that will affect us all into the future. So, we urge our Commissioners to vote NO for GMOs on Open Space, and we urge everyone to have your voices heard before it is too late. Go to www.no-gmo-boulder.com to learn how.

Sincerely,

The Naturally Boulder Board of Directors

Joan Boykin, The Organic Center

Bill Capsalis, MarkEnomics LLC

Ellen Feeney, White Wave Foods

Rob Goldstein

Victoria Hartman, Madhava Natural Sweeteners

Catherine Hunziker, WishGarden Herbal Remedies

Steve Hoffman, Compass Natural Marketing

Mark Law

Jennifer Margoles, 34 Degrees

Carla McCabe, Fresca Foods

Doug Radi, Rudi’s Organic Bakery

Mark Retzloff, Alfalfa’s

Linnea Simons, attorney at law & Naturally Boulder founder

Sylvia Tawse, Fresh Ideas Group & Pastures of Plenty Farm

Sonja Tuitele, Aurora Organic Dairy & Alfalfa’s

Blake Waltrip, Celestial Seasonings

Arron Mansika, Naturally Boulder Director of Operations & Administration