What is Non-GMO Month?

October is Non-GMO Month and all of our Down to Earth stores are celebrating with special products that are highlighted on our shelves, lots of helpful information for our customers, and two film screenings of the documentary “Secret Ingredients” (more on this important film later in this article).

Here’s a brief lesson on GMOs:

What is a GMO?

A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

According to the extensive study on GMOs, “GMO Myths and Truths”, by Earth Open Source, here are some truths about GMO crops:

A large and growing body of scientific and other authoritative evidence shows that GMO crops:

• Are laboratory-made, using technology that is totally different from natural breeding methods, and pose different risks from non-GMO crops
• Can be toxic, allergenic or less nutritious than their natural counterparts
• Are not adequately regulated to ensure safety
• Do not increase yield potential
• Do not reduce pesticide use but increase it
• Create serious problems for farmers, including herbicide-tolerant “superweeds”, compromised soil quality, and increased disease susceptibility in crops
• Have mixed economic effects and disrupt markets
• Harm soil quality, disrupt ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity
• Do not offer effective solutions to climate change
• Are as energy-hungry as any other chemically-farmed crops
• Cannot solve the problem of world hunger but distract from its real causes – poverty, lack of access to food and, increasingly, lack of access to land to grow it on.

In 2019, studies have shown that nearly half of all shoppers look for non-GMO products on the shelves when they shop. At Down to Earth, we are happy to be able to provide lots of options in all of our store departments--from produce, to grocery, to wellness, and in our deli--that are organic and GMO-free. We are opposed to the development of products containing GMOs because we believe they may pose health, safety, and other potential risks that far outweigh the purported benefits.

We work with the Non-GMO Project to not only provide GMO-free options--which can be easily spotted by looking for the butterfly logo--but also to provide educational information for our customers during Non-GMO month and every other month of the year. 

The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO products, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices.

Down to Earth shares in the belief, along with the Non-GMO Project, that:

• Everyone has a right to know what is in their food and deserves access to non-GMO choices.
• By voting with our dollars every time we shop, collectively we have the power to change the way our food is grown and made.
• Preserving and building the non-GMO supply chain is a critical step of transitioning toward a safe, healthy food supply for future generations.
• The integrity of our diverse genetic inheritance is essential to environmental health and ecological harmony.
• By encouraging a non-GMO seed supply, we are supporting the restoration of traditional seed breeding and the right of farmers to save and plant their own seeds and grow varieties of their choice.
• A verified non-GMO system supports organic agriculture by reducing contamination pressure and protecting the supply of non-GMO seed.
• Everyone deserves an informed choice about whether or not to consume genetically modified organisms.

In recognition of Non-GMO month, Down to Earth is hosting two film screenings of the documentary “Secret Ingredients” in Honolulu and Pearlridge. This is a powerful film that shares remarkable stories of people who regain their health after discovering the secret ingredients in their food and making a bold commitment to avoid them.

In “Secret Ingredients” you will meet more than a dozen people who were able to turn around serious health conditions after adopting a diet that avoids GMOs and food sprayed with toxic herbicides like Roundup. The secret ingredients in our food may be a lead driver of our obesity, infertility, cancer, digestive problems, autism, brain fog, skin conditions, gluten sensitivity, allergies, fatigue, anxiety, and many other conditions. Learn from leading physicians who say that these are not coincidences; they see illness and recovery like this every day in their practice.

We hope you can join us for one of these these film screenings. Stop by any of our Down to Earth stores during the month of October to shop our wide selection of GMO-free products and to learn more about the importance of choosing foods without GMO ingredients.