On Sunday, I headed to Washington’s McPherson Square to observe the Occupy DC movement because I wanted to form my own opinion of the group rather than rely on media depictions or other people’s stereotypes. Although I enjoyed the relaxing environment of urban camping on a beautiful day, my attention was soon diverted when someone suggested I check out the Right2Know march taking place at nearby Lafayette Park, in front of the White House. “Quick, new column material,” I thought, as I followed my curious nose to the demonstration.
As it turns out, the Right2Know group had just arrived after a two-week 300-mile march from New York to Washington. Their cause: to mobilize policy efforts for labeling genetically modified organisms on products. Their message: As Americans, we have the right to know what’s in our food and to choose safe, healthy food for our families and ourselves.
You probably know about the trendy push toward organic foods, but did you know the push against GMOs is at the core of the movement? GMOs are engineered organisms whose genetic material has been changed in a way that does not occur naturally. They can make our tomatoes plumper, increase crop yields and make plants resistant to pesticides or herbicides. GMOs are intended to improve our lives, but we don’t have any idea what long-term affect GMOs will have on our bodies or the environment.
The United States is the world’s largest commercial grower of GMO crops. More than 70 percent of processed foods here contain genetically engineered ingredients, and unlike the European Union, we don’t mandate the labeling of genetically modified food.
The Right2Know rally was symbolically coordinated with Sunday’s World Food Day, but it was also part of the coordinated effort Millions Against Monsanto. Monsanto is a multinational biotechnology corporation and the largest agricultural seed company in the world. I first learned of Monsanto from the documentary Food Inc., which villainizes the corporation for putting small farmers out of business by monopolizing the agricultural food market.
Monsanto has also spread GMOs to Africa, Asia and South America, but more startling is talk about how the company collaborated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture when conducting an environmental assessment on its own Roundup herbicide product. Although the general public overwhelmingly supports GMO labels for food products, Monsanto has mounted a successful lobbying campaign, so it remains to be seen whether Congress will take action. If the past is any indication, money will probably speak louder than the voice of the people — but at least there’s hope for reform.
Back at the Occupy DC group in McPherson Square, a sign posted around the central monument explained one person’s justification for joining the movement. It read, “I wanted to register my support for the protest of the corruption in our country’s financial system and the policies that enable such corruption.” To me, that statement summarizes the overarching theme of a movement that lacks specific goals. But just down the street, the Right2Know rally was making specific demands while protesting the corruption of Monsanto and the government that enables such corruption.
GMO labeling is a specific example of the broad grievances held by Occupy DC protesters across the country. It’s time for the occupiers to realize Washington is where politicians and lobbyists operate. It’s time for the national Occupy movement to begin the march on Washington — then true change can begin.
Jennifer Schwarz is a senior environmental science and policy major. She can be reached at schwarz@umdbk.com.
