For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.

Contact:

Thomas Llewellyn, 925-876-2942, tom@realcooperative.org
            

Emma Hutchens: emma@realcooperative.org

For Immediate Release:
 
                 

Environmental, education and advocacy organizations partner with
Organic Food and Natural Products Companies to educate US citizens about GMOs
from California to Washington DC.
 

This December, members of the REAL Cooperative partnering with
Sustainable Living Roadshow, Mintwood Media Collective and GMO Inside are
embarking on a journey from California to Washington DC to promote education
and to build awareness around genetically modified foods and the importance of
mandatory GMO labeling and regulation in the United States.

And they’ll be traveling in ‘Fishycorn’ the giant cornfish car…

Supported by organic food and natural product companies; RW
Garcia, Dr. Bronners, Nutiva, HimalaSalt and Organic Valley; members of
Sustainable Living Roadshow and REAL Cooperative will accompany the fishy car
to local food cooperatives, farms and public gathering spaces in every state
along the route to host playful actions and “teach-ins” about GMOs.

The trip will be taking a southern route, leaving the Bay Area
on Dec 8 and heading through Bakersfield CA, Flagstaff AZ, Albuquerque NM,
Amarillo TX, Oklahoma City and Tulsa OK, Springfield and St. Louis MO,
Evansville IN, Louisville KY, Columbus OH, State College PA and on to
Washington DC.   Fishycorn will make an appearance at the City Museum
in St. Louis, home of the bio-industrial giant, Monsanto, finishing the 10 day
journey in Washington DC on December 18.

So, what and where are Genetically Modified foods? Genetically
engineered foods are plants or animals that have had their DNA artificially
altered by genes from other plants, animals, viruses or bacteria. This type of
genetic modification occurs in a laboratory and cannot be found in nature. A
high percentage of corn, soy, cotton (cottonseed oil) and sugar beets used in
processed foods sold in the U.S. are genetically engineered, but we don’t know
exactly which foods contain these without labeling.  It makes you wonder,
are you eating
Fishy Corn?

This trip is following on the heels of the recent battle for
Prop 37, a ballot initiative that would have required labeling of GMOs in the
state of California that was narrowly defeated despite nearly 6 million votes
in favor of the prop.

GMO Inside will be using this cross-country tour as part of its
launch of their National GMO Education Campaign; providing Americans with
actions they can take in their homes, grocery stores, and communities to call
attention to genetically engineered foods.  GMO Inside will provide tools
and resources for Americans to find the GMOs in a wide-range of products and
brands on grocery shelves, and give people organic and non-GMO alternatives.
 It will also create communities of people who are concerned about GMOs
and who will support each other’s efforts to label GMOs and avoid the products
containing them.

The idea for the labeling of GMOs may be new in the United
States, but it isn’t new for the rest of the world.  Over 50 countries
around the world already require mandatory GMO labeling including all of
Europe, Japan, India and China.  With an astoundingly few long-term health
studies and little to no FDA regulation, it seems that labeling may be the
least Americans, and the fishy corn car crew should be asking for.

Fishycorn Tour events will be fun and educational for
participants across the nation.  For those who want to follow along
online, Fishycorn’s adventure will be documented via daily blogs at
realcooperative.org and regular picture and video posts via facebook (facebook.com/
fishycorncarGMO) and twitter (@fishycorn).  Interested onlookers are
encouraged to participate in online contests including “where in the world is
fishy corn car” and more, for fun prizes and surprising GMO facts!