Arran Stephens the Co-CEO of Nature’s Path and Garden Keeper shares his disappointments in Prop 37’s loss and his hopes for a GMO-free future;
While we’re disappointed that Prop 37 did not win, approximately 4,000,000 people voted for, or 47% of the voting population (we actually won in San Francisco and Los Angeles!), despite a massive $50 million deceptive media campaign from the world’s largest pesticide companies: Monsanto, Dupont, Dow and their junk food allies—who don’t want you to know what is in your food. They engaged in a very dirty and deceptive fear campaign which had no basis in reality.
The fact that we did manage to get 47% of the popular vote demonstrates a fundamental awakening. It will not go away. There’s such a thing as “losing forward”. We may have lost this one battle, but the war is not over! We have changed the national conversation, increased the awareness of the GMO problem, and awakened the sleeping giant.
Many thanks to all of you who have supported this movement in various ways. It’s every citizen’s right to know what’s in their food and we will continue to work towards mandatory labeling of GMOs. Next up, we’re turning our focus to Washington state to help get I-522 on the November 2013 ballot and working with our allies to get a ban on GMO apples and Alfalfa.
Remember to look for Organic foods, as they are always Non-GMO, and secondly look for the Non-GMO Project Verified Seal. These are your best choices for avoiding GMO food, but if you want food grown without pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers, organic is our only choice. Onward!
BE GOOD, DO GOOD AND BE ONE.