Getting
Involved - Local Food Happenings in Tempe and Arizona
There
is a groundswell happening in the world of food and nutrition. People are
becoming aware that something is amiss with what is happening to our food
supply and our environment. As people begin to realize that truly natural
nutrient dense food and vibrant good health go hand in hand they are looking
for ways to change the way food is being grown and produced. Instead of sitting
back and feeling helpless, it is time for all of us to get out there and make a
difference.
So
often, people think that they have to search far and wide to make a difference
in the world. When we become aware and look around, there are plenty of
activities and opportunities in our own backyard to impart real and significant
changes in our food supply. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are one of
the hottest nutritional topics out there right now. There are some exciting
opportunities coming up in Tempe (and Phoenix) over the next couple of months
that offer educational and volunteer opportunities regarding GMOs and other
pivotal nutritional topics.
13th
Annual Local to Global Food Justice Forum (March 1-2, 2014)
Next
weekend ASU will be hosting the 13th Annual Local to Global Food
Justice Forum and Festival. Local to Global Justice is a student-founded group
at ASU dedicated to educating people about topics concerning local and global
justice. This year’s event theme is Food Justice. The event is free. The event
will feature workshops throughout the day, panel discussions, keynote speakers,
kids’ activities, entertainment and free vegan lunch.
There
are sure to be great discussions about the global and local food systems,
social injustice in the food and agriculture industry and connections between
food and health. It would be fair to assume that if you are searching for more
ways to get involved in making a difference locally and globally, resources
will abound at this event.
Right
to Know Arizona (Ongoing)
Right
to Know Arizona has introduced a ballot initiative they are hoping to get
included on the November 2014 ballot. The initiative has been drafted to
require the labeling of GMO’s in Arizona. In 2012 California had a similar
initiative (Prop 37) on the ballot. Monsanto, Dow and the Grocery Manufacturers
association spent millions of dollars to successfully defeat the bill in
California.
In
2013 a sadly similar scenario played out in Washington State. According to an
article in Bloomburg Businessweek, The Grocery Manufacturing Association doled
out over 11 million dollars to defeat Initiative 522. In both campaigns the
argument used by the food manufacturers was that having to rework their labels
would be costly and those costs would be passed
on to consumers. This argument is absurd and weak. Labels are changed at the
drop of a hat when a company wants to promote things such as the latest popular
movie or holidays to increase sales. These companies and organizations have a
lot of power and money. For this reason it is even more important for people to
get involved…and lots of them.
Right
to Know needs enthusiastic and passionate volunteers to help get the word out
about the initiative. They will need ideas and help for fund raising efforts.
Unfortunately, a lot of money is needed to fight these giant biotech companies
and lobbyist organizations. They have a lot of money and political clout.
Approximately 180,000 signatures must be collected by June in order for the
initiative to make the ballot. That’s a lot of signatures to collect in a short
amount of time. If you don’t have a lot of time to commit, that’s OK. Get out
there for a few hours one day to help collect signatures. Post about the
initiative on Twitter, Facebook and Pintrest. Every effort, no matter how big
or small, matters.
To
get involved:
Visit
the Right to Know Arizona website @ http://righttoknowarizona.com/
Join
the Right to Know AZ Meetup Group @ http://www.meetup.com/Right-to-Know-AZ-Phoenix/
March
Against Monsanto – Phoenix/Tempe (May 24, 2014)
The
May 24th march will be the 3rd event held in Tempe. The
march is a peaceful demonstration aimed at educating people about the harmful
effects of GMO’s on our bodies and our environment. It is a worldwide event
that has been gaining momentum with marches being held all over the
world. This event has been helping raise awareness about what GMOs are
and how they are having a drastic effect on the world.
The
March Against Monsanto was founded by Tami Canal, a mother of two daughters.
She felt compelled to do something to protect the health of her two growing
girls. The marches are held in over 52 countries on six continents. The media
coverage has been sporadic at best. Networks could be in fear of losing big
sponsorships from companies that sell products containing GMOs. Not one local
media outlet covered the first Tempe march, not one. It is the individuals who
have made this movement grow and expand. This is another way to act locally
while thinking globally
To
find out more about the March Against Monsanto:
Go
to their website: http://www.march-against-monsanto.com/
March
Against Monsanto - Phoenix Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/500280013363081/
GMO
Free Arizona (Ongoing)
GMO
Free Arizona is a non-profit founded by Rachel Linden and Ariane Glazer. Their
mission is simple. They want to provide information and education to folks in
Arizona about the detrimental effects of GMOs on our environment, and our
health. The work with a national group called GMO Action Alliance to continue
the important mission of education people and supporting efforts to require
labeling of GMO’s in our food.
They
have an excellent website full of valuable information on GMOs. The resource
section of the site is a goldmine of information on studies, articles, books,
documentaries and websites all related to GMO education. The section called
“About GMOs” features a very poignant video that provides a great deal of
valuable information about some of the hot topics related to GMOs.
GMO Free Arizona Website: http://gmofreeaz.org/
Each
and every one of us can do our part. We need to embrace our power to do good in
our communities. We can and will make a difference to improve the quality of
the food we eat and the environment. Together, we can support local farmers,
businesses, environmental initiatives and so much more. Get out there: fire up
your social media, hit the farmers markets, plant something, and talk to your
friends, family and neighbors. You can make a difference.
ACT
LOCALLY – THINK GLOBALLY
