Press Release: Fishy Food Cars Announce 6,000 Mile Tri-Coastal Tour

WASHINGTON, DC – On November 7, GMO labeling activists will set out on a cross-country 6,083-mile journey from Seattle to New York City for the “Are We Eating Fishy Food? Tri-Coastal Tour.” The tour features five mutant GMO art cars fitted with 300 pound roof-mounted sculptures that call attention to the need for labeling genetically engineered (GMO) food. The tour begins two days after the world learns if voters in Washington state approved I-522 requiring labels for food that has been genetically engineered.

The food democracy activists hope their second cross country tour will further activate Americans on the need for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to label GMO food as is done in 64 other countries. A video with highlights from the first cross-country tour can be found at www.AreWeEatingFishyFood.com along with background on each of the art cars.

“The Fishy Food art car fleet’s cross-country swim from Seattle to New York will get people talking about the importance of GMO labeling,” says David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, whose company supported the creation of the art cars.

The first tour visited thirteen states and nine state capitals in August in a 3,300-mile journey from Washington, DC, home of the fishy food cars, to Seattle to support Yes on 522 campaign. The new Tri-Coastal Tour will follow a complete schedule and can be found at www.AreWeEatingFishyFood.com/tour/

“People want healthier food than what GMO food has to offer,” says Rica Madrid, coordinator of the Are We Eating Fishy Food? Tour. “You can measure the impact these educational vehicles have by the reaction and excitement they generate and the large number of shares we see in social media,” says Madrid.

Since 2011 citizen activism has pushed for information about what’s in our food. That year, the Right to Know March for GMO labeling walked 313 miles from Brooklyn, NY to the gates of the White House in Washington, DC to demand President Obama act on his promise to label GMO food.

Genetic Engineering means more herbicide. Chemical companies genetically engineer DNA from bacteria into food crops to either produce or tolerate the chemicals they sell. No long-term independent safety studies have been performed on adverse health effects of GMO eating GMOs. Overuse of pesticide creates resistant superweeds and superbugs, which leads to increased chemical application. Now chemical companies like Monsanto and Dow are engineering resistance in food crops to much more toxic weed killers like Dicamba and 2,4 D, the main ingredient in Agent Orange.

Currently 64 countries—EU nations, China, Russia, Japan, Brazil, and South Africa included—require labeling of GMOs; US consumers can currently only rely on voluntary labeling to determine whether food products have been altered through genetic engineering.

Origins of the FishyFood Cars

The first car in the Fishy Food fleet was “Poppy,” aka the Fishy Corn Car. Created in September 2011 by César Maxit and the DC51 Artist Collective, Fishy Corn accompanied the Right2Know March, as a support vehicle carrying leaflets, organic snacks and water as it raised awareness with marchers. Fishy Corn then went to Monsanto headquarters in Creve Coeur, Missouri for the 2012 annual shareholder meeting with activist Adam Eidinger. He parked the car on the agribusiness giant’s campus and debated Monsanto’s CEO Hugh Grant on GMO labeling during the meeting. A secret video of the encounter went viral online shortly afterwards.

In January 2013, Maxit began building four more mutant cars using extensive volunteer labor from the Washington, DC artist community. Since then, Fishy Sugar Beet aka “Rooty,” Fishy Apple aka “Goldie,” Fishy Soybean aka “Soja Girl,” and, most recently, Fishy Tomato aka “K-Sup” have driven across America. Collectively, the cars have been driven over 120,000 miles.

Members of the media are encouraged to embed with the Are We Eating Fishy Food? fleet for some or all of the tour. Contact Adam Eidinger at 202-744-2671 or [email protected] to make arrangements.

More information at www.AreWeEatingFishyFood.com

Art is Activism for New Fishy Food Cars

WASHINGTON, DC – On August 5 seventeen activists will set out on a cross-country 3300-mile journey from the nation’s capital to Seattle, Washington for what is being called the “Are We Eating Fishy Food Tour.” The tour features five mutant GMO art cars fitted with large roof-mounted sculptures and carrying information about the need for labeling genetically engineered (GMO) food. The tour begins at the west side of the US Capitol on August 5 at 6:30pm and arrives in Seattle on August 15, where the fishy food cars will debut at Seattle Hempfest.

Washington State is a national battleground over the GMO food issue. Voters there will decide this November whether foods with GMO ingredients should be labeled as such. The Are We Eating Fishy Food Tour will pass through thirteen states and nine state capitals with events along the way. A complete schedule of the tour can be found at www.AreWeEatingFishyFood.com

“The Fishy Food art car fleet’s cross-country swim from Washington, DC to Washington
State will get people talking about the importance of GMO labeling,” says David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, whose company supported the creation of the art cars.

Since 2011 there has been a rebirth in citizen activism around the issue of knowing what’s in our food. That year, the Right2Know March for GMO labeling walked 313 miles from Brooklyn, NY to the gates of the White House in Washington, DC. “The ‘R2K’ march was obscure to most people, but two years later there is widespread awareness of unlabeled GMO foods thanks to voter initiatives, increased legislative efforts, world-wide protests, and creative education efforts like the Fishy Food cars,” says Bronner.

Genetic Engineering means more pesticides. Chemical companies genetically engineer DNA from bacteria into food crops to either produce or tolerate the pesticides they sell. This foreign DNA produces foreign proteins in every cell of the plant that we eat in our food. No long-term independent safety studies have been performed on adverse health effects. Overuse of pesticide is creating resistant superweeds and superbugs, which leads to more pesticides being sprayed. Now chemical companies like Monsanto and Dow are engineering resistance in food crops to much more toxic weed killers like Dicamba and 2,4 D, the main ingredient in Agent Orange.

While over 60 countries—EU nations, China, Russia, Japan, Brazil, and South Africa included—require labeling of GMOs, US consumers can currently only rely on voluntary labeling to determine whether food products have been genetically altered through gene splicing technology.

Origins of the FishyFood Cars

The first car in the Fishy Food fleet was “Poppy,” aka Fishy Corn Car. Created in September 2011 by César Maxit and DC51 artist collective. Fishy Corn was constructed with a frame made of welded steel and a skin of chicken wire and tape. The design was implemented for the Right2Know March, where Fishy Corn served as a support vehicle to carry leaflets, organic snacks and water, and to ferry people to the front of the march when they were falling behind. Later that year Maxit, working with welder & fiberglass artist David Jackson, began building a larger and more durable Fishy Corn sculpture from fiberglass with a heavy steel frame. The new and improved Fishy Corn car went to Monsanto headquarters in Creve Coeur, Missouri for the 2012 annual shareholder meeting with activist Adam Eidinger. He parked the car on the agribusiness giant’s campus and debated Monsanto’s CEO Hugh Grant on GMO labeling during the meeting. A secret video of the encounter went viral online shortly afterwards.

Fishy Corn then stayed in St. Louis with activists and after a few months swam to California to support Proposition 37, a GMO labeling voter initiative that failed by less than 2% in November 2012. In December, Fishy Corn made a southern tour with members of the Real Cooperative who returned it home to Washington, DC.

In January 2013, Maxit began building four more chimera cars using extensive volunteer labor from the Washington, DC community. Since then, Fishy Sugar Beet aka “Rooty,” Fishy Apple aka “Goldie,” Fishy Soybean aka “Soja Girl,” and, most recently, Fishy Tomato aka “K-Sup” have been completed.

“People want healthier food than what GMO food has to offer,” says Rica Madrid, coordinator of the Are We Eating Fishy Food Tour. “You can measure the impact these educational vehicles are having by the reaction and excitement on people’s faces and the large number of shares we see in social media,” says Madrid.

Members of the media are encouraged to embed with the Are We Eating Fishy Food fleet for some or all of the tour. Contact Adam Eidinger at 202-744-2671 or [email protected] to make arrangements.

More information at www.AreWeEatingFishyFood.com

El Arte es Activismo para los Nuevos Carros Alegóricos sobre la gira “¿Es nuestra comida sospechosa?”

WASHINGTON, DC – El 5 de agosto, 17 activistas emprenderán un viaje de 3,300 millas desde la capital de la nación, hasta Seattle, Washington, en la gira “¿Es nuestra comida sospechosa?” El proyecto presentará 5 carros artísticos con esculturas mutantes en sus techos que llevan información acerca de la necesidad de etiquetar la comida transgénica (GMO, por sus siglas en inglés). El recorrido comenzara en el lado occidental del Capitolio estadounidense el 5 de agosto a las 6:30 p.m. y llegara a Seattle, Washington el 14 de agosto, donde los carros harán su debut en el festival de cáñamo Seattle Hempfest.

El estado de Washington es el último campo de batalla sobre el tema de los alimentos transgénicos, ya que los votantes de ese estado decidirán el próximo mes de noviembre si los alimentos con ingredientes transgénicos deben llevar etiqueta que lo indique. La gira “¿Es nuestra comida sospechosa?” pasará por 13 estados y 8 capitales estatales, y habrán eventos en el camino. El horario completo de la gira, que incluye Pittsburgh, Columbus, Chicago, Indianápolis, Denver, Cheyenne, y Salt Lake City está en: www.AreWeEatingFishyFood.com.

“La gira de la comida sospechosa a través del país, desde Washington, DC al estado de Washington, inspirará al público a discutir la importancia de etiquetar a los transgénicos,” dice David Bronner, Presidente de Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, compañía de jabones que apoyó la creación de los automóviles.

Desde el 2011 ha habido un renacimiento de activismo alrededor del tema de saber que hay en nuestra comida. En ese año, la Marcha por el Derecho a Saber, (Right to Know March) para etiquetar a los transgénicos caminó 313 millas desde Brooklyn, NY hasta las puertas de la Casa Blanca en Washington, DC. “La marcha ‘R2K’ fue desconocida por la mayoría de la gente, pero dos años después existe amplia consciencia sobre el tema de los alimentos transgénicos sin etiqueta gracias a referendos, más esfuerzos legislativos, protestas al nivel mundial y proyectos creativos de educación como los carros de comida sospechosa”, dijo Bronner.

La ingeniería genética significa más pesticidas, las empresas químicas usan la ingeniería genética para introducir el ADN de bacterias en los cultivos de alimentos ya sea para producir o para tolerar los pesticidas que venden. Este ADN extraño produce proteínas extrañas en cada célula de la planta que comemos. Aunque más de 60 países—incluyendo a las naciones del la Unión Europea, China, Rusia, Japón, Brasil, y Sud África—requieren que los transgénicos lleven etiqueta, actualmente los consumidores en los Estados Unidos solo cuentan con etiquetas voluntarias para determinar si la genética de sus alimentos ha sido alterada. No se han hecho estudios de seguridad independientes acerca de sus efectos adversos a la salud. El uso excesivo de pesticidas esta creando súper-malezas y súper-pestes resistentes, lo cual requiere que se incremente el uso de pesticidas aun más. Actualmente, compañías de químicos como Monsanto y Dow están produciendo cultivos resistentes a herbicidas mucho más fuertes, como Dicamba y 2, 4 D, el ingrediente principal en el Agente Naranja.

Los orígenes de los carros sobre la Comida Sospechosa

El primer auto en la flota fue el Carro Pez Maíz, el cual fue creado en septiembre del 2011 por César Maxit y el colectivo de artistas DC51. El Pez Maíz se produjo con un marco de acero soldado y piel de alambre y cinta adhesiva. El diseño se implemento para la Marcha por el Derecho a Saber (Right2Know March) en la cual Pez Maíz sirvió como vehículo de apoyo, cargando refrigerios orgánicos y agua, y llevando a participantes al frente de la marcha cuando se habían quedado atrás. Luego, Maxit, trabajando con el soldador y artista de fibra de vidrio, David Jackson, construyó una escultura más grande y duradera de fibra de vidrio con un marco de acero pesado. El nuevo Pez Maíz fue a la sede de Monsanto en Creve Coeur, Missouri para la reunión anual de accionistas del 2012 con el activista Adam Eidinger, quien lo estacionó en las enormes instalaciones del gigante de la industria agraria. Durante la reunión, Eidinger debatió al director general de Monsanto, Hugh Grant, sobre el tema del etiquetado de transgénicos. Un video secreto del encuentro se volvió viral en línea poco después.

Pez Maíz se quedo en St. Louis con activistas y en pocos meses “nadó” a California para apoyar a la Proposición 37, una iniciativa para etiquetar a los transgénicos que falló por menos del 2 por ciento en noviembre de 2012. En diciembre, Pez Maíz hizo una gira sureña con miembros del Real Cooperative, quienes lo condujeron a casa en Washington, DC.

En enero del 2013, Maxit empezó a crear 4 carros quimeras adicionales con la ayuda extensiva de voluntarios de la comunidad de Washington, DC. Desde entonces se han construido, Pez Remolacha Azucarera, Pez Manzana, Pez de Soya, y Pez Tomate.

“La gente quiere comida más sana de lo que los transgénicos ofrecen,” dice Rica Madrid, coordinadora de la gira “¿Es nuestra comida sospechosa?”. “El impacto de estos vehículos se mide por la reacción y emoción que demuestra la gente al verlos y por la gran cantidad de actividad que generan en medios sociales”, dijo Madrid.

A los medios de comunicación que quieran integrarse por una porción de la gira se les recomienda comunicarse con Jazmín Rumbaut, al teléfono, (510) 986–4337.

Más información en www.AreWeEatingFishyFood.com