It’s not everyday you spot a large vegetable on the roof of a car.
“We’re here with the fishy food tour. We’re touring across the Western United States to call attention for the need for labeling genetically engineered foods also known as GMOs”
The vegetables represent the most common genetically modified crops.
“Labeling GMOs is important not only to the health of our families and farms but also for our food democracy.”
A battle that Rica Madrid says has been ongoing with global GMO producers Monsanto and Syngenta.
“Monsanto would have you believe that GMOs are nutritionally equivalent to any other food that farmers can produce.”
But Madrid begs to differ.
“GMOs are quite different from traditional farmers methods of selective breeding and hybridization. GMOs are created in a labratory by scientists who can turn genes on and off, but we have no idea what the long-term impact is going to be.”
And for that reason Madrid and the Fishy Fleet crew started their campaign in Seattle in August and will end up in New York City sometime in December, in hopes of spreading awareness about labeling GMOs.
Source: Roma Villavicencio, KOBI 5
Also see:
+ ArkLaTex: “Fishy Food Fleet” hits the streets
+ WWLP: “Fishy Food Fleet” hits the streets
Critics say these foods need to be labeled and some are taking that message to the street of D.C.
Cesar Maxit is an artist. On Thursday, his canvas is a Ford Escort. He is working on what is called the Fishy Fleet.
“The first look people have is a little bit of shock and astonishment, said Adam Eidinger.
People shocked to see the fleet on the streets of Washington, such as Fishy Corn and Fishy Tomato. They are trying to send a message with these vehicles.
“The way to do that we thought was to have these smiling protagonists — these smiling fishy characters, so we have the tomato and the apple and the corn,” Maxit said.
Their website is areweeatingfishyfoods.com. The fruits and vegetables that look like fish are supposed to represent genetically modified organisms (food) or GMOs.
Biotech companies are altering the genetic code of certain seeds. These activists say those foods should be labeled.
For the next week and a half or so,these cars will be tooling around D.C. After that, they will embark on a cross country trip.
“Basically our group is driving cross country to Seattle, Washington to deposit these fishy food cars with activists there who are going to campaign to label genetically engineered food,” said Edinger.
The labeling issue is on the ballot in Washington state this November. There is also a fight at the federal level.
Louis Finkel represents the Grocery Manufacturers Association. He says there is no danger.
“500 peer-reviewed research studies on a global basis have all concluded unequivocally there’s no material difference and no health risk associated with the technology,” he said.
The people at Fishy Food say consumers need more information.
“You drive down the road and someone will sit there with their mouth open and they don’t believe what they’re seeing,” said Robin Bell.
They say it is time to believe what you are seeing and know what you are eating.
