Demonstrators call for end to genetically modified foods
Claire Flahaven donned a white biohazard suit and rubber gloves to make her point to passing drivers: Genetically modified foods are bad.
Flahaven, a 30-year-old pregnant Orlandowoman, along with a friend held a red banner in downtown Orlando decrying foods that have been genetically altered. Flahaven eats only organic food, she says, for the health of her unborn child and hoped to encourage others to think about their eating choices.
“Be aware ofwhatyou’re putting in your body,” she said. “It’s just so
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Flahaven was part of a colorful gathering of protesters opposing genetically engineered plants, certain farming chemicals and the agriculture giant Monsanto, a global provider of pesticides and genetically engineered seeds.
Saturday, protesters rallied for the cause in more than 400 cities across theworld.
In front of City Hall, dozens of protesters — some dressed as bumblebees and others wearing masks — raised their fists and cheered when one speaker called for lawmakers to mandate the labeling of foods made with genetically modified plants. A portrait of zombielike people eating genetically modified corn and pictures of other “Frankenfood” veggies lined the protest space.
“Wehave a right to knowwhat is in our food,” said KimberlyWilcox, a self-proclaimed food guru who advocated for people to put fewer chemicals on or in their body.
Humans have been modifying plants for thousands of years with breeding and selection but only within the last century have learned how to manipulate plant DNA. The genetic engineering is done often to produce traits in crops, such as resistance to drought, disease or insects. Many scientists and government regulators maintain that genetically engineered foods are safe, though many in the scientific community disagree.