Moms Across America
Contact: Blair Fitzgibbon
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Moms Across America announces another billboard blitz across America in time for Independence day. “Organic Food: FREEDOM from GMOs and Toxins.” reads the patriotic red, white, and blue billboard series posted by Adams + Fairway Outdoor advertising.
Featuring a mother and baby of African heritage, running June 20 for 30 days, 99 billboards, 55 posters in 12 states, primarily in the south and midwest, are intended to raise awareness about the importance of organic for all.
“Unfortunately access to organic food is a socio-economic injustice issue,” Honeycutt, the founder and director of Moms Across America states.”In many lower income urban areas where the population tends to be primarily African American and Hispanic, organic food is almost no where to be found. This was not the case 40 years ago. Our grandmothers all served organic food.”
Honeycutt and her organization stress that it is the right of all Americans to have the freedom to chose organic food and avoid GMOs and toxic chemicals. More than 85% of non organic food in America contains GMOs, which are genetically engineered to either be a pesticide or resist herbicides. This means that Americans are consuming more chemicals designed to kill life, cause neurotoxicity, hormone disruption, weaken the immune system, and be likely carcinogenic, than ever in recorded history. Moms Across America are fed up.
“Skyrocketing health issues affect our loved ones, teachers, elected officials, children and unborn. Rising health care costs also affect everyone. We must protect Americans!” says Honeycutt.
Over 650 lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto, the maker of the most widely used herbicide in the world, Roundup, a glyphosate based herbicide, for causing Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in people who used their products in public and private spaces as a weedkiller. Unfortunately Roundup and over 700 different formulations of glyphosate based herbicides are sprayed directly on our food and feed crops, especially on GMO crops,soy, corn, sugar, and non GMO crops wheat, beans and grains, the staples of the American diet. The EPA allows glyphosate residue on 160 of USA food and feed crops at levels far above that which have been shown to destroy gut bacteria and weaken the immune system. Glyphosate does not dry, wash or cook off and it has been found in American children’s urine, tap water, breast milk and a variety of popular American foods, including beer and wine.
In a recent meeting with the EPA, EPA staff confirmed that long term animal safety testing on the final formulation of Roundup has not been provided to the EPA , even after 40 years of the use of the product. Only tests on one chemical in the product, glyphosate, the declared “active ingredient” have been conducted, no tests on the entire chemical combination as it is sold in the stores are available. Independent studies show that the other ingredients in the formulation make the product 1000x more toxic, information which is being ignored.
This confirmation exposes a flaw in the EPA approval process which extends far beyond the one chemical glyphosate. Americans depend on our government and regulatory agencies to protect us and if they are failing to demand safety studies on the final formulation of thousands of products, this means that the chemical products as they sit on the shelves in hardware stores, and as they are sprayed on our food, have never been deemed safe, and to claim that they are is fraudulent.
Honeycutt adds, “America prides itself on freedom. Are we all truly free if we cannot access food without GMOs and toxic chemicals? Don’t we have the right to expect that our food is safe? Don’t all American have the right to happiness and health? We know we can do better. We ask all farmers to switch to organic and regenerative eco-agriculture practices and food manufacturers to insist on organic ingredients.
Many people argue that residents of lower income areas cannot afford organic, however Honeycutt interviewed Samantha, a support coach for lower income teen moms from the Healthy Babies Project in Washington DC and she said, “I teach moms that they can buy organic. I take them shopping to buy all non GMO and organic and for 100 dollars we can get a cart full of produce and food that will last the mother and baby for two weeks.”
Moms Across America is a 501c3 non profit whose motto is “Empowered Moms, Healthy Kids.”
