At Taco Punk, we care about where our food comes from.  That’s why we source our meats locally, from places like Marksbury Farm, and make sure our seafood is sustainably caught.  We want to know what goes into our food, and we believe you have a right to know too.  To most of us, that’s common sense.

                                       No genes were modified in the creation of this taco.

Unfortunately, not everybody thinks that way.

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a piece of legislation that has been labeled the “Monsanto Protection Act” by its critics.  What this particular bill would do if it is signed into law is allow Monsanto to continue planting genetically modified crops before they’ve been approved by the USDA.  In California in 2012, Monsanto funded an enormous campaign to convince voters to allow genetically modified foods to be sold to consumers without being required to inform them that the foods they are buying are different in any way.  At Taco Punk, we believe companies like Monsanto pose an enormous threat to the safety of the food we eat. 

You might be wondering why genetically modified food is such a big deal.  After all, don’t they help farmers use less pesticides?  For a while, they did.  Now, pesticide resistant crops have evolved that have forced some farmers to use even more pesticides than they used to.  Another major concern about genetically modified foods is their place in the ecosystem.  Through pollination, their genes could contaminate non-modified plants, and create many unforeseen (and probably unwanted) consequences. 

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has warned our own government  about the threat companies like Monsanto pose to the global food supply.   Putin, along with countless others, is concerned about neonicotinoids harming bee colonies.  Neonicotinoids are pesticides made from nicotine created by a company named Syngenta.  This chemical has been implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder, a disease that has wiped out nearly a third of all bee colonies.  Without the pollination bees provide, humans and most other animals would starve.  Monsanto, along with Syngeta, Bayer, Dow and Dupont make up nearly 100% of the market for genetically modified seeds, plants, and pesticides.

                                           Is this who you want in charge of your food?

This situation might seem hopeless, but it isn’t.  In fact, consumer demand is the most important factor in reducing the influence of these corporations.  All these companies want is (y)our money.  If we demand foods that are naturally produced and healthy, that’s what we’ll get.  One of the best sources for this kind of food is your local farmers’ market.  Most small farmers don’t use Monsanto seeds or pesticides, and if you’re unsure, ask.  Marksberry Farm, our own meat supplier, does not use these products in their feed or their livestock.  If you want to go one step further, you can grow your own food.  If you have the space, plant a vegetable garden so that you know that the only things going into your veggies are soil, water and sunshine. 

When you dine at Taco Punk, support local farmers, or grow your own food, you are freeing yourself from the influence of companies like Monsanto, at least in a small way.  Remember, we vote with our dollars as much as we do at the ballot box.  Make your vote count!

By John Beechem, taco grunt and social media writer.  E-mail jbeechem2000@gmail.com.