By Isabella Munson

People have the right to know what they are eating regardless of race, class, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, or religion. However, big corporations spend large sums of money to take away this basic right.

As a young teen living in Washington State, the idea of not knowing what is in my food and the impact it has on my body and the environment is a scary idea. Growing up with parents who work constantly to protect people and the environment, I have deep respect and amazement for the beauty and intricacy that is nature. Developing crops that in the long term could harm current and future generations is ludicrous. Even though the long-term effects of these crops are not certain, there is growing evidence that the pesticides used on them could be harmful to honey bees, which we depend on for an estimated one third of everything we eat.

For example, as reported in the Toronto Star millions of bees died in 2013 after GMO corn was planted in Ontario, Canada along with an application of a neonicotinoid pesticide. A local beekeeper, Dave Schuit, lost about 37 million bees. In the past, many scientists have struggled to find the exact cause of the massive die-offs, a phenomenon they refer to as “colony collapse disorder” (CCD) because this collapse in the global honeybee population is a major threat to crops. A new study published in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that neonicotinoid pesticides kill honeybees by damaging their immune system making them unable to fight diseases and bacteria.

It is outrageous that corporations spend vast amounts of money to keep people from knowing they are eating genetically modified (GM) foods. Despite examples of direct harm like the one above, these GM foods are not well regulated or tested enough to know if they are safe. More information and regulations are necessary to ensure they are safe for public health and the environment.

Giant pesticide companies like Monsanto have spent massive amounts of money to oppose GMO labeling initiatives. In November 2013, a GMO labeling initiative was introduced in Washington State—I-522. The initiative would have mandated clear labeling of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients on food packages. Sadly, the initiative failed due to the excessive amount of money spent to oppose it. According to the Seattle Times, Monsanto alone contributed $4.8 million to the opposition.

In addition to the large sums of money companies spend to stop important laws, they also engage in activities that aren’t ethical. Monsanto owns the soybean. They have patented the most sacred thing in life— life itself. In fact, when their patented GM soybean gene contaminates a non-GMO crop they can and have sued for patent infringement, unless the farmer whose crop was contaminated can prove they didn’t violate the patent. As Erik Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation said, “These companies have legions of attorneys. And they may sue, even if they know they can’t win, just to send a message.”

These companies even have former employees working in the regulatory agencies that are supposed to oversee them. Schlosser said in Food Inc., “Our regulatory agencies are being controlled by the very companies that they are supposed to be scrutinizing.” For example, Margaret Miller was a chemical lab supervisor at Monsanto and is now a FDA branch chief. How can the public trust an agency that is so closely tied to the industry it is supposed to regulate?

It’s time for these agencies to protect us, not Monsanto, and set strict regulations on labeling, quality, and safety, particularly for GM crops. If these regulations aren’t set there could be dire consequences. Our generation and future generations deserve better.

Isabella Munson is 13-years-old, and attends Hamilton International Middle School.