Monsanto and the other corporate manufacturers of pest-resistant GMO corn are advised by EPA to talk to farmers about alternating seasonal plantings. The EPA suggests alternating corn with soybean.

Few things are more essential to our survival than seeds, yet few things are taken more for granted.

Filmmaker M. Sean Kaminsky’s new documentary Open Sesame looks at the necessity for seed diversity and how monoculture-farming practices threaten it. In the past century, we’ve lost an astonishing 90 percent of the fruit and vegetable seeds once available. Instead, the world’s food supply is built largely on hybrid seeds, and like mules, they are unable to naturally reproduce. As a result, there’s no way for a species to evolve regional hardiness, or withstand pests, diseases and changing climate conditions.

Open Sesame illuminates what is at stake when seeds are patented and controlled by large corporation, and the film features different approaches that enterprising farmers are using to preserve seeds and foster diversity.

As spring planting season begins, we spoke with Kaminsky about the film, what inspired him to make it and the perils facing seeds today.

Open Sesame is available to stream or download here on Vimeo, as well as iTunes and Amazon. DVDs are also available for purchase.

A decade ago, Bill Nye, aka The Science Guy, did a segment on GMOs for his TV show. His approach surprised some who saw it years later. “It was weightily anti-GMO, something I wouldn’t have expected from Bill Nye,” one writer has noted.

Media Silence Deafening as 2,4 D Herbicide-Tolerant GMO Crops Cleared for Planting in UN's "International Year of Soils"

Bill passes Assembly’s Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection

ALBANY — The Assembly’s Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection today passed with nine votes bill A.617 to require the labeling of food made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Despite opposition by big food and beverage corporations, organizing by environmental and consumers’ rights advocates helped ensure the bill made it through the committee. The vote comes on the heels of the controversial decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve the sale of a genetically modified apple that doesn’t bruise, spoil or brown.

“As Chairman of the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection, I believe consumers have a right to know what their food contains, be it gluten, sugar, or genetically modified organisms. While the research on the long-term ecological, social, and physiological impacts of GMOs remains incomplete, GMOs are a departure from time-tested practices that humans have used to adapt the natural world to their needs. I stand with a growing chorus of voices in New York and across the United States who seek more information about the foods they buy, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring this bill to a vote in the full Assembly this session,” said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx).

Overwhelmingly, Americans want mandatory labeling of genetically modified food. According to polls by Consumer Reports and The New York Times, over 90% of consumers want genetically engineered food labeled.

Soon, we’ll all say goodbye to the natural apples that turn brown after several minutes. United States biotech-focused company Intrexon announced that they’re acquiring the creator of the nonbrowing Apples from Canada.

Why is there so much fuss over genetically modified ingredients? This will help you sift through the facts.

Foods made with canola oil, corn, or soy often contain GMOs.

It’s a growing controversy: Should GMO foods always be labeled so consumers are aware that the product contains genetically modified ingredients?

GMOs—or genetically modified organisms—are created in a lab by altering the genetic makeup of a plant or an animal. Ninety-two percent of Americans believe that GMO foods—widely found in kitchens across the country—should be labeled before they’re sold, according to a recent nationally representative survey of 1,004 people from the Consumer Reports National Research Center. (Last year our tests discovered that GMOs were present in many packaged foods, such as breakfast cereals, chips, baking mixes, and protein bars.)

Demand for non-GMO foods has skyrocketed: In 2013, sales of non-GMO products that were either certified organic (by law, organic products can’t be made with GMO ingredients) or that carried the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal increased by 80 percent, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. It has prompted a growing number of companies to avoid using GMOs in new products or to voluntarily reformulate existing ones so that they can sport reliable non-GMO labels. PepsiCo, for example, sells Stacy’s Simply Naked bagel and pita chips with the Non-GMO Project Verified seal; General Mills, which introduced a non-GMO original Cheerios cereal early last year, also has the non-GMO product lines Cascadian Farm and Food Should Taste Good.

Last week, Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore)–joined by chef-lebrity Tom Colicchio–announced the reintroduction of The Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act, a federal bill that would mandate the labeling of foods or beverages containing genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

The debate over genetically modified organisms didn’t end in 2013, when this state’s voters narrowly rejected an initiative that would have required labels on GMO products.

After two years of development work, Nutrasource is starting to talk about its IGEN (International Genetically modified Evaluation and Notification) program, with William Rowe, President and CEO, giving a presentation at 12pm on Friday, March 6th at the Marriott Hotel during Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim.