Since the early 1990s, genetically modified (GM) foods have found their way onto the shelves of grocery stores, seamlessly hiding in both processed food and in produce. Even though countless scientists have warned against the health and environmental risks of cultivating and consuming GM foods, no special labeling is required and these Frankenstein foods continue to flourish in the market unbeknownst to many.

GM crops are grown from seeds that have undergone a process in which genes from another organism, many times a different species, are inserted into its DNA to make the crop take on new characteristics such as resistance to pests and viruses, or tolerance towards herbicides. Monsanto Corporation is responsible for manufacturing ninety percent of the world’s GM seeds. They, along with other transnational “life science” corporations, have set out to monopolize the food industry, putting small farmers in economic despair.

Despite their poor business ethics including illegal dumping of toxic waste, bribing, and false advertising, Monsanto’s political lobbying and strongholds in government agencies like the FDA and EPA have allowed them to cultivate a public image that is far from truthful. Their marketing focuses on GM crops’ higher yields, longer shelf life, better taste, and potential for solving world hunger.

The long-term effects of eating GM foods are not yet known, but studies have already shown that GM foods pose various health threats in humans. Scientists have found that levels of plant toxins and natural allergens can be increased in GM foods. In one extreme case, lab rats suffered vital organ damage, viral infections and other heath complications from GM potatoes.

Monsanto’s patented rBHG hormone, a genetically engineered hormone shot into cows to make them produce more milk (milk with higher concentrations of pus, bacteria, and fat) causes an increased need for antibiotics in dairy and has been linked to several types of cancer in humans.

As for the environmental implications of GM foods, the reality is quite different from the sustainability-geared image used in Monsanto’s propaganda. Though proponents of GM food usually cite a decreased need for pesticides, a November Reuters article reported that increased cultivation of GM corn, soybeans and cotton has actually caused an increase in pesticide use, as well as “an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds.” It’s no surprise that Monsanto doubles as a leading pesticide and herbicide producer as well.

By petitioning against factory farming and moving towards organic agriculture, it may be possible to halt the damage before it gets worse. When corporate greed turns into a reckless science experiment on the human race, it becomes time to question whether we are being fed lies along with our oversized tomatoes and pest-resistant corn.