Transition Santa Cruz occassionally takes a stand on political issues when their meaning and impact is of particularly strong relevance to our mission of relocalization. Proposition 37 is one of those issues. Our statement in support of this statewide initiative is below.
In keeping with our mission to be a catalyst for relocalization — including the development of local self-reliance in food, energy, and economy — Transition Santa Cruz endorses Proposition 37, which would require labeling of genetically engineered foods sold in grocery stores.
We believe that affording people the right to know whether their food is genetically engineered is in keeping with the following Transition Santa Cruz values:
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Relocalization: Developing local self-reliance in meeting human needs. The patenting of the seed supply for commercial profit directly conflicts with our mission to encourage community food resilience. Food is a human need. People have been saving seeds for thousands of years and should continue to be able to do so in their own communities.
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Community regeneration: Reestablishing our local interdependence and reclaiming power over our lives. Proposition 37 would help people be better informed about the ingredients on grocery-store food shelves. This information would encourage heightened awareness of locally grown food and empower consumer choices.
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Sustainability: Meeting our needs without degrading the ecosystem for future generations. Increasing reliance on genetically engineered crops encourages monocultures (further threatening our nation’s imperiled biological diversity) and has been shown to increase pesticide use over time. Both of these problems endanger our fragile ecosystems. People should be able to make the informed decision about what type of agriculture they want to support. Prop 37 enables consumers to make an informed choice.
Because it resonates strongly with these values and aligns with our mission statement, Transition Santa Cruz strongly endorses Prop 37.