facing families into simple, practical action steps every mother can take to safeguard the health,
well-being and innocence of her children. Our agenda originally embraced everything from the
environment to crime, education, health and the economy. However, because of its extreme
urgency, we made genetic engineering our only focus for our first four years, and put all of our
other plans on hold.
In July 1996, Mothers for Natural Law launched a national public awareness campaign on the
dangers of genetically engineered foods, and an initiative to secure rigorous pre-market safety
testing, mandatory labeling and a moratorium on these foods. In just one year the organization
became a nationally recognized clearinghouse on the issue, working closely with industry and
consumers alike to create financially viable, environmentally responsible solutions to the
challenges the issue raised for all of us. The following are highlights of some of our
achievements:
• Public Education—Knowledge has organizing power. As one of the primary consumer
spokespersons for the GE issue in the US, our executive director, Laura Ticciati is
regularly invited to speak at conferences and conventions all over the country, give print
and radio interviews, work with TV reporters to develop stories, create informational
materials, newsletters and action alerts to increase public understanding, enliven
awareness and empower consumers to take action. Our initial vehicle for raising public
awareness, our Information Packet (developed in July 1996), was designed to translate
the scientific details of genetic engineering into lay language for consumers. The packet
has been used not only by other American organizations, but by groups in countries as far
away as Japan and Pakistan. Safe Food News, an unprecedented 32-page full color
expose on GE, sold out (500,000 copies) to health food stores nationwide, within weeks
of its summer 2000 printing. Our materials have generated support from consumers and
businesses in every state, and have led to the creation of Mothers for Natural Law in
other countries.
• Natural Products Industry Support—The first step we took in this area was to find out
what the industry knew and felt about genetic engineering. In response to our initial
inquiries, we developed a version of our Information Packet, specifically designed to provide support materials for manufacturers, distributors and retailers on the safety,
environmental, ethical and consumer concerns about genetic engineering. Our orientation
was to provide solutions which will bring strength to the industry, and position it as a
haven for non-genetically engineered foods for the American consumer. We were the
primary non-commercial and cost-free resource for locating non-genetically engineered
ingredients for manufacturers so that their products can be kept genetically natural. Our
sourcing research was responsible for a large number of non-genetically engineered
alternatives both in the U.S. and Europe. During our 1998 campaign, we created a GE
Retail Kit to help natural products retailers educate their customers. Our work has been
covered by almost every industry-related publication including Natural Foods
Merchandiser, Delicious!, Vegetarian Times, Coop Grocer, Conscious Choice, Natural
Health, Provender Alliance, Natural Business, Business and the Environment, and
Nutrition Science News, as well as every major news outlet, including the New York
Times, the LA Times, the Boston Globe, the Associated Press, the Financial Times,
National Public Radio and PBS.
• Protecting the Organic Market—In February '97, we helped create a national coalition
of over forty scientists, consumer groups, business leaders and organizations to keep
genetically engineered organisms out of the organic market. (Members included, Citizens
For Health, Pure Food Campaign, Farm Verified Organic, Seventh Generation, Eden
Foods, Council for Responsible Genetics, Whole Foods Markets.) This coalition
generated national press coverage, including reports by the LA Times, NPR, UPI and
Christian Science Monitor Radio. Members of this coalition also launched a nationwide
response to the proposed USDA regulations on organic standards resulting in the largest
public response in USDA history. In March 1998, Mothers was invited to represent the
organic consumer at the largest annual natural products industry press conference, with
50 reporters present, leading to several interviews with prestigious mainstream media
publications.
• Certification Procedure—With a small group of industry members, we initiated a pilot
study—to uncover and resolve all the challenges from seed to consumer—in order to
create a non-GE label. This study led to the creation of a 'genetically natural' certification
'sticker' available to manufacturers now through Genetic ID, the primary GE certification
and testing company in the world.
• Consumer Right to Know Campaign—In 1998 we put all of our attention on
mandatory labeling. We used this aspect of the genetic engineering issue both as an
educational tool and a simple action step everyone can take to get involved—signing a
petition. The CRTK petition had two forms—VIP, with nearly 200 signatories including
Susan Sarandon, Whole Foods, Seventh Generation, Wild Oats, New Hope Natural
Media, Senator Diane Watson, Paul Hawken, Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine, NOW Foods, Eden Foods, the Humane Society, Stephen Collins, Rabbi
Michael Lerner, Mothers and Others, the Environmental Media Association and more—
and a grass roots petition, which generated nearly 500,000 signatures. This petition was
distributed through health food stores, regional coordinators and on university campuses, as well as tens of thousands of signature gatherers all over the country, and continues to
generate thousands of signatures even now. In 1999 we expanded the petition to include
safety testing, accountability and a moratorium, though we have not launched a new
initiative.
• First US Consumer Book on GE—Laura Ticciati and Robin Ticciati, Ph.D., M4NL
Executive Director and scientist husband, wrote the first book for consumers on GE in
the US. This introductory book on genetic engineering is in its second printing and was
featured on the national PBS series, Healthy Living, hosted by Jane Seymour. Genetically
Engineered Foods: Are they Safe? You Decide. (Keats/NTC Publishing Co., 1998)
• National Summit on the Hazards of GE Foods, June 1999, Washington, DC—On June
17, 1999, M4NL presented the first 500,000 signatures on our petition for mandatory
labeling at a three hour press conference. Our speakers included eminent scientists,
physicians, international and national food industry leaders, clergy, farmers, consumers
and trade, finance and public policy experts. This summit was hooked up via
teleconference to government officials and dignitaries from fifteen European Union
nations visiting the United States to discuss the GE issue. The Summit was covered by
almost every major national and international media service and heralded as the turning
point for this issue in the U.S. Immediately following this summit, Laura Ticciati and Dr.
John Hagelin met with House Democratic Whip David Bonior to initiate the first wave of
legislative action on the GE issue on Capitol Hill.
****
Mothers for Natural Law is recognized and respected throughout the country, as professional,
competent, stable, reliable and honest. Our approach to every situation is to uphold and
support—to take problems and turn them into solutions. People hear us because we speak from
the perspective that we are all on the same side. We translate the science and technical details
into down-to-earth, common sense language. We work to transform the economic challenges into
practical opportunities. We simply tell the truth. And people are listening.
Right now our food is at risk. The biotech industry is buying up the world's seed supply. If we
don't engage the support of our government for serious caution, for rigorous safety testing, for a
moratorium, genetically engineered foods will become the norm, labeling will be redundant and
our children will live in a world where real food, natural food, is no longer available. We urge
you to work with us. Help us raise public awareness, and create a wave of understanding for the
far-reaching implications of genetic engineering in the United States, so that our nation can join
the rest of the world in its desire for safety first.
About Our Name
Natural law is the organizing power that governs the universe. From the tiniest seed, to the beating of our hearts, to the stars in the galaxies, natural law is the seamless web that
nourishes and connects us all.
When we started our organization, we had a long list of problems to be solved. But we didn't
want our name to be about problems, we wanted our name to be about solutions. We chose
the name “Mothers for Natural Law” to reflect our belief that when we align ourselves with
the laws of nature, we gain the support of nature's unlimited strength, intelligence, and
creativity—the solution to all problems.
We recognize that the phrase “natural law” may have little impact on the ordinary person in
the street. To let it go, however, would be to sacrifice our fundamental mission—to
reawaken the experience and understanding of natural law in the individual as the only
practical means to solving the serious problems facing our world.
Mothers for Natural Law
PO Box 1177 • Fairfield, IA 52556
Safe Food—Campaign 2001 hotline: (800) REAL-FOOD
Genetically Engineered Foods: Are They Safe? You Decide
by Mothers for Natural Law executive directors Robin and Laura Ticciati—the first consumer book on genetic engineering, published by Keats.Genetic engineering has the potential to alter the genetic heritage of life on earth for all future generations. Mistakes and pollution from other technologies can be cleaned up over time, but there is a possibility that genetically engineered organisms will influence life for ever. In this situation, it is not possible for science to demonstrate long-term safety. The debate on genetic engineering should be opened to the public, so that "we, the people" can decide
which way to go.
This little book summarizes the issue for the consumer. It covers the following points: (1) the differences between genetic engineering, cross-breeding, and natural evolution, (2) the broad categories of concern, (3) the current situation—crops, enzymes, animal feed, regulations—, (4) how to avoid genetically engineered foods, and (5) what to do to preserve the option of a genetically natural diet for future generations.
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