The below article is brought to you as part of elephant journal’s ongoing coverage of LOHAS Forum. For our complete coverage, be sure to follow elephant on Twitter and Facebook.

Legit Labeling.

I want to know what I'm eating and I assume you do too. Here in America we consume— a lot. Choosing what goes on your plate is a personal decision which includes everything from background, to morals and budget. This scope is extremely large but have you ever heard the saying, "you are what you eat?"

GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. Genetically. Modifed. Organisms. These three [distasteful] words to pair with your food. 70% of processed food today contains GMO's. In the U.S., 48% of crops have traces/practices of and using GMO's. Following America is Brazil with 16%.

GMO is a relatively new science that has taken over the largest crop-producer in America, Monsanto. One of many good reasons to steer clear of GMOs is that these laboratory-created mutations are unlabeled and virtually untested on grocery shelves everywhere—even at Whole Foods.

Michael Funk, Chairman of the Board of United Natural Foods, (UNFI) led a LOHAS panel discussion on how there needs to be a standard for food labeling so GMO's stay out of our shopping bags. Funk is a board member for the Non-GMO Project, a group founded to deal with practical solutions to GMO contamination and labeling.

Announced during the panel, Craig Shiesley, VP of Marketing for Silk Soymilk, stated that an hour before the forum began, Silk Soymilk has officially been labeled as a member of the Non-GMO Project.

Michael Besancon, Senior Global VP of Purchasing and Distribution, Communication for Whole Foods Market spoke in black and white stating how Whole Foods is not 100% GMO free. Whole Food's private label, however, is part of the Non-GMO Project.

Nothing is perfect but when reflecting about this LOHAS panel, it truly is the awareness that we as consumers need to grasp. The awareness of what we eat. The awareness of who we are supporting. All factors define a growing dialog—one that will continue to grow with the help of companies who believe in not only consumer awareness, but their children and families as well.