Ziggy Marley: Let’s Not Be Food ‘Lab Rats’

By Jenée Desmond-Harris, The Root

The Root spoke with the reggae heir about his campaign against genetically modified food.

David “Ziggy” Marley, Bob Marley’s oldest son, is best known for his role as the leader of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, but if the reggae heir has anything to say about it, his legacy will be about more than just music.

While he’s kicking off a leg of his tour this week at Washington, D.C.’s historic Howard Theatre, what he really wants to talk about is food: specifically, his own line of organic products, Ziggy Marley Organics, and his work as a supporter of the Just Label It campaign, an effort to persuade the federal government to require that foods with genetically engineered or modified ingredients be labeled accordingly.

[…]

ZM: The important question is, do people have a right to know what they’re putting into their bodies?

If the answer is yes, then everything should be clear and transparent. If people don’t have a right to know, then put nothing on it — no calories, no cholesterol, nothing. But I know we have a right, and that right is important to me.

If food is labeled, some people might choose to eat stuff that’s genetically modified. They might decide they love it. But give us a choice. The big thing here is that the people are the lab rats and the guinea pigs.

Read the rest of the interview here.