Re: The Sustainable Label

[Merla]

I e-mailed Fred Kirschenmann yesterday and got a reply this morning which required a reply from me.  As soon as I get another answer from him, I will put the whole correspondence on the list.  What he said was that it was just a proposal and that if I looked at the Leopold Center website I would see that they don't endorse GMOs.  I looked and they had a neutral presentation comparing yields and herbicide usage, etc.  They also cited public opinion which was favorable to non-GMOs.   I used Dr. Kirschenmann's video "My Father's Garden" in one of my "Why Organic?" booths at the county fair.  He transformed his father's ranch of thousands of acres into a diversified, Bio-dynamic ranch with excellent yields. Susan Misgen wrote: I'm familiar with some of these groups.  The Leopold Center is currently headed by (BD farmer) Fred Kirschenmann.  They do good work.  Practical Farmers of Iowa is an accurate term for their organization.  The Food Alliance is an "eco-label" that isn't necessarily organic, but has some requirements that organics don't address (such as how employees are treated).  The Midwest Food Alliance is just like The Food Alliance.  Niman Ranch is a lot about animal welfare (no tail trimming or slats, I believe, plus natural requirements).--Susan   PROPOSED PARTNERS: Wallace Foundation (Lewis, Iowa) Practical Farmers of Iowa Leopold Center The Food Alliance (Portland, Oregon) The Midwest Food Alliance (Minnesota) Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship North Central Institute for Sustainable Systems Niman Ranch Iowa Department of Health Promotion Iowa Department of Economic Development IDLES Now I haven't done any extensive research about these folks, but it's a good place to start in uncovering real motives.  I bet this is a ploy to smell organic to consumers without being organic. Kermit