--- On Thu, 7/28/11, Organic Consumers Association
<[email protected]> wrote:
Organic Bytes: Monsanto Nation - Taking Down Goliath
Organic Bytes #287: Monsanto Nation - Taking Down Goliath
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SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Donate
Monsanto Nation - Taking Down Goliath
#287, July 28, 2011
In this issue:
Essay of the Week: Monsanto Nation - Taking Down Goliath by Ronnie
Cummins
Action Alerts
Stop the Deregulation of Genetically Engineered Crops
Shut Down the Big Ag Food Safety Rule Before It Shuts Down Small
Farms
Stop Monsanto's Failed "Drought Tolerant" Corn
Millions Against Monsanto Events
Right2Know March NYC to DC Oct 1-16, 2011
World Food Day Actions October 16, 2011
Essay of the Week
Monsanto Nation - Taking Down Goliath by Ronnie Cummins
"Living in Monsanto Nation there can be no such thing as 'coexistence.' It is
impossible to coexist with a reckless industry that endangers public health,
bribes public officials, corrupts scientists, manipulates the media, destroys
biodiversity, kills the soil, pollutes the environment, tortures and poisons
animals, destabilizes the climate, and economically enslaves the world's 1.5
billion seed-saving small farmers. It's time to take down the Biotech Behemoth,
before the living web of biodiversity is terminated."
Read more and join the campaign
Action Alert
No Free Pass for New Genetically Engineered Crops
For the first time ever, the USDA announced that it was waiving its regulatory
authority over a new genetically engineered lawn grass made by Scotts
Miracle-Gro, letting the company start selling the Franken-grass without any
review of how it might effect human health, the environment, or organic farmers
whose pastures will be contaminated. Essentially, the USDA has created a new
class of genetically engineered plants, animals and animal drugs that get a
free pass through any government regulation or review.
Because Scott's new, gene-altered lawn grass is "RoundUp Ready", we will all be
exposed to more of Monsanto's toxic pesticide, which is linked to birth defects
and cancer. Plus, the reasoning used to give the RoundUp Ready grass a free
pass will be used by companies like Monsanto to get future genetically
engineered crops into the food supply without any public input or government
review.
Monsanto spokespersons and biotech industry reps are claiming they won't try
this with food, arguing that genetically engineered food crops would not be
accepted by the market without government approval. Don't be so sure.
Genetically engineered foods don't have to be labeled, so there's nothing
stopping new Frankenfoods from being secretly injected into the food supply.
The President, USDA & Congress to need to hear our anger, loud and clear. We
must fight back against this latest crime attack on sensible regulation and
consumers' right to know!
Learn more and take action!
Support the OCA
Help David Bring Down Goliath: The Organic Revolution Moves Forward
Our heartfelt thanks to the 2700 Organic Bytes readers who sent in donations
over the past two weeks, enabling OCA to overcome our financial crunch and meet
our summer fundraising goal of $75,000. Now we are soliciting matching funds
from our major donors in the hope that we can double the funds that you have
just sent us, and thereby secure adequate funds to finance our Fall Offensive
against Monsanto and Food Inc. For 13 years, OCA has been "growing the
revolution" - preserving strict organic standards, expanding the organic
market, and spreading the good news that organic agriculture can sustainably
feed the world while reversing global warming. The time is right to ramp up our
efforts and achieve some real victories in the fight against Monsanto, with
labels on
genetically engineered foods, but we need to raise a substantial amount of
money over the summer to do so.
Please donate
Action Alert
Shut Down Big Ag's Food Safety Rule Before It Shuts Down Small Farms
Take Action Today! July 28, 2011
>From the National Organic Coalition:
The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, an agency with no food safety
expertise or authority, is proposing to establish a set of food safety
regulations for leafy greens (spinach, lettuce and cabbage). This "National
Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement" is being pushed by the most powerful "Big Ag"
players in the industry. It adds a second, conflicting layer of food safety
standards and audits on top of FDA food safety rules.
The NLGMA, as proposed, would give the large conventional produce industry the
ability to use its own worldview to dictate farming practices. Small scale and
organic farmers would have a very small voice in the standard-setting process.
The NLGMA is modeled on state food safety agreements in California and Arizona.
In those examples, the conventional produce industry has pushed through food
safety regulations that are biased against organic and small-scale farmers,
have led to the destruction of wildlife habitat and discouraged good
conservation practices on farms.
Diversified farming operations with complex rotations have been shown to be
beneficial to the environment. Yet crop-by-crop food safety regulations, such
as the NLGMA, are an economic disaster for diversified farming operations, and
are biased toward large mono-cultural operations. For a farmer with 40 crops on
100 acres to comply with 40 different food safety regulations is prohibitively
burdensome. Crop specific food safety regulations, such as NLGMA, will drive
farmers out of environmentally sensitive diversified crop production, and
toward chemical-intensive mono-cultural operations. This is counter to the
goals of food safety and more environmentally sound agriculture.
Take action
Action Alert
Stop Monsanto's Failed "Drought Tolerant" Corn
Comments Due August 11, 2011
Monsanto has long made false marketing claims that its genetically engineered
crops are less polluting, and that they increase yields and make crops more
resilient. In truth, Monsanto's business is focused on selling farm chemicals
and patented seeds. All of its seeds are designed to either tolerate its
herbicide RoundUp (so they can sell more pesticides) or produce an insecticide
(so they can sell more high-priced patented seeds). Monsanto's genetically
engineered crops have been shown to increase pesticide use, while being more
susceptible to disease and less tolerant to drought and flood than organic
crops.
Now, Monsanto is seeking regulatory approval for the first genetically
engineered crop that, according to them, could benefit farmers, a so-called
"drought-tolerant" corn variety. The corn contains a gene discovered in soil
bacteria strains exposed to harsh, cold conditions. The only trouble is,
according to a USDA review of Monsanto's data, it doesn't work. Monsanto's
genetically engineered, so-called "drought-tolerant" corn doesn't perform any
better than varieties produced through conventional breeding techniques. And as
researchers around the world have pointed out, the real varieties of
"drought-resistant" corn under cultivation are those that are cultivated
organically, with yields 50-70% higher than chemical and GMO varieties under
drought
conditions.
So, why is the USDA planning on approving Monsanto's bogus drought-resistant
corn? Because proving or disproving Monsanto's false claims about the benefits
of genetic engineering isn't their job. They believe their charge is to
determine whether the bacteria gene Monsanto used might pose a plant-pest
problem. And, as to that, they used data submitted by Monsanto to conclude
there's no problem, but didn't conduct the Environmental Impact Statement
required under the law by courts that have acknowledged that the right of
farmers and consumers to choose organic and non-genetically engineered is
threatened by the contamination risk of genetically engineered crops.
We can't allow the USDA to approve failed "drought-resistant" genetically
engineered crops, when it's inevitable that they will contaminate and ruin the
proven ability of resilient organic crops to adapt to climate change.
Take action
Millions Against Monsanto Events
October 1-16, 2011: Right2Know March from NYC to DC for GMO Labeling
We feel that everyone has the Right to Know whether their food is genetically
modified. We demand GMO labeling on all food and drink products in this
country, and we support local and global efforts to keep GMOs out of our food
supply.
Join us as we March from New York City to the White House in Washington DC from
October 1 - October 16, 2011 to demand labeling of Genetically Modified Foods.
Its time we put people over profits and mandate justice for our food.
We'll be hiking across cities and townships, bringing our message to rallies,
festivals, and farmers' markets for over 300 miles and a little over two weeks.
We'll have speakers, exhibits, press opportunities, cookouts, and teach-ins,
and we're sure to generate a buzz around the issue. Bring a group from your
community, volunteer to spread the word, fundraise, and together we will win
the fight against Frankenfoods!
Join us in solidarity for this historic march and get involved today!
Millions Against Monsanto Events
October 16, 2011: World Food Day Rallies Against Genetically Engineered Foods
World Food Day, October 16, is traditionally an international day of action
against agribusiness and Monsanto. Last year, La Via Campesina called for
actions around the world to denounce the role of agribusinesses such as
Monsanto and their destruction and corporatization of biodiversity and life.
This year, we want to see US consumers step up and join the international cause
by holding local rallies across the nation.
In March, there were Rallies for the Right to Know about genetically engineered
foods in more than 30 cities. Since then, organic activists have been building
our networks and gathering supporters in the hopes of making the Millions
Against Monsanto campaign 1,000,000 strong and having an even bigger national
day of action in October.
There are already World Food Day actions being planned in 36 cities. Join in.
We are now almost up to 600,000 supporters! Please ask your friends to join the
following networks and spread the word:
286,000 Organic Bytes subscribers
112,000 people who "like" Organic Consumers Association on Facebook
111,000 people who "like" Millions Against Monsanto on Facebook
54,000 supporters who have joined local Millions Against Monsanto Chapters
through Facebook Causes
19,000 followers on Twitter
800 subscribers on YouTube
Book of the Week
Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth
"Wow. A mixture of holy water evangelist and tree hugging shaman, Eric Herm
takes on American materialistic decadence and landscape rape with aggressively
insightful causes and solutions. Mischievously clever wordsmithing illustrates
both wit and depth of understanding that only come from eclectic knowledge and
spending many hours alone, in the fields, deeply thinking. Although Herm's
vituperative condemnation of modern America could be termed negative, his
discussions all lilt into an Earth stewardship love song that is refreshingly
positive. Herm has done our culture a great service in this altar call to get
our hearts rights and then heal our world. A truly wonderful read."
- Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms, author of several books on sustainable
agriculture
Read More
Sponsored Message
Dr. Bronner's is Celebrating Our 60th Anniversary!
Marking the 60th Anniversary of the company, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps is
pleased to announce that all classic liquid & bar soaps are now not only
certified under the USDA National Organic Program, but also certified Fair
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high-quality organic products, from hair rinses to shaving gels – all certified
under the same USDA program that certifies organic foods.
Please visit us on the web at DrBronner.com
Become an OCA Sponsor!
Every issue of Organic Bytes now goes to 286,000 organic consumers with a
thousand new subscribers each week. Please help us and your business by letting
our subscribers know who you are and that you support the work of the OCA.
Please contact us if you want more information!
Connect With OCA!
Facebook Pages:
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comingclean
Twitter Feeds:
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@againstmonsanto
@OCA_comingclean
More:
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Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites,
print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power!
Organic Bytes is a publication of Organic Consumers Association
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218-353-7652
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Romi Elnagar
[email protected]
Baton Rouge, LA
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