Tell the FDA to Label My Food
Consumerism, GMOs, Health & Disease — by Jeffrey M. Smith October 5, 2011
It’s Non-GMO month — help us by signing the petition to require the FDA to label our food.
In a country that labels everything from cosmetics to cleaning agents, it’s surprising that there are no laws in the U.S. requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods.
The FDA undertakes no GMO safety testing on its own. Instead, they allow companies like Monsanto, who told us that their DDT, PCBs, and Agent Orange was safe, to determine if their GMOs are safe. Internal FDA documents revealed that the agency’s own scientists warned of serious health risks, and urged long-term testing–but were denied. Now many doctors prescribe non-GMO diets, citing serious health disorders in lab animals fed GMOs. Don’t be a lab animal!
There are many reasons why Americans want labeling of genetically engineered foods. Whatever the reason is that brought you here, what unites us all is that we all want to make informed choices about the food we eat and feed our families. We have a right to know if what we are eating has been genetically engineered.
We have a right to know what’s in our food.
Thank you for your support!
Comments (5)Inputs and Outputs
Comedy Break, GMOs — by Marc Roberts September 27, 2011
Click for larger view
Courtesy: Marc Roberts
“Organic” Doesn’t Mean GMO-Free
Consumerism, GMOs, Health & Disease — by Kim Crieger Goodwin September 6, 2011
Do you care about GMOs in your food? Did you know that being “certified organic” does not guarantee the food is not contaminated with GMOs? Contamination has been found in certified organic foods since 2002. That’s not a typo, folks. It’s horrifying to see how long we’ve been a part of the largest experiment in human history.
Let the food companies you support know you don’t want GMOs in your food. Write them a sample letter, like the one below. If you are in the US or Canada, suggest food companies become a part of the Non-GMO Project.
Comments (10)USDA Abdicates GMO Oversight and Welcomes Roundup Ready Lawns
GMOs, Health & Disease — by Jeffrey M. Smith August 16, 2011
Editor’s Note: Just as we’re learning a great deal more about the dangers of Roundup, Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicide, the U.S. government is bringing us Roundup Ready lawns for our children to play on….
The US Dept of Agriculture just dropped a bomb on GMO regulations in America. Their announcement, released on the Friday afternoon before the July 4th weekend to reduce the media coverage, eviscerated government oversight over a whole new class of GMOs. The USDA announced that Roundup Ready Kentucky bluegrass would be exempt from regulation. That means that a new variety GM grass, produced by Scotts Miracle-Gro, will hit US markets without any government review, not from the USDA, EPA, or FDA. The modified grass, destined for lawns, playgrounds, soccer fields, and golf courses, is designed to survive applications of the weed killer Roundup. This will dramatically increase the use of the toxic herbicide, which is linked to birth defects, cancer, and reproductive problems. Its overuse will also speed up the spread of Roundup-resistant superweeds, requiring a return to other acutely toxic herbicides scrapped decades ago.
US GMO Farmers = Corporate Serfs, and the Attack on European Food Sovereignty
Consumerism, GMOs, Health & Disease — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor
The video above — Farmer to Farmer: The Truth About GM Crops — narrated by UK farmer Michael Hart, tells us that U.S. GMO farmers are not necessarily GMO farmers out of choice any more. The seeds cost too much, the chemicals cost too much, and they now need to use a lot more chemicals than they had to before — yet the pesticide treadmill has mutated into the GMO treadmill, leaving farmers grappling with spiraling costs and super weeds whilst essentially making them captive customers; prisoners on their own land.
Comments (4)It’s Time for a Food Fight
GMOs, Health & Disease — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor August 11, 2011
I know I’m not the only one getting mad as hell about the food-supply madness that’s going on around us, and happening to us. Healthy food is being made illegal, and Big Agri is getting their toxic, adulterated, nutrient deficient, soil-depleting crap subsidised by taxpayer dollars.
It’s time for a food fight….
In addition to the video above, follow on to watch the next, where you can hear about the alarming research from Dr. Don Huber, who was Professor Emeritus of plant pathology at Purdue University for 35 years, and has been studying plant diseases worldwide for 50. He has found links between Roundup Ready crops (corn and soybeans) and widespread crop failures and disease, livestock infertility and spontaneous abortion rates as high as 45%.
Comments (1)There’s Still Time to Comment Against Monsanto’s Newest GMO Corn
GMOs — by Kim Crieger Goodwin August 8, 2011
Calling all food activists! Monsanto is seeking deregulated status of their newest genetically engineered corn “MON 87460”. The public has a chance to comment until August 12, 2011.
Comments (6)All is Not Well With the U.S. Organic Trade Association
Biodiversity, Consumerism, GMOs, Health & Disease — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor August 4, 2011
Most permaculturists are aware that in regards to food today, ‘organic’ can often mean little, or nothing at all. The video below proves that the name can actually mean even worse than nothing — as we see that the U.S.’s ‘Organic Trade Association’ is unlike anything their name suggests. Indeed, the words ‘Organic Trade Association’ appear to be merely a feel-good veil behind which Big Agri and Big Biotech are operating for their own interests, and to our detriment.
This is a pure tale of conflicts of interests with the OTA’s board members. True organics are a threat to the monoculture-, chemical- and fossil fuel-based agriculture corporates who now control most of the world’s food and seeds, and this video highlights the infiltration and subjugation of this perceived enemy by the same. If something is not done to quickly purge the OTA of non-organic interests, I suspect we’ll likely soon see GMOs being granted ‘organic’ certification — something Big Biotech has been pushing for for a while now. The U.S. public, and the members of the OTA itself, need to seriously consider what is, and what should be, the purposes of this organisation.
Organic spies find lies
Duration: 12 mins
If you’re after even more info on this topic, please watch the following as well. Boycotts ahoy!
Comments (0)Q & A on GM Wheat Trial Action
Biodiversity, GMOs, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Greenpeace July 15, 2011
What have Greenpeace done today?
Greenpeace activists have taken non-violent direct action to stop Australia’s environment and food supply from being contaminated by genetically modified wheat. The GM wheat that has been released across Australia has not been proven safe. It hasn’t been tested for toxic and allergic effects. All evidence shows that GM wheat cannot be contained; it will contaminate our food supply and the environment.
The Australian Government has refused to protect Australians from harm caused by the release of unsafe genetically modified wheat. GM organisms are living organisms that can multiply and cross-breed. They pose a threat of irreversible damage to Australia’s environment and our food supply. Greenpeace has taken action to prevent contamination of our food supply and environment.
Why is Greenpeace opposing research – isn’t research necessary to test the impact of GM?
Comments (18)CSIRO in Bed with Multinational Corporations
GMOs — by GM Watch
Editor’s Note: Some years ago I wrote about Australia’s CSIRO using public money for private profit, whilst ejecting just the kind of people we need in an organisation that’s supposed to be looking out for the interests of Australia and Australians. The article below shares some updated news on this….
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is promoted as Australia’s pre-eminent public scientific research body. Although ostensibly ‘publicly funded’ CSIRO has, in reality, been encouraged to get 30% of its funding from business with the CSIRO top management encouraging its staff to go to 40%. As a point of comparison, only about 10% of the funding of Europe’s leading plant biotech institute, the John Innes Centre, is thought to come directly from industry although the JIC is considered highly industrially aligned.
According to John Stocker, CSIRO’s former chief executive,
Working with the transnationals makes a lot of sense, in the context of market access. There are very few Australian companies that have developed market access in the United States, in Europe and in Japan, the world’s major marketplaces. Yes, we do find that it is often the best strategy to get into bed with these companies. – Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1992.
Richard Hindmarsh in an article in the Journal of Australian Political Economy (No 44.),
Comments (1)Positive Examples of Agricultural and Community Transformation in Kenya
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Conservation, Dams, Demonstration Sites, Earth Banks, Education Centres, Food Shortages, GMOs, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Irrigation, Land, Plant Systems, Rehabilitation, Soil Biology, Soil Conservation, Swales, Terraces, Village Development, Waste Systems & Recycling, Water Harvesting — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor July 7, 2011
I’m adding the following clips as a positive supplement to the preceding post. I think it’s important to see that positive work is happening, and that GMOs are not only not needed, but they are a definite threat to these excellent efforts. Permaculturists working, or intending to work, in Kenya could potentially find ways to network with organisations like these, and to offer extra design tools to further strengthen their efforts.
The first video is from the Grow Biointensive Agricultural Center of Kenya (G-BIACK), who look to be doing some great on-the-ground work to educate and transform Kenyan communities and help them return to more resilient, affordable and healthy agricultural and community systems.
This second clip, from The Haller Foundation, will be especially appreciated by permaculturists — it’s a fantastic video show-casing some excellent permaculture action, also in Kenya:
Comments (4)Kenyans Demand a Stop to GMO Food Imports
GMOs, Health & Disease, Village Development — by African Biodiversity Network
A press release from the African Biodiversity Network
We demand the recognition of organic agriculture and other agro-ecological farming practices in Kenya’s agriculture policies and practices.
The developers of GMOs have exerted great pressure to ensure that our recently enacted Biosafety Act of 2009 serves the interests of foreign agribusiness, rather than farmers and consumers. The introduction of patented seeds and related chemicals into our farming systems threatens our agricultural practices, our livelihoods, the environment, and undermines our seed sovereignty. We believe that we can feed our communities and this country with organic and agroecological farming practices that do not destroy, pollute and contaminate food, land and seeds. Our ability to feed Africa through agro-ecological practices is recognised and supported by UN reports [see also], the IAASTD report and many research findings. We call upon the government to support small scale farmers in having access to water and capacity building in agro-ecology and for this to be enshrined in our Kenyan policies.
Greenpeace Takes on Monsanto Over ‘Pesticides Arms Race’
GMOs, Health & Disease, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by GM Watch July 1, 2011
Editor’s Note: In addition to the post below, check out this, this and this. It seems that Monsanto, and even industry regulators, have known for decades that glyphosate (the main ingredient of Roundup) causes birth defects, even in very low doses "comparable to levels of pesticide residues found in food and the environment". The philosophy of ‘caveat emptor’ doesn’t work well in this situation, where industry are outright lying to us, and when regulators, the supposed guards at the door, are not taking their job seriously. Banning Roundup everywhere would not only help protect our health from glyphosate, it could also be the death knell for Monsanto. It sounds like a plan to me.
Glyphosate has been linked with escalating rates of birth defects and other
health impacts in Argentina. Photo: Dr Graciela Gomez
The main ingredient of Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer is being linked to cancer, birth defects and Parkinson’s disease and should be banned, according to campaigners behind new report.
The use of the popular weedkiller, ‘Roundup’, in public parks and on agricultural crops is a danger to public health, according to a new analysis of scientific evidence.
Comments (1)Why Societies Fail and a Lesson from the Game of Monopoly
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, GMOs, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Nuclear, Population, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor June 10, 2011
They say if we don’t study history, we’re destined to repeat it. Many of you will be familiar with Jared Diamond and his work. Author of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, Mr. Diamond has put a lot of energy into studying various cultures that have come, and, significantly, gone again. Amongst these is the example of Easter Island, where it appears that despite the islanders’ major resources being clearly in decline, they continued to use these resources for their own particular, peculiar economy — that being to make their giant Moai idols. Not only that, but, over time, as the resources needed to create them dwindled, the Moai statues only got larger. Their economy not only had to continue, but it had to grow — regardless of their context, and despite what should have been obvious consequences.
Some dispute the exact nature of the collapse of Easter Island, but what we do know is that pollen samples taken from the island show that it was once covered in forest, yet by the time Europeans arrived the island was treeless. There are no pollen traces dated beyond around 1650, around the same time the statues ceased being made. Surviving clans after this time, no longer able to create more competing statues, instead took to pushing over those of rival clans — until by 1868 all the Moai had been toppled, and many beheaded.
Comments (12)Dangerous Toxins From Genetically Modified Plants Found in Women and Fetuses
Consumerism, GMOs, Health & Disease — by Jeffrey M. Smith May 31, 2011
When U.S. regulators approved Monsanto’s genetically modified “Bt” corn, they knew it would add a deadly poison into our food supply. That’s what it was designed to do. The corn’s DNA is equipped with a gene from soil bacteria called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) that produces the Bt-toxin. It’s a pesticide; it breaks open the stomach of certain insects and kills them.
But Monsanto and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) swore up and down that it was only insects that would be hurt. The Bt-toxin, they claimed, would be completely destroyed in the human digestive system and not have any impact on all of us trusting corn-eating consumers.
Oops. A study just proved them wrong.
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