“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)Yacon Syrup
Food Plants - Perennial, Health & Disease, Medicinal Plants, Processing & Food Preservation, Recipes — by Zaia Kendall August 16, 2011
by Zaia Kendall
We had an over-abundant supply of yacon that had to be harvested. Yacon (also known as ground apple) grows very easy in our (sub-tropical) climate — one plant produces many rhizomes for division and re-planting. It needs very little attention when in the ground and Tom is of the opinion that it improves the soil where it has grown.
One can only eat so much yacon and we do not like wasting resources, and after visiting a health shop and noticing the latest health craze is yacon syrup, I decided to try and make some.
Comments (15)USDA Abdicates GMO Oversight and Welcomes Roundup Ready Lawns
GMOs, Health & Disease — by Jeffrey M. Smith
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)Australia’s National Food Plan – Heard about it?
Consumerism, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Markets & Outlets, Processing & Food Preservation, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Genevieve Hopkins August 15, 2011
Have you heard about the Australian Government’s proposed National Food Plan? Nope? Neither had we until we read an article in the most recent newsletter from Green Pages stating that Senator Joe Ludwig has extended the deadline for submissions until September 2. Don’t get us wrong, we’re supportive of extending the deadline but we are very concerned that this is the first time we’ve heard anything about the government’s efforts to develop a national plan for our food production, supply and consumption.
Comments (5)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)A Fifty Million Dollar Tipping Point?
Energy Systems, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease — by Earth Policy Institute
by Lester R. Brown, Earth Policy Institute
At a press conference on July 21, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he was contributing $50 million to the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. Michael Brune, head of the Sierra Club, called it a “game changer”. It is that, but it also could push the United States, and indeed the world, to a tipping point on the climate issue.
Comments (0)Peace for Somalia & Its People
Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Rhamis Kent August 9, 2011
A comprehensive, lasting security is created through giving people a viable means to provide for themselves.
The ultimate goal should be to enable the country of Somalia and its people to create a self-sustaining economy of their own. Only then will there be a meaningful, lasting peace.
Comments (1)Armed Raid on Raw Food Producers – the FDA Hasn’t Changed….
Health & Disease — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor August 5, 2011
The U.S. government obviously thinks raw food producers are extremely dangerous people. Why else would they send armed men to deal with them?
Comments (15)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)The Power of Ferment
Health & Disease — by Elisabeth Fekonia August 3, 2011
Koji for miso
Living in the 21st century was going to be difficult at the best of times and what happened to me recently is like a wake up call.
Comments (2)Rwanda – Forests of Hope
Biodiversity, Community Projects, Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Plant Systems, Rehabilitation, Soil Biology, Soil Composition, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Terraces, Village Development, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor July 26, 2011
Many of you will remember the inspiring and encouraging example of earth restoration found in the story of the Loess Plateau in China (see links at bottom). John Liu was the man heavily involved in this amazing and very large scale initiative. In this new video, below, you’ll see Mr. Liu turning his eyes toward Africa, where Rwanda is now the focus of an earnest bid to restore its degraded forests and farmland, whilst simultaneously improving the lives of the communities they host. You’ll see many excellent examples of holistic thinking in this short documentary.
You’ll also learn of the praiseworthy work of Dr. Rene Haller, whose observational skills are highly adept at tailoring biological solutions towards rehabilitating the most degraded of lands.
Rwanda – Forests of Hope
Duration: 26 minutes
Green Cleaning Can be Easy and Fun, Plus My Best House & Health Tips
Consumerism, Health & Disease — by Peter Greg
When I first remember seeing the ‘conventional’ way of cleaning bathtubs, with my mum bent over with a scrubbing brush, groans of effort and beads of sweat on her forehead, with the chemical smell of Jif (or Cif in other countries) floating through the air and her nostrils, I knew there had to be a better way. So it’s in the spirit of helping others avoid these chemicals, that I have decided to compile some of my favourite Green Household/Health tips that are cleaner, easier, more effective and in most cases much more enjoyable than conventional methods.
You will have the added benefit of keeping those toxic chemicals out of your house and body and will save money as well. I will start with household first and health in the second part of this article.
1. Household
Bicarb Soda is brilliant for bathtubs.
Poor Ahmed wishes the Americans didn’t bomb so close to the oil well.
Sustainable Agriculture and Off-Grid Renewable Energy
Biodiversity, Biofuels, Community Projects, Consumerism, Eco-Villages, Economics, Energy Systems, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Land, Markets & Outlets, People Systems, Society, Village Development, Waste Systems & Recycling — by I-SIS July 20, 2011
Small integrated farms with off-grid renewable energy may be the perfect solution to the food and financial crisis while mitigating and adapting to climate change
Note: A fully referenced and illustrated version of this report is posted on ISIS members’ website and also available for download here.
A Sarvodaya villager sells a diverse range of organic produce roadside
– with more than 95% of it grown behind the stall, and by her own family
Photo © copyright Craig Mackintosh
In a Nutshell
An emerging scientific consensus that a shift to small scale sustainable agriculture and localized food systems will address most, if not all the underlying causes of deteriorating agricultural productivity as well as the conservation of natural soil and water resources while saving the climate.
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:
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