[1] Dr Rima Reports: Internet Radio, Sunday Night 10 PM EDT:
Codex report and special guest, James Gormley of Citizens.org
How to Listen: http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=4850
[2] Four short, hard-hitting video reports from Dr. Rima at Codex meeting:
Report Number 1: Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) Another Codex trick: set nutritional levels so low that everyone will be in chronic nutritional deficit - and think that it is normal. This connects directly to S. 510, the Food Fascism Bill, and S. 3218, the Wall Street Reform Bill that contains language which can kill dietary supplements through hostile regulation. 5 minutes, 7 seconds.
Report Number 2: US wants to prevent labeling of GMOs anywhere in the world! More on health claims and NRVs. 9 minutes, 57 seconds
Report Number 3: Degrading Organic standards. What can you do about it? Plenty. Watch the video and take the Action Steps. 9 minutes, 45 seconds
Reort Number 4: GMOs: US and Big Biotech act to make honest GMO (and GMO-Free) labeling impossible. Summary of the Codex Committee meeting. Ten minutes.
Activists want GM foods labelled at upcoming Codex meeting
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The United Nations Codex Alimentarius, the commission on food labelling, referred to around the world as 'Codex,' is meeting in Quebec City from May 3 to 7th.
The Codex is extensive, with 13 volumes that "govern global food quality and safety standards". The Codex is put together by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization, both United Nations bodies. The Codex Commission, which has existed since 1963 has over 170 members, and the main purposes of the Codex Commission are
"... protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non governmental organizations."
The Codex, however, is shaped through the input of food producers, processors and governments. The Codex has a bad taste in certain circles around the world, where people claim the Codex is the biggest threat to natural and whole foods, including organic foods. The Alliance for Natural Health Europe (ANHE) has handily summed up the major rumours circulating the globe about Codex. The biggest problem with the Codex, according to the ANHE,
"... It aims to tell us what is safe, but in the process often uses criteria that are manipulated to support the interests of the world’s largest corporations."
The upcoming negotiations will discuss the labelling of genetically modified foods (GM) and if adopted,
"... could permit countries to establish labeling regimes without the threat of challenge via the World Trade Organization."
said the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) in a recent press release. CBAN also said Canada often follows the US on issues involving GM foods, resulting in the promotion of GM interests over consumer interests.
Although Canada is hosting the upcoming Codex meeting, Canada has not yet stated its position on the upcoming negotiations, a tactic CBAN criticised.
"... Though Canada has not yet released its official position, as in the past it seems to be similar to that of the U.S., which is actually trying to stop the negotiations from continuing.
These delaying tactics are unacceptable, the more so because they are based on false arguments such as an insistence that there is no difference between GM food and food produced using conventional methods, and that the truth of GM labels cannot be verified. Canada and the U.S. appear to be negotiating in bad faith and are among the last countries resisting GM labeling."
CBAN is leading a letter writing campaign that invites Canadians to join a coalition of nine groups who are lobbying Canada's Health Minister, Leona Aglukak to
"... demand that the Minister give instructions to the Canadian government delegation to support a position that recognizes the rights of all countries to adopt rules on GM foods labeling."
CBAN explained why letters are to go to Health Minister Leona Aglukak, stating
"Usually letters on the topic of GE labeling would go to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, but Canadian participation in Codex is coordinated by Health Canada."
While not part of the CBAN campaign, the Green Party of Canada issued a statement on April 29th supporting the labelling of GM foods, with the rationale
"... Developing countries are seeking support from Codex for their right to label GM foods as they see fit. It’s widely speculated that Canada and the US will try to shut down negotiations on GM labelling so that developing countries will have no protection from challenges through the World Trade organization."
Leader Elizabeth May said
“Polls show that over 80% of Canadians want mandatory labelling of GM foods. Harper must abandon his opposition to GM labelling and instruct his delegation to the Codex meeting to respect the will of Canadians and other countries.”
The Codex Commission states its position on GM foods by saying
"... Codex has adopted principles and guidelines to assess food safety of foods derived from recombinant-DNA plants, animals and microorganisms. If a government chooses to build a regulatory mechanism to address the food safety of so-called GM foods, then they can use Codex text as a basis for it. This being said, each government is free to adopt its own policy as to the use of GM organisms in the agriculture and other sectors.
At the moment, there are no internationally-agreed recommendations on the food labelling of GM foods. Governments are therefore applying their own regulations.
Codex has developed standards and a code of practice to effectively apply the irradiation technology to improve food safety, together with guidance on the labelling of irradiated foods. However, it is left to governments to determine their own approach to the use of food irradiation."
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