Obama has not come though on his 2008 campaign promise to label GMOs. His unilateral approval of Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa, overruling the federal courts, scientists, and the organic community, offers the final proof: don't hold your breath for this man to do anything that might offend Monsanto or Corporate America.
--Ronnie Cummins,
Organic Consumer Association
Date: 2/17/2011 4:23:03 PM ( 13 y ) ... viewed 30486 times
Monsanto Nation: Exposing Monsanto's Minions
By Ronnie Cummins
Organic Consumers Association, Feb 3, 2011
Straight to the Source
FROM
THE ARTICLE
Beyond Organic Infighting
The good news this week is that WFM, Organic Valley, Stonyfield, the National Coop Grocers Association and the Organic Trade Association have been making strong statements about fighting against GMOs. In a lengthy telephone conversation two days ago with Organic Valley CEO George Sieman, George told me how angry he was at me and the OCA, but he also said that Organic Valley was going to step up the fight against Monsanto. I said I was glad to hear this. I told him that OCA was going to do the same. I told him that our Millions Against Monsanto Truth-in-Labeling campaign is already attracting thousands of volunteers all across the USA and that we weren't going to give up until grocery stores, natural food stores, and coops start labeling conventional and "natural" products containing GMOs or coming from CAFOs.
We'll certainly see Organic Valley and the rest of the organic industry's pledge to fight GMOs put to the test in the near future, when the USDA unleashes genetically engineered sugar beets for nationwide planting. But given the need for a United Front, OCA would like to stress that Whole Foods Market is not the enemy. Wal-Mart and Monsanto are the enemy. Stonyfield Farm is not the enemy. The Biotechnology Industry Association, Archer Daniels Midland, and Cargill are the enemy. Organic Valley is not the enemy. The Grocery Manufacturers Association, Kraft and Dean Foods are the enemy. OCA wants the organic community to unite our forces, cut the BS about "coexistence," and move forward with an aggressive campaign to drive GMOs and CAFOs off the market.
Monsanto's Minions: The White House, Congress, and the Mass Media
The United States is rapidly devolving into what can only be described as a Monsanto Nation. Despite Barack Obama (and Hillary Clinton's) campaign operatives in 2008 publicly stating that Obama supported mandatory labels for GMOs, we haven't heard a word from the White House on this topic since Inauguration Day. Michele Obama broke ground for an organic garden at the White House in early 2009, but after protests from the pesticide and biotech industry, the forbidden "O" (Organic) word was dropped from White House PR. Since day one, the Obama Administration has mouthed biotech propaganda, claiming, with no scientific justification whatsoever, that biotech crops can feed the world and enable farmers to increase production in the new era of climate change and extreme weather.
Like Obama's campaign promises to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; like his promises to bring out-of-control banksters and oil companies under control; like his promises to drastically reduce greenhouse gas pollution and create millions of green jobs; Obama has not come though on his 2008 campaign promise to label GMOs. His unilateral approval of Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa, overruling the federal courts, scientists, and the organic community, offers the final proof: don't hold your breath for this man to do anything that might offend Monsanto or Corporate America.
THIS IS A TALK
WITH GOYO RODRIGUEZ
of JR ORGANICS, FIFTH GENERATION FARMING FAMILY
ABOUT ORGANIC SEEDS
THIS IS AN UPRISING OF
ALFALFA GROWING IN A POT
This is an uprising of alfalfa growing in a pot
in my backyard at the Enchanted Garden Intentional Community.
I just searched the internet to see if there was
any other kind of uprising against the planting of
GE alfalfa. I could not find anything.
ON THE STREET CAMPAIGN
FROM THE ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
The closest on the street campaign
comes from the Organic Consumer Association,
but I feel their attacks on organic leaders
hurt the unity that is needed now.
GARY HIRSHBERG, BURAK AKALIN, DAGBY
Gary Hirshberg, (left) of Stonyfield is another organic leader who I have found warm hearted, caring and sincere. He offered to print
a Love Letter to Joe the Farmer on his Website. A Love Letter to Joe
is a declaration of support for local farmers. In this photo, Gary is shaking hands with Burak Akalin, who at the time was working for Aramark, a company that has made major moves at the Anaheim Convention Center,
site of the Natural Product Expo West, toward organic. Dagby, is an organic leader. I do not have her first name right now.
THIS IS NO TIME FOR DIVISIVENESS
Gary Hirshberg was among those under attack by
the OCA. We need unity now, not divisiveness.
The fact remains that we cannot and will never stop fighting this battle. The problem with the unrestricted deregulating of GE crops is that the dangers of contamination are permanent and irreversible. Whereas Congress has enacted other legislation to correct and reverse past transgressions, for instance the Clean Air Act and clean water legislation, a “clean crop act” would never be able to undo the damage and losses caused by GE crops. Therefore, the time to fight for these restrictions is now.
We will continue to fight to protect the organic farmers who grow healthy food and the consumers who have every right to choose organic. We will continue to push for unbiased scientific findings about the harmful effects of GE crops. And we will work hard to give our consumers the assurances they need that organic remains free of anything genetically engineered. The battle will now move from the government agencies back to the courts, but we also need new and stronger legislation that addresses toxic herbicides, and threats to biodiversity, seed protection and other ecological costs.
But I need to take a moment to address the misguided and fallacious OCA attack on Stonyfield, Whole Foods and Organic Valley. Their missive has generated many questions in the last couple of days. I have read them with a heavy heart. I have no idea about their motivations. I have never met Ronnie Cummins and he certainly has never asked me for my views on these issues. But simply put, instead of fighting with each other, we need to fight Monsanto and the forces that are causing the voices of hundreds of thousands of Americans who support organic to be silenced. All of us who are opposed to the USDA decision to deregulate GE alfalfa must speak with one voice. Anything less keeps us divided and distracted. I hope that readers of the OCA communications will convey your disappointment with their tactics. These misleading actions do nothing to advance our cause.
I hope that you will continue to be passionate about this incredibly important issue facing the organic industry and that you will join us in the fight in any way you can. Stay tuned as we prepare the next assault.
Walt Robb, a head of Whole Foods Market, with Joe Rodriguez, Jr.
My experience with the organic leaders who were under fire from the Organic
Consumers Association have always been good. Over the years,
I got to know Walt Robb, of Whole Foods; Gary Hirshberg of
Stonyfield Farms' and George Seimon of Organic Valley.
Their heart is in the right place and they
want good for organics. This photo was taken at the Organic Center
VIP dinner at the Natural Product Expo West numbers of years ago.
Whole Foods Market Hillcrest, our local store was very helpful
when I wanted to bring local strawberries into the store in 2005.
This is the quality of locally grown organic strawberry that
was part of a consumer education project I did with the Whole Foods
Market Hillcrest in 2005. I wanted to experience what it would be like
to personally bring berries, picked that morning into our local WFM.
The project went on for five weeks. Each Sunday, following our
Hillcrest Farmers' Market, I would bring remaining unsold berries
to the nearby WFM. The customers were stunned by the experience.
Many of the Whole Foods Markets have unique regional individualities
for each store. Whole Foods Market is a model in my eyes for what
the supermarkets will be. Locally grown was a concept that came out
of this store and grew into popularity during the time I was doing
this education project.
I was friends at the time with the marketing department of our local
store. It was an positive experience that marked me.
The Whole Foods Green Mission at the time was recycling much of
their cardboard and making compost from food that they could not
sell or give away for safety reasons.
Whole Foods Market has set a standard for the supermarket
of the future.
In today's world of GE foods, most stores
on the scale of Whole Foods, have foods have some foods that are compromised; yet WFM has been a supporter for Non GMO,
and the Non-GMO project
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