Walt Robb: #GMO Labeling & Healing Our Broken Food System
This #PlantYourDreamBlog aims to clarify Walt Robb's position on the GMO Labeling Compromise Bill that is/was scheduled to be voted on July 6, 2016.
in his blog of July 1, Robb encouraged each person to contact their Senator and tell them how you feel.
As Robb said, "Our customers told us that they want more transparency and we listened. We encourage you to voice your feedback on this bill to your senators who are currently examining this piece of legislation." --Walt Robb. At the Aspen Ideas talk in June, he said, "The marketplace and the customers will take it from here ."
In this #PlantYourDreamBlog, you will find links where you can get in touch with your Senator. I want to see Unity in the Organic Community that has erupted over the Roberts-Sabenow Bill S. 764.
I am voting No. Links here for contacting your Senator. My Reasons for voting No are also in this #PlantYourDreamBlog.
Ultimately, our Broken Food system will be fixed not by policymakers, or lobbyists, but by you! You have the dollars in your pocket now to make the change that is needed.
Organic is the best choice, and if it has a QR Label, don't buy it.
Date: 7/5/2016 4:32:33 PM ( 8 y ) ... viewed 1099 times
July 6
ACTION STEP
1-855-977-1770. Call your senator. NO on Roberts-Stabenow compromise #Darkact #labelgmo bill
DIVING DEEP: FIXING OUR BROKEN FOOD SYSTEM
As Your Enchanted Gardener, I want to proclaim and plant that we are in the midst of healing our Broken Food System. The tumult we are now experiencing surrounding the Roberts-Sabenow Bill S 764 is further opportunity to heal our Broken Food System and educate more Americans about the issues involved.
As an Heirloom Seed Lover, and a Lover of the inherent #RareSeed Nature in each person, I am convinced that Mandatory Labeling of GMOs is an important organic step in the right direction, however, even the best possible Labeling of GMOs in our food supply is not enough to heal what asks to be healed.
I have planted seeds to outgrow GMOs and to outgrow Monsanto, one of the companies that has been at the forefront of heirloom seed contamination, and most of all, what I want to plant through this #PlantYourDreamBlog is a deeper respect and admiration for many of the stellar human beings involved, who are this time, are at odds.
In the last five years, millions of Americans, once in the dark are now more aware of the existence of GMOs in our food supply. Props for this education go to #RareSeeds as I call them, on both sides of this Roberts-Stabenow Bill, both the Anti-GMO Activists as well as those who are now at the forefront of our Organic Agenda and its ongoing relationship with policy makers.
In this #PlantYourDreamBlog, I present the reasons why I recommend Voting NO on this Compromised Roberts-Stabenow Bill.
I also want to express my support for Activists holding different points of view on this Bill.
While I do not support the passage of this bill, I do support the efforts of Walt Robb, Co-Ceo of Whole Foods Market in his efforts to help us fix our broken food system. I do support deeper understanding.
This #PlantYourDreamBlog contains and seeks to clarify what I understand of his statements regarding Whole Foods Market Policy regarding Labeling GMOs, and his own clarifications statements about what he said at the Aspen Ideas Conference that are important to hear.
Leslie Goldman Your Enchanted Gardener #PlantYourDreamBlog
TO MEET SOME OF THE PLAYERS WHO ARE DIVING DEEP INTO OUR BROKEN FOOD SYSTEM, PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS
90 MINUTE TAKE FROM THE ASPEN IDEAS CONFERENCE
This session from the Aspen Ideas Conference of June 23-July 2 is must listening. Clearly we have a Broken Food System. A great intro to some of the individuals dedicating their lives to uplift and heal.
This panel included Walt Robb, Co Ceo of Whole Foods Market. It was his comments in support of Senator Debbie Stabenow and Roberts and their work done on this bill that precipitated a firestorm of controversy. Some on the GMO labeling Activity side are deeply hurt that Walt Robb, did not come out more strongly and clearly against this bill.
As a gentleman Activist for healthier food, I have personally watched the actions of Walt Robb for more than twenty
years. I know him as a devoted enthusiast of organic food who understands the marketplace as well as policymaking.
His vision is for the long haul. I am convinced he knows aspects of that vision as much as his knows how to grow his own organic vegetables.
Regardless of GMO Labeling, he recognizes that we still have bigger food issues to deal with including pesticides in our foods and the need for more organic supply.
It is clear that numbers of the players at the Aspen Ideas conference are involved deeply in the long haul to heal our broken food system.
Numbers of these individuals are looking ahead to the Farm Bill that comes up every five years. They know that what they say now and what they do about this GMO labeling Bill will affect long-term relationships and outcomes. It is for this reason, among others, that I sense the Organic Trade Association, one of the lead Lobbyist groups for Organic food as well as Labeling GMOs, came out in favor of this Compromised Bill.
The session from the Aspen Ideas Conference also features Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, one of three organic farmers in congress. Very inspiring. So glad to make her acquaintance through this video!
Jeff Dunn, president of Campbell's Fresh is also featured in the Aspen ideas conference presentation. Campbell's Fresh voluntarily Labeled GMOs, responding to consumers wanting food transparency. I feel very positive about this trend of more and more suppliers adding the clear and direct label that their food contains Genetrically Engineered ingredients.
Props to the Aspen Ideas conference For making this video available.
I want to encourage you to listen to this important 90 minutes session from the recent Aspen Ideas Conference of June 23-July2.
AN ORGANIC AND GMO ACTIVIST COMMUNITY AT ODDS IS UPSETTING ME
In this #PlantYourDreamBlog
I want to be as personally transparent and honest.
The Anti-GMO Activists now have great power in the marketplace to sway as well as educate. As one of their kin and bloggers, I can't go along with the name-calling. I know numbers of the individuals involved as friends. I also understand the hurt feelings and I have hurt feelings to see the Organic Community as odds within itself.
Its not my nature to be vindictive. I'm here for the long-haul and the result I'm after is to foster goodwill and find the good everywhere. That my Friend is my role as Your Enchanted Gardener, to plant the most sustainable dreams possible to bring in the Enchanted Garden, a name for a renewed earth. My Boss is nature herself, and the Central intelligence Agency I honor most is the Divine in each person.
As best I can, I want to tell my truth and be truthful.
This article I discovered July 4 expressed many of the painful feelings I am having the last few days before the vote.
This Huffington Post article written by Carey Gillam comes the closest to addressing the rift that is now broken out and making it even harder in my opinion to focus on the job at hand, influencing senators
At ‘Crucial Moment’ For GMO Labeling, Organic Industry Finds Itself Divided
REASONS WHY I AM OPPOSED TO THE ROBERTS-STABENOW BILL
I am using the issues being raised by both sides to help clarify my own positions on our Broken Food System.
I see the Roberts – Stabenow Bill S 746 as seriously flawed.We need more time to create a Labeling Bill that works
I encourage Senators to vote against it.
One of the ideas in the bill is that we have QR Codes places on food to identify the foods that have GMO ingredients. Gary Hirsthberg of Just Label it! as well as the Center for Food Safety have both produced videos pointing out how this is a bad part of this bill, and this aspect of any national GMO Labeling bill needs to have direct clearly written words that support the consumer in easily identifying ingredients.
Very few people I know support the QR Code idea as a means of labeling food, however should QR codes come to be associated with GMO labeling, the simplest thing a person can do Is avoid purchasing any food that has a Q our label
I want GMOs labeled. More than this, I want GMOs out of our #food supply.
Much of the Non GMO food on the marketplace may very well be conventionally grown. Being Non GMO verified is a step in the right direction; however, the point that the many are making is just because food is labeled Non-GMO, does not mean the food is healthy. The closest reassurance we have at this time, is that the food be of organic quality and certified as such.
Non GMO food may very well have pesticides.
MORE THAN 50 GROUPS HAVE SIGNED A LETTER TO SENATORS ASKING THEM TO VOTE NO ON THE ROBERTS-STABENOW BILL
"Please take a moment to tweet at your Senators or leave a comment on their Facebook pages!
A YES vote means the Senator voted AGAINST your right to know.
A NO vote means the Senator voted FOR your right to know.
Just click on the Twitter and/or Facebook links to tell your Senator(s) to vote NO on the DARK Act and protect your right to know!
Have some extra time? Tweet at or leave comments on the Facebook pages of the Senators with * after their names - these Senators are very important in stopping this bill!"
SENATOR SANDERS HAS ALSO COME OUT STRONG AGAINST THE ROBERTS-STABENOW BILL
If Senators are listening, and Senator Sanders supporters took action, it could make a difference. My hope is that he is able to put this compromised bill to rest, and give us more time as to work out what we really need as policy.
ANTI-GMO ACTIVISTS CHECK IN
My allies have worked for years in the struggle to get GMOs Labeled. I called my senator Dianne Feinstein and emailed her as well asked her to vote no on S764 or whatever ( number it now has ) at the request of Pamm Larry, instigator of California's Prop 37, the Right to Know in 2012.
Bottomline, we need a better bill. This bill needs to be scrapped or amended. I also agree with Walt Robb that we have a lot of other issues that need to be addressed to fix our food system. We need as a community to begin to focus on the Farm Bill that comes up every five years.
ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS TO VOTE NO ON THIS BILL IS THAT IT WOULD PRE-EMPT THE VERMONT GMO LABELING BILL THAT IS ALREADY MOTIVATING COMPANIES TO CLEARLY LABEL GMOS
One of the reasons to vote NO on this compromise Bill is that it would pre-empt all the hard work that has already been accomplished on the state level. Many companies are already labeling . Although I agree that a national labeling policy would be good, I agree that the states them selves will come up with a solution.
ACTION STEP:
I urge consumers to identify the companies who have labeled products with GMO labels and thank them now.
GROCERS: PLEASE FOLLOW THE LEAD OF THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY LABELING IF YOU WANT THE MARKETPLACE TO SUPPORT YOU
I encourage grocers and companies to follow the lead of Campbell's Fresh that has voluntarily, based on consumer demand and wishes, identified its own products that contain GMO's. Jeff Dunn from Campbell's fresh is on the Aspen ideas panel with Walter Robb. This man deserves Props.
Consumers are already creating the tipping point against GMO usage. It's in the best interest of companies to verify non-GMO foods.
ORGANIC=NON GMO
I also agree with the OTA position that @Organic=NonGMO.
Organic is now the gold standard and supported in this bill.
For me, biodynamic food is the gold standard. I'm pleased to see Whole Foods Market supporting asking all its suppliers to label GE ingredients by 2018.
This move by WFM to require all its suppliers to Label GMOs is already reshaping the Marketplace.
Consumer Demand for NON GMO Food
In 2012, I asked Pamm Larry how many California votes it would take to label GMO's? She said close to 7.5 million.
Through her efforts and through the efforts of Whole Foods Market, policymakers, and grassroots organizers we now have enough non-GMO eaters to cause any company to think twice before not voluntarily labeling.
MANY DO NOT LIKE THE QR CODE OPTION FOR LABELING GMOS
This was produced by Just Label it. The man working the shelf is Gary Hirshberg himself.
if there is any consensus among those who are against this Roberts-Sabenow Bill, it is that they do not like the idea of identifying GMOs in a product with QR Codes requiring a QR Scanner. Walt Robb, Gary Hirshberg, OTA, and leading Anti-GMO Activists all agree the QR Code is a bad idea./i>
There is a wide consensus, both among those who support the Organic Agenda as well as GMO Activists, against the QR Option that is part of the Roberts-Stabenow Bill.
Just Label it has a cute video about QR Labeling, WFM is against it, OTA is against it, Label GMOs and Anti-GMO activists do not
like this aspect of the bill.
I like the point that Pamm Larry makes: The expense of setting up a QR system in the store would be expensive and impractical.
I agree with Pamm Larry on this:
What baffles me the most is..remember Prop 37 and how they railed on how many exemptions it had? Well this bill contains many, many more. Go figure! Another lie exposed. Remember their cost argument and how it will impact food prices...get ahold of this one: they want stores to put in QR scanning machines that no one uses and to put hardlines in every store to make sure they have cell reception. Who will pay for these? Talk about illogical
If perchance QR code's go onto products, that is a clear sign to the customer that that product likely has GMO ingredients.
If you care about your health do not purchase any product with the QR code.
GMOs are a failed farming system.
I've been with leading GMO educators and I'm convinced the GMO technology in farming is a failed system.
I stand with the scientists who are seeing clear evidence between conditions such as autism and Glysophate.
Glysophate is also used in the drying process for grains at times. Is one of the most popular GMO products and is currently being identified as a cancer-causing agent. Round Up, A product that contains Glysophate, is commonly used in GMO farming . It contaminates organic crops and non GMO seeds.
The Vermont labeling bill that went into effect July 1 has also caused many companies to list the words indicating GMO Ingredients and Whole Foods Market has supported state efforts to label although they want to see national labeling.
Clearly, the Vermont effort and the Whole Foods effort in the private sector have instigated labeling.
My personal position is that all contact between policymakers and those in the public, private and grassroot sectors are essential.
It is important that we continue to mend our Broken Food System for the Ground up. This is the essence of my work and message that we can Outgrow GMOs and Outgrow Monsanto.
The Organic Center and the Organic Farming Research Foundation are already giving us the evidence we need to educate.
Organic Growing of food, with sound soil building principles and composting ideas, goes with the territory of learning how to live on this earth.
That is why, with the help of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, we have created the Back Your Sacred Seed Starter Kit. http://plantyourdream.net/?p=21103
MY POSITION ON BANNING GMOS FROM OUR FOOD SUPPLY
I have been a speaker at recent #MAMSD (March Against Monsanto) Rallies and on the core faculty of the national Heirloom Expo where anti GMO education advocates gather.
I have planted seeds for the end of the Monsanto years, and labeling GMOS Is one step in the consumer education process. I agree with Walter Robb and many others that we have many issues to address to heal our broken food system.
TO LISTEN TO WALT ROBB FROM THE ASPEN IDEAS CONFERENCE GO TO 36 MINUTES IN
The remainder of this #PlantYourDreamBlog aims to clarify Walt Robb's position on the GMO Labeling Compromise Bill that will/is scheduled to be voted on July 6, 2016 as best I understand it from his own words and documents he has issued, as well as WFM Official Policy.
I reprinted the WFM POLICY on GMO Labeling and his post clarifying his position below.
On the 90-minute presentation from the Aspen Ideas conference, you will hear what Walt Robb said in support of Senator Stabenow. and Roberts. I also hear him say that the Whole Foods Market Position is that WFM stand for Labeling. has gone BEYOND both the Vermont Bill and the proposed National Bill
The store policy is to ask all suppliers to label by 2018 in clearly identified language. The Blog Post issued by Walt Robb clearly states the WFM is NOT in favor of the QR Codes.
It is important to read his own statements from his blog post included here as well as the WFM Policy on GMOs
WALT ROBB POSITION ON GMO LABELING
"Our customers told us that they want more transparency and we listened. We encourage you to voice your feedback on this bill to your senators who are currently examining this piece of legislation." --Walt Robb
CLARIFYING MY COMMENTS ON GMO LEGISLATION
July 1, 2016 by Walter Robb
"I’ve been receiving questions about comments I made during a panel discussion at the Aspen Ideas Festival when I was asked about GMO legislation. I truly appreciate all of the feedback and want to provide clarification and context so that there’s no misunderstanding about Whole Foods Market’s position on GMO labeling.
My comment about Senator Stabenow “doing an incredible thing” with the bill was an acknowledgement that garnering bipartisan support on mandating any amount of GMO transparency represents significant progress over the DARK Act, which would have prevented mandatory labeling of GMOs at the state or national level. While the Stabenow-Roberts bill and the Vermont bill both aim to make it easier for consumers to identify GMO ingredients for consumers— a good thing at the fundamental level—no piece of legislation is perfect.
I ended my response by reiterating that regardless of how GMO legislation may unfold, Whole Foods Market remains committed to working with our supplier partners to provide transparency in our U.S. and Canadian stores in 2018 and that our policy goes beyond what’s being proposed at the state or national level.
Whole Foods Market has supported all state-level GMO labeling initiatives where we have stores with the hope that any bills that pass will lead to national legislation. We’ve long-supported the idea of a national policy requiring mandatory GMO labeling because it would help accelerate change in the marketplace and provide transparency for all customers nationwide. That said, our position has always been to support mandatory labeling of GMO foods through clear, on-package language, not QR codes or 1-800 numbers, which is our primary concern with the Stabenow-Roberts bill as currently written.
We believe that in order to be truly transparent, food labels needs three things: a real standard (organic, for example), a third party verification and a reasonable label claim that’s easy for a customer to understand. It’s not just up to food companies to provide this though. Consumer demand plays a critical role in accelerating these changes.
Our customers told us that they want more transparency and we listened. We encourage you to voice your feedback on this bill to your senators who are currently examining this piece of legislation."
"The marketplace and the customers will take it from here." Walt Robb, co Ceo Whole Foods Market--Walt Robb, Aspen Ideas Conference
WHOLE FOODS POLICY ON GMO FOODS
COMPANY NEWS:
The Facts on Whole Foods Market’s GMO commitment
"Whole Foods Market has always advocated for more transparency in the marketplace, because we believe people have a right to know what's in their food. That's why we were the first (and are still the only) national grocer to set a deadline for GMO transparency in our U.S. and Canadian stores. Our commitment is to true transparency, and our policy will not accept QR codes or 1-800 numbers as valid ways of identifying foods that may contain GMOs.
We've also been collaborating with our supplier partners for years to source more -- and increase the availability of — organic and non-GMO verified products and ingredients. We offer thousands of options for shoppers who'd like to avoid GMOs, including more than 25,000 certified organic and more than 11,500 non-GMO Project Verified products — all of which provide clear, on-package labeling."
Robb says in this talk at Aspen Ideas Conference: "The marketplace and the customers will take it from here ."
The Walt Robb position is clearly stated on his blog of July 1.
FOOD ACCESS for All & THE ROLE OF THE NATURAL FOODS INDUSTRY
Walt Robb, at the Natural Product Expo West 2014
Walt Robb has clearly shown himself to be on the front lines of organic growing of food and has addressed core food system issues. I've personally watched him and been inspired by his food activism for more than 20 years.
Some of this activism includes requesting the entire natural products industry to take a stand on food access to the underserved #expowest, The Natural Product Expo West, the leading national products show in America. I attend as press each year.
As he addressed in his Aspen talk the fourth Whole Foods Market in underserved areas of our country opens sometime this fall.
It was because of his effort that I personally met Ron Finley and other core leaders serving the underserved.
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