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Monsanto Sneak Attack, Message from Rio, Obama's Betrayal
Ronnie Cummins Organic Consumers Association
Obama Betrays Campaign Promise to Label Genetically Engineered Food
In 2007, Senator Obama, campaigning for the presidency in the Democratic primary, promised to label genetically engineered food.
Now, if you write the Obama for America campaign about GMO labels, you get this response:
"Genetically modified crops hold out the promise of benefits like increased production and reduced reliance on pesticides. At the same time, some Americans want more information to help them choose their food. President Obama understands these concerns and is considering additional steps in this area."
What? How can he flip his position like that? What makes him believe Monsanto's lies? Why isn't he listening to the 9 out of 10 voters who want GMOs labeled? Is there anything we can do to get him back on our side before November?
The first step is to give Barack Obama a piece of our minds! Bill Maher did on his show last week, when he called the President out for breaking his campaign promise on GMO labels and putting Monsanto's Michael Taylor in charge of food safety. Please tell the Obama for America campaign what you think about broken promises.
Watch the Bill Maher Clip and Take Action
Note: Coverage of the Supreme Court's Obamacare ruling coming next week...
Monsanto's Sneak Attack on Organic and Non-GMO Farmers
Monsanto is using its money and influence to push Congress to attach a rider to the 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would effectively end judicial review of approvals of new genetically engineered crops.
If this rider (Sec. 733) isn't removed, organic and non-GMO farmers will lose their access to the court system and they'll have no recourse when the U.S. Department of Agriculture illegally approves new genetically engineered crops that threaten to contaminate their fields and seed supplies.
Monsanto's sneak attack is a response to successful lawsuits brought by the Center for Food Safety on behalf of organic and non-GMO farmers and seed growers that have attempted to block planting of genetically engineered sugar beets and alfalfa while the USDA conducted a court-ordered review of the dangers of contamination.
A vote to remove Monsanto's rider from the Agriculture Appropriations bill was expected this week, but now has been delayed until after Congress returns from their July 4th recess. Let's use this time to spread the word and send tens of thousands of letters to Congress!
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Help Us Keep the Pressure On
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We’re halfway through 2012, and thanks to you, it’s been a good year so far. But we still have our work cut out for us, especially when it comes to GMO labeling laws.
There won’t be a top-down solution for GMO labeling as long as President Obama continues to allow his appointees, Michael Taylor, in charge of food safety at the FDA, and Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, to maintain GMOs are safe.
We need your help to pressure state and local governments to stand up to the Monsantos of the world, while we also work on citizen-powered GMO labeling initiatives.
If you haven’t pitched in this year, please consider a donation now. If you have, please pass this along to your friends, or share on social media. Thank you!
Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible, helps support our work on behalf of organic standards, fair trade and public education)
Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our legislative efforts in California and other states)
Essay of the Week
Ronnie's Message from Rio: Unite and Fight for Survival
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Most national governments and multinational corporations who gathered in Rio are still pushing feeble reforms that amount to too little, too late. While Big Ag, Big Biotech, Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Timber, and Big Finance push their united “Green Economy,” agenda, a major segment of the global gra ssroots remain fragmented and divided, bogged down in thousands of defensive single-issue battles.
The good news, in Rio and across the world, is that the global grassroots are finally rising up and saying, “Hell no!” to business as usual. Real change, not the hollow “change you can believe in” of the Obama administration, was in the air in Rio. Climate activists are ready to unite and survive by closing the ranks and taking on the Climate Criminals.
Farm Bill GMO Labeling Amendment Update
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As we reported last week, the Senate voted against an amendment sponsored by Sens. Sanders and Feinstein to affirm states' rights to label GMOs.
Now, we have an alert that allows you respond to your senators' votes. When you enter your address, form letters will appear that indicate how they voted.
Debrief from the Sidewalk Session at the BIO International Conference
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On Monday morning, June 18, 2012, over 75 food democracy activists from Occupy Monsanto, the Massachusetts Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Occupy Boston, Ciclovida, and the LEAH Collective greeted thousands of biotech industry workers as they entered the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. The police were fairly friendly and provided activists with prime sidewalk space in front of the convention center. The Sidewalk Session wound down around lunchtime, but Boston area activists continued to protest the biotech industry for the remainder of the week.
Check out photos and a You Tube video from the sidewalk session. To join a Genetic Crimes Unit for the September 17 Occupy Monsanto week of action, click here.
Video of the Week
Monsanto Exposé: From Agent Orange to Colony Collapse Disorder
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Agricultural giant Monsanto is best known for its production of pesticides and genetically modified foods, but it has a controversial history as a chemical company with a slew of toxic cover ups. In addition to its battle against small farmers, the newest buzz about the corporation is the speculation that its GM seeds are linked to the die off of bees. Abby Martin of RT television brings us more on Monsanto's seedy practices and what they are up to now. She interviews Alexis Baden-Mayer, OCA Political Director, on Monsanto's buy-out of Beeologics.
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