ORGANICS UNDER ATTACK & MONSANTO SNEAK ATTACK
Ronnie Cummins Organic Consumers Association
ESSAY OF THE WEEK
Dr. Oz Flip Flops as Mass Media Attacks Intensify
Less than two months after telling millions of TV viewers that organic food is “worth the investment,” America’s most popular TV doctor is singing a different tune. In the December issue of Time, Dr. Oz described organic foodies as “elitist” – part of the 1% - and claimed that conventional foods are nutritionally equivalent to organic foods.
In the cover story, Dr. Oz directly contradicted his October 19 attack on the controversial Stanford study, published in September, which concluded that organic fruits and vegetables are no better than their conventionally grown counterparts. The famous TV doc devoted an entire program to lambasting the Stanford study because it didn’t address the toxic health consequences of foods loaded with pesticides.
Why the flip-flop? And what’s up with all the highly publicized mass media attacks on organics? Are Big Food, Big Ag and Big Biotech getting nervous?
ACTION ALERT
Stop the ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ and Other Dangerous Riders!
TAKE ACTION!
Monsanto could get everything it wants for Christmas, unless we convince legislators this week to strip both the 2013 Agriculture Appropriations Bill (H.R. 5973) and the Farm Bill of dangerous riders that would give the biotech industry unprecedented power and immunity from not only an already-weakened review process, but also from federal law.
Here’s what’s at stake. Attached to the Agricultural Appropriations Bill is the “Farmers Assurance Provision” (Section 733) which is nothing more than a sneak attack on American farmers, consumers and the environment. If passed, this rider, aptly renamed the “Monsanto Protection Act,” would give Monsanto immunity from federal law by allowing the biotech industry to plant genetically modified crops, even if a federal court has ordered the planting be halted until an Environmental Impact Statement is completed.
On the Farm Bill side, Monsanto lobbyists have bought themselves several anti-regulatory riders that would effectively gut the USDA’s ability to regulate the use of genetically engineered organisms (GMOs). The riders would speed up the review and approval process for new GE crops, and authorize the USDA to consider exempting certain GE crops from any review at all.
Now that Congress has returned, both bills are on the agenda. The Agriculture Appropriations could become part of an Omnibus Appropriations Bill and the Farm Bill could be included in a deficit-reduction agreement to avoid the "fiscal cliff.
Thankfully, we have at least one friend in Congress. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) is circulating a letter to all of his colleagues in Congress opposing the “Monsanto Protection Act.” By signing our action alert below, you can ask your legislators to sign on to Rep. DeFazio’s “Dear Colleague” letter. You’ll also be asking your legislators to oppose the Farm Bill riders.
Don’t let Monsanto get away with this latest attack on farmers, consumers and the environment!
SUPPORT THE OCA AND OCF
Help Stop the Attacks on Organics
Organics are under attack. From every which way.
The USDA, headed by Tom Vilsack, Monsanto’s Man in Washington, is greasing the tracks for approvals of new GMO crops and Biotech-friendly laws that will devastate farmers, consumers and the health of our planet.
The FDA, an organization that’s supposed to protect the people but whose real loyalty lies with corporate lobbyists, is being guarded by Michael Taylor, another former Monsanto gun.
And lately, Big Media is looking more and more as if it’s on the payroll of Big Ag and Big Pharma, too. In September, the New York Times, Associated Press and CBS News all picked up and ran with a dubiously funded study from Stanford University. The study told consumers that there’s no nutritional difference between organic fruits and vegetables and their conventional counterparts. The study failed to mention that conventional food is loaded with pesticides and pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. But that didn't stop mainstream media from giving it plenty of play.
Even Dr. Oz, once a big promoter of organics, has gone over to the dark side. His latest cover story in Time shockingly contradicts what he’s been telling loyal viewers for years: Eat organic, stay healthy.
As more people wake up to the reality of our broken, unhealthy food system, we can expect the attacks on organics to grow louder. And more frequent. We can’t let Big Money destroy the progress we’ve made in the past few years. We have to work harder than ever, in Washington, in the media and on the ground. We're committed to doing all this and more, but we need your help. Please contribute today.
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)
Action Alert
Stop Agent Orange Corn! USDA Planning Pre-Christmas Approval for Spring 2013 Planting
TAKE ACTION
Remember Agent Orange? The 2,4-D chemical concoction commissioned by the U.S. Army to defoliate jungles and destroy food crops during the Vietnam War? It could soon be coming to a grocery store near you. Within a week, the USDA could approve Dow's new "Enlist" brand corn, genetically engineered to resist massive doses of the herbicide 2,4-D. Unless we stop it.
The list of reasons to tell USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to reject Dow’s Agent Orange Corn is long. A large body of evidence indicates major health problems result from exposure to 2,4-D, including cancer, reproductive problems, neurotoxicity, and auto-immune disorders. And 2,4-D is devastating to the environment. It’s currently the seventh largest source of dioxin pollution in the US. The use of this toxic herbicide is projected to increase 50-fold if the USDA approves this crop.
The USDA has already received more than 450,000 comments opposing Dow's new GE corn. But it has a long history of avoiding protests and bad press by issuing unpopular decisions right before the holidays.
We have one more week to show Sec. Vilsack that the American people are united in opposing dangerous new GMOs that put farmers' crops and livelihoods, local economies, and the health of farmers, farm workers and rural communities at risk.
Sign this petition to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to reject Agent Orange corn!
Boycott
Keep the Traitor Boycott Going!
We can’t say it often enough. If companies like General Mills, Kellogg’s, Pepsi, Coca-Cola and other giant multinational junk-food peddlers hadn’t dumped more than $20 million into the NO on 37 campaign, Prop 37, the California Right to Know GMO labeling initiative, would have passed.
If we want to pass GMO labeling laws in Washington, Vermont and other states, we’ve got to keep these Big Companies – and their Big Money – out of the fight. Our best shot at doing that is to send them a clear message: We won’t buy your organic and natural brands unless you keep your hands off, and your money out, of our GMO labeling campaigns. Make no mistake, Pepsi turns a pretty profit selling Naked Juice. And Kellogg’s makes millions selling its Gardenburger and Kashi brands. Same goes for all the other traitor brands. Let’s keep the pressure on!
Download your wallet-sized boycott guide
Download a poster-sized boycott guide
Request free, printed copies of the boycott guide
Prop 37: The Countdown Continues
So close. And getting closer. The latest Prop 37 vote count shows that as December 4, the number of voters who voted YES on Prop 37 has surpassed 6 million. The official count:
YES VOTES: 6,004,628
NO VOTES: 6,500,481
California election officials have until December 7 to report their final results to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has until December 14 to certify the results of all California elections. According to official election-night results, Prop 37 was defeated 53% to 47%. As more votes are counted, that percentage continues to narrow. The December 4 tally shows 51.6% against, and 48.4% in favor of labeling.
The opposition spent nearly $46 million to kill Prop 37, while our side had only $8 million to spend. Even against those odds, the vote clearly shows that the issue of GMO labeling is far from settled. Watch out Monsanto, we’ll be back. Soon.
Thanks, Kaiser Permanente!
Kudos to Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest nonprofit health management organizations (HMOs) in the U.S., for advising its members to steer clear of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The advice was dispensed via the organization’s Fall 2012 newsletter, mailed to Kaiser Permanente members in Washington and Oregon.
In “What You Need to Know about GMOs,” the author advises Kaiser’s HMO members to buy USDA certified organic and Non GMO Project Verified foods in order to avoid GMOs. The piece generated headlines and prompted Kaiser to backpedal a bit in an official statement, saying that the article reflects the personal views of the author, not company policy. But the HMO also acknowledged: “Kaiser Permanente believes the ongoing research and debate on bioengineered foods, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is important. “
Let’s let Kaiser know we think it’s a good thing that one of the largest health management organizations in the country is telling its members that GMOs haven’t been safety-tested and could cause health problems.
Post a comment on Kaiser’s Facebook page
Fishycorn Goes on National GMO Education Tour
It’s a fish... it’s a car... wait! It’s a Fishycorn car?
The Sustainable Living Roadshow and REAL Cooperative are traveling from California to Washington DC to promote education and awareness about genetically modified foods and the importance of GMO labeling and testing in the United States. What better way to attract attention and get out the word than by driving Fishycorn, the giant cornfish car?
Little Bytes
Essential Reading for the Week
Stand Still for the Apocolypse
GMO Company DuPont Pioneer Bribing Third-Grade Students with 'Seed' Money
Is 350's Carbon Divestment Campaign Complete?
Nanoparticles in Your Food? You’re Already Eating Them
MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSORS
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