Organic Farmers & Fishers v. Clones, GMOs & Nano
Organic Farmers & Fishers v. Clones, GMOs & Nano
Organic Farmers & Fishers v. Clones, GMOs & Nano
#244, September 30, 2010
Health, Justice and Sustainability News
from the Organic Consumers Association
Edited by Alexis Baden-Mayer and Ronnie Cummins
In this issue:
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The Cloning Company vs. OCA
“There are people who do
not agree with our approaches, like the Organic Consumers Association. I
work for a livestock cloning company and we have been active for the
last 8 years in moving this into the market place – these groups still
don’t like us.”
not agree with our approaches, like the Organic Consumers Association. I
work for a livestock cloning company and we have been active for the
last 8 years in moving this into the market place – these groups still
don’t like us.”
– Mark Walton,
President of ViaGen: The Cloning Company, speaking at the Ag Industry
Biotech Conference, September 16, 2010, in Saskatchewan, Canada
Poor Mark Walton, maybe he’s still
sore about the hilarious piece the Daily Show did on cloning where he
and OCA spokesperson Adam Eidinger were interviewed by Rob Riggle.
sore about the hilarious piece the Daily Show did on cloning where he
and OCA spokesperson Adam Eidinger were interviewed by Rob Riggle.
Of course, OCA has more
reason to fear Mark Walton than he has to fear us. For one thing, he
successfully got milk and meat from cloned cows approved by the FDA.
Anyone’s who’s not eating certified organic, which bans cloning, has
probably eaten some of the mutant fruits of his labors.
reason to fear Mark Walton than he has to fear us. For one thing, he
successfully got milk and meat from cloned cows approved by the FDA.
Anyone’s who’s not eating certified organic, which bans cloning, has
probably eaten some of the mutant fruits of his labors.
Since the FDA doesn’t
require labels on meat and dairy products that come from cloned cows,
consumers are in the dark. After a scandal about unlabeled cloned
products in Europe, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was asked if
“cloned cows or their offspring have made it into the North American
food supply.” He replied, “I can’t say today that I can answer your
question in an affirmative or negative way. I don’t know.”
require labels on meat and dairy products that come from cloned cows,
consumers are in the dark. After a scandal about unlabeled cloned
products in Europe, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was asked if
“cloned cows or their offspring have made it into the North American
food supply.” He replied, “I can’t say today that I can answer your
question in an affirmative or negative way. I don’t know.”
Organic Standards Alert
Beer
When is organic beer not
really organic? Nearly always – and the situation may quickly get worse.
The issue is hops, one of the central ingredients in beer. It’s a
little-known fact that “certified organic” beer can be brewed with
non-organic hops, owing to a USDA ruling made in 2007, despite the
objections of thousands of OCA members.
really organic? Nearly always – and the situation may quickly get worse.
The issue is hops, one of the central ingredients in beer. It’s a
little-known fact that “certified organic” beer can be brewed with
non-organic hops, owing to a USDA ruling made in 2007, despite the
objections of thousands of OCA members.
That ruling is currently
up for review by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), but one of
their committees has voted unanimously to continue it, and their
recommendation is likely to stand unless consumers and organic advocates
make their voices heard during the public comment period that runs
through October 12, or in person at the USDA hearings in Madison,
Wisconsin October 25-27. The Organic Consumers Association will be
testifying in support of requiring organic hops. We need as many of our
members to join us as possible.
up for review by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), but one of
their committees has voted unanimously to continue it, and their
recommendation is likely to stand unless consumers and organic advocates
make their voices heard during the public comment period that runs
through October 12, or in person at the USDA hearings in Madison,
Wisconsin October 25-27. The Organic Consumers Association will be
testifying in support of requiring organic hops. We need as many of our
members to join us as possible.
Eggs
The Cornucopia Institute,
OCA’s close ally, has put together a comprehensive report called
Scrambled Eggs, exposing the deplorable practices that constitute
“business as usual” in industrial-..scale organic egg production. The
report is the culmination of two years of research which saw the group
visit over 15% of the certified egg farms in the United States, and
survey all name-brand and private-label industry marketers. Cornucopia’s
findings demonstrate the huge gap between best-practice animal
husbandry exhibited by many small and medium-sized organic egg
producers, and the bare-minimum standards followed by many
industrial-..scale operations.
OCA’s close ally, has put together a comprehensive report called
Scrambled Eggs, exposing the deplorable practices that constitute
“business as usual” in industrial-..scale organic egg production. The
report is the culmination of two years of research which saw the group
visit over 15% of the certified egg farms in the United States, and
survey all name-brand and private-label industry marketers. Cornucopia’s
findings demonstrate the huge gap between best-practice animal
husbandry exhibited by many small and medium-sized organic egg
producers, and the bare-minimum standards followed by many
industrial-..scale operations.
Wine
Recently,
long-..established USDA organic wine standards have come under attack. A
group made up of foreign and domestic wine producers and distributors
seeks to change current established US organic wine standards to allow a
synthetic preservative called sulfite, a known allergen, to be added to
organic wine.
Keeping Nano Out
A major reason why
consumers shop for products that are certified organic is to avoid
hazardous and unlabeled Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), toxic
chemicals, and now the most recent, and likely most dangerous hi-tech
poison of them all: nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is now a mega-billion
dollar Frankenstein monster industry churning out a vast menu of
untested and unlabeled products containing tiny nanoparticles including
non-organic vitamin supplements, food packaging, processed food,
cosmetics and sunscreens.
consumers shop for products that are certified organic is to avoid
hazardous and unlabeled Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), toxic
chemicals, and now the most recent, and likely most dangerous hi-tech
poison of them all: nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is now a mega-billion
dollar Frankenstein monster industry churning out a vast menu of
untested and unlabeled products containing tiny nanoparticles including
non-organic vitamin supplements, food packaging, processed food,
cosmetics and sunscreens.
Unfortunately the USDA
National Organic Program has not yet banned nanotechnology… The National
Organic Standards Board feels it can’t “adequately define”
nanotechnology,.. and ban it, even though it’s been banned under the
organic standards of Canada, the UK, and the US-based Organic Crop
Improvement Association.
National Organic Program has not yet banned nanotechnology… The National
Organic Standards Board feels it can’t “adequately define”
nanotechnology,.. and ban it, even though it’s been banned under the
organic standards of Canada, the UK, and the US-based Organic Crop
Improvement Association.
The 10 Freakiest Things
About Frankenfish
10. According to the FDA, Frankenfish Aren’t Animals, They’re “Animal Drugs”
9. The GMO Part of the GMO Salmon Isn’t Being Safety Tested
8. Frankenfish DNA Could Change the Bacteria of Your Gut
7. If It Swims Like a Salmon, FDA Says It’s Safe to Eat
6. FDA Lets the Frankenfish Company Test Its Own Product’s Safety
5. Frankenfish Is More Carcinogenic
4. Frankenfish Is Less Nutritious
3. Frankenfish Is More Allergenic
2. GMOs Can Mess a Fish Up!
But the freakiest thing about all of this is .
1. The Government Wants More Transgenic Fish and Less Wild Fish
Why Who Fishes Matters
Current changes to
fisheries policies are aiding and abetting the corporate takeover and
industrializati..on of our source of seafood. The Northwest Atlantic
Marine Alliance (NAMA) has launched a Who Fishes Matters campaign which
includes asking fisheries regulators to put limits on consolidation of
fishing permits, accumulation and amassing of fishing power by those
with money and corporate takeover/..buyout of the fishing industry.
fisheries policies are aiding and abetting the corporate takeover and
industrializati..on of our source of seafood. The Northwest Atlantic
Marine Alliance (NAMA) has launched a Who Fishes Matters campaign which
includes asking fisheries regulators to put limits on consolidation of
fishing permits, accumulation and amassing of fishing power by those
with money and corporate takeover/..buyout of the fishing industry.
Over the past few weeks NAMA has been talking with family fishermen. You can see their videos here.
And now you can upload
your own short video. NAMA is asking local food and food system
advocates who know why who brings our food to our table matters to add
their voice to the mix. You can sit in front of your webcam, video phone
or whatever tool you have, in the comfort of your own
home/..office/..boat/farm or wherever and tell the decision makers why you
think Who Fishes Matters. Then upload your video by going to this site.
your own short video. NAMA is asking local food and food system
advocates who know why who brings our food to our table matters to add
their voice to the mix. You can sit in front of your webcam, video phone
or whatever tool you have, in the comfort of your own
home/..office/..boat/farm or wherever and tell the decision makers why you
think Who Fishes Matters. Then upload your video by going to this site.
Over the weekend at the New Bedford Working Waterfront Festival NAMA asked folks ‘why does who fishes matter’? Check out this video to hear some great responses. We especially liked the lady who shared a message on why she doesn’t support GE Salmon!
If you don’t want to send a video, you can sign the petition by going to this link:
Please Donate
Support the OCA! Save the Oceans and Our Fragile Climate!
We depend on your
donations to fight against Monsanto and GMOs, to preserve strict organic
standards, and to build a global climate justice movement based upon
organic food and farming. Please send us a tax-deductible donation today
and we’ll send you a free “Millions Against Monsanto” bumper sticker so
you can help spread the word in your community. Please be sure to put
“sticker” in the comments field of your donation.
donations to fight against Monsanto and GMOs, to preserve strict organic
standards, and to build a global climate justice movement based upon
organic food and farming. Please send us a tax-deductible donation today
and we’ll send you a free “Millions Against Monsanto” bumper sticker so
you can help spread the word in your community. Please be sure to put
“sticker” in the comments field of your donation.
Any donation $100 and
over will get a free Millions Against Monsanto t-shirt. Please specify
your interest and size in the comments field. Help OCA and spread the
word about the Millions Against Monsanto Campaign!
over will get a free Millions Against Monsanto t-shirt. Please specify
your interest and size in the comments field. Help OCA and spread the
word about the Millions Against Monsanto Campaign!
Please consider joining
OCA staff on one or both of our 5-6-day delegations to the Global
Climate Summit in Cancun, Mexico November 29-December 10. Details follow
below.
OCA staff on one or both of our 5-6-day delegations to the Global
Climate Summit in Cancun, Mexico November 29-December 10. Details follow
below.
On 10/10/10, OCA’s
climate justice ally, 350.org is organizing a Global Work Party to
involve people in positive actions in their local communities to
demonstrate how we can sharply reduce and sequester
climate-..destabilizing greenhouse gases and move back below the dangerous
tipping point of 350 parts per million of CO2 in our atmosphere.
climate justice ally, 350.org is organizing a Global Work Party to
involve people in positive actions in their local communities to
demonstrate how we can sharply reduce and sequester
climate-..destabilizing greenhouse gases and move back below the dangerous
tipping point of 350 parts per million of CO2 in our atmosphere.
A worldwide shift of
agriculture from chemical-..intensive factory farms and industrial
monocultures to organic practices could drastically reduce CO2, nitrous
oxide, and methane emissions, and sequester a critical mass of carbon
back in the soil, where it belongs. That’s why OCA and 350.org are
encouraging people to spend 10/10/10 working on a community garden or an
organic farm in your local area.
Please click on 350.org
to find out what other organic consumers and climate justice activists
in your community have planned for 10/10/10. If there’s not something
already planned, then please organize your own 10/10/10 Work Party.
to find out what other organic consumers and climate justice activists
in your community have planned for 10/10/10. If there’s not something
already planned, then please organize your own 10/10/10 Work Party.