Fwd: [Biodemocracy]Organic Bytes #19

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Mon, 25 Aug 2003 11:11:44 -0500

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[biodemocracy]Organic Bytes #19

 

ORGANIC BYTES

Organic & Food News Tidbits with an Edge

Issue #19 8/25/2003

 

By Organic Consumers Association

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

CANCER COKE & PESTICIDE PEPSI

KEEP YOUR FRANKENSEEDS OUT OF OUR COUNTY

MONSANTO FINED $700 MILLION

MONSANTO'S BULLYING IN MAINE BACKFIRES

GOVERNMENT WITHOUT A BRAIN

GOVERNMENT WITH A BRAIN

FOOD REVOLUTION ON WHEELS

HOT, HOT, HOT!

TAKE ACTION

 

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

" Mexicans are being forced to swallow the destruction of our number one

food source [corn], and the health and environment of the people who

depend on it, because governments around the world stand back and allow

the US to force their trade and biotechnology corporations' interests on

other countries. " Lisa Covantes, Mexico Greenpeace, part of a group of

activists blockading a shipment of US corn entering Mexico August 18,

2003

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/ge_maize_protest.cfm

 

 

 

CANCER COKE & PESTICIDE PEPSI

Pepsi and Coca Cola are under fire in India, since a consumer watchdog

group discovered dangerous levels of pesticides in the companies'

beverages. New Delhi's Center for Science and the Environment tested 12

Pepsi and Coca Cola products and released a report stating that " each

sample had enough poison to cause --- in the long term --- cancer,

damage to the nervous and reproductive systems, birth defects and severe

disruption of the immune system. " The report has stirred consumer

resentment to the point where citizens are taking part in " smash the

bottle " street protests. Hoping to ease the concerns within their $1.2

billion market in India, the two companies have shifted the focus of

their advertising campaigns, including full page newspaper ads reading

" The safest thing you are likely to drink today is a Pepsi. "

http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/pepsi_pesticides.cfm

 

 

 

KEEP YOUR FRANKENSEEDS OUT OF OUR COUNTY

Looking to be the first GMO-free zone in the nation, residents of

Mendocino County in California have launched a ballot initiative that

would ban genetically engineered crops in the county. Stores will still

be allowed to stock foods with GE ingredients, but keeping the county

clean of GE crops will protect local conventional and organic farmers

from being contaminated by drifting GE pollen. The initiative will

likely appear on the ballot in March 2004.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/mendocino_gmo_free.cfm

 

 

 

MONSANTO FINED $700 MILLION

Monsanto has been fined a hefty $700 million in a class action lawsuit

against the company for poisoning Alabama residents with PCBs. The fine

will be used to clean up the land and water around one of Monsanto's

former chemical facilities in Anniston, Alabama. It will also provide

money and prescriptions to over 20,000 people, most of them low-income

African-Americans, who have developed negative lifelong health impacts

from the toxic pollutants. Monsanto's PCBs have caused everything from

severe brain damage to cancer and death.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/monsanto_pcbs.cfm

 

 

 

MONSANTO'S BULLYING IN MAINE BACKFIRES

Support is growing for the small family owned Oakhurst Dairy, which is

being sued by the $5 billion Monsanto Company for labeling their

products as rBGH-free. Realizing that the results of the lawsuit could

set a precedent for rBGH labeling on a national scale, dairy producers,

concerned consumers and even Ralph Nader are donating time and money to

the lawsuit. Oakhurst says they have the right to let their consumers

know that there are no artificial growth hormones in their milk.

Monsanto claims consumers shouldn't need to know whether or not the

company's chemicals are in their milk or not.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbgh/monsanto_sues.cfm

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT WITHOUT A BRAIN

The USDA has announced an interim rule that will allow for controversial

" biopharm " crops, genetically engineered to create industrial chemicals

and/or pharmaceuticals, to be grown as close as a mile from food crops

such as corn. According to the Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered

Food, since corn pollen is known to be able to travel well over a mile,

" the USDA's rules will inevitably lead to industrial chemicals and

pharmaceutical drugs contaminating the food supply. " The Organic

Consumers Association is actively involved in addressing these issues

via dialogue with the USDA. Take action by signing the petition for a

global moratorium on GE Foods.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/petition1.htm

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT WITH A BRAIN

As economic disparity in the U.S. continues to increase, so does the gap

between those that have access to organic and locally grown produce and

those that do not. Low-income urban areas are becoming notorious for

their lack of fresh produce. Corner convenience stores prefer to stock

dry and canned goods, which have much longer shelf lives. The state of

Connecticut is demonstrating one way in which these problems can be

mitigated. Connecticut's Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides food

coupons to low-income residents that can only be used at local farmer's

markets. This program insures a strong state agricultural economy while

bringing healthy produce to those who don't have access or can't afford

it.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/low_income_organic_foods.cfm

 

 

 

FOOD REVOLUTION ON WHEELS

In West Oakland, CA, the nonprofit group People's Grocery is

demonstrating another way of bringing fresh, local organic produce to

inner city neighborhoods. Dubbed the " Mobile Market " , volunteers drive a

solar powered refrigerated truck through inner city neighborhoods,

selling fresh organic produce to residents in low income neighborhoods.

Grants to the group help pay for the truck and offset the higher prices

of the organic produce.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/low_income_organic_delivery.cfm

 

 

 

HOT, HOT, HOT!

Predictions of how climate change will damage global agriculture are

already proving true. So say scientists working on an advance crop yield

forecasting system through the European Commission. Thanks to this

year's relentless heat wave in Europe, crop losses have been eerily

fitting those predicted by computer models. " It's dangerous to push

these things under the carpet because we need to start planning now for

the impacts of climate change, " said Dr. Jorgen Olesen of the Danish

Institute of Agricultural Sciences.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/climate_change_crops.cfm

 

 

 

TAKE ACTION

If any of the issues above spark your desire to take action, please

visit OCA's Action Center for instant faxes, petitions, volunterring and

donation opportunities. http://www.organicconsumers.org/action.htm

 

 

 

FOR MANY MORE FOOD ISSUE DAILY HEADLINES:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/log.html

 

 

 

NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS: Organic Bytes is a

great tool for keeping your staff and customers up to date on the latest

issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff and print for

posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome

to use this material for your newsletters. There's a super-pretty

print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at

http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm

 

 

 

To SUBSCRIBE to ORGANIC BYTES, go here:

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ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of:

 

ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION

6101 Cliff Estate Road

Little Marais, MN 55614

Phone: (218) 226-4164

Fax: (218) 353-7652

 

 

 

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