Fwd: [Biodemocracy] Organic Bytes #29 - Food and Consumer News Tidbits with an Edge!

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Organic Bytes #29 - Food and Consumer News Tidbits with an Edge!

 

ORGANIC BYTES #29

Food and Consumer News Tidbits with an Edge!

3/9/2004 By Organic Consumers Association

 

Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on

websites, print it, and post it. Knowledge is power!

 

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

 

" These multi-billion dollar corporations underestimated the savvy and

determination of Mendocino County voters, " said Els Cooperrider of

Ukiah, California, a retired medical scientist and Ukiah business owner

who helped spearhead the citizen-led initiative. " This is just the

beginning of the revolution, " she said. " We're the first county in the

U.S. to prohibit the growing of genetically altered crops and animals --

but we won't be the last. " Press Release March 3, 2004 by citizen group

GMO Free Mendocino

 

 

 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - MENDOCINO COUNTY BANS GE CROPS!

It's official! Mendocino County (CA) has passed a ballot initiative

making it the first county in the U.S. to ban genetically engineered

crops and animals. This is an important and precedent-setting victory

for farmers and consumers, particularly given the fact that corporate

agribusiness and the biotech industry spent over $620,000 attempting to

convince citizens to vote against the referendum (grassroots supporters

of the referendum had only $100,000 to work with, including $11,500

from the Organic Consumers Association). Organic and non-GMO farmers in

Mendocino say the new law will help protect their crops from potential

contamination from neighboring GE fields. The success of the initiative

is already proving to be highly contagious. Humboldt County (CA) claims

it's next in line for passing a similar referendum, while farmers in the

U.S. Midwest see it as evidence that they may be able to resist the

release of Monsanto's new GE wheat. Grassroots activists across

California and the nation will be meeting in San Francisco this weekend

to discuss launching similar initiatives. Similarly Prince Edward Island

in Canada is now considering becoming a " GMO Free Zone. " Meanwhile, the

biotech industry has made it clear that it will do its best to snuff out

Mendocino's GE ban with state legislative or legal action. Informed

sources have told the OCA that the California Farm Bureau and the Gallo

wine company are spearheading an effort to introduce a bill in the

California Senate that will nullify the Mendocino GMO ban and make it

illegal for other California counties to pass similar laws. OCA and its

allies are planning a major campaign to stop or defeat this legislation.

Stay tuned to Organic Bytes and the OCA website for forthcoming news on

this front...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/mendocino030804.cfm

 

 

 

HYDROSOL SCHEME RUNNING OUT OF STEAM

It's been a week full of victories! One year after the Organic Consumers

Association (OCA) launched the Coming Clean Campaign to establish strong

labeling standards for " organic " cosmetics, the Organic Trade

Association's Personal Care Task Force (PCTF) rejected a scheme of

counting ordinary water as " organic " in body care products. In a 13 to 2

vote on Saturday (3/6) at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim,

California, the task force of natural body care companies condemned the

practice of counting as " organic " water added during the steaming of

botanicals to make hydrosol water extracts. The task force

subsequently voted 10 to 5 to not count any amount of hydrosol water

extracts as organic until the minority percentage of water from plant

material versus added from steam can be determined. The OCA will

continue to drive this campaign ahead, until meaningful organic

standards are established for body care products.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/

 

 

 

MAD COW UPDATE: U.S. GOVERNMENT UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

A criminal investigation is underway to determine whether the U.S.

Government falsified documents pertaining to the recent case of Mad Cow

Disease in Washington. Specifically, the Department of Agriculture

reported that the beef that tested positive for the disease came from a

" downer " cow (a cow too ill to walk). Three key eye-witnesses at the

slaughterhouse argue otherwise, saying the cow was walking and appeared

to be healthy. The U.S. Government used the potentially altered

documents to assuage concerns that cattle are not tested sufficiently

for this deadly disease in the U.S.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/falsify030404.cfm

 

 

 

STRAWBERRIES, TOMATOES AND THE OZONE HOLE

When the hole in the ozone layer and its causes were confirmed in the

1980s, nations around the world banded together to create one of the

most significant international environmental treaties in history. The

Montreal Protocol of 1987 was a global agreement to phase out the

production and use of chemicals that cause the depletion of the ozone

layer. Now George W. Bush has shocked the world (once again) by

threatening to pull out of this landmark treaty. Bush claims the U.S.

strawberry and tomato agriculture industry should be able to continue

using the pesticide methyl bromide, the most dangerous ozone depleting

chemical in use. Interestingly enough, the majority of growers who would

benefit from this violation of international treaty are situated in

California and Florida, critical states in the coming election.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/ozone112403.cfm

 

 

 

QUICK RELATED FACTS

-The Environmental Protection Agency classifies methyl bromide in the

most deadly category of substances (Category I), due to its ability to

cause neurological damage, reproductive harm, and fatal poisonings.

 

-Organic strawberry growers use a mix of safe alternatives, including

biological control, crop rotation, and pest-resistant root stocks, to

produce strawberries without the need for methyl bromide.

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL GE LABELING TREATY CONFIRMED

An international biosafety treaty has now been finalized in Malaysia,

where 87 countries from around the world have successfully negotiated a

protocol that establishes labeling and documentation regulations

regarding imports/exports of genetically modified organisms. Under the

new system, any international shipment containing genetically engineered

ingredients intended for food, feed or processing must be labeled as

such. Despite consensus between the attending nations, President Bush

has refused to sign the agreement.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/biosafety-pact.cfm

 

 

 

NEW STUDY INDICATES HEALTH HAZARDS OF GMOs

New scientific research has revealed some disturbing health implications

related to genetically modified foods. The viral promoter used in GE

crops to " turn on " certain genes has been found in the tissue of test

rats. The biotech industry has consistently claimed this is impossible.

According to Dr Terje Traavik, the study's results indicate that these

same promoters could switch on any number of viruses that normally lay

dormant within our own DNA and/or change the activity and structure of

chromosomes, creating the potential for inducing cancer and/or metabolic

changes. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/studies030404.cfm

 

 

 

TAKE ACTION

The Department of Agriculture is currently accepting public comments

regarding the agency's plan to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

for the introduction of genetically modified organisms. This is a great

opportunity for consumers to share their concerns about the spread of GE

crops. To send an email message to the USDA, go here:

http://www.saveorganicfood.org/usdaalert.php

 

 

 

WE NEED TO TALK

Interested in sharing your thoughts and ideas with thousands of other

like-minded folks locally and around the world? Register free for OCA's

new online web forum and chat center. The OCA website has been getting

4-6 million hits every month, so we decided it's time to open up the

communication channels and let everyone share their ideas, post

articles, comment on related issues, and come together with others who

share your concerns. Start talking with others in the organic consumers

community right now! http://www.organicconsumers.org/chat/index.php If

you are interested in being a moderator of one of these forums, please

contact Craig

 

 

 

Help others learn about food safety, organics, and related topics. Place

a link on YOUR website to http://OrganicConsumers.org Banners for your

use http://OrganicConsumers.org/logos.htm

 

-------------------------------

 

NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS:

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and print for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are

also welcome to use this material for your newsletters. There's an

attractive print-friendly PDF version of this available for free

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

 

 

 

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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

 

 

 

For additional daily environmental and political news, visit:

http://www.ens-newswire.com http://www.planetsave.com

 

 

 

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