Organic Bytes: Farm Bill, Aurora's Manure & Flies, Monsanto

[Guest guest]

At 10:39 AM 11/1/07, you wrote:

>_

>

>Illegal Labeling?MONSANTO TRIES ONCE AGAIN TO FORCE-FEED CONSUMERS rBGH

>The good news is that a critical mass of dairies and supermarket chains

>are banning Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone, bowing to to consumer

>pressure. The genetically engineered cow hormone is banned in most

>industrialized nations, due to its negative health impacts on cows and

>cancer risks to humans, but Monsanto Corporation, the manufacturer of the

>drug, is apparently still determined to force-feed rBGH to U.S. consumers.

>Under pressure from Monsanto, the notoriously pro-agribusiness

>Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) has recently announced new

>regulations outlawing the labeling of dairy products as rBGH-free. The

>twisted rationale for the ruling is that truthfully labeling dairy

>products as rBGH-free is " making it hard for consumers to make informed

>decisions. " In other words allowing consumers freedom of choice is bad for

>Monsanto's profits, and the profits of Pennsylvania's factory style dairy

>feedlots who continue to inject their animals with the drug. PDA listed 16

>companies that will be required to remove rBGH-free labels by December 31,

>2007. In the meantime, Monsanto is working to pass similar anti-consumer

>laws in other states. The OCA plans to join our allies and stop this

>latest episode of biotech bullying.

>Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_7941.cfm

>

>_

> HOW DID WE GET HERE:

>A BRIEF HISTORY OF MONSANTO AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

>1991: Margaret Miller was appointed Deputy Director of FDA by George Bush

>Sr. She oversaw the approval of the genetically engineered growth hormone

>rBGH. Prior to the appointment, she was one of Monsanto's top scientists

>developing rBGH. At the FDA, she approved the same rBGH studies she

>previously led at Monsanto.

>1991: A right-wing extremist, Clarence Thomas, was appointed to the

>Supreme Court, despite nationwide opposition. Prior to his appointment,

>Thomas was a lawyer for Monsanto, a notorious chemical polluter and ag

>biotech promoter. Thomas would later cast the decisive vote in 2000 on the

>Supreme Court, ratifying the stolen election that put George Bush Jr. into

>office.

>1992: Michael Taylor was appointed FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Policy, a

>role created to expedite the approval process of genetically engineered

>foods. Prior to his appointment, Taylor was an attorney for Monsanto.

>Taylor went on to become Monsanto's Vice-President.

>1993: Rufus Yerxa was nominated as U.S. deputy to the World Trade

>Organization. Prior to his apointment as one of the most powerful

>bureaucrats in the world regarding international trade policies, Rufus was

>Monsanto's Chief Counsel.

>1996: Michael Kantor was appointed U.S. Secretary of Commerce. At that

>time, Kantor was also on the Board of Directors of Monsanto.

>2000: The White House appoints Carol Tucker Foreman as the sole " consumer

>advocate " on an international committee assessing genetically modified

>foods. Prior to her appointment, Foreman was a lobbyist for Monsanto.

>2001: Anne Veneman was appointed head of the USDA, in charge of

>regulating, among other things, genetically engineered crops. Veneman

>previously served on the Board of Directors of Calgene, a Monsanto biotech

>subsidiary.

>2001: Donald Rumsfeld was sworn in as Secretary or Defense. Rumsfeld was

>previously the CEO of the Searle pharmaceutical corporation, acquired by

>Monsanto.

>2001: Linda Fisher was appointed Deputy Administrator of the U.S.

>Environmental Protection Agency. Her regulatory chores included

> " enforcing " pesticide regulations, such as Monsanto's herbicide, Roundup,

>commonly sprayed on GE crops. Fisher was previously Monsanto's

>Vice-President of Government Affairs. Previously Fisher served as a

>high-level staffer for another biotech cheerleader, President Bill Clinton.

>2002: George Poste was appointed head the bioterrorism division of

>Homeland Security. Previously, Poste was a Monsanto animal specialist.

>Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm

 

******

Kraig and Shirley Carroll ... in the woods of SE Kentucky

http://www.thehavens.com/

thehavens

606-376-3363

 

 

---

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Version: 6.0.859 / Virus Database: 585 - Release 2/14/05

[Guest guest]

At 10:39 AM 11/1/07, you wrote:

 

>The 2007 Farm Bill will continue to spend billions of dollars of taxpayer

>money funding " farms " like this.ALERT OF THE WEEK:

>SENATE PREPARES TO RUBBER STAMP " BUSINESS AS USUAL " FARM BILL

>The Senate Agriculture Committee approved its draft of the $300 billion

>2007-2012 Farm Bill last week. The 1300-page bill, now headed to the main

>Senate floor, includes, as usual, billions of dollars of taxpayer

>subsidies for chemical and energy­intensive crops, factory farms, and junk

>food purveyors, while " nickle and dime-ing " organic agriculture,

>conservation, nutrition, and alternative energy programs. Let your

>Senators know you want to eliminate all taxpayer subsidies, other than

>those designed to make our food and farming system healthier and more

>sustainable, and specifically you want a " Fair Share " for organics

>commensurate with our current 3% market share. Besides billions in

>corporate subsidies, this version of the Farm Bill includes implementation

>of the controversial National Animal Identification System (NAIS). NAIS

>would require that all farmers, even those with just one cow, horse, or

>chicken, to implant their animals with an electronic tracking device and

>permanently report their movements to the USDA. This expensive Big Brother

>procedure, which lobbyists crafted so as to exempt factory farms, could

>put many small family farms out of business. Please contact your Senators

>to cut corporate subsidies, eliminate NAIS, and support increases in

>funding in the Farm Bill for for conservation, organic agriculture,

>healthy food and beginning farmer programs.

>Take Action: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_7765.cfm

>

>_

>RELATED DUMB QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

>

>CONGRESS AGRICULTURE CHAIR COLLIN PETERSON: PAYING MORE FOR ORGANIC OR

>LOCAL FOOD IS " DUMB "

> From an MSNBC.com Financial Times Oct. 17, 2007

> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21349573/

>Collin Peterson, chairman of the House of Representatives agricultural

>committee, says the farm sector that raises organic produce and grass-fed

>beef for local consumers needs little federal help. " It is growing, and it

>has nothing to do with the government, and that is good, " he told the FT.

> " For whatever reason, people are willing to pay two or three times as much

>for something that says 'organic' or 'local'. Far be it from me to

>understand what that's about, but that's reality. And if people are dumb

>enough to pay that much then hallelujah. "

>To send a message to Collin Peterson (Democrat, MN) congratulating him for

>getting the Organic Consumers Association award for the dumbest quote of

>the week: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8104.cfm

 

******

Kraig and Shirley Carroll ... in the woods of SE Kentucky

http://www.thehavens.com/

thehavens

606-376-3363

 

 

---

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Version: 6.0.859 / Virus Database: 585 - Release 2/14/05