|
ORGANIC BYTES #31
Food
and Consumer News Tidbits with an Edge!
4/22/2004 By Organic Consumers
Association
|
|
Please forward this
publication to family and friends, place it on websites, print it, and post
it. Knowledge is power!
-
---------------------------------
|
In
This Issue:
ANTI-GE MOVEMENT GATHERS STEAM ACROSS THE U.S.
SUSTAINABLE AG PROTECTS WORLD'S FRESHWATER
ORGANIC LABELING IN JEOPARDY
EU REQUIRES STRICT LABELING FOR FRANKENFOODS
AMERICANS ARE SHRINKING
FOOD SAFETY IS APPARENTLY ILLEGAL
CONSUMERS FED-UP WITH ADVERTISING
THE LAW THAT NEVER BECAME A LAW
NO BUTTS ABOUT IT
|
---------------------------------
ANTI-GE MOVEMENT
GATHERS STEAM ACROSS THE U.S.
In the wake of the Mendocino CA ban on March 2, 2004, the movement to create GE Free
Zones across the United States has accelerated, as have
legislative efforts to strictly regulate GMOs.
Recent events include:
-
California: Following in the footsteps of
Mendocino there are activists in at least 12 of California's 59 counties
organizing to create GE-Free zones, including Humboldt, Butte, Marin, Sonoma,
Napa, and San Luis Obisbo. Activists from all over
CA are meeting this weekend in Mendocino to plan their next moves. In other
CA news, the state's top agriculture official denied a proposal that would
allow the planting of rice, genetically engineered to create a drug. The
proposal is likely to return for reconsideration next planting season. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/ricehold041304.cfm
-
North
Dakota: A petition is being circulated for a ballot measure that would give
the state the authority to reject Monsanto's new genetically modified wheat.
Farmers are concerned introduction of the crop will result in profit losses
due to decreased export demand. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/wheat042004.cfm
-
Pennsylvania: More than 50 townships have
passed ordinances that regulate the expansion of local factory farms, and now
the state farm bureau and big agribusiness are teaming up to implement
legislation that would make it illegal for communities to have this kind of
local control. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/factoryfarm042004.cfm
-
Vermont: Governor Douglas has agreed to
sign the "Farmer Right to Know" bill that will require labeling of
genetically engineered seeds in all retail outlets. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge-free.htm
-
---------------------------------
SUSTAINABLE AG
PROTECTS WORLD'S FRESHWATER
A new United Nations report calls for sustainable food production and
consumption, as conventional methods are swallowing-up the world's scarce fresh
water supply. For example, producing just 3 ½ ounces of beef requires 1,849
gallons of water, while making enough flour for a loaf of bread requires less
than a tenth of that. Sustainable agriculture is particularly beneficial in
developing countries, where agriculture accounts for 70-90% of fresh water
use. http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/water042104.cfm
---------------------------------
ORGANIC LABELING IN
JEOPARDY
The USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) has published a new scope document
that compromises efforts to establish meaningful organic standards for
personal care products, dietary supplements, fertilizers, soil amendments,
manure and related materials, fish and seafood, and pet foods. The new NOP
Scope will make it illegal for makers of the aforementioned products to
display the USDA Organic Seal in the future or make any other claims
suggesting these products are made under the USDA NOP standards. The OCA is
pressuring the USDA to retract its new position, which hurts organic farmers
and consumers by allowing companies to make organic claims without being
certified. http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/nop-scope.cfm
---------------------------------
EU REQUIRES STRICT
LABELING FOR FRANKENFOODS
Responding to intense pressure from the Bush Administration and the biotech
industry, the European Union (EU) is now, at least in principle, opening its
doors to imports of some genetically engineered (GE) foods. But producers of
GE seeds, like Monsanto, are still unhappy with the arrangement. In agreeing
to allow the import of these GE foods, the EU is also mandating that food
products containing more than .9% GE ingredients, be labeled as such. In
response to consumer demands, major EU supermarket chains and food companies
have announced that they will continue to ban GE foods and ingredients from
their products. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/labels042004.cfm
---------------------------------
AMERICANS ARE
SHRINKING
At the time of the American Revolution, the average U.S. male was two inches taller than
his British counterpart. Today he is almost half an inch shorter. According
to new research out of Munich University, the average American is
getting shorter, while the average European is getting taller. To explain
this peculiar physiological transformation, scientists are pointing to the
increasing gap in social classes in the U.S. Despite a physically robust
upper class in the U.S., there are eight million unemployed people, 40
million individuals with no health insurance, 35 million living below the poverty
line, and a population that relies on junk food. In contrast, Europe's social welfare programs
provide good health care and food for most citizens. http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/shrinking041404.cfm
---------------------------------
FOOD SAFETY IS
APPARENTLY ILLEGAL
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC recently
announced it would voluntarily test all of its cattle for Mad Cow Disease as
a courtesy to its customers and to re-open foreign markets, especially Japan.
But the USDA responded last week, saying it won't allow Creekstone
to test all of its cattle. Bill Hawks, the USDA secretary for marketing, said
the tests aren't necessary and "would have implied a consumer safety
aspect that is not scientifically warranted." Creektone's
chief executive officer, Jon Stewart, disagrees and is ready to take legal
action against the USDA, saying the company has every right to test their
cattle if that's what their domestic and foreign customers are demanding. http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/fight041404.cfm
---------------------------------
CONSUMERS FED-UP
WITH ADVERTISING
The New York Times recently reported that a recent Yankelovich
Partners poll has found that consumers are fed up with the constant deluge of
advertising. In fact, 69% of respondents said they "are interested in
products and services that would help them skip or block marketing;" and
a full 45% said the amount of advertising they were exposed to "detracts
from the experience of everyday life." Ron Berger, Chairman of the
American Association of Advertising expressed his concern over the poll
results, by suggesting that perhaps advertisers could respond to the problem
of over-advertising by doing some advertising about how important advertising
is: "Our industry must do a better job of talking about the tremendous
value we create for clients and the economy." http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/ads041504.cfm
---------------------------------
THE LAW THAT NEVER
BECAME A LAW
With the discovery of the first case of Mad Cow Disease in the U.S., nations all over the world
stopped importing American beef, consumers feared for their safety, and the U.S. government fell under intense
scrutiny for its lack of related regulatory oversight. By mid-January the
USDA attempted to appease consumers and the press by announcing new rules
that would reduce the potential spread of the fatal disease. Interestingly
enough, those rules have still not been implemented. In order for the rules
to become enforced, they must be published in the Federal Register, a daily
governmental publication. Stephen Sundlof of the
FDA spoke of the delay in enforcement, saying the fact that it's taking so
long "shows that we do consider it important." http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/Mishra041404.cfm
---------------------------------
NO BUTTS ABOUT IT
One benefit of the delay in implementing new Mad Cow regulations is that it
provides an extended period of public comment. The USDA will be excepting
comments on the new regulations until May 7. This input is critical, given
the heavy lobbying forces of the meat industry, who are complaining that
keeping cow brains out of the U.S. burger supply will cost them
$150 million per year. One of the USDA's proposals would also keep cow
rectum, colon and anus from entering the human food supply. Take Action! Tell
the USDA you're tired of eating rectums and anuses: http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/usdapubcom0304.cfm
---------------------------------
|
Help the OCA fight against GMOs
and convert U.S. agriculture to organic by
making an online donation today!
https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=w011082
If you prefer to send a check, please mail a check
made out to "OCA/BioDemocracy Alliance" to our national office:
Organic Consumers Association
6101 Cliff Estate Road
Little Marais, Minnesota 55614
All Contributions are tax-deductible. Check our
website to keep informed on breaking news.
|
---------------------------------
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@OrganicConsumers.org
---------------------------------
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:
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 an attractive
print-friendly PDF version of this available for free download at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm
---------------------------------
To subscribe to
Organic Bytes, send an email to:
biodemocracy-request@lists.organicconsumers.org with the word
"subscribe" in subject.
--
To unsubscribe to
Organic Bytes, send an email to:
biodemocracy-request@lists.organicconsumers.org with the word
"unsubscribe" in subject.
---------------------------------
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.organicconsumers.org
http://www.ens-newswire.com
http://www.planetsave.com
---------------------------------
|
