"Irresponsible, Dangerous, and Stupid" Is the Unofficial Slogan of the USDA
"Let's bring into our country a genetically-engineered, non-native tree that is known to be wildly invasive, explosively flammable, and insatiably thirsty for ground water. ... Yes, this would be irresponsible, dangerous, and stupid – but apparently 'Irresponsible, Dangerous, and Stupid' is the unofficial slogan of the U.S. Department Agriculture."
"In reality, the divide between organics and biotechnology is an artificial construction maintained by ideology rather than science. A governmental decision to change organic regulations to permit the use of biotechnology could have far-reaching policy implications for global agriculture. Allowing producers to gain organic certification for biotech crops could encourage the development of a new type of environmentally sustainable agricultural production with greater benefits for the consumer." - USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, "The Unexplored Potential of Organic-Biotech Production," May 26, 2009
August 2-9, 2009, Via Organica (the “Organic Way”), OCA’s sister organization in Mexico, organized our first Agro-EcoTour to Mexico, bringing US organic consumers down to the beautiful San Miguel de Allende region of Guanajuato, for a first-hand look at the budding organic Movement south of the border. Tour leaders included Ronnie Cummins, OCA Director, Alexis Baden-Mayer, head of OCA’s Washington, DC office, Luc Monzies, organic farming expert, and Ana Maria Quispe, Via Organica’s staff dietician and translator.
Trip highlights included an all-day Organic Agriculture workshop at the Via Organica farm and conference center, attended by 250 small farmers from the area who are working with our staff to make the transition to organic agriculture; visits to regional organic farms and permaculture sites; a rural community organizing center; as well as organic retail stores, restaurants, and farmers markets.
Factory Pig Farms & Big Pharma Vaccines - Protect Your Family & Know Your
Rights
The propaganda machine of the U.S. government and Big Pharma are busy
force-feeding Americans a dubious, in fact dangerous message: don't worry
about filthy, disease-ridden factory farms and drugged-out farm animals
incubating infectious diseases like the Swine Flu, because Big Pharma will
protect us, starting with quasi-mandatory mass vaccinations of
schoolchildren this fall. Not only is the Obama Administration ignoring
warnings by the world's scientists that factory farms are the source and
direct cause of the Swine Flu and Bird Flu epidemics, but they are preparing
to allow greedy drug companies to inject you and your children with
basically ineffective Swine Flu vaccines that contain hazardous viruses and
chemicals. As organic consumers know, there are practical alternatives to
factory farms (organic farms and ranches). And as millions of alternative
medical consumers and practitioners understand, there are clear alternatives
to hazardous Swine Flu vaccines: strengthening our body and immune systems
with healthy organic diets, medicinal herbs, and homeopathy.
OCA needs your help and support. If we are to stop Monsanto's GMOs and shut
down factory farms; if we are to head off dangerous vaccines and promote
holistic health; if we are to make organic food and farming and green living
the norm--rather than just the alternative--we need your donations today.
Any size donation is welcome, but for those who can afford it, give OCA a
donation of $1000 or more and we'll treat you to a royal organic vacation
and tour at the Mexican organic farm and EcoTourism center of our sister
organization Via Organica.
Investigative film director Dr. Gary Null challenges the basic health claims by government health agencies and pharmaceutical firms that vaccines are perfectly safe.
Whole Foods Market Faces Boycott Over Opposition to Public Option and Single Payer
Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey set off a firestorm of controversy in a recent Wall Street Journal article, arguing against health care reform and the so-called “public option.” Mackey contends that the United States can fix our healthcare crisis not by reining in insurance companies and improving access to comprehensive healthcare and affordable organic food, but by patronizing his overpriced WFM and further deregulating the insurance industry. In fact, Mackey believes that healthcare is not a human right, but a commodity that only the wealthy should have. Tens of thousands of organic consumers and health care advocates have responded by calling for a boycott of Whole Foods Markets.
Over fifteen thousand OCA members have contacted WFM in recent months, urging the nation’s largest retailer of organic products to increase organic food access, implement comprehensive testing for GMOs in their private label products and eliminate dangerous chemicals from their body care products. WFM responded by bowing to OCA pressure and has promised to sell significantly more organics in 2010. We're having an impact!
1) Organic Transitions News of the Week:
The Common Security Club Network
These are uncertain times. The economic crisis has reminded us of our vulnerabilities. Debt. Foreclosure. Evaporating Savings. Rising Costs. Job Insecurity. We can face these changes alone – or come together. Common Security Clubs bring people together to explore ways to increase our economic security through mutual aid and shared action. Learn more
2) Via Organica News of the Week:
Ancient Farming Techniques to Save the Campo
Poor farmers in Mexico are experimenting with a sustainable way of growing food crops that their ancestors used. It could provide them with better protection against the extremes of climate change, reduce deforestation, improve food security and even promise a better diet. Learn more
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Message from our Sponsors
Eden Foods Offers OCA Customers 15% Discount
Eden Foods is one of the few national organic food producers who goes beyond the USDA Organic Standards. Although Eden Foods is USDA certified, their products do not bear the USDA seal, because they say the USDA standard really represents a "minimum standard" that Eden Foods goes far beyond.
As a subscriber to Organic Bytes, you can enjoy a 15% discount rate on any Eden Foods products by going here.
Web Forum Posting of the Week
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