GMOs

Survey: Organic Farmers Pay The Price For GMO Contamination

March 4, 2014 Staff, www.foodandwaterwatch.org Educate! Food and Agriculture, GMOs

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture wraps up its comment period on the feasibility of genetically engineered (GMO) and non-GMO crops to coexist, Food & Water Watch in partnership with the Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) releases survey results that clearly show contamination from GMO crops is happening and it’s non-GMO farmers who are paying the price. The survey results reveal that the risks and the effects of GMO contamination have unfairly burdened organic and non-GMO farmers with extra work, longer hours and financial insecurity, which has led to a general skepticism of coexistence amongst the organic community. Five out of six responding farmers are concerned about GMO contamination impacting their farm, with 60 percent saying they are extremely concerned. One out of three responding farmers have dealt with GMO contamination on their farm. Of those contaminated farmers, over half have been rejected by their buyers for that reason. They reported a median cost of a rejected semi load (approximately 1,000 bushels) of $4,500.

Why The Fight Over GMO Foods Brings Us Together

February 7, 2014 Ronnie Cummins, www.organicconsumers.org Resist! Food and Agriculture, GMOs, Monsanto

The growing strength of this “Movement of Movements” provides hope in desperate times, that by aggressively framing issues, capitalizing on divisions among the elite, utilizing the power of social media, building broad coalitions, carrying out boycotts, mobilizing street protests, and engaging in direct democracy tactics that bypass corrupt federal government officials and politicians (by using county and state ballot initiatives), the global grassroots can begin to overcome the dictatorship of Monsanto and the Corporatocracy. The broader hope is that this embryonic Movement of Movements can rise to the occasion and continue to win over the hearts and minds of the majority, addressing, not only crucial issues of food and farming and public health, but also related life or death issues such as climate change, economic justice, and militarism.

Thousands Protest GMOs In Ghana

February 2, 2014 Lawrence Lamptey, www.modernghana.com Resist! Food and Agriculture, GMOs, Monsanto

The Coalition For Farmers Rights And Advocacy Against GMOs (COFAM) a grass-roots movement of farmers, labour unions, religious, political and civil society organizations held a public demonstration against the introduction of Genetically Modified Foods and the Plant Breeders Bill on Tuesday January 28 through the principal streets of Accra. The demonstrators later paid a courtesy call on the Nuumo Sakumo, the Chief Priest of the Ga Mashie people. The leading organizations of the coalition including Food Sovereignty Ghana, Convention Peoples Party, Centre For Indigenous Knowledge (CIKOD), The General Agricultural Workers Union of TUC and Rastafarian Council) took advantage of the demonstration to launch the coalition at the Arts Centre. Attached are some photos of the demonstration.

Occupy Monsanto Protesters Push Labeling At Annual Shareholder Meeting

January 30, 2014 Lacy MacAuley, www.occupy.com Resist! Food and Agriculture, GMOs, Monsanto

Protests occurred both inside and outside the Monsanto shareholder meeting in St. Louis on Tuesday as local activists, shareholders and citizens from across the country joined in 20-degree weather to demand the biotech giant label genetically-modified organisms, or GMOs. The activists arrived accompanied by five colorful “fishy cars” representing the fishy food that has been genetically modified and consumed by Americans now for decades. Protesters hoped to make a single powerful statement: Label it. For the first time ever, Monsanto shareholders convened to vote on a resolution to support GMO labeling – brought by shareholder and food safety activist Adam Eidinger of Occupy Monsanto, and presented by family farm advocate Dave Murphy of Food Democracy Now! “We’re just coming to their shareholder meeting as a response to what they’ve been doing around the country," said Cesar Maxit, designer and architect of the five fish art cars.

Legal Experts Reject Claim Food Labelling Unconstituional

January 27, 2014 Katherine Paul and Ronnie Cummins, www.organicconsumers.org Educate! Food and Agriculture, GMOs

The food industry is playing every conceivable angle in its quest to keep labels off foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs)—including, according to a leaked document, threatening to sue the first state that passes a GMO labeling law. (Maine and Connecticut passed GMO labeling laws in 2013. But both have “trigger” clauses that prevent the laws from taking effect until at least four neighboring states, with a combined population of 20 million inhabitants, pass similar labeling bills). The Organic Consumers Association has obtained the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s (GMA) “One-Pager” of talking points about GMOs and labeling laws. The document is intended for use by food industry lobbyists whose job it is to convince state lawmakers to reject GMO labeling bills in their states. The talking points include the usual misinformation about GMO safety testing and the so-called benefits of GMOs. But they also include claims that GMO labeling laws are unconstitutional—claims that legal experts say are baseless.

Maine Second Nation To Enact GMO Labeling Law

January 15, 2014 Staff, www.mofga.org Create! Food and Agriculture, GMOs

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is delighted by the confirmation that Governor Paul LePage has signed LD 718 - An Act To Protect Maine Food Consumers' Right To Know about Genetically Engineered Food. The news came soon after MOFGA delivered to the Governor hundreds of postcards encouraging the prompt signing of the bill requiring labeling of foods produced from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which passed both chambers of the Legislature last year with overwhelming bipartisan support. Time ran out in the legislative session of 2013, but Governor LePage pledged to sign the bill upon reconvening in January.

Supreme Court Denies Family Farmers Right To Self-Defense From Monsanto

January 14, 2014 Staff, www.fooddemocracynow.org Educate! Food and Agriculture, GMOs, Monsanto

The U.S. Supreme Court today issued a decision in the landmark federal lawsuit, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) et al v. Monsanto. Farmers were denied the right to argue their case in court and gain protection from potential abuse by the agrochemical and genetic engineering giant, Monsanto. Additionally, the high court decision dashes the hopes of family farmers who sought the opportunity to prove in court Monsanto’s genetically engineered seed patents are invalid. “While the Supreme Court’s decision to not give organic and other non-GMO farmers the right to seek preemptive protection from Monsanto’s patents at this time is disappointing, it should not be misinterpreted as meaning that Monsanto has the right to bring such suits,” said Daniel Ravicher, executive director of the Public Patent Foundation and lead counsel to the plaintiffs in OSGATA et al v. Monsanto. “Indeed, in light of the Court of Appeals decision, Monsanto may not sue any contaminated farmer for patent infringement if the level of contamination is less than one percent,” Ravicher explained.

Extreme Extraction of Methane Gas Ignites Community Power

January 4, 2014 Kevin Zeese, www.PopularResistance.org Create! Democracy, Energy, Fracking, GMOs, Oil and Gas

Draft of language for proposed "Right to Local Self-Government Act": "As all political power is vested in and derived from the people, and as all government of right originates from the people, the people have an inherent and inalienable right to local self-government, including in each county, city, town, and any other municipal subdivision or other local community within the State. That right shall include, without limitation: (a) the power to enact local laws recognizing the fundamental rights of people, communities, and the natural environment, and securing those rights using prohibitions and other means; (b) the power to enact local laws for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of people, their communities, and the natural environment; and (c) the power to enact local laws establishing, defining, altering, or eliminating the rights, powers, and duties of for-profit business entities, operating or seeking to operate in the community, to prevent such rights and powers from usurping or otherwise conflicting with the fundamental rights of people, their communities, and the natural environment."

2014 Could Be A Decisive Year For Food And Farming

January 2, 2014 Ronnie Cummins, www.organicconsumers.org Educate! Food and Agriculture, GMOs, Monsanto

2014 is shaping up to be a decisive year for the future of food and farming. Grassroots activists are gearing up for new legislative battles, including state GMO labeling laws and county bans on growing genetically engineered crops. Meanwhile the multinational food corporations last month raised the stakes in the ongoing David vs. Goliath battle by petitioning the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to allow companies to continue to label or market products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as "natural." And all signs point to efforts by industry and the FDA to float either voluntary, or watered-down mandatory GMO labeling laws that would take away states’ rights to impose strict GMO labeling laws, and also exempt a large percentage of GMO ingredients from labeling.

Tradition Continues: 2014 Rose Bowl Parade Occupied

January 2, 2014 Staff, www.popularresistance.org, Resist! Corporatism, Fracking, GMOs, Housing, TPP

Starting with the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade, Occupiers have followed the parade with their own version to bring attention to important issues. This year, the official theme of the Rose Bowl Parade was "Dreams Come True." Occupy Rose Parade responded with the theme "#WakeUp2014." Occupy Rpse Parade floats and banners focused on the Tran-Pacific Partnership, fracking and home foreclosures. Occupiers came from San Diego, Venice, Los Angeles and Menifee. Moms Across America were present to protest GMOs and PETA was on hand to protest Seaworld's torture of orcas. Nineteen PETA participants were arrested and the Seaworld float was guarded by police officers as it passed along the parade route. In all, it was a very successful day. One occupy member, Donna Piranha, said, "The two questions I heard repeated all day were: 1. 'What's fracking?' & 2. 'What's the TPP?'" All signs indicate that 2014 will be a very interesting year.

Paper Companies Plan To Profit From GMO Trees

December 29, 2013 Christina Sarich, www.nationofchange.org Educate! Environment, GMOs

International Paper Co. and MeadWestvaco (MVC) (ArborGen LLC, the joint venture) are planning to transform plantation forests of the southeastern U.S. by replacing native pine with genetically engineered eucalyptus. From the same genetic engineering that has given us GMO corn and soy, CISERO wheat and widespread farmer debt and suicide, we can now look forward to the demise of the “real ” forest altogether. Few other companies have dared to try to splice foreign DNA into native trees thus far. But an engineered, fast-growing eucalyptus, which grows widely in Australia, will soon replace the native pine in the U.S. as an attempt to dominate the U.S. timber industry.

The Biggest Food Labeling Scam Of All Time

December 26, 2013 Stephanie Strom, www.organicconsumers.org Educate! Corporatism, Food and Agriculture, GMOs

The New York Times obtained the letter from the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization in Washington that favors labeling, and a spokesman for the grocery association confirmed its authenticity. But the spokesman, Brian Kennedy, said no one from the association was available to comment because of holiday travel. Scott Faber, vice president of the Environmental Working Group, called the association's request "audacious." He added, "It's like they're trying to get the government to say night is day and black is white." The association's request was sent just weeks before the end of the year, when the F.D.A. is expected to establish voluntary guidelines for the labeling of foods containing biotech ingredients, based on the priorities it has identified for itself.

Hawaii Protest Declares Anti-GMO ‘Tsunami’ Is Here

December 17, 2013 Lauren McCauley, www.commondreams.org Resist! Food and Agriculture, GMOs, Hawaii

Braving heavy rains, roughly one thousand Hawaiians traveled to the town of Hale‘iwa on the North Shore of Oahu Sunday to take part in a march against Monsanto, adding their support to the growing "tsunami" against genetically modified (GM) crops. The Aloha Aina (or "Love of the Land") March, organized by a number of environmental and community groups, was called to celebrate some regional successes against the biotech industry and to raise awareness of the fight, calling on Hawaiian landowners to join the movement and "evict Monsanto." "For over 20 years, Hawaii has been the global center for the open-field testing of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)," writes the group Hawaii GMO Justice. Oahu's North Shore, more commonly recognized for its international surfing competitions, is also where biotech companies farm thousands of acres of crop land. World-renowned surfers Kelly Slater and John John Florence joined the Sunday protest along with notable actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah.

Connecticut Becomes First State To Require Labeling Of GMO’s

December 13, 2013 Steven Yablonski, Susan Raff, Joseph Wenzel , www.wfsb.com Educate! Food and Agriculture, GMOs

Connecticut has become a pioneer in food labeling as it is the first state to pass legislation to make companies say if their productscontain genetically modified organisms or GMOs. GMOs are used to help plants be resistant to herbicides and pesticides, but it's done by taking DNA from a bacteria or a virus, which is inserted into the seed. GMOs are commonly found in corn, soy, canola and sugar. Gov. Dannel Malloy held a ceremonial bill signing in Fairfield on Wednesday to commemorate a bill that requires certain foods intended for humans to be clearly marked that it is entirely or partially genetically engineered. "People need to demand GMO labeling," Malloy said. "Some companies are doing this and we need to move in that direction."

Tougher Tactics Desperately Needed to Win War On GMO Food

December 7, 2013 Jonathan Greenberg, www.huffingtonpost.com/a> Strategize! GMOs, Monsanto

When I spoke to some of the key organizers behind California's Right to Know Campaign, they said that their initial "polling showed" that voters do not respond well to "negative" ads. And that talking about health concerns like widely shared consumer worries that genetically modified food might increase the likelihood of cancer, allergies and other illnesses, was negative. Which was why they refused to allow onto the video section of the Yes on Prop 37 website a single one of the hundreds of 'person on the street' videos that our volunteer KnowGMO.org effort had collected in California. Most consumers told us that they wanted to label and avoid GM food because of health concerns.

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