[cgfc-discuss] [Biodemocracy]Organic Bytes #18

Wed Aug 6 15:43:33 CDT 2003

Organic & Food News Tidbits With an Edge Issue #18
8/6/2003       By Organic Consumers Association

IN THIS ISSUE:
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
OBJECTIVE SCIENCE DOES NOT EXIST HERE
RIPOFF OF THE WEEK
NAKED LUNCH
COMPOST HAPPENS
SPEAKING OF FERTILIZER...
GOOD NEWS: CONSUMER REVOLUTION
WHACKED GE PLANT OF THE WEEK
FIRST WORLD DIET PILLAGES PLANET WORSE THAN ICE AGE
FORCE FED
PRINCE POO-POOS PUNDITS

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The buzz word in Britain is that we can have 'co-existence' between the
GM (genetically modified) sector and the organic or conventional sector.
What Canada shows, who have been trying to do this for the last seven
years, is that it is absolutely impossible. You have to make a choice,
and the choice frankly is: are we going to go for GM, for which there is
no market and no-one wants to buy, at the expense of organic, which
people do want to buy and for which there is a tremendous market? You
cannot have both." 

Source: Michael Meecher, UK Environmental Minister, recently fired by
Tony Blair for his views on GM foods and crops. 

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OBJECTIVE SCIENCE DOES NOT EXIST HERE
Serving as a testament to Monsanto's long-term deceptive practices, the
corporation is being accused of fraudulently ignoring and
misinterpreting research data, regarding their new genetically mutated
soybeans. For example, Monsanto has conveniently failed to mention that
their own studies have shown that GE soybeans have a lesser nutritional
value than conventional soybeans and actually inhibited growth in
laboratory mice. In addition, pesticide residue levels were so
dangerously high in the Monsanto's GE soybeans, the corporation is
requesting that food safety regulations be weakened, so the experimental
beans can legally enter the market. 
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/72803_ge_soybeans.cfm

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RIPOFF OF THE WEEK
The US Patent and Trade Mark Office has given patent rights to a
pharmaceutical company in Virginia (Insmed Corp.) for its "novel
invention of pigeon pea extracts" for treatment of clogged arteries,
diabetes and hypoglycemia. Pigeon pea extract has been used for these
ailments by indigenous tribes in semi-arid regions throughout the world
for hundreds, if not thousands of years. US Patents are recognized
globally by the WTO, so technically, from henceforth, if any indigenous
person uses that particular element of their traditional medicine, they
have to pay Insmed Corporation first.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Patent/pigeon_pea.cfm

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NAKED LUNCH
Just as Kraft was kicking off its annual conference for the Institute of
Food Technologies, their food industry attendees were ambushed by over a
dozen naked activists with anti-GE slogans painted on their bodies.
THONG (Topless Humans Organized for Natural Genetics) hoped to
demonstrate their displeasure with Kraft's continued use of GE
ingredients in its products. In late Oct, 2003, the OCA and a coalition
of other food safety groups will be holding a National Week of Action
pressuring Kraft to go GE-free. 
Get involved: http://www.OrganicConsumers.org/campaigns.htm

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COMPOST HAPPENS
Proving that smart environmental policies can actually save corporations
money, a large grocery chain in Virginia is now converting food waste to
compost. Ukrop's Super Markets Inc is making a double profit, selling
the compost to customers, while saving $30  for each ton of food waste
that doesn't go to the landfill.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/supermarket/ukrop_compost.cfm

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SPEAKING OF FERTILIZER...
The EPA is taking comments regarding the current practice of ridding of
hazardous wastes by hiding them in mainstream fertilizers. No labeling
is required to let consumers know what may be hidden in the fertilizers
destined for their lawns and gardens. Loose labeling laws also allow
fertilizer companies to trick customers by labeling sewage sludge as
100% "organic", which currently only means the fertilizer is
carbon-based. Organic regulations ban the use of sewage sludge and most
conventional fertilizers on organic farms. 
To let your concerns be known Email: Fagan.David at epamail.epa.gov

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GOOD NEWS: CONSUMER REVOLUTION
A late July New York Times article says that concerned consumers are now
supporting a specialized $230 billion/year market in the US. This
includes 68 million Americans (growing by 30% per year) who regularly
buy products based on environmental and social ethics. The market
includes everything from solar panels to organic food to Yoga tapes to
ecotourism. A survey found that 90% of these consumers say they are
willing to pay more for products from companies that share their values
of long-term sustainability for society and the environment.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/cultural_creatives.cfm

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WHACKED GE PLANT OF THE WEEK
There are now dozens of genetically engineered tree test plots in the 
U.S. This concerns ecologists, in regards to the possibility of these
experimental plants inadvertently spreading into the wild, thereby
throwing off the balance of species in forests across the nation. In
related news, the US Pentagon has awarded Colorado State researchers a
half million bucks to genetically engineer a tree that would change
colors when exposed to a germ or chemical attack. Taxpayers and
government watchdog groups are befuddled by this expenditure---as if the
thousands of people keeling over in the streets from a chemical attack
wouldn't be indicative enough that there was something wrong.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/080103_frankentrees.cfm

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FIRST WORLD DIET PILLAGES PLANET WORSE THAN ICE AGE
The 3 million old Ohrid Lake in the Balkans is home to the last
remaining variety of an ancient trout on the planet. The massive fish,
weighing up to 40 lbs. is facing extinction from fisherman, who are
literally blasting the fish out of the lake with dynamite. Although they
were able to survive the extremes of the Ice Age, the fish are now on
the verge of disappearing from the planet, thanks to wealthy consumers
who pay top dollar to fill their bellies with the mystical Ohrid Trout.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/ohrid_trout.cfm

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FORCE FED
The US continued to crack the whip at WTO talks in Montreal last week.
For the sake of maintaining good international relations, the EU gave in
to abrasive pressure from the Bush administration to allow GE foods to
be sold in European grocery stores---as long as the food comes labeled
as such. US representatives at the talks said that just isn't good
enough, demanding that the EU buy the genetically engineered food and
don't label it. According to EU Agricultural Commissioner, Franz
Fischler, more than 70% of EU consumers don't want genetically
engineered foods at all. So at the very least, these imported foods need
to be labeled. "If we don't make sure of that, then there is simply no
social consensus in Europe for accepting GM products," Fischler said.
The Montreal talks were a warm up to the main WTO meetings to be held in
Cancun in early Sept, 2003. Attend the WTO teach-ins and protests in
Cancun on an escorted delegation with Ronnie Cummins and the OCA:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/wto_cancun.htm

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PRINCE POO-POOS PUNDITS
Prince Charles announced this week that the UK will remain free of GE
food crops. "Apart from certain highly beneficial and specific medical
applications, do we have the right to experiment with, and
commercialize, the building blocks of life?" Prince Charles said. "We
simply do not know the long-term consequences for human health and the
wider environment, of releasing plants bred in this way." Critics claim
a GE-free UK is a pipe dream, now that the EU is giving in to  pressures
to import U.S. grown GMOs.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/ge_free_britain.cfm

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FOR MANY MORE FOOD ISSUE DAILY HEADLINES:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/log.html

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

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