[cgfc-discuss] ORGANIC BYTES May 6, 2003

Wed May 7 11:40:58 CDT 2003

ORGANIC BYTES ~~~ Organic news tidbits with an edge!

Issue 12: May 6, 2003 By Organic Consumers Association

IN THIS ISSUE:
PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN
100% ORGANIC WATER?
NEW CANDY: CHOCOLATE COVERED PORK FAT
WHEAT WAR WEILDS WHACKY WOES
QUOTES TO SUCK ON
BRAINWASHING THE TOXINS AWAY
FUNNY FRIGGED-UP ADVERTISMENTS OF THE WEEK
ORGANIC EXPLOSION EXPLODES EXPLOSIVELY
PASSION, ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE---YOU'RE INVITED!

--------------------------

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN
Last week the United Nations voted on a resolution stating that all
people have a "Right to Food". The common-sense resolution resulted in
a near unanimous vote: 51 nations voted to approve it, and only one
nation voted against it (the U.S.).

Read all about it: http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/042503_UN.cfm

--------------------------

100% ORGANIC WATER?
According to the Los Angeles Times, the leading organic body care
product corporations may have gotten away with too much for too long. A
recent article in the newspaper pointed out that activists are gearing
up to pressure the federal government into passing regulations that
protect consumers from misleading advertising in the $2.8 billion
natural cosmetics industry. Unfortunately, the current USDA organic
standards don't directly apply to body care products. As a result
companies like Clairol advertise a "totally organic experience" with
their Herbal Essences shampoos, when, truthfully, only a very small
percentage of the product is actually organic. Other companies like
Avalon, Nature's Gate and Kiss My Face claim their products are at least
70% organic, but take a close look at the back label and you'll find the
main "organic" ingredient is water (infused with small amounts of
organic herbs). The Organic Consumers Association will be filing a
formal complaint to the California State Organic Program, regarding
these labeling problems. Stay tuned to our website for more information.

Take Action: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.htm

-------------------------------

NEW CANDY: CHOCOLATE COVERED PORK FAT
A Ukrainian candy company has begun marketing what may be the stickiest,
richest and most fattening treat on the market: pure pork fat covered in
chocolate. Cracking open a finger-sized stick of ''Fat in Chocolate''
reveals exactly that: a vein of white fat.
(USA TODAY Jan. 15)

-------------------------

WHEAT WAR WEILDS WHACKY WOES
Farmers across the U.S. are building coalitions to fight the release of
Monsanto's new genetically engineered "Round-Up Ready Wheat." A recent
story in the Washington Post uncovers a massive new movement of
conventional and organic farmers who are working together to pass state
legislation that would put a moratorium on Monsanto's mutated wheat.
North Dakota farmers met last week with Monsanto representatives to
express their concerns about the new crop. Steven Pollestad, a
conventional farmer, said, "The foreign buyers have flat out said they
won't buy it. And I believe they won't." Pollestad called on citizens to
take an active part in deciding whether GE-wheat should be released onto
the market. "Or we could let Monsanto decide," he said, "and maybe we
also could get Enron to run our utilities and Arthur Andersen to keep
the books."

Read all about it:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/wheatpost042203.cfm

-------------------------------------

QUOTES TO SUCK ON
"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." Anthelme
Brillat-Savarin (1755 - 1826), The Physiology of Taste, 1825

"Food is an important part of a balanced diet."
Fran Lebowitz (1950 - )

-------------------------------------

BRAINWASHING THE TOXINS AWAY
Researchers believe that environmental exposures are contributing to
children's declining health status in the US. According to a recent
study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS), since the early 1970s there has been a surprising increase in
childhood cancer, asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,
reproductive defects, and autism. Among the suspects are lead, mercury,
manganese, PCBs and dioxin. Not to worry, claims the American Chemistry
Council (ACC). According to Jeff Lipton, CEO of Nova Chemical
Corporations and Board member of the ACC, the organization is about to
launch an ad campaign "similar in size and scope" to the fifty million
dollar effort some years ago by the American Plastics Council. "APC
spends most of its money on TV commercials that focus on young, married
women," Lipton said. "The commercials help young, married women feel
that they and their families are safer because of plastic products. The
concept has worked extremely well for plastics and it can work the same
way for chemicals."

Read all about it:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/rachels042203.cfm

--------------------------------

FUNNY FRIGGED- UP ADVERTISMENTS OF THE WEEK
"Georgia Peaches - California Grown - 89 cents/lb."
(Chris' Market Coupon Pages- Sandstone, MN)

"Bars Sliced Bologna - Regular or Tasty - Save 30 cents on 2"
(Seboygan Press - Sheboygan, WI)

------------------------------------

ORGANIC EXPLOSION EXPLODES EXPLOSIVELY
According to a new report issued by the USDA, "US farmland managed under
organic systems expanded rapidly throughout the 1990s and has sustained
that momentum". The report says that US farmers and ranchers have added
another MILLION ACRES of certified organic cropland and pasture since
1997, bringing the 48-state total to 2.34 million acres in 2001. Pasture
and rangeland more than doubled in the period, the number of certified
organic beef cows, milk cows, hogs, sheep, and lambs went up nearly
four-fold, and poultry showed even higher rates of growth. The US ranks
fourth in the world for total organic acreage, but is not in the top ten
as far as percentage of crop area-the top six are all European
countries. The report mentioned that many EU countries-and some US
states--subsidize conversion to organic farming for environmental
reasons. Perhaps this is a factor in the disparity among states; nine
actually lost organic acreage (mostly in the Southeast), while others
grew rapidly.

Read the full report: http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/usda042903.cfm

-----------------------------------

PASSION, ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE --- YOU'RE INVITED!
Leading up to the World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings and protests
in Cancun this September, a mini-ministerial will be held in Sacramento,
CA in June. The USDA, USAID, and the US State Department are hosting a
summit to which the Ministers of Trade, Agriculture, and Environment
from 180 nations have been invited. They're also putting on an Expo, to
showcase industrial agriculture, chemicals, irradiation and
biotechnology. Neither the meeting nor the accompanying Expo is open to
the general public. But guess what? We're coming anyway! The Coalition
for Sustainable Agriculture, made up of organic farmers, family farmers,
environmentalists, labor, religious, and economic/social justice groups
is in the process of planning a public presence at the gathering.
Events will include public demonstrations, media events, street theatre,
public education forums, and non-threatening but disruptive direct
actions. We encourage everyone who is concerned about the injustice of
corporate globalization to join our network and/or organize actions
leading up to June 23-25. This is a worldwide call to action. Please
join us. Come to Sacramento this June. If you want more info or to get
involved email: silr at jps.net or call (916)-456-9435

Also consider joining the OCA delegation to the next WTO ministerial in
Cancun, Mexico in September.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/wto_cancun.htm

-----------------------------------

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) 226-4157

-----------------------------------

NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS:
Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping you 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
also a super pretty print-friendly PDF version of this available for
free download at
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm

---------------------------------------------------

To UNSUBSCRIBE, click here
http://www.organicconsumers.org/unsubscribe.cfm?email=cgfc-discuss@lists.cu.groogroo.com

-To subscribe to ORGANIC BYTES, go to: 
<http://www.organicconsumers.org/publications.cfm>

Help support the work of the Organic Consumers Association with a
tax-deductible donation: 
<https://www.securemysite.com/greenpeople/ocadonate.cfm>