Organic Bytes: World Against Monsanto - Anti-GMO Resistance

 

Subscribe | View PDF | Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | World Against Monsanto: Anti-GMO Resistance #268, March 17, 2011 In this issue: Quote of the Week - World Against Monsanto: Anti-GMO Resistance Action of the Week: Ask Your Grocer to Stop Selling Unlabeled Genetically Engineered Food Alerts of the Week: Stop the Plot to Use GMOs to Spur Superweeds & Sell Pesticides Boycott Morningstar Farms, Kashi, Bear Naked, and Gardenburger! Truth-in-Labeling Update: March 26, 2011 - Rally for the Right to Know! Audio Conversation of the Week: Ronnie Cummins and Mike Adams Remember to Take Action... Little Bytes A NOTE TO ORGANIC BYTES SUBSCRIBERS! Over the next few weeks we will be transitioning to a new service to send Organic Bytes, so please add the address RONNIECUMMINS [AT] ORGANICCONSUMERS.ORG to your spam filter white lists! Thanks! Quote of the Week World Against Monsanto: Anti-GMO Resistance "In South America, the Brazilian Government has launched a GM-free soy programme to help farmers access non-GM soy seeds. In Argentina new research has exposed that the herbicide Glyphosate, used on the majority of GM crops grown worldwide, could have severe negative impacts on human health... This has led to bans on spraying of the herbicide near people's homes. In Uruguay, local areas are declaring themselves GM-free... "Widespread resistance to GM crops in the developing world and Europe means that they are only planted on a large scale in a handful of countries and that over 97% of global agricultural land is GM-free... "GM crops continue to collapse in Europe. Less than 0.06 percent of European fields are planted with GM crops. Seven EU countries have banned Monsanto's GM maize because of growing evidence of its negative environmental impacts. Three countries banned BASF's GM potato due to health concerns immediately after its authorisation in spring 2010, and for the first time five member states have sued the European Commission over the authorisation of a GM crop. " -Friends of the Earth International, "Cracks Widen in Biotech Industry Myths," press release announcing the 2011 report, "Who Benefits from GM Crops?" Read More Truth-in-Labeling Action OF THE WEEK Ask Your Grocer to Stop Selling Unlabeled Genetically Engineered and Factory-Farmed Foods Earlier this week, OCA director Ronnie Cummins posted an "Open Letter to Natural Food Stores and Coops: Please Stop Selling Unlabeled Genetically Engineered and Factory-Farmed Foods." Through the use of social networking, the letter is already getting results. OCA activist Tomas Blank posted a link to the letter on Green Grocer Chicago's Facebook page. The store immediately replied, saying: "Thanks Tomas - we will consult our vendors and happily find a way to label products. We believe in our customers making informed decisions in our store as well as other stores!" Let's follow Tomas's good example! Print, sign and bring the open letter to your local grocery store manager and let us know what happens. Print and Share the Letter PLEASE DONATE Millions Against Monsanto Fundraising Appeal Thousands of people are signing up as participants and supporters in our Millions Against Monsanto Truth-in-Labeling Campaign. But we need money to print leaflets, to organize demonstrations, to buy hundreds of copies of the video "The World According to Monsanto," to print up T-shirts and bumper stickers, and to pay our campaign staff. As you know, GMOs, Factory Farms, and deceptively labeled consumer products pose a mortal threat to public health, climate stability, and all living things. As we speak, organic crops are being contaminated with Monsanto's GMOs. We need your financial support to carry out our Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms campaign. Please Donate Alerts of the Week Stop Monsanto & Dow's Plot to Sell Even More Toxic GMOs and Pesticides A new generation of super-toxic GMO crops designed to survive repeated sprayings of the herbicide 2,4-D (a component of the notorious poison Agent Orange) are set for release in the United States. Monsanto and Dow are promoting these toxic varieties after their first generation of herbicide-resistance Frankencrops generated a growing army of superweeds. For farmers who were told RoundUp Ready crops would make weed control easier, the superweeds have been an absolute nightmare. Nearly half of farmers have a problem with these weeds, forcing them to spend more money and time to come back and spray crops with ever more deadly pesticide combinations. But for Monsanto, Dow and other chemical companies, it's just an opportunity to sell more pesticides. 2,4-D, one of the pesticides Monsanto supplied to the military during the Vietnam War for use in Agent Orange, is linked with cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, neurotoxicity, kidney and liver damage, and birth/developmental defects. Take Action Alerts of the Week Kellogg's Loves GMO Contamination of Organic - Boycott Morningstar Farms, Kashi, Bear Naked, and Gardenburger! What argument does Kellogg's make for using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as ingredients in its foods? They say you might as well eat GMOs on purpose because, "Even organic ingredients can contain biotech ingredients due to cross-pollination." This is an outrageous lie! * For one, Kellogg's admits it doesn't use GMOs in the products it sells in Europe (which doesn't tolerate GMO contamination of imported foods). * More importantly, while it is true that GMOs threaten the organic seed supply with contamination, the USDA National Organic Program rules include residue testing requirements that would prevent contaminated products from being sold as organic. Tell Kellogg's you'll be boycotting their products until they stop lying about GMO contamination of organic, start labeling their genetically engineered foods, and quit using GMOs in the products they sell in the U.S. Make sure you tell them that this includes a boycott of their so-called "natural" brands, Morningstar Farms, Kashi, Bear Naked, and Gardenburger! You can be sure that any products under these brands which aren't certified organic do contain GMOs. Take action Truth-In-Labeling Update March 26, 2011: Rally for the Right to Know! The national Millions Against Monsanto campaign staff is gearing up for a nationwide day of action on World Food Day, October 16, 2011, pledging to make it the biggest action on genetic engineering in US history. In the meantime, to help raise awareness for the campaign, Millions Against Monsanto activist Trish Wright has sent out a call for a demonstration at the White House on March 26, 2011, and has urged other activists around the country to "Rally for the Right to Know" locally. The response has been tremendous! Millions Against Monsanto is starting to spread across the country. There are Truth-in-Labeling rallies in Washington, DC, and at least 12 other cities. Learn More and Join in! Audio Conversation of the Week Ronnie Cummins and Mike Adams OCA Director Ronnie Cummins and Mike Adams of NaturalNews discuss why we need Truth-in-Labeling of GMO and CAFO products and what actions you can take in your local communities. This 45 minute long program is an in-depth, step-by-step guide for applying market pressure to your local health and grocery stores. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3   Remember to Take Action... Ban Triclosan! Take action by April 8, 2011 New York: Label Milk From Cows Given rBGH (Genetically Engineered Bovine Growth Hormone)! California: Label GM Salmon! Hawaii: Demand Truth-in-Labeling!  Alaska: Stop GMO Salmon! Little Bytes Is This It? Collapse and a New Dawn Triggered from Japan READ MORE Japan Radioactivity Could Enter Food Chain READ MORE Open Letter to Natural Food Stores and Coops: Please Stop Selling Unlabeled Genetically Engineered and Factory-Farmed Foods READ MORE Debunking the Stubborn Myth that Only Industrial Ag Can 'Feed the World' READ MORE Genetically Altered Pigs Debate Set to Sizzle READ MORE LOCAL HI NEWS OF THE WEEK HI - Get Involved Locally Learn more about OCA related action alerts and other news in HI here. Message From Our Sponsors Dr. Bronner's is Celebrating Our 60th Anniversary! Marking the 60th Anniversary of the company, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps is pleased to announce that all classic liquid & bar soaps are now not only certified under the USDA National Organic Program, but also certified Fair Trade! In addition, we are pleased to introduce a revolutionary new range of high-quality organic products, from hair rinses to shaving gels – all certified under the same USDA program that certifies organic foods. Please visit us on the web at DrBronner.com Become an OCA Sponsor! Every issue of Organic Bytes now goes to 265,000 organic consumers with a thousand new subscribers each week. Please help us and your business by letting our subscribers know who you are and that you support the work of the OCA. Please contact us if you want more information! Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power! 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