TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK
The Science of Deceit
According to its website, Cornell University’s mission is “to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge; produce creative work; and promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community.”
You would think such a lofty mission would preclude the Ivy League institution from selling out to Monsanto. Yet thanks to a $5.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cornell is running a propaganda campaign that promotes GMOs and pesticides.
U.S. Right to Know, an independent nonprofit funded in large part by OCA, looked into the Gates-funded Cornell Alliance for Science, launched in 2014:
A review of the group's materials and programs suggests that beneath its promise to "restore the importance of scientific evidence in decision making," CAS is promoting GMOs using dishonest messaging and PR tactics developed by agrichemical corporations with a long history of misleading the public about science.
So much for the hallowed and ivied halls of learning.
BLOG POST OF THE WEEK
Senators Speak Out
Consumers aren’t the only ones who aren’t keen on a high-tech “solution” to GMO labeling.
As the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) was meeting last week behind closed doors, trying to negotiate some sort of compromise that would preempt Vermont’s mandatory GMO labeling law before July 1, a number of Senators—including presidential candidate Bernie Sanders—outlined some pointed questions for the GMA about its proposed QR code labeling scheme.
Sanders, along with Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) fired off a letter to the GMA’s executive director, Pam Bailey, stating that they are “troubled” by the QR code scheme’s “anti-consumer loopholes.”
They had several questions, including this one: “What promises will manufacturers participating in the SmartLabel initiative make to consumers to assure their privacy and their information will not be used or sold?”
Which raises an interesting point. Beyond just their quest for the legal right to deceive consumers, are food companies also looking for new ways to track your every move?
TAKE ACTION: Demand Mandatory Labeling of GMOs—Not Voluntary Labeling or QR Codes!
GMO LABELING UPDATE
Meeting Adjourned
What resulted from the two hush-hushmeetings between GMO labeling advocates and the industries (biotech and Big Food) that are desperate to keep the words “produced with genetic engineering” off of food labels?
No compromise.
Which food companies attended the meeting to argue against your right to know? According to PoliticoPro, stepping up to the plate for Big Food were: J.P. Bilbrey, chairman and CEO of the Hershey Company and chairman of Grocery Manufacturers Association’s (GMA) board of directors; and Paul Grimwood, president and CEO of Nestle USA.
Maybe it’s time to resurrect our Hershey and Nestle boycotts?
Also representing Corporate America were Randy Russell, president of the Russell Group, which represents the GMA; Charles Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; and Steve Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association.
What’s next, now that the two sides have reached a stalemate? Assuming the courts hold up Vermont’s GMO labeling law, set to take effect July 1, Monsanto and friends will likely try to introduce a Senate bill, similar to the DARK Act (HR 1599), which would preempt Vermont’s mandatory labeling law.
Meanwhile, a number of states are pushing forward with their own GMO labeling laws. Here’s a quick rundown of the states that have GMO labeling bills in play right now. If you live in one of these states, please contact your state lawmakers and ask them to support mandatory labeling of GMOs:
Alaska, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
SUPPORT THE OCA & OCF
Information Revolution
Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible, helps support our work on behalf of organic standards, fair trade and public education)
Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our GMO labeling legislative efforts)
TRAVEL TALK
¡Bienvenido!
OCA and our Regeneration International Project have teamed up with our sister organization in Mexico, Vía Orgánica, to offer our first 10-day eco-tours in the central highlands of Mexico.
Register today to experience the beauty of San Miguel de Allende, plus organic farm tours, visits to three World Heritage cities and ecological sites, trail rides and nature walks, hot springs, organic farming and cooking workshops. Immerse yourself in nature. Join in lively discussions with OCA International Director, Ronnie Cummins, and other staff. Build solidarity with the international organic food movement.
You’ll spend most of your nights at Vía Orgánica’s teaching farm, just outside San Miguel. The Ecological Ranch serves as an educational farm and training center for farmers, students and activists in the organic food movement. The ranch includes a natural retreat center with adobe buildings, walking trails, solar power, rainwater catchment, and greywater and composting systems.
Tour dates are March 19-28 or April 22-May 1. Cost for accommodations and all-organic meals is $1250 per person. Deadlines for registering are February 19 for the March 19 tour, and March 22 for the April 22 tour.
For more information or to register contact: tour@organicconsumers.org
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Vaccines, Lies and the CDC
Journalist Ben Swann has poured over the thousands of pages of documents relating to a 2004 CDC study on autism and vaccines. The documents were originally obtained by Dr. William Thompson, a CDC scientist—and whistleblower—who hired an attorney toforce the CDC to hand the documents over to Congress. In December 2015, Swann was the first journalist to obtain the documents from Congressman Bill Posey.
Swann examines Thompson’s claims and documents, with the assistance of doctors, journalists, authors and former CDC specialists. Watch the documentary to hear from the experts on whether or not the CDC manipulated scientific findings and deceived the public.
LITTLE BYTES
Essential Reading for the Week
Health Hazards of Low-Fiber Diets
WTF Is Happening in the Flint Water Crisis, Explained
Just Who Exactly Benefits Most from the Global Giving of Billionaires Like Bill Gates?
8 Reasons to Avoid Doing Business with Monsanto
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