Mendocino County Bans GM Crops

[Guest guest]

From David in Norway :There is excellent news in this newsletter by the Organic

Consumers Association. The first ban on GE Crops!

 

ORGANIC BYTES #29 - - Food and Consumer News Tidbits with an Edge!

3/9/2004 By Organic Consumers Association

 

Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on websites,

print it, and post it. Knowledge is power!

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

 

" These multi-billion dollar corporations underestimated the savvy and

determination of Mendocino County voters, " said Els Cooperrider of Ukiah,

California, a retired medical scientist and Ukiah business owner who helped

spearhead the citizen-led initiative. " This is just the beginning of the

revolution, " she said. " We're the first county in the U.S. to prohibit the

growing of genetically altered crops and animals -- but we won't be the last. "

- - Press Release March 3, 2004 by citizen group GMO Free Mendocino

 

 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - MENDOCINO COUNTY BANS GE CROPS! - - It's official!

Mendocino County (CA) has passed a ballot initiative making it the first county

in the U.S. to ban genetically engineered crops and animals. This is an

important and precedent-setting victory for farmers and consumers, particularly

given the fact that corporate agribusiness and the biotech industry spent over

$620,000 attempting to convince citizens to vote against the referendum

(grassroots supporters of the referendum had only $100,000 to work with,

including $11,500 from the Organic Consumers Association).

 

Organic and non-GMO farmers in Mendocino say the new law will help protect

their crops from potential contamination from neighboring GE fields. The success

of the initiative is already proving to be highly contagious. Humboldt County

(CA) claims it's next in line for passing a similar referendum, while farmers in

the U.S. Midwest see it as evidence that they may be able to resist the release

of Monsanto's new GE wheat. Grassroots activists across California and the

nation will be meeting in San Francisco this weekend to discuss launching

similar initiatives. Similarly Prince Edward Island in Canada is now considering

becoming a " GMO Free Zone. "

 

Meanwhile, the biotech industry has made it clear that it will do its best to

snuff out Mendocino's GE ban with state legislative or legal action. Informed

sources have told the OCA that the California Farm Bureau and the Gallo wine

company are spearheading an effort to introduce a bill in the California Senate

that will nullify the Mendocino GMO ban and make it illegal for other California

counties to pass similar laws. OCA and its allies are planning a major campaign

to stop or defeat this legislation. Stay tuned to Organic Bytes and the OCA

website for forthcoming news on this front...

http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/mendocino030804.cfm

 

 

HYDROSOL SCHEME RUNNING OUT OF STEAM - - It's been a week full of

victories! One year after the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) launched the

Coming Clean Campaign to establish strong labeling standards for " organic "

cosmetics, the Organic Trade Association's Personal Care Task Force (PCTF)

rejected a scheme of counting ordinary water as " organic " in body care products.

In a 13 to 2 vote on Saturday (3/6) at the Natural Products Expo West in

Anaheim, California, the task force of natural body care companies condemned the

practice of counting as " organic " water added during the steaming of botanicals

to make hydrosol water extracts. The task force subsequently voted 10 to 5 to

not count any amount of hydrosol water extracts as organic until the minority

percentage of water from plant material versus added from steam can be

determined. The OCA will continue to drive this campaign ahead, until meaningful

organic standards are established for body care products.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/

 

 

MAD COW UPDATE: U.S. GOVERNMENT UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION - - A criminal

investigation is underway to determine whether the U.S. Government falsified

documents pertaining to the recent case of Mad Cow Disease in Washington.

Specifically, the Department of Agriculture reported that the beef that tested

positive for the disease came from a " downer " cow (a cow too ill to walk). Three

key eye-witnesses at the slaughterhouse argue otherwise, saying the cow was

walking and appeared to be healthy. The U.S. Government used the potentially

altered documents to assuage concerns that cattle are not tested sufficiently

for this deadly disease in the U.S.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/falsify030404.cfm

 

 

STRAWBERRIES, TOMATOES AND THE OZONE HOLE - - When the hole in the ozone

layer and its causes were confirmed in the 1980s, nations around the world

banded together to create one of the most significant international

environmental treaties in history. The Montreal Protocol of 1987 was a global

agreement to phase out the production and use of chemicals that cause the

depletion of the ozone layer. Now George W. Bush has shocked the world (once

again) by threatening to pull out of this landmark treaty. Bush claims the U.S.

strawberry and tomato agriculture industry should be able to continue using the

pesticide methyl bromide, the most dangerous ozone depleting chemical in use.

Interestingly enough, the majority of growers who would benefit from this

violation of international treaty are situated in California and Florida,

critical states in the coming election.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/ozone112403.cfm

 

 

QUICK RELATED FACTS -The Environmental Protection Agency classifies methyl

bromide in the most deadly category of substances (Category I), due to its

ability to cause neurological damage, reproductive harm, and fatal poisonings.

 

-Organic strawberry growers use a mix of safe alternatives, including

biological control, crop rotation, and pest-resistant root stocks, to produce

strawberries without the need for methyl bromide.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL GE LABELING TREATY CONFIRMED An international biosafety treaty

has now been finalized in Malaysia, where 87 countries from around the world

have successfully negotiated a protocol that establishes labeling and

documentation regulations regarding imports/exports of genetically modified

organisms. Under the new system, any international shipment containing

genetically engineered ingredients intended for food, feed or processing must be

labeled as such. Despite consensus between the attending nations, President Bush

has refused to sign the agreement.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/biosafety-pact.cfm

 

 

NEW STUDY INDICATES HEALTH HAZARDS OF GMOs New scientific research has

revealed some disturbing health implications related to genetically modified

foods. The viral promoter used in GE crops to " turn on " certain genes has been

found in the tissue of test rats. The biotech industry has consistently claimed

this is impossible. According to Dr Terje Traavik, the study's results indicate

that these same promoters could switch on any number of viruses that normally

lay dormant within our own DNA and/or change the activity and structure of

chromosomes, creating the potential for inducing cancer and/or metabolic

changes. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/studies030404.cfm

 

 

TAKE ACTION The Department of Agriculture is currently accepting public

comments regarding the agency's plan to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement for the introduction of genetically modified organisms. This is a

great opportunity for consumers to share their concerns about the spread of GE

crops. To send an email message to the USDA, go here:

http://www.saveorganicfood.org/usdaalert.php

 

 

WE NEED TO TALK Interested in sharing your thoughts and ideas with thousands

of other like-minded folks locally and around the world? Register free for OCA's

new online web forum and chat center. The OCA website has been getting 4-6

million hits every month, so we decided it's time to open up the communication

channels and let everyone share their ideas, post articles, comment on related

issues, and come together with others who share your concerns. Start talking

with others in the organic consumers community right now!

http://www.organicconsumers.org/chat/index.php If you are interested in being a

moderator of one of these forums, please contact Craig

 

 

Help others learn about food safety, organics, and related topics. Place a

link on YOUR website to http://OrganicConsumers.org Banners for your use

http://OrganicConsumers.org/logos.htm

 

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