Silk (was new member)

[Guest guest]

>>>> SIlk=White Wave = Dean foods is just the epitome of belezebub imo <<<<

 

Fraggle, what's your reasoning? You've expressed this opinion a few

times, but can you shed some light on why you feel this way?

 

I also have a concern with this company, both for Silk products and for

Dean, which markets dairy. They've been targeted for boycott by the

Organic Consumer's Union for deceptive, or at least questionable,

organic certification. For dairy, for instance, they do things like put

dairy cows on very marginal lands in places like Nevada, crowd them in,

and don't shelter them from heat. They follow the letter of the law for

USDA organic certification, but they treat the animals very badly.

 

For soy, they buy supposedly organic soybeans from Brazil and China,

both places where government certification isn't trustworthy. As we all

know from the news, Chinese manufacturers engage in outright deception,

putting things such as melamine in dairy products. If anyone trusts the

Chinese to certify anything as organic, talk to me about lots in Florida.

 

That said, I'm going to admit that I do buy Silk coffee creamers. There

just isn't any good substitute out there. As soon as Westsoy or Pacific

or any other soy manufacturer markets one, I'll drop Silk like a hot potato.

 

Cheers,

 

Trish

[Guest guest]

i've been trying to avoid a rant, as well, i tend to "hold forth" too often sometimes.

but, basically what you said

first off, let me just say that, Dean (along with a number of other companies) is my Beelzebub. i loathe them. their whole business stance is abhorent to me, so they tend to have a fly in my ear about them.

*rant mode on*

i loathe Dean

Silk is/was owned by White Wave which is now owned Dean Foods. the largest dairy conglomerator in the US and one of thelargest in the world. the thought of supporting a company like that just turns my stomach into all kinds of knots.

Dean is in the forefront of the "dumbing" down of organics and organic standards. they have tried (and suceeded) in watering down organic laws and standards. and now they have launched their new line of "Natural" products. Natural is a meaningless term, but consumers generally have a definite concept of what "Natural" means, and that its better then Organic. Dean's Natural product line look almost identitical to their organic line. Dean is a hige greenwashing firm who are more then happy to appear "green" while they trot out product after product that appeals to folks who want to cut down on pesticides and related, but their new line is no different then "conventional" farming. it can be as chock full of pesticides, herbicides, GMO and wotever. Natural is just an unregulated buzzword, but unfortunately, the opposite is true in many ppl's minds. they think "organic" is just a mde up term that means the food is more expensive.

(conventional farming is another term i find almost hysterical..."organic" is "weird" and "fringe", yet its what farmers had been practicing since the beginning of agriculture. what we call "conventional" is like 70 yrs old, yet we call that conventional...but, thats a rant for another time)

Dean is a conglomerator. there whole raison d 'etre is too snap up other companies and put them under their wings and control.they buy up every family and small business that they can.

they buy tons of soy from china and brazil, who's organic standards are lax or non-existent. both countries are oving ina big way toward GMO products. should we even talk about the carbon footprint of shipping all those soy beans half way around the world? the environmental destruction. and most of that soy doesn't even make it into products for human consumption. hello feedlots

and how about all those feedlots and factory farms? dean has facilities where they sequestor 20k+ cows onto feedlots.

it's funny almost, that dean is considered the largest organic dairy in the US, but their business practices in no way differ from any other "conventional" factory farmer. cows are jammed into feedlots, pens and indistrial confines.

dean is just a company that deep into my craw. i could go on and on. when Dean bought out the UK's biggest organic dairy line (sorry, forgot the name), they started inporting the stuff to the US. except they only imported the name. the product was regular ol anti-biotic laced, pesticide fed cow pus (as opposed to organic cow pus....) same with a big organic UK yogurt brand..rachel i think its called?

in california, Dean got sued by their employees because of KKK harrasment , in which Dean refused to take any action.

i could go on and on

Dean is just the epitomoe of hades to me. the thought of giving them money, to support them and their business practices..it just makes me scream inside...

i tend to like to tilt at windmills.

 

bantrymoon Jul 9, 2009 5:35 PM Silk (was Re: new member)

 

 

 

>>>> SIlk=White Wave = Dean foods is just the epitome of belezebub imo <<<<Fraggle, what's your reasoning? You've expressed this opinion a few times, but can you shed some light on why you feel this way?I also have a concern with this company, both for Silk products and for Dean, which markets dairy. They've been targeted for boycott by the Organic Consumer's Union for deceptive, or at least questionable, organic certification. For dairy, for instance, they do things like put dairy cows on very marginal lands in places like Nevada, crowd them in, and don't shelter them from heat. They follow the letter of the law for USDA organic certification, but they treat the animals very badly.For soy, they buy supposedly organic soybeans from Brazil and China, both places where government certification isn't trustworthy. As we all know from the news, Chinese manufacturers engage in outright deception, putting things such as melamine in dairy products. If anyone trusts the Chinese to certify anything as organic, talk to me about lots in Florida.That said, I'm going to admit that I do buy Silk coffee creamers. There just isn't any good substitute out there. As soon as Westsoy or Pacific or any other soy manufacturer markets one, I'll drop Silk like a hot potato.Cheers,Trish

 

 

 

 

 

"Hobbes: Do you think there's a God? Calvin: Well, SOMEBODY'S out to get me."