“Willie Nelson calls for Occupy the Food System”
Consumers want organic food, and they want Americas pure food source to stay protected in America. Made in America, organically, is the way of the future, and family farmers and seed businesses should be free to maintain their high standards for organic foods. They deserve protection from Big Agribusiness dangerous seeds trespassing on their croplands, not to mention the use of pesticides and herbicides on GM crops. The organic industry has an organic seal which is also important to the success of family businesses, and even that stamp of quality is threatened by the spread of Monsantos GM seed contaminating their pure seed banks.
The Banking industry is also partly to blame. Years before the mortgages and home fiasco we have now, the farmers were the first to feel the squeeze. I interviewed Willie Nelson in the 1980s, and he mentioned even then the high rates of farmer suicides, and that Farm Aid was receiving letters from family farmers saying the banks had called in their loans, even though we had never missed a payment. Was this just a veiled land grab for fertile lands, or to intentionally bankrupt independent family farmers?
It was so inspiring years ago when Michelle Obama planted an organic garden at the White House. It was a great precedent for the future, but what happened? It was ruined when they discovered sewer sludge from previous Administrations had contaminated their beautiful soil where the organic vegetables were planted. Just one small upset but it was remedied for future plantings. What about our whole countrys organic food supply being contaminated by previous Adminstrations bad choices? Why did they ever allow Monsanto to introduce genetically engineered seeds into our pure, organic, and heirloom stockpiles across America in the first place?
Recently, the Obama Administration, in an effort to boost food exports, signed joint agreements with agricultural biotechnology industry giants, including Monsanto, to remove the last barriers for the spread of more genetically modified crops.http://www.nationofchange.org/300000-organic-farmers-sue-monsanto-federal-court-decision-march-31st-go-trial-1329059467
niyad
(112,434 posts)limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)I found the poem mentioned in the article.
very cool
chervilant
(8,267 posts)Just wanted to share something relevant: I've noticed in the past three months a rather alarming dearth of staple items at the major chain groceries near my home in an urban location. First, it was organic milk. I was told it was a 'warehouse problem.' Now, it's Orowheat bread (and other brands--the bread section looked like it does when a major storm is blowing through), and this staple item has been unavailable or available in limited quantities for better than two weeks. Again, I am told it's a 'warehouse problem.'
I wonder if there's something going on that the big Agribusinesses don't want exposed...
Response to chervilant (Reply #4)
Occupy_2012 This message was self-deleted by its author.
chervilant
(8,267 posts)Thanks for all the great info. I am concerned to see this at a major grocery chain. I do wonder about the 'availability' of certain items, especially organic milk. The store I frequent posted a sign about the 'limited supply' from the dairy. I'll be keeping an eye on this, in any event.
midnight
(26,624 posts)Touche for Willie's comment about the tax system being unfair...
handmade34
(22,755 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)midnight
(26,624 posts)bvar22
(39,909 posts)&feature=player_embedded
But as president, Obama has actually cleared the way for more GM products. He has allowed alfalfa, which feeds our cattle, and sugar beets, which fuel our coffee and sweets, with modified genes on the market. That's much to the consternation of organic farmers who fear cross-pollination of their crops with the modified crops and activists who fear potential future health consequences."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/10/17/141414866/politics-heating-up-over-labeling-gmo-foods
Instead, Monsanto was given a seat in the White House immediately after the election.
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The DLC New Team
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http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=254886&kaid=86&subid=85
Google: "Vilsack ties to Monsanto"
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their promises.
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I kind of liked that guy.
Myrina
(12,296 posts).... 79 cents for ONE ORANGE at my local grocer.
Now, a low-income mom with a couple kids is going to stop and think, "Sure I'd like to buy fruit and veggies and healthy snacks, but I have $50 for a week's worth of groceries. What's going to fill their bellies?" and she'll head to the mac n cheese, 99 cent 2-liters of soda and frozen pizza aisles.
THOSE are the foods that should be high priced - I sorta think an "unhealthy tax" should be added to them to discourage manufacturers from making/selling shit like that to our kids - and fresh/organic stuff should be half the price & more widely available than it is now.
But I know better ... Sigh.
Suji to Seoul
(2,035 posts)Maybe something needs to be done about American cost of living.
There is no excuse for prices to be as insane as they are.
The most expensive simple food here is beef at about $3.80 a pound.
Little Star
(17,055 posts)proverbialwisdom
(4,959 posts)Support the California GMO Labeling Ballot Initiative
*California is poised to be the first state with mandatory GMO labeling laws through the 2012 California Ballot Initiative process.
*Polls show support to get this initiative on the ballot & voted in. Over 80% of those polled supported mandatory labeling.
*A win for the California Initiative would be a huge blow to biotech and a huge victory for food activists.
*Monsanto and their minions have billions invested in GMOs and they are willing to spend millions to defeat this initiative.
*California is the 8th largest economy in the world. Labeling laws in CA will effect packaging and ingredient decisions nation-wide.
*The bill has been carefully written to ensure that it will not increase costs to consumers or producers.
More here:
http://organicconsumersfund.org/label/
http://www.facebook.com/labelgmos
stopwastingmymoney
(2,027 posts)I signed the petition for that one
Where CA leads ...
Highway61
(2,568 posts)I am SICK of searching for organic..when it should be the other way around.