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Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act

GMO HOUSE AND SENATE POPVOX WWW.COVVHA.NETTake Action and make your voice heard now!!!!!!

All Legislation Endorsed and/or Opposed Has Been Approved and Reviewed by Kelly L. Derricks

It has never been easier to write your State Representative and share your position on current legislation. C.O.V.V.H.A. has been making it even easier for members, fans and followers!! The days of getting your pens and papers out to send your letters are over!!!

An “action page” link has been set up for the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act H.R.1699 & S.809 which takes you directly to the specific legislation as well as an area for your Name, Zip Code, and YOUR VOTE. That’s it!!! You hit enter and your information is sent directly to your State Representative in letter form which you will receive a copy of via email.

Your VOICE does count, PLEASE, use it!!!

Kelly L. Derricks (T.T.)

CLICK TO CAST YOUR HOUSE VOTE ON POPVOX NOW

CLICK TO CAST YOUR SENATE VOTE ON POPVOX NOW

I personally casted both of my votes and included the following statement to the United States House and Senate: I support H.R. 1699 (“To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require that genetically engineered food”) because… GMO foods are engineered with health threatening compounds and chemicals and then sprayed with half of the chemical compound used in the production of AGENT ORANGE. The U.S. Gov’t killed my Father at the age of 37 after serving in the Vietnam War.  Agent Orange/DIOXIN was passed through his sperm mutating my DNA. I have to fight for my life every single day with more than 30 diagnosed illnesses at the age of 38 and so do tens of thousands of other Children of Vietnam Veterans who were exposed. Now the gov’t doesn’t care that we are being DOUBLE EXPOSED. That’s Capital Murder if you ask me. You’ll see me standing in a court room bringing charges of Murder against the United States Govt before you see me standing down on GMO.

Truth Teller
www.covvha.net

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On October 16, 2011, Kelly L. Derricks (TRUTH TELLER) traveled to New York City where she gave a public speech about Agent Orange after being invited by Millions Against Monsanto to participate in the rally event for World Food Day.  Below is the video recording of that speech.

Kelly has battled severe health issues since she was born that continue today. Some of her illnesses, presumed to be associated with the inter-generational effects of Agent Orange, include but are not limited to the following:

• Chronic kidney disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Addison’s disease
• Congenital adrenal hyperplaysia
• Intersticial cystitis.

*Her complete list of illnesses staggers to 30 different things.

Kelly continues to fight for the Children of Vietnam Veterans as well as Vietnam Veterans and their families. In January of 2012 She Co-Founded The Non-Profit Organization (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC

Visit The Main Website At WWW.COVVHA.NET

https://www.youtube.com/user/teppnme?feature=watch

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One veteran’s story about fighting Agent Orange
Ruben Rosario: Did this veteran’s service cost him his life?
Ken Blum: Focus on Agent Orange before victims are all gone
John Bury: Victims of Agent Orange must band together to push …
Despite knowing Agent Orange, Parkinson’s link some veterans still have …
France May Issue Call for Europe-Wide Ban on GM Corn
Red Fridays – Burn Pits, the new Agent Orange
Genetically Modified Organisms No Answer to Food Shortage
Treatment of veterans is totally disgusting
Federal Judge Dismisses Agent Orange Case in NY
Agent Orange in Okinawa: the Smoking Gun
Prop 37: 8 Reasons for Voting Yes for Labeling GMO Foods
New method of cleaning Passaic River fails test in Lyndhurst
Promise made, promise kept: Son takes father’s fight about Agent …
Agent Orange wrecks future generations’ too?
Corpus Christi Army Depot’s safety history sometimes spotty
Letters: A veteran’s take on his healthcare
After military service, veterans next battle V.A.
Vietnamese, Korean dioxin victims on epic bike trip
Homeland Security is Working for Monsanto
US says to help clear dioxin from Da Nang airport by 2016
War veterans’ children supported by scholarships
Over VND2.5 billion raised for disadvantaged children
Agent Orange consequences to be overcome by 2020
Vietnam Veteran Remembered As Kind, Proud American
SEARCH TIME.COM
US, Vietnam join hands to deal with AO consequences
Agent Orange chemical in GM war on resistant weeds
Agent Orange cleanup effort stirs questions about responsibility
Mag Links Romney To Monsanto
Remember Vietnam,Continuing Birth Defects Caused By Agent …
Massive Attack on GMO Labeling Proposal in California
Monsanto: One of Romney & Bain’s Earliest Clients
Andrew G. Reiter: Questions on efforts to clean up Agent Orange
Oregonians Fear Harmful Effects From Timberland Herbicides
AGENT ORANGE Rainbow Herbicides A Bioforming Pandemic Killing Some …
Feds May Acknowledge Ground Zero Cancer Link
FRA | Legislative Update: Agent Orange Reform
Debate over genetically modified food gets political with Prop. 37
Agent Orange’s shameful legacy
U.S. and Vietnam looking to improve trade relations
American student asks justice for AO victims
Birth defects caused by Agent Orange : WTF
Dow denies succour to Bhopal despite new-found enveronmentalism
Navy veteran says Agent Orange is still a concern
Dow Chemical still blamed for deaths and birth defects and under …
Laos still in the dark on Agent Orange impact
United States and Laos yet to deal with Agent Orange legacy
I look to the positives rather than the ifs or the buts’
United States Embarks On $43 Million Effort to - Birth Defect Lawyer …
Da Nang: 62 people infected with dioxin
VA Harnesses Big Data For Broader Impact
McNair researcher to use Vietnam’s toxic aftermath for realistic theatre
Craig Wehrle: War supporter Grothman should look at birth defects
The Terrible Legacy of Agent Orange
Vietnam forgotten, more than a ‘Lost Generation’
150, 000 Vietnamese children born with birth defects - Agent …
He’s telling the other side of war
Veterans For Peace: U.S. just beginning Agent Orange cleanup in …
Cleaning Agent Orange - Video Library – The New York Times
Behind the front line
The Toxic Effects of Agent Orange Persist 51 Years After the …
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Code-named Agent Orange, this weapon of mass destruction was “dumped” on Vietnam, according to a US Senate report in 1970, in what was called Operation Hades. The letter to Coe estimates that today 4.8 million victims of Agent Orange are children, …

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Blair-War-Olympic-Deals-by-John-Pilger-120719-735.html

The seeds have been dubbed “Agent Orange” mealies because they have been … them will lead to the more widespread use of the Dow-manufactured pesticide.

http://www.thepost.co.za/controversial-gm-mielies-get-green-light-1.1347764

Our Food Supply: Are We Ready for ‘Enviropig’ and ‘ Agent Orange Corn’? AARP News (blog) Most Americans, roughly 90% of us, believe that genetically modified foods, or GMO’s, should be labeled as such. Yet if you asked that same … Reading about ‘Agent Orange Corn’ , ‘Frankenfoods’, ‘Monsanto Sues Nature’

http://blog.aarp.org/2012/07/24/our-food-supply-are-we-ready-for-enviropig-and-agent-orange-corn/

Agent Orange Justice will hold Beautiful Art for Innocent Children, an extraordinary international exhibition and art auction for the innocent children being born now with horrific birth defects in Vietnam.NSW governor Marie Bashir will open the exhibition on August 7 from 6pm, at the Mori Gallery, 168 Day St, Sydney. Celebrated actor Kate Mulvany, a second-generation Agent Orange survivor, will recite extracts from The Seed, her autobiographical award-winning play about the daughter of an Australian Vietnam Veteran.

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/51670

 

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Moms and food activists have been fighting genetically modified foods for years. Now, they have a new ally.

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) sent a letter to President Obama just before Memorial Day asking for his assistance in delaying approval of a new breed of corn that’s genetically modified to resist heavy applications of the herbicide 2,4-D, one of the two active ingredients in the infamous Vietnam-era defoliant Agent Orange.

The corn and 2,4-D are both being manufactured by Dow Agro Science, which has named its new corn “Enlist,” a name the veterans said in the letter was “a slap at all Vietnam veterans.” Multinational seed company Monsanto also manufactures 2,4-D.

Most of the health problems caused by Agent Orange during the Vietnam War have been attributed to unintended dioxin contamination of the two active ingredients, 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. Dioxin builds up in the fatty tissue of humans and animals and can cause damage for years after exposure. The government continues to add to the known health conditions related to Agent Orange’s dioxin poisoning, but currently they include diabetes, neuropathy, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, liver dysfunction, numerous cancers, and birth defects in the children of exposed soldiers and Vietnam residents. Studies in recent years have found that 2,4-D is just as likely to be contaminated with dioxin when used alone as it was when used in combination with 2,4,5-T.

Adding to that danger, 2,4-D itself has been linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cell damage, hormonal disruption, and reproductive problems, according to the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year in an effort to ban the substance permanently. The EPA denied the NRDC’s petition.

“Although there is a lot that science has learned about the effects of dioxin on the human organism, there is still a lot that science has yet to learn,” writes VVA. “Now, Dow and Monsanto wish to release genetically modified corn that has increased resistance to 2,4-D. What will this mean to Vietnam vets, who have already been exposed to this chemical through our military service? To our progeny?”

The group’s letter went on to state that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) conclusion that 2,4-D–resistant corn would have no “significant” impact on the environment was inaccurate and “raises more questions than it answers.” The vets are asking President Obama to push for more research by independent scientists, not those affiliated with Dow Agro Sciences.

“We are not calling for a complete ban of this new product at this time,” the group writes. “We are simply not willing to be lied to or withheld information from again. Vietnam veterans were lied to about our exposure to chemicals which claimed many lives long after our troops left Southeast Asia.”

The VVA isn’t alone in its attempts to get Obama’s attention. Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance, another group made up of veterans’ children who were impacted by dioxin poisoning and Agent Orange, is endorsing the California ballot initiative that would require labeling of genetically modified ingredients. That initiative will be voted on in the November 2012 election.

The USDA has closed the public comment period on Dow’s 2,4-D–resistant corn, but the nonprofit Center for Food Safety continues to pressure the EPA to ban 2,4-D altogether. Take a minute to sign the center’s petition and to protect your family from the potential for more toxic pesticide exposure.

Originally Posted On Infinitymuscle.com

http://www.infinitymuscle.com/showthread.php?15187-Vietnam-Vets-Pushing-for-More-Research-on-quot-Agent-Orange-Corn-quot

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Organic Farmer Nervous About GMOs
From NBC 5 News
http://www.kobi5.com/component/zoo/item/organic-farmer-nervous-about-gmos.html
 
As I sat and prepared this article for posting, I began thinking to myself, this is just another typical story in the “Food Fight Of Our Lives”.  I hit the publish button, copied the link, and clicked on Facebook to share, but I stopped.
 
I realized that this article was not in fact just another typical story, but something much bigger.  This article was originally published as a MAIN STREAM MEDIA NEWS STORY.  
And that my friends just made a typical day into something EXTRAORDINARY.
 
Truth Teller
 
 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6h7oJRaPW3A

Organic farmer Steven Gidley said he loves his job.

“It is one of the best lives you could have,” said Gidley.

However, he’s worried his organic crops could be contaminated and destroyed by pollen carried by air from genetically modified plants also known as GMOs.

“You absolutely couldn’t sell your seed as organic,” began Gidley.

“I would go from having the potential of a couple thousand dollars in seed to zero,” he continued.

He said he suspects his plants are contaminated because just last week a man with Syngenta — a GMO seed manufacturer approached him.

“If there was no chance of cross contamination I would see no reason why Syngenta would be coming to my place,” said Gidley.

He continued, “He was asking if I would sell it to him and I said I could, but ethically not in this lifetime”

NBC 5 contacted a spokesman from Syngenta, he said the company often checks areas around GMO farms to try and lessen the possibility of cross-contamination.

“If this farmer’s crop was say within the prescribed distance which I believe is four miles, then it’s customary [...] in some cases what we will do is offer to buy a crop from a farmer,” said Paul Minehart, Head of Corporate Communications in North America for Syngenta.

He said the company has been growing genetically modified plants in Jackson County since the 1970s.

“Our goal is to make sure our crops remain pure to also make sure anyone elses crop remains pure [...] so we’re happy to be there, we intende to be there for a long time,” said Minehart.

Meantime, organic farmer Gidley says he’ll continue to refuse any offers.

Gidley said he believes it’s Syngenta’s responsibility to move their crops.

Minehart from Syngenta said they’ve contacted the USDA to make sure all guidelines are being met.

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BABY FOOD GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Nabisco
(Phillip Morris)
Arrowroot Teething Biscuits
Infant formula Carnation Infant Formulas
(Nestle)
AlSoy
Good Start
Follow-Up
Follow-Up Soy
Enfamil Infant Formulas
(Mead Johnson)
Enfamil with Iron
Enfamil Low Iron
Enfamil A.R.
Enfamil Nutramigen
Enfamil Lacto Free
Enfamil 22
Enfamil Next step (soy and milk-based varieties)
Enfamil Pro-Soybee
Isomil Infant Formulas
(Abbot Labs)
Isomil Soy
Isomil Soy for Diarrhea
Similac
(Abbot Labs)
Similac Lactose Free
Similac with Iron
Similac Low Iron
Similac Alimentum

BAKING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

baking mixes
Aunt Jemima
(Quaker)
Complete Pancake & Waffle Mix
Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix
Cornbread Mix
Easy Mix Coffee Cake
Betty Crocker
(General Mills)
Pie Crust Mix
Original Pancake Mix
Complete Pancake Mix
Buttermilk Complete Pancake Mix
Muffin Mixes
Banana Nut
Lemon Poppy Seed
Blueberry
Wild Blueberry
Chocolate Chip
Apple Streusel
Quick Bread Mixes Banana
Cinnamon Streusel
Lemon Poppy Seed
Cranberry Orange
Gingerbread

Cookie Mixes Chocolate Chip
Double Chocolate Chunk
Sugar
Peanut Butter

Bisquik
(Betty Crocker/General Mills)
Original
Reduced Fat
Shake ‘n Pour Pancake Mix
Shake ‘n Pour Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Shake ‘n Pour Blueberry Pancake Mix
Duncan Hines
(Aurora Foods)
Muffin Mixes
Kellogg’s All-Bran Apple Cinnamon
Kellogg’s All-Bran Blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberry Crumb
Chocolate Chip
Hungry Jack
(Pillsbury)
Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Extra Light & Fluffy Pancake Mix (all varieties)
Jiffy
Corn Muffin Mix
Blueberry Muffin Mix
Raspberry Muffin Mix
Pie Crust Mix
Mrs. Butterworths
(Aurora Foods)
Complete Pancake Mix
Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Pepperidge Farms
(Campbell’s)
Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Pillsbury
Quick Bread & Muffin Mixes
Blueberry
Chocolate Chip
Banana
Cranberry
Lemon Poppyseed
Nut

Hot Roll Mix
Gingerbread
baking needs
Bakers
(Kraft/Phillip Morris)
Unsweetened Chocolate
Semi-Sweet Chocolate
German Sweet Chocolate
White Chocolate
Hershey’s
Semi-Sweet Baking Chips
Milk Chocolate Chips
Mini Kisses
Nestle
Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Milk Chocolate Chips
White Chocolate
Butterscotch Chips
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bars

BREAD GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Holsum
(Interstate Bakeries)
Holsum Thin Sliced
Roman Meal
12 Grain
Round Top
Home Pride
Buttertop White
Buttertop Wheat
Pepperidge Farms
(Campbell’s)
Cinnamon Swirl
Light Oatmeal
Light Wheat
100% Whole Wheat
Hearty Slices
7 Grain
9 Grain
Crunchy Oat
Whole Wheat
Light Side
Oatmeal
Wheat
7 Grain
Soft Dinner Rolls
Club Rolls
Sandwich Buns
Hoagie Rolls
Thomas’
(Bestfoods)
English Muffins Original
Cinnamon Raisin
Honey Wheat
Oat Bran
Blueberry
Maple French Toast

Toast-r-Cakes Blueberry
Toast-r-Cakes Corn Muffins
Wonder
(Interstate Bakeries)
White Sandwich Bread
Country Grain
Buttermilk
Thin Sandwich
Light Wheat
100% Stoneground Wheat
Fat Free Multigrain
Premium Potato
Beefsteak Rye
Wonder Hamburger Buns

BREAKFAST GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

breakfast bars
Kellogg’s
Pop Tarts
(all varieties)
Pop Tarts Snack Stix
(all)
Nutri-Grain Bars
(all)
Nutri-Grain Fruit Filled Squares
(all)
Nutri-Grain Twists
(all)
Fruit-Full Squares
(all)
Nabisco
(Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
Fruit & Grain Bars
(all varieties)
Nature Valley
(General Mills)
Oats & Honey Granola Bars
Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Cinnamon Granola Bars
Pillsbury
(General Mills)
Toaster Scrambles & Strudels
(all varieties)
Quaker
Chewy Granola Bars
(all varieties)
Fruit & Oatmeal Bars
(all varieties)
waffles
Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles
Buttermilk
Blueberry
Eggo Frozen Waffles
(Kellogg’s)
Homestyle
Buttermilk
Nutri-Grain Whole Wheat
Nutri-Grain Multi Grain
Cinnamon Toast
Blueberry
Strawberry
Apple Cinnamon
Banana Bread
Hungry Jack Frozen Waffles
(Pillsbury/General Mills)
Homestyle
Buttermilk

CEREAL GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

General Mills
Cheerios
Wheaties
Total
Corn Chex
Lucky Charms
Trix
Kix
Golden Grahams
Cinnamon Grahams
Count Chocula
Honey Nut Chex
Frosted Cheerios
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
Multi-Grain Cheerios
Frosted Wheaties
Brown Sugar & Oat Total
Basic 4
Reeses Puffs
French Toast Crunch
Kellogg’s
Frosted Flakes
Corn Flakes
Special K
Raisin Bran
Rice Krispies
Corn Pops
Product 19
Smacks
Froot Loops
Marshmallow Blasted Fruit Loops
Apple Jacks
Crispix
Smart Start
All-Bran
Complete Wheat Bran
Complete Oat Bran
Just Right Fruit & Nut
Honey Crunch Corn Flakes
Raisin Bran Crunch
Cracklin’ Oat Bran
Country Inn Specialties
(all varieties)
Mothers Cereals
(Quaker)
Toasted Oat Bran
Peanut Butter Bumpers
Groovy Grahams
Harvest Oat Flakes
Harvest Oat Flakes w/Apples & Almonds
Honey Round Ups
Post
(Kraft-Phillip Morris)
Raisin Bran
Bran Flakes
Grape Nut Flakes
Grape Nut O’s
Fruit & Fibre date, raisin and walnut
Fruit & Fibre peach, raisin and almond
Honey Bunch of Oats
Honey Nut Shredded Wheat
Honey Comb
Golden Crisp
Waffle Crisp
Cocoa Pebbles
Cinna-Crunch Pebbles
Fruity Pebbles
Alpha-Bits
Post Selects Cranberry Almond
Post Selects Banana Nut Crunch
Post Selects Blueberry Morning
Post Selects Great Grains
Quaker
Life
Cinnamon Life
100% Natural Granola
Toasted Oatmeal
Toasted Oatmeal Honey Nut
Oat Bran
Cap’n Crunch
Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch
Cap’n Crunch Crunchling Berries

CHOCOLATE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

candy
Cadbury
(Cadbury/Hershey’s)
Mounds
Almond Joy
York Peppermint Patty
Dairy Milk
Roast Almond
Fruit & Nut
Hershey’s
Kit-Kat
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Mr. Goodbar
Special Dark
Milk Chocolate
Kisses
Symphony
Kraft
(Kraft/Phillip Morris)
Toblerone
(all varieties)
Mars
M&M
(all varieties)
Snickers
Three Musketeers
Milky Way
Twix
Nestle
Crunch
Milk Chocolate
Chunky
Butterfinger
100 Grand
drink mixes and dessert toppings
Carnation
(Nestle)
Hot Cocoa Mixes:
Rich Chocolate
Double Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
Marshmallow Madness
Mini Marshmallow
No Sugar
Hershey’s
Chocolate Syrup
Special Dark Chocolate Syrup
Strawberry Syrup
Nestle
Nesquik
Strawberry Nesquik
Swiss Miss
(ConAgra)
Hot Cocoa Mixes:
Chocolate Sensation
Milk Chocolate
Marshmallow Lovers
Marshmallow Lovers Fat Free
No Sugar Added

CONDIMENTS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Del Monte
(Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
Ketchup
Heinz
Ketchup
(regular & no salt)
Chili Sauce
Cocktail Sauce
Heinz 57 Steak Sauce
Hellman’s
(Bestfoods)
Real Mayonnaise
Light Mayonnaise
Low-Fat Mayonnaise
Hunt’s
(ConAgra)
Ketchup
(regular & no salt)
KC Masterpiece
(Clorox)
Original BBQ sauce
Garlic & Herb Marinade
Honey Teriyaki Marinade
Kraft
(Kraft/Phillip Morris)
Miracle Whip
(all varieties)
Kraft Mayonnaise
(all)
Thick & Spicy BBQ sauces
(all varieties)
Char Grill BBQ sauce
Honey Hickory BBQ sauce
Nabisco
(Nabiso/Phillip Morris)
A-1 Steak Sauce
Open Pit
(Vlasic/Campbells)
BBQ sauces
(all)
salsa
Chi-Chi’s
(Hormel)
Fiesta Salsa
(all varieties)
Old El Paso
(Pillsbury)
Thick & Chunky Salsa
Garden Pepper Salsa
Taco Sauce
Picante Sauce
Ortega
(Nestle)
Taco Sauce
Salsa Prima Homestyle
Salsa Prima Roasted Garlic
Salsa Prima 3 Bell Pepper
Thick & Chunky Salsa
Pace
(Campbells)
Chunky Salsa
Picante Sauce
Tostitos Salsa
(Frito-Lay/Pepsi)
All Natural
All Natural Thick & Chunky
Roasted Garlic
Restaurant Style

COOKIES GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Delicious Brands
(Parmalat)
Animal Crackers
Ginger Snaps
Fig Bars
Oatmeal
Sugar-Free Duplex
Honey Grahams
Cinnamon Grahams
Fat Free Vanilla Wafers
English Toffee Heath Cookies
Butterfinger Cookies
Skippy Peanut Butter Cookies
Famous Amos
(Keebler/Flowers Industries)
Chocolate Chip
Oatmeal Raisin
Chocolate Sandwich
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Vanilla Sandwich
Oatmeal Macaroon Sandwich
Frookies
(Delicious Brands/Parmalat)
Peanut Butter Chunk
Chocolate Chip
Double Chocolate
Frookwich Vanilla
Frookwich Chocolate
Frookwich Peanut Butter
Frookwich Lemon
Funky Monkeys Chocolate
Ginger Snaps
Lemon Wafers
Keebler
(Keebler/Flowers Industries)
Chips Deluxe
Sandies
E.L. Fudge
Soft Batch Chocolate Chip
Golden Vanilla Wafers
Droxies
Vienna Fingers
Fudge Shoppe Fudge Stripes
Fudge Shoppe Double Fudge & Caramel
Fudge Shoppe Fudge Stix
Fudge Shoppe Peanut Butter Fudge Stix
Country Style Oatmeal
Graham Originals
Graham Cinnamon Crisp
Graham Chocolate
Graham Honey Low Fat
Crème Filled Wafers
Chocolate Filled Wafers
Nabisco (Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
Oreo
(all varieties)
Chips Ahoy!
(all varieties)
Fig Newtons
(and all Newtons varities)
Lorna Doone
Nutter Butters
Barnum Animal Crackers
Nilla Wafers
Nilla Chocolate Wafers
Pecanz Shortbread
Family Favorites Oatmeal
Famous Wafers
Fudge Covered Mystic Sticks
Honey Maid Graham Crackers
Honey Maid Cinnamon Grahams
Honey Maid Chocolate Grahams
Honey Maid Oatmeal Crunch
Teddy Grahams
Teddy Grahams Cinnamon
Teddy Grahams Chocolate
Teddy Grahams Chocolate Chips
Café Cremes Vanilla
Café Crème Cappuccino
Pepperidge Farm
(Campbell’s)
Milano
Mint Milano
Chessmen
Bordeaux
Brussels
Geneva
Chocolate Chip
Lemon Nut
Shortbread
Sugar
Ginger Men
Raspberry Chantilly
Strawberry Verona
Chocolate Mocha Salzburg
Chocolate Chunk Chesapeake
Chocolate Chunk Nantucket
Chocolate Chunk Sausalito
Oatmeal Raisin Soft Baked
Sesame Street
(Keebler)
Cookie Monster
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Sandwich
Vanilla Sandwich
Cookie Pals
Honey Grahams
Cinnamon Grahams
Frosted Grahams
Snack Wells
(Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
Devil’s Food
Golden Devil’s Food
Mint Crème
Coconut Crème
Chocolate Sandwich
Chocolate Chip
Peanut Butter Chip
Double Chocolate Chip

CRACKERS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Keebler
(Keebler/Flowers Industries)
Town House
Club
Munch ‘Ems
(all varieties)
Wheatables
Zesta Saltines
Toasteds
(Wheat, Onion, Sesame & Butter Crisps)
Snax Stix
(Wheat, Cheddar & original)
Harvest Bakery
(Multigrain, Butter, Corn Bread)
Nabisco
(Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
Ritz
(all varieties)
Wheat Thins
(all)
Wheatsworth
Triscuits
Waverly
Sociables
Better Cheddars
Premium Saltines
(all)
Ritz Snack Mix
(all)
Vegetable Flavor Crisps
Swiss Cheese Flavor Crisps
Cheese Nips
(all)
Uneeda Biscuits
Pepperidge Farm
(Campbell’s)
Butter Thins
Hearty Wheat
Cracker Trio
Cracker Quartet
Three Cheese Snack Stix
Sesame Snack Stix
Pumpernickel Snack Stix
Goldfish
(original, cheddar, parmesan, pizza, pretzel)
Goldfish Snack Mix
(all)
Red Oval Farms
(Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
Stoned Wheat Thins
(all varieties)
Crisp ‘N Light Sourdough Rye
Crisp ‘N Light Wheat
Sunshine
(Flowers Industries)
Cheeze-It
(original & reduced fat)
Cheeze-It White Cheddar
Cheeze-It Party Mix
Krispy Original Saltines

FROZEN DINNERS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Banquet
(ConAgra)
Pot Pies
(all varieties)
Fried Chicken
Salisbury Steak
Chicken Nugget Meal
Pepperoni Pizza Meal
Budget Gourmet
(Heinz)
Roast Beef Supreme
Beef Stroganoff
Three Cheese Lasagne
Chicken Oriental & Vegeatble
Fettuccini Primavera
Green Giant
(Pillsbury)
Rice Pilaf with Chicken Flavored Sauce
Rice Medley with Beef Flavored Sauce
Primavera Pasta
Pasta Accents Creamy Cheddar
Create-a-Meals Parmesan Herb Chicken
Cheesy Pasta and Vegetable
Beef Noodle
Sweet & Sour
Mushroom Wine Chicken

Healthy Choice
(ConAgra)
Stuffed Pasta Shells
Chicken Parmagiana
Country Breaded Chicken
Roast Chicken Breast
Beef Pot Roast
Chicken & Corn Bread
Cheese & Chicken Tortellini
Lemon Pepper Fish
Shrimp & Vegetable
Macaroni & Cheese
Kid Cuisine
(ConAgra)
Chicken Nugget Meal
Fried Chicken
Taco Roll Up
Corn Dog
Cheese Pizza
Fish Stix
Macaroni & Cheese
Lean Cuisine
(Stouffer’s/Nestle)
Skillet Sensations Chicken & Vegetable
Broccoli & Beef
Homestyle Beef
Teriyaki Chicken
Chicken Alfredo
Garlic Chicken
Roast Turkey

Hearty Portions Chicken Florentine
Beef Stroganoff
Cheese & Spinach Manicotti
Salisbury Steak

Café Classics Baked Fish
Baked Chicken
Chicken a L’Orange
Chicken Parmesan
Meatloaf with Whipped Potatoes

Everyday Favorites Chicken Fettuccini
Chicken Pie
Angel Hair Pasta
Three Bean Chili with Rice
Macaroni & Cheese

Marie Callenders
(ConAgra)
Chicken Pot Pie
Lasagna & Meat Sauce
Turkey & Gravy
Meat Loaf & Gravy
Country Fried Chicken & Gravy
Fettuccini with Broccoli & Cheddar
Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes
Country Fried Pork Chop with Gravy
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ore-Ida Frozen Potatoes
(Heinz)
Fast Fries
Steak fries
Zesties
Shoestrings
Hash Browns
Tater Tots
Potato Wedges
Crispy Crunchies
Rosetto Frozen Pasta
(Heinz)
Cheese Ravioli
Beef Ravioli
Italian Sausage Ravioli
Eight Cheese Stuffed Shells
Eight Cheese Broccoli Stuffed Shells
Stouffer’s
(Nestle)
Family Style Favorites Macaroni & Cheese
Stuffed Peppers
Broccoli au Gratin
Meat Loaf in Gravy
Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole

Homestyle Meatloaf
Salisbury Steak
Chicken Breast in Gravy

Hearty Portions Salisbury Steak
Chicken Fettucini
Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes
Chicken Pot Pie

Swanson
(Vlasic/Campbells)
Meat Loaf
Fish & Chips
Salisbury Steak
Chicken Nuggets
Hungry Man Fried Chicken
Roast Chicken
Fisherman’s Platter
Pork Rib

Voila!
(Bird’s Eye/Agri-Link Foods)
Chicken Voila! Alfredo
Chicken Voila! Garlic
Chicken Voila! Pesto
Chicken Voila! Three Cheese
Steak Voila! Beef Sirloin
Shrimp Voila! Garlic
Weight Watchers
(Heinz)
Smart Ones Fiesta Chicken
Basil Chicken
Ravioli Florentine
Fajita Chicken
Roasted Vegetable Primavera

ENERGY BARS AND DRINKS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

energy bars
Power Bar
(Nestle)
Oatmeal Raisin
Apple Cinnamon
Peanut Butter
Vanilla Crisp
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Mocha
Banana
Wild Berry
Harvest Bars Apple Crisp
Blueberry
Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Strawberry
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

drink mixes
Carnation Instant Breakfast Mix
(Nestle)
Creamy Milk Chocolate
Classic Chocolate
French Vanilla
Strawberry
Café Mocha

HEAT AND SERVE MEALS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Chef Boyardee
(ConAgra)
Beefaroni
Macaroni & Cheese
Mini Ravioli
ABC’s & 123′s
Dinty Moore
(Hormel)
Beef Stew
Turkey Stew
Chicken & Dumplings
Hormel
Chili with Beans
Chili No Beans
Vegetarian Chili with Beans
Kids’ Kitchen
(Hormel)
Spaghetti Rings with Meatballs
Macaroni & Cheese
Pizza Wedges with 3 Cheese
Franco-American
(Campbell’s)
Spaghetti O’s
Mini Ravioli
Power Rangers Pasta in Sauce

MEAT AND DAIRY ALTERNATIVES GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

meat alternatives
Loma Linda
(Worthington/Kellogg’s*)
Meatless Chik Nuggest
Morningstar
(Worthington/Kellogg’s*)
Harvest Burger
Better ‘n Burgers
Garden Veggie Patties
Grillers Burgers
Black Bean Burger
Chicken Patties
Natural Touch
(Worthington/Kellogg’s*)
Garden Vegetable Pattie
Black Bean Burger
Okra Pattie
Lentil Rice Loaf
Nine Bean Loaf
Worthington
(Worthington/Kellogg’s*)
Vegetarian Burger
Savory Slices
dairy alternatives
Nutra Blend Soy Beverage
(Bestfoods)
Original
Vanilla
Apple
Orange

MEAL MIXES AND SAUCE PACKETS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Betty Crocker
(General Mills)
Garden Vegetable Pilaf
Creamy Herb Risotto
Garlic Alfredo Fettuccini
Bowl Appetit Cheddar Broccoli
Macaroni & Cheese
Pasta Alfredo

Knorr
(Bestfoods)
Mushroom Risotto Italian Rice
Broccoli au Gratin Risotto
Vegetable Primavera Risotto
Risotto Milanese
Original Pilf
Chicken Pilaf
Rotini with 4 Cheese
Bow Tie Pasta with Chicken & Vegetable
Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato
Fettuccini with Alfredo
Classic Sauce Packets Hollandaise
Béarnaise
White
Brown
Lemon Herb
Mushroom Brown
Onion
Roasted Chicken
Roasted Pork
Roasted Turkey

Pasta Sauce Packets Alfredo
Four Cheese
Carbonara
Pesto
Garlic Herb

Lipton
(Unilever)
Rice & Sauce Packets Chicken Broccoli
Cheddar Broccoli
Beef Flavor
Spanish
Chicken Flavor
Creamy Chicken
Mushroom

Sizzle & Stir Skillet Supers Lemon Garlic Chicken & Rice
Spanish Chicken & Rice
Herb Chicken & Bowties
Cheddar Chicken & Shells

Near East
(Quaker)
Spicy Tomato Pasta Mix
Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Pasta Mix
Falafel Mix
Lentil Pilaf
Couscous
Tomato Lentil
Parmesan
Toasted Pinenut
Herb Chicken
Broccoli & Cheese
Curry
Pasta Roni
(Quaker)
Fettuccini Alfredo
Garlic Alfredo
Angel Hair Pasta with Herbs
Angel Hair Pasta with Parmesan Cheese
Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato Parmesan
Angel Hair Pasta Primavera
Garlic & Olive Oil with Vermicelli
Rice-a-Roni
(Quaker)
Rice Pilaf
Beef
Chicken
Fried Rice
Chicken & Broccoli
Long Grain & Wild Rice
Broccoli au Gratin
Uncle Ben’s
(Mars)
Long Grain & Wild Rice
(Original & with Garlic)
Brown & Wild Rice Mushroom
Country Inn Mexican Fiesta
Country Inn Oriental Fried Rice
Country Inn Chicken & Vegetable
Country Inn Chicken & Broccoli
Natural Select Chicken & Herb
Natural Select Tomato & Basil
Chef’s Recipe Chicken & Vegetable Pilaf
Chef’s Recipe Beans & Rice
Chef’s Recipe Broccoli Rice

FROZEN PIZZA GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Celeste
(Aurora Foods)
Supreme
Pepperoni
Vegetable
Four Cheese
Deluxe
Cheese
Tombstone
(Kraft/Phillip Morris)
Pepperoni
Supreme
Sausage & Pepperoni
Extra Cheese
Stuffed Crust
Three Cheese
Totino’s
(Pillsbury)
Crisp Crust
Pepperoni
Combination

SNACK FOODS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Act II Microwave Popcorn
(ConAgra)
Butter
Extreme Butter
Corn on the Cob
Frito-Lay*
(PepsiCo)
Lays Potato Chips
(all varieties)
Ruffles Potato Chips
(all)
Doritos Corn Chips
(all)
Tostitos Corn Chips
(all)
Fritos Corn Chips
(all)
Cheetos
(all)
Rold Gold Pretzels
(all)
Cracker Jack Popcorn
Healthy Choice Microwave Popcorn
(ConAgra)
Organic Corn
(soy/canola oils)
Mothers Corn Cakes
(Quaker)
Butter Pop
Orville Redenbacher Microwave Popcorn
(ConAgra)
Original
Homestyle
Butter
Smart Pop
Pour Over
Orville Redenbacher Popcorn Cakes
Chocolate
Caramel
Orville Redenbacher Mini Popcorn Cakes
Butter
Peanut Caramel
Chocolate Peanut
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn
(Betty Crocker/General Mills)
Natural
Homestyle
Jumbo Pop
Extra Butter
Light
94% Fat Free Butter
Pringles
(Procter & Gamble)
Original
Low Fat
Pizza-licious
Sour Cream & Onion
Salt & Vinegar
Cheezeums
Quaker Rice Cakes
Peanut Butter
Chocolate Crunch
Cinnamon Streusel
Mini
Chocolate
Ranch
Sour Cream & Onion
Apple Cinnamon
Caramel Corn
Quaker Corn Cakes
White Cheddar
Caramel Corn
Strawberry Crunch
Caramel Chocolate Chip
*Frito has informed its corn and potato suppliers that the company wishes to avoid GE crops, but acknowledges that canola or other oils and ingredients in its products may be from GE sources.

SODA AND JUICE DRINKS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

sodas
Coca Cola
Coca Cola
Sprite
Cherry Coke
Barq’s Root Beer
Minute Maid Orange
Minute Maid Grape
Surge
Ultra
PepsiCo
Pepsi
Slice
Wild Cherry Pepsi
Mug Root Beer
Mountain Dew
Cadbury/Schweppes
7-Up
Dr. Pepper
A & W Root Beer
Sunkist Orange
Schweppes Ginger Ale
juice drinks
Capri Sun juices
(Kraft/Phillip Morris)
Red Berry
Surfer Cooler
Splash Cooler
Wild Cherry
Strawberry Kiwi
Fruit Punch
Pacific Cooler
Strawberry
Orange
Grape
Fruitopia
(Coca Cola)
Grape Beyond
Berry Lemonade
Fruit Integration
Kiwiberry Ruckus
Strawberry Passion
Tremendously Tangerine
Fruit Works
(PepsiCo)
Strawberry Melon
Peach Papaya
Pink Lemonade
Apple Raspberry
Gatorade
(Quaker)
Lemon Lime
Orange
Fruitpunch
Fierce Grape
Frost Riptide Rush
Hawaiian Punch
(Procter & Gamble)
Tropical Fruit
Grape Geyser
Fruit Juicy Red
Strawberry Surfin
Hi-C
(Coca Cola)
Pink Lemonade
Watermelon Rapids
Boppin’ Berry
Tropical Punch
Smashin’ Wildberry
Blue Cooler
Blue Moon Berry
Orange
Cherry
Kool Aid
(Kraft/Phillip Morris)
Blastin’ Berry Cherry
Bluemoon Berry
Kickin’ Kiwi Lime
Tropical Punch
Wild Berry Tea
Ocean Spray
Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Cranapple
CranGrape
CranRaspberry
CranStrawberry
CranMango
Squeeze It
(Betty Crocker/General Mills)
Rockin’ Red Puncher
Chucklin’ Cherry
Mystery 2000
Sunny Delight
(Procter & Gamble)
Sunny Delight Original
Sunny Delight With Calcium Citrus Punch
Sunny Delight California Style Citrus Punch
Tang juices
(Kraft/Phillip Morris)
Orange Uproar
Fruit Frenzy
Berry Panic
Tropicana Twisters
(PepsiCo)
Grape Berry
Apple Raspberry Blackberry
Cherry Berry
Cranberry Raspberry Strawberry
Pink Grapefruit
Tropical Strawberry
Orange Cranberry
Orange Strawberry Banana
V-8
(Campbells)
V8 Tomato Juices
(all varieties)
Strawberry Kiwi
Strawberry Banana
Fruit Medley
Berry Blend
Citrus Blend
Apple Medley
Tropical Blend
Island Blend

SOUP GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Campbell’s
Tomato
Chicken Noodle
Cream of Chicken
Cream of Mushroom
Cream of Celery
Cream of Broccoli
Cheddar Cheese
Green Pea
Healthy Request Chicken Noodle
Cream of Chicken
Cream of Mushroom
Cream of Celery

Campbell’s Select Roasted Chicken with Rice
Grilled Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes
Chicken Rice
Vegetable Beef

Chunky Beef with Rice
Hearty Chicken & Vegetable
Pepper Steak
Baked Potato with Steak & Cheese
New England Clam Chowder

Soup to Go Chicken Noodle
Chicken Rice
Garden Vegetable
Vegetable Beef & Rice

Simply Home Chicken Noodle
Chicken Rice
Garden Vegetable
Vegetable Beef with Pasta

Healthy Choice
(ConAgra)
Country Vegetable
Fiesta Chicken
Bean & Pasta
Chicken Noodle
Chicken with Rice
Minestrone
Pepperidge Farms
(Campbell’s)
Corn Chowder
Lobster Bisque
Chicken & Wild Rice
New England Clam Chowder
Crab Soup
Progresso
(Pillsbury)
Tomato Basil
Chicken Noodle
Chicken & Wild Rice
Chicken Barley
Lentil
New England Clam Chowder
Zesty Herb Tomato
Roasted Chicken with Rotini
Fat Free Minestrone
Fat Free Chicken Noodle
Fat Free Lentil
Fat Free Roast Chicken

TOMATOES AND TOMATO SAUCES GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS

Del Monte
(Nabisco/Phillip Morris)
Tomato Sauce
Five Brothers Pasta Sauces
(Lipton/Unilever)
Summer Vegetable
Five Cheese
Roasted Garlic & Onion
Tomato & Basil
Healthy Choice Pasta Sauces
(ConAgra)
Traditional
Garlic & Herb
Sun-Dried Tomato & Herb
Hunts
(ConAgra)
Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
Four Cheese Spaghetti Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Prego Pasta Sauces
(Campbells)
Tomato, Basil & Garlic
Fresh Mushroom
Ricotta Parmesan
Meat Flavored
Roasted Garlic & Herb
Three Cheese
Mini-Meatball
Chicken with Parmesan
Ragu Sauces (Lipton/Unilever)
Old World Traditional
Old World with Meat
Old World Marinara
Old World with Mushrooms
Ragu Robusto Parmesan & Romano
Ragu Robusto Roasted Garlic
Ragu Robusto Sweet Italian Sausage
Ragu Robusto Six Cheese
Ragu Robusto Tomato, Olive Oil & Garlic
Ragu Robusto Classic Italian Meat
Chunky Garden Style Super Garlic
Chunky Garden Style Garden Combo
Chunky Garden Style Tomato, Garlic & Onion
Chunky Garden Style Tomato, Basil & Italian Cheese
Pizza Quick Traditional

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Even the American Medical Association (AMA) May Back Labeling of GMOs
Anthony Gucciardi
NaturalSociety

The AMA will reportedly be considering the proposals on June 17th, during its annual meeting. What’s more, the long list of individuals and organizations behind the push for labeling does not stop there. The resolutions submitted to the AMA are backed by a multitude of researchers and physicians, including Dr. Martha Herbert, a pediatric neurologist and past vice-chair of the Council on Responsible Genetics. In response to the secretive nature of GMOs and the subsequent lack of real knowledge on their wide scale effects, Dr. Herbert stated:

 “Tracking the millions of people with vulnerable immune systems and their reaction to novel proteins and virus fragments in genetically engineered food is impossible without food labeling.”

Even mainstream medical groups are coming out of the woodwork to lend support to the labeling of GMOs. It’s time that the government began responding appropriately to the overwhelming amount of support towards the many labeling campaigns and initiatives currently being launched around the globe.

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/even-the-american-medical-association-ama-may-back-labeling-of-gmos/#ixzz1wTCNbXxk

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The first generation of biotech crops has failed. And failed badly. Now the biotech industry is stepping up the chemical arms race in an effort to make up for the failure of Monsanto’s Roundup. Excessive use of Roundup by GMO farmers has led million of acres of U.S. farmland filled with Roundup resistant superweeds.

To combat this, Dow Chemical is petitioning the USDA to approve a new GMO Agent Orange corn to tolerate 2,4-D, a main chemical component of the Vietnam era defoliant linked to birth defects, cancer, and hormone disruption. On top of these horrific health problems, 2,4-D is widely known among farmers to be difficult to control during application, leading to drift onto neighboring farms, causing major crop damage and contaminating waterways.

These facts have greatly alarmed scientists and farmers alike, leading a former top Reagan USDA official to declare 2,4-D one of  “the most dangerous chemicals out there.”

CLICK HERE TO BE DIRECTED TO PUBLIC COMMENT AREA

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/stop_agent_orange_corn/?akid=531.142348.wjJdlX&rd=1&t=10

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In its short, shameless history, big agriculture has had only one big idea: uniformity. The obvious example is corn. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that American farmers — big farmers — will plant 94 million acres of corn this year. That’s the equivalent of planting corn on every inch of Montana. To do that you’d have to make sure that every inch of Montana fell within corn-growing parameters. That would mean leveling the high spots, irrigating the dry spots, draining the wet spots, fertilizing the infertile spots, and so on. Corn is usually grown where the terrain is less rigorous than it is in Montana. But even in Iowa that has meant leveling, irrigating, draining, fertilizing, and, of course, spraying.

You can argue whether uniformity is the result of efficiency or vice versa. But let’s suppose that efficiency is merely the economic expression of uniformity. The point is this: When you see a Midwestern cornfield, you know you’re looking at nature with one idea superimposed upon it. This is far less confusing, less tangled in variation than the nature you find even in the roadside ditches beside a cornfield or in a last scrap of native prairie growing

Humans have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the big idea behind nature is. It’s hard to tell, because we live at nature’s pace and within the orb of human abstraction. We barely notice the large-scale differences from year to year, much less the minute ones. But if we could speed up time a little and become a lot more perceptive, we would see that nature’s big idea is to try out life wherever and however it can be tried, which means everywhere and anyhow. The result — over time and at this instant — is diversity, complexity, particularity, and inventiveness to an extent our minds are almost unfitted to conceive.

A reasonable agriculture would do its best to emulate nature. Rather than change the earth to suit a crop — which is what we do with corn and soybeans and a handful of other agricultural commodities — it would diversify its crops to suit the earth. This is not going to happen in big agriculture, because big agriculture is irrational. It’s where we expose — at unimaginable expense — our failure to grasp how nature works. It’s where uniformity is always defeated eventually by diversity and where big agriculture’s ideas of diversity are revealed to be as uniform as ever.

To a uniform crop like corn, farmers have been encouraged to apply a uniform herbicide to kill weeds. Modern corn is genetically engineered to not be killed by the herbicide in ubiquitous use. Mostly, that herbicide has been glyphosate, marketed under the Monsanto trade name Roundup. Farmers have sprayed and over-sprayed billions of gallons of Roundup thanks to an

To broadleaf weeds and soil microorganisms, Roundup is not the apocalypse. It is simply a modest, temporal challenge, which is why, 15 years after genetically-engineered, Roundup-tolerant crops were widely introduced, it’s no longer working against spontaneous new generations of Roundup-tolerant weeds, especially in cotton fields. This is because research, in nature’s laboratory, never stops. It explores every possibility. It never lacks funding. It is never demoralized by failed experiments. It cannot be lobbied.

To fix the problem of glyphosate-tolerant weeds, Dow Chemical is hoping to introduce crop varieties that will withstand being sprayed with an herbicide called 2,4-D. When it was first released to farmers in 1946, 2,4-D was a breakthrough — a herbicide that killed only certain kinds of plants instead of killing them all. It’s less safe than glyphosate, especially because it’s sometimes contaminated with dioxin. But it’s not an indiscriminate, lethal killer, despite the fact that it was one of the chemicals in Agent Orange, the notorious defoliant used during the Vietnam War. (The dioxin in Agent Orange came from another component chemical called 2,4,5-T.)

Still, this is backward-engineering of a sort, like trying to breed birds that will tolerate DDT. And while the USDA hasn’t decided whether to approve Dow’s 2,4-D-tolerant soybeans yet, it has decided to speed up the process of reviewing genetically-engineered crops, mainly to help deal with the spread of so-called superweeds caused by the nearly universal application of glyphosate for the last decade and a half. According to Dow’s numbers, superweeds affected some 60 million acres of crops last year. If things go right, bureaucratically, that is just so much cash in Dow’s pocket.

For decades, farm bills in the U.S. Congress have supported large-scale agriculture. But with the 2012 Farm Bill now up for debate, Jim Robbinswrites, advocates say seismic shifts in the way the nation views food production may lead to new policies that tilt more toward local, sustainable agriculture.

“Farmers needs technology right now to help them with issues such as weed resistance,” a Dow official said last month. Translation? Farmers need technology right now to help them with issues created by right-now technology introduced 15 years ago. Instead of urging farmers away from uniformity and toward greater diversity, the USDA is helping them do the same old wrong thing faster. When an idea goes bad, the USDA seems to think, the way to fix it is to speed up the introduction of ideas that will go bad for exactly the same reason. And it’s always, somehow, the same bad idea: the uniform application of an anti-biological agent, whether it’s a pesticide in crops or an antibiotic on factory farms. The result is always the same. Nature finds a way around it, and quickly.

This is the irrationality of agriculture as it’s practiced in the United States and now all over the world. It has one big idea, and it will never give it up, because it has invested everything in that one big idea. Against uniformity and abstraction — embodied in millions of acres of genetically-modified crops — nature will always win. Whether it can ever win against the uniformity and abstraction embodied in the human brain is very much in doubt.

The Folly of Big Agriculture: Why Nature Always Wins by Verlyn Klinkenborg: Yale Environment 360.

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“Traditional theories of regulatory capture cannot be used the same on agencies,” contends Shon R. Hiatt, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School. “There are a lot of checks and balances and firewalls in place.”

So how are these agencies influenced?

Hiatt, who grew up on a dairy farm in Idaho, began asking that question through research on the controversial issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), agricultural products that are genetically altered to increase yield, incorporate pesticide properties, or exhibit other beneficial qualities. (Calgene’s Flavr Savr tomato was the first genetically modified product to come to market, in 1992.) However, the organisms also potentially carry health and environmental risks. After reading about these dangers, Hiatt wondered how the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) decides which GMOs to approve—and how agribusiness influences the process.

Traditional theories break down

As Hiatt began investigating, he found that traditional theories of capture such as lobbying and campaign contributions had little effect on whether any particular GMO was approved. Even more direct means of influence such as scientific articles funded by industry or letters written by industry-friendly congresspeople were equally ineffective.

What did seem to affect the approval process, however, was the influence of third-party groups separate from Congress and industry, to which the department looked to justify its decisions.

We may think the primary goal of agencies such as the USDA is to protect public health and safety; based on previous economic theory, however, Hiatt started with a different assumption—the primary goal of an agency is really to protect its own legitimacy. After all, it’s the perception of an agency’s effectiveness by Congress and the White House that will determine its budget and the career trajectory of its top officials. Of course, there is an overlap between the appearance of doing a good job and actually doing one. “If the USDA weren’t doing its job, it would have very little legitimacy,” says Hiatt. But that subtle difference in perspective also has the potential to distort the agency’s reliance on pure science in its approval of GMOs.

In his working paper “Lords of the Harvest: Third-Party Signaling and Regulatory Approval of Genetically Modified Organisms”, written with Sangchan Park, an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore, Hiatt identifies two types of legitimacy important to the USDA. The first, “consequential” legitimacy, is the perception that the process produces effective results; the second, “procedural” legitimacy, is the perception that it is fairly following the rules of the process.  Read The Full Article

Lords of the Harvest: Third-Party Signaling and Regulatory Approval of Genetically Modified Organisms

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I have been yelling, blogging, and interviewing about this for nearly a year now.  Just last night, March 22, 2012, I spoke about it on a radio show that I was a returning guest on.

ARE YOU LISTENING YET?

Truth Teller

As if the disaster of RoundUp resistant superweeds sweeping our farmland weren’t enough, Monsanto is now preparing to launch an even greater disaster—a new soybean engineered to be resistant to the older, more toxic weedkiller, dicamba. The seed—which Monsanto plans to market in 2014 if approved—will also come stacked with the company’s RoundUp Ready gene, and is designed to be used with Monsanto’s proprietary herbicide “premix” of dicamba and glyphosate.

More dicamba-tolerant crops (corn, cotton, canola) are all waiting in the wings. If this new generation of GE crops is approved, then dicamba use will surge, just as it did with RoundUp. And we all know how well that didn’t work out. To the giant pesticide company, this chemical arms race is all part of the plan.

If you’re thinking that pouring more chemicals onto already devastated farmland sounds a bit like pouring gasoline on a fire, I’d have to agree with you. So do some hefty farm businesses, as it turns out.  Read Full Article

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WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–February 23, 2012. Seeking to ban a World War II and Vietnam era toxic weed killer ingredient called 2,4-D, the Natural Resources Defense Council today filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their failure to respond to a 2008 petition to cancel all registrations and revoke all tolerances of this known neurotoxin and ingredient in Agent Orange.

“This dangerous pesticide is lurking all over the place – from ball fields and golf courses, to front lawns and farms – exposing an enormous amount of the American public to cancer and other serious health risks,” said NRDC senior scientist Dr. Gina Solomon. “There’s no reason to continue allowing a toxic Agent Orange-ingredient in the places our children play, our families live and our farmers work. EPA must step up and finally put a stop to it.”

2,4-D is one of the oldest pesticides still legally on the market. Forty-six million pounds of 2,4-D are still used every year in the United States alone, applied, often via weed-and-feed products, to areas such as front lawns, playgrounds, and golf courses. Agricultural uses of 2,4-D include application to pasture land, timber, wheat, corn, soybeans, barley, rice, oats, and sugar cane.

Despite dozens of scientific studies that have long demonstrated 2,4-D’s link to cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cell damage, severe hormonal disruption, reproductive problems and birth defects, it remains the most commonly used conventional pesticide-based weed control product in the home and garden market and one of the top three pesticides sold nationwide today.

The pesticide has been detected in drinking water and as a contaminant in surface water and groundwater. The pesticide also lingers in soil for over a month after it is applied to lawns, meaning 2,4-D can easily finds its way into homes tracked in by shoes and pet paws. 2,4-D is classified by EPA as a hazardous air pollutant and by the State of California as a toxic air contaminant.

2,4-D can be absorbed through the skin, making anyone who applies it or is in contact with lawns or surface water near application at risk of exposure. As a result, young children who crawl on carpets or play on the floor are most vulnerable to indoor exposure by hand-to-mouth ingestion, skin absorption, and inhalation of dust.

The NRDC lawsuit, which calls for EPA to respond to a petition to ban 2,4-D, comes on the heels of aggressive pushes by agricultural biotechnology companies eager to win U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval of newly engineered and pesticide-resistant crops. Dow Agrosciences is petitioning to deregulate its 2,4-D-resistant genetically engineered crops with USDA, for which the agency is currently accepting public comments through April.

“We cannot ignore the serious harm 2,4-D poses to human health and safety any longer,” said Nick Morales, NRDC attorney. “EPA already understands the health threats. Now the agency needs to act on them.”

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WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–February 23, 2012. Seeking to ban a World War II and Vietnam era toxic weed killer ingredient called 2,4-D, the Natural Resources Defense Council today filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their failure to respond to a 2008 petition to cancel all registrations and revoke all tolerances of this known neurotoxin and ingredient in Agent Orange.

“This dangerous pesticide is lurking all over the place – from ball fields and golf courses, to front lawns and farms – exposing an enormous amount of the American public to cancer and other serious health risks,” said NRDC senior scientist Dr. Gina Solomon. “There’s no reason to continue allowing a toxic Agent Orange-ingredient in the places our children play, our families live and our farmers work. EPA must step up and finally put a stop to it.”

2,4-D is one of the oldest pesticides still legally on the market. Forty-six million pounds of 2,4-D are still used every year in the United States alone, applied, often via weed-and-feed products, to areas such as front lawns, playgrounds, and golf courses. Agricultural uses of 2,4-D include application to pasture land, timber, wheat, corn, soybeans, barley, rice, oats, and sugar cane.

Despite dozens of scientific studies that have long demonstrated 2,4-D’s link to cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cell damage, severe hormonal disruption, reproductive problems and birth defects, it remains the most commonly used conventional pesticide-based weed control product in the home and garden market and one of the top three pesticides sold nationwide today.

The pesticide has been detected in drinking water and as a contaminant in surface water and groundwater. The pesticide also lingers in soil for over a month after it is applied to lawns, meaning 2,4-D can easily finds its way into homes tracked in by shoes and pet paws. 2,4-D is classified by EPA as a hazardous air pollutant and by the State of California as a toxic air contaminant.

2,4-D can be absorbed through the skin, making anyone who applies it or is in contact with lawns or surface water near application at risk of exposure. As a result, young children who crawl on carpets or play on the floor are most vulnerable to indoor exposure by hand-to-mouth ingestion, skin absorption, and inhalation of dust.

The NRDC lawsuit, which calls for EPA to respond to a petition to ban 2,4-D, comes on the heels of aggressive pushes by agricultural biotechnology companies eager to win U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval of newly engineered and pesticide-resistant crops. Dow Agrosciences is petitioning to deregulate its 2,4-D-resistant genetically engineered crops with USDA, for which the agency is currently accepting public comments through April.

“We cannot ignore the serious harm 2,4-D poses to human health and safety any longer,” said Nick Morales, NRDC attorney. “EPA already understands the health threats. Now the agency needs to act on them.”

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USDA’s public comment period on 2,4-D resistant corn is open until Monday, February 27.

Toxic Herbicide 2,4-D Linked to Cancer, Lower Sperm Counts, and Parkinson’s Disease

2,4-D Drift Causes More Crop Injury than any Other Herbicide, Threatening American Farms
Biotech Companies Only Winners in Chemical Arms Race as Herbicide Resistant Crops Fail

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently deciding whether or not to approve an application by Dow Chemical for its controversial genetically engineered (GE) corn crop that is resistant to the highly toxic herbicide 2,4-D, one of the main ingredients in Agent Orange. USDA’s public comment period is scheduled to close next week on February 27. The Center for Food Safety (CFS), the nation’s leading organization in the fight to adequately regulate GE crops, has asked USDA to extend the public comment period, but it has failed to do so to date. If approved, CFS has vowed to challenge USDA’s decision in court, as this novel GE crop provides no public benefit and will only cause serious harm to human health, the environment, and threaten American farms.

If approved, millions of acres of “Agent Orange” corn could be planted as early as next year, raising concern for its adverse health impacts. 2,4-D was one of the main ingredients in Agent Orange, the chemical defoliant used by the U.S. in the Vietnam War. Agent Orange was contaminated with dioxins, a group of highly toxic chemical compounds, which are responsible for a host of serious medical conditions—from diabetes to cancer to birth defects—in Vietnam veterans as well as Vietnamese and their children. Industry’s own tests show that 2,4-D is still contaminated with dioxins.


“Many studies show that 2,4 D exposure is associated with various forms of cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, nerve damage, hormone disruption and birth defects,” said Dr. Amy Dean, an internal medicine physician and President-Elect of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. “Because it poses significant health risk, exposure should not be increased, but significantly reduced to protect the public’s health.”

Dow now falsely suggests that 2,4-D crops (2,4-D soybeans and cotton are also under development) are the solution to weed resistance. Far from solving the problem, however, a peer-reviewed study recently published in the prestigious journal Bioscience, entitled “Navigating a Critical Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management,” suggests that these new GE crops will pour oil on the fire, triggering an outbreak of still more intractable weeds resistant to both glyphosate and 2,4-D.

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USDA’s public comment period on 2,4-D resistant corn is open until Monday, February 27.

Toxic Herbicide 2,4-D Linked to Cancer, Lower Sperm Counts, and Parkinson’s Disease

2,4-D Drift Causes More Crop Injury than any Other Herbicide, Threatening American Farms
Biotech Companies Only Winners in Chemical Arms Race as Herbicide Resistant Crops Fail

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently deciding whether or not to approve an application by Dow Chemical for its controversial genetically engineered (GE) corn crop that is resistant to the highly toxic herbicide 2,4-D, one of the main ingredients in Agent Orange. USDA’s public comment period is scheduled to close next week on February 27. The Center for Food Safety (CFS), the nation’s leading organization in the fight to adequately regulate GE crops, has asked USDA to extend the public comment period, but it has failed to do so to date. If approved, CFS has vowed to challenge USDA’s decision in court, as this novel GE crop provides no public benefit and will only cause serious harm to human health, the environment, and threaten American farms.

If approved, millions of acres of “Agent Orange” corn could be planted as early as next year, raising concern for its adverse health impacts. 2,4-D was one of the main ingredients in Agent Orange, the chemical defoliant used by the U.S. in the Vietnam War. Agent Orange was contaminated with dioxins, a group of highly toxic chemical compounds, which are responsible for a host of serious medical conditions—from diabetes to cancer to birth defects—in Vietnam veterans as well as Vietnamese and their children. Industry’s own tests show that 2,4-D is still contaminated with dioxins.


“Many studies show that 2,4 D exposure is associated with various forms of cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, nerve damage, hormone disruption and birth defects,” said Dr. Amy Dean, an internal medicine physician and President-Elect of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. “Because it poses significant health risk, exposure should not be increased, but significantly reduced to protect the public’s health.”

Dow now falsely suggests that 2,4-D crops (2,4-D soybeans and cotton are also under development) are the solution to weed resistance. Far from solving the problem, however, a peer-reviewed study recently published in the prestigious journal Bioscience, entitled “Navigating a Critical Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management,” suggests that these new GE crops will pour oil on the fire, triggering an outbreak of still more intractable weeds resistant to both glyphosate and 2,4-D.

www.COVVHA.net
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Those of you who can remember the Vietnam War will be familiar with the term “escalation.” That was when the powers in charge of our “limited military operation” were compelled to increase the size and scope of our involvement, as the enemy increased theirs.

If you remember that, then you will also remember Agent Orange, the powerful chemical defoliant, whose heavy usage resulted in close to 40,000 disability claims from US military personnel who suffered numerous maladies ranging from skin conditions to various cancers as the result of limited exposure to it. As bad as that was, it was minor compared with the 400,000 Vietnamese citizens who were either killed or maimed by the more prolonged exposure they suffered.

Both of those terms will apply to today’s story.

Bio-tech giant Monsanto has now applied for USDA approval on a new variety of genetically-modified corn that is not only resistant to its well-known glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, but is also resistant to the far more potent and dangerous 2,4-D produced by its competitor, Dow Agro-Science. Not surprisingly, with all the friends Monsanto has in the government, the USDA appears likely to approve it.

Why, you might ask, would they develop a new variety of corn that is compatible with its competitor’s product?

Because, as many critics have long maintained, the proliferation of genetically modified crops would eventually lead to the proliferation of herbicide-resistant superweeds, such as pigweed, which is exactly what has happened. Hence, we now have a dangerous escalation of chemical warfare in the fields from which our food is being harvested.

This completely undermines the basic (and patently false) original premise behind Monsanto’s Roundup Ready™ crops. The company claimed that since Roundup was one of the least toxic herbicides on the market, and since it could be sprayed directly on the crops themselves, the proliferation of these crops was actually beneficial to the environment, because less herbicide would be required. At one time they might have actually believed that. However, their claims that Roundup is biodegradable were shown to be false. In fact, Roundup is among the top three causes of pesticide-related illness among farm and landscape workers in California, and the NY Attorney General has required them to remove the words “environmentally friendly” from the label.

So what does any of this have to do with Agent Orange? The “new” herbicide 2,4-D that Monsanto’s latest corn will be resistant to, is actually one of the two active ingredients in Agent Orange.

(The other is 2,4,5-T in a 50/50 mix Known as DIOXIN said to be 2nd only to RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN ITS DEADLINESS).

Monsanto’s genetically-modified seed program for herbicide resistance appears to be spinning out of control. This was a predictable and inevitable outcome of a cash and hubris-rich chemical company wandering into the field of biology, of which they blithely overlooked the basic principles that guaranteed that it was only a matter of time before resistant varieties would begin to evolve continuously. Now, with everything to lose, they are locked in a desperate battle to save the billions they have invested, literally throwing all caution to the wind, while we, as consumers, unless we scrupulously buy organic, have no choice but to eat the fruit of their desperate experiments.

Keep in mind that when a food crop has been developed to be resistant to an herbicide, that means farmers can spray liberal amounts of the poison directly on the food itself without killing it. Read Full Article…

www.COVVHA.net
Bookmark and Share

Those of you who can remember the Vietnam War will be familiar with the term “escalation.” That was when the powers in charge of our “limited military operation” were compelled to increase the size and scope of our involvement, as the enemy increased theirs.

If you remember that, then you will also remember Agent Orange, the powerful chemical defoliant, whose heavy usage resulted in close to 40,000 disability claims from US military personnel who suffered numerous maladies ranging from skin conditions to various cancers as the result of limited exposure to it. As bad as that was, it was minor compared with the 400,000 Vietnamese citizens who were either killed or maimed by the more prolonged exposure they suffered.

Both of those terms will apply to today’s story.

Bio-tech giant Monsanto has now applied for USDA approval on a new variety of genetically-modified corn that is not only resistant to its well-known glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, but is also resistant to the far more potent and dangerous 2,4-D produced by its competitor, Dow Agro-Science. Not surprisingly, with all the friends Monsanto has in the government, the USDA appears likely to approve it.

Why, you might ask, would they develop a new variety of corn that is compatible with its competitor’s product?

Because, as many critics have long maintained, the proliferation of genetically modified crops would eventually lead to the proliferation of herbicide-resistant superweeds, such as pigweed, which is exactly what has happened. Hence, we now have a dangerous escalation of chemical warfare in the fields from which our food is being harvested.

This completely undermines the basic (and patently false) original premise behind Monsanto’s Roundup Ready™ crops. The company claimed that since Roundup was one of the least toxic herbicides on the market, and since it could be sprayed directly on the crops themselves, the proliferation of these crops was actually beneficial to the environment, because less herbicide would be required. At one time they might have actually believed that. However, their claims that Roundup is biodegradable were shown to be false. In fact, Roundup is among the top three causes of pesticide-related illness among farm and landscape workers in California, and the NY Attorney General has required them to remove the words “environmentally friendly” from the label.

So what does any of this have to do with Agent Orange? The “new” herbicide 2,4-D that Monsanto’s latest corn will be resistant to, is actually one of the two active ingredients in Agent Orange.

(The other is 2,4,5-T in a 50/50 mix Known as DIOXIN said to be 2nd only to RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN ITS DEADLINESS).

Monsanto’s genetically-modified seed program for herbicide resistance appears to be spinning out of control. This was a predictable and inevitable outcome of a cash and hubris-rich chemical company wandering into the field of biology, of which they blithely overlooked the basic principles that guaranteed that it was only a matter of time before resistant varieties would begin to evolve continuously. Now, with everything to lose, they are locked in a desperate battle to save the billions they have invested, literally throwing all caution to the wind, while we, as consumers, unless we scrupulously buy organic, have no choice but to eat the fruit of their desperate experiments.

Keep in mind that when a food crop has been developed to be resistant to an herbicide, that means farmers can spray liberal amounts of the poison directly on the food itself without killing it. Read Full Article…

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During the late-December media lull, the USDA didn’t satisfy itself with green lighting Monsanto’s useless, PR-centric “drought-tolerant” corn. It also prepped the way for approving a product from Monsanto’s rival Dow Agrosciences—one that industrial-scale corn farmers will likely find all-too useful.

Dow has engineered a corn strain that withstands lashings of its herbicide, 2,4-D. The company’s pitch to farmers is simple: Your fields are becoming choked with weeds that have developed resistance to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. As soon as the USDA okays our product, all your problems will be solved. At risk of sounding overly dramatic, the product seems to me to bring mainstream US agriculture to a crossroads. If Dow’s new corn makes it past the USDA and into farm fields, it will mark the beginning of at least another decade of ramped-up chemical-intensive farming of a few chosen crops (corn, soy, cotton), beholden to a handful of large agrichemical firms working in cahoots to sell ever-larger quantities of poisons, environment be damned. If it and other new herbicide-tolerant crops can somehow be stopped, farming in the US heartland can be pushed toward a model based on biodiversity over monocropping, farmer skill in place of brute chemicals, and healthy food instead of industrial commodities.

Dow’s new herbicide-resistant product promises to bring those days back. In its petition to the USDA to approve 2,4-D-resistant corn, the company explicitly pitched it as the answer to farmers’ Roundup trouble. The 2,4-D trait will be “stacked” with Monsanto’s Roundup trait to “generate commercial hybrids with multiple herbicide tolerances,” the petition states. Note that the new product marks a point of collusion, not competition, between industry titans Dow and Monsanto—they plan to license the 2,4-D and Roundup traits to each other to form “stacked” hybrids.
And once they do, farmers can douse their fields with both 2,4-D and Roundup—and 2,4-D will kill whatever weeds Roundup can’t, and leave the crop pristine. Farmers growers will be able to “proactively manage weed populations while avoiding adverse population shifts of troublesome weeds or the development of resistance, particularly glyphosate- [Roundup-] resistance in weeds,” the petition promises.

The USDA, for its part, is buying what Dow is selling. Its Draft Environmental Assessment (PDF) offers no critique of Dow’s claims, and recommends that the product be deregulated. The agency is currently seeking public comment on the matter; the comment period ends Feb. 17. Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, told me that when the USDA brings a GMO product to the comment stage after having recommended deregulation, it “almost always” greenlights the product. “The only times I’ve seen the USDA hold off at this stage is when there’s a lot of public pushback,” Gurian-Sherman says. Dow’s new GM corn merits just such a public uproar, it seems to me. A just-released paper from a group of researchers led by Pennsylvania State University crop scientist David A. Mortensen makes a strong case that new herbicide-tolerant crops will lead US agriculture down a path of ever-increasing addiction to agrichemicals. (The abstract is here; I have a PDF of the full paper but can’t upload it because it’s under copyright.)

The authors note that even by Dow and Monsanto’s reckoning, a new stacked 2,4-D/Roundup-resistant product would immediately lead to an increase in herbicide use, because the companies have been advocating an herbicide program that combines current rates of Roundup use with a roughly equal amounts of 2,4-D. That’s good for sales; but not so good for the environment.

And wouldn’t such an herbicide cocktail just lead to weeds that defy both 2,4-D and Roundup? No need to worry about that; Dow and Monsanto claim that it’s extremely unlikely for weeds to survive two different herbicides that attack them simultaneously in entirely different ways.

The authors shred that argument. They retort that resistance to two or more herbicides isn’t a rare occurrence at all—globally, no fewer than 38 weed species across 12 families show resistance to two or more herbicides—”with 44% of these having appeared since 2005.”  They add that in that on millions of acres of farmland in the Midwest and South, many weeds will only need to develop a single resistance pathway, because they’re already resistant to Roundup. That is, when farmers apply 2,4-D at will to weeds that are already resistant to Roundup, they’ll essentially be selecting for weeds that can resist both.

The authors predict that glyphosate (Roundup) use will hold steady at high levels—and use of other herbicides, like 2,4-D, will soar.: From Mortensen, at al, “Navigating a Critical Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management,” BioScience, Jan. 2012
All in all, the authors conclude, chances are “actually quite high” that Dow’s new product will unleash a new generation of superweeds that resist both Roundup and 2,4-D. If 2,4-D resistance does indeed emerge, farmers will likely respond just as they responded to the advent of Roundup resistance—by applying ever higher doses.

Thus the authors project that 2,4-D use will surge for at least decade before the new seeds reach market. Their main ecological concern with an explosion in 2,4-D use is pesticide drift—they say the compound is quite volatile and prone to be carried in air, where it can do damage to non-target plants like the neighbor’s vegetable farm. “Landscapes dominated by synthetic auxin- [2,4-D]–resistant [crops] may make it challenging to cultivate tomatoes, grapes, potatoes, and other horticultural crops without the threat of yield loss from drift,” they write. They also fear that if you’re a farmer determined not to use a stacked 2,4-D/Roundup seed, you could be forced to if your neighbor’s 2,4-D spray keeps knocking down your corn.

And here’s where we get to the crossroads in our agriculture. If the agrichemical companies manage to ram through the regulatory process a bunch of patches to Roundup Ready farming, then their herbicide-drenched vision will continue dominating huge swaths of prime farmland throughout the country for the forseable future. We don’t have to go that way. It’s time to raise hell.
Read Full Report

www.COVVHA.net
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During the late-December media lull, the USDA didn’t satisfy itself with green lighting Monsanto’s useless, PR-centric “drought-tolerant” corn. It also prepped the way for approving a product from Monsanto’s rival Dow Agrosciences—one that industrial-scale corn farmers will likely find all-too useful.

Dow has engineered a corn strain that withstands lashings of its herbicide, 2,4-D. The company’s pitch to farmers is simple: Your fields are becoming choked with weeds that have developed resistance to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. As soon as the USDA okays our product, all your problems will be solved. At risk of sounding overly dramatic, the product seems to me to bring mainstream US agriculture to a crossroads. If Dow’s new corn makes it past the USDA and into farm fields, it will mark the beginning of at least another decade of ramped-up chemical-intensive farming of a few chosen crops (corn, soy, cotton), beholden to a handful of large agrichemical firms working in cahoots to sell ever-larger quantities of poisons, environment be damned. If it and other new herbicide-tolerant crops can somehow be stopped, farming in the US heartland can be pushed toward a model based on biodiversity over monocropping, farmer skill in place of brute chemicals, and healthy food instead of industrial commodities.

Dow’s new herbicide-resistant product promises to bring those days back. In its petition to the USDA to approve 2,4-D-resistant corn, the company explicitly pitched it as the answer to farmers’ Roundup trouble. The 2,4-D trait will be “stacked” with Monsanto’s Roundup trait to “generate commercial hybrids with multiple herbicide tolerances,” the petition states. Note that the new product marks a point of collusion, not competition, between industry titans Dow and Monsanto—they plan to license the 2,4-D and Roundup traits to each other to form “stacked” hybrids.
And once they do, farmers can douse their fields with both 2,4-D and Roundup—and 2,4-D will kill whatever weeds Roundup can’t, and leave the crop pristine. Farmers growers will be able to “proactively manage weed populations while avoiding adverse population shifts of troublesome weeds or the development of resistance, particularly glyphosate- [Roundup-] resistance in weeds,” the petition promises.

The USDA, for its part, is buying what Dow is selling. Its Draft Environmental Assessment (PDF) offers no critique of Dow’s claims, and recommends that the product be deregulated. The agency is currently seeking public comment on the matter; the comment period ends Feb. 17. Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, told me that when the USDA brings a GMO product to the comment stage after having recommended deregulation, it “almost always” greenlights the product. “The only times I’ve seen the USDA hold off at this stage is when there’s a lot of public pushback,” Gurian-Sherman says. Dow’s new GM corn merits just such a public uproar, it seems to me. A just-released paper from a group of researchers led by Pennsylvania State University crop scientist David A. Mortensen makes a strong case that new herbicide-tolerant crops will lead US agriculture down a path of ever-increasing addiction to agrichemicals. (The abstract is here; I have a PDF of the full paper but can’t upload it because it’s under copyright.)

The authors note that even by Dow and Monsanto’s reckoning, a new stacked 2,4-D/Roundup-resistant product would immediately lead to an increase in herbicide use, because the companies have been advocating an herbicide program that combines current rates of Roundup use with a roughly equal amounts of 2,4-D. That’s good for sales; but not so good for the environment.

And wouldn’t such an herbicide cocktail just lead to weeds that defy both 2,4-D and Roundup? No need to worry about that; Dow and Monsanto claim that it’s extremely unlikely for weeds to survive two different herbicides that attack them simultaneously in entirely different ways.

The authors shred that argument. They retort that resistance to two or more herbicides isn’t a rare occurrence at all—globally, no fewer than 38 weed species across 12 families show resistance to two or more herbicides—”with 44% of these having appeared since 2005.”  They add that in that on millions of acres of farmland in the Midwest and South, many weeds will only need to develop a single resistance pathway, because they’re already resistant to Roundup. That is, when farmers apply 2,4-D at will to weeds that are already resistant to Roundup, they’ll essentially be selecting for weeds that can resist both.

The authors predict that glyphosate (Roundup) use will hold steady at high levels—and use of other herbicides, like 2,4-D, will soar.: From Mortensen, at al, “Navigating a Critical Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management,” BioScience, Jan. 2012
All in all, the authors conclude, chances are “actually quite high” that Dow’s new product will unleash a new generation of superweeds that resist both Roundup and 2,4-D. If 2,4-D resistance does indeed emerge, farmers will likely respond just as they responded to the advent of Roundup resistance—by applying ever higher doses.

Thus the authors project that 2,4-D use will surge for at least decade before the new seeds reach market. Their main ecological concern with an explosion in 2,4-D use is pesticide drift—they say the compound is quite volatile and prone to be carried in air, where it can do damage to non-target plants like the neighbor’s vegetable farm. “Landscapes dominated by synthetic auxin- [2,4-D]–resistant [crops] may make it challenging to cultivate tomatoes, grapes, potatoes, and other horticultural crops without the threat of yield loss from drift,” they write. They also fear that if you’re a farmer determined not to use a stacked 2,4-D/Roundup seed, you could be forced to if your neighbor’s 2,4-D spray keeps knocking down your corn.

And here’s where we get to the crossroads in our agriculture. If the agrichemical companies manage to ram through the regulatory process a bunch of patches to Roundup Ready farming, then their herbicide-drenched vision will continue dominating huge swaths of prime farmland throughout the country for the forseable future. We don’t have to go that way. It’s time to raise hell.
Read Full Report

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We have all been hearing for the last couple weeks about this absurdity.  However one of the things that I have been continually yelling about is a lesser known herbicide called DICAMBA.  The problem is that Dicamba will not be lesser known for much longer. 
 It is as clear as day when looking at the chemical makeup of 2,4-D (Half of the total compound of AGENT ORANGE) that DICAMBA is actually a more destructive herbicide.

Please become aware of this herbicide - DICAMBA DICAMBA DICAMBA.  While Monsanto deals with  their well known herbicides like 2,4-D and Glyphosate, they are counting on the general public remaining unaware of their next deadly sin DICAMBA.

Truth Teller

The USDA made two momentous announcements on GMO crops, neither of which got much media scrutiny. It deregulated Monsanto’s so-called drought-tolerant corn, and it prepared to deregulate Dow’s corn engineered to withstand the herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba.

The drought-tolerant corn decision, which came down on Dec. 21, was momentous occasion, because it marked the first deregulation of a GMO crop with a “complex” trait. What I mean by that is, the other GMOs on the market have simple, one-gene traits: a gene that confers resistance to a particular herbicide, like Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seed or a gene that expresses the toxic-to-bugs properties of the bacteria Bt, as in Monsanto’s Bt seed. But a plant’s use of water is a complex process involving several genes; there’s no single “drought tolerant” gene. Generating such traits in plants that succeed in field conditions has been considerably more tricky for the agrichemical giants than than simple traits.

The drought-tolerant corn the USDA signed off on in December is the first approved crop of that kind. The trouble is, it doesn’t work very well. The USDA acknowledged as much in its environmental its Nov. 11 Final Environmental Assessment of the crop. It makes clear that the product’s “drought tolerance” extends only to “moderate” drought conditions, and it has the same “minimum water requirements” as conventional corn.

And then it drops this bombshell, citing Monsanto’s own field tests: “It is prudent to acknowledge that the reduced yield-loss phenotype of MON 87360 does not exceed the natural variation observed in regionally-adapted varieties of conventional corn (representing different genetic backgrounds).” Translation: In areas of the US corn belt where drought is a factor, conventional breeders have already developed varieties that do just as well under moderate-drought conditions as Monsanto’s genetically altered product.

It added that these non-GMO varieties are “readily available,” and will remain so once Monsanto’s product is sold commercially. There are two things to say about this. The first is, it means that Monsanto’s novel product offers precisely nothing to farmers that isn’t already available to them—and without the need to pay a hefty GMO licensing fee. The second thing that comes to mind is that Monsanto’s dominance of the corn seed and trait market could mean that those “readily available” conventional varieties might not be readily available for very long once the company starts distributing its new seed. Already, there are areas in the corn belt in which farmers say they can’t buy non-Bt corn. Could Monsanto do the same thing with its drought-tolerant corn?
Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Food and Environment Program who has a paper forthcoming on the industry’s vexed efforts to make breakthroughs in drought tolerance, told me that it was “very possible” that Monsanto could use its market muscle to push big commodity farmers in the corn belt to use the company’s unnecessary product. “They could even use it as a loss leader, sell it at cost or even a loss, and then reap the PR benefits of a having a drought-tolerant product used on millions of acres.”

So even though Monsanto’s first complex-trait product is essentially a failure, it could still manage to ram it down farmers throats, and then be able to boast that it has its first super-seed out in the field. Meanwhile, the fact remains that the agrichemical industry still hasn’t produced a complex-trait product that works any better than conventional breeding.

And it’s not clear that the industry will ever succeed on this front, except in PR terms. Take another complex trait the industry has been promising for years: making plants more efficient as [BY?] using nitrogen fertilizer. Stanford biologist Peter Vitousek put it to me like this in an interview for an article two years ago: “Plants have been evolving for millions of years. I doubt that [GMO] plant breeders will be able to hit upon anything for nutrient utilization that nature already hasn’t tried.” In 2009, Gurian-Sherman published a paper showing that the industry had yet to generate a successful nitrogen-efficient crop after a decade of research, even as traditional plant breeders had continued to make gains. More than two years later, Guriab-Sherman’s analysis still holds. Read More…

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We have all been hearing for the last couple weeks about this absurdity.  However one of the things that I have been continually yelling about is a lesser known herbicide called DICAMBA.  The problem is that Dicamba will not be lesser known for much longer. 
 It is as clear as day when looking at the chemical makeup of 2,4-D (Half of the total compound of AGENT ORANGE) that DICAMBA is actually a more destructive herbicide.

Please become aware of this herbicide - DICAMBA DICAMBA DICAMBA.  While Monsanto deals with  their well known herbicides like 2,4-D and Glyphosate, they are counting on the general public remaining unaware of their next deadly sin DICAMBA.

Truth Teller

The USDA made two momentous announcements on GMO crops, neither of which got much media scrutiny. It deregulated Monsanto’s so-called drought-tolerant corn, and it prepared to deregulate Dow’s corn engineered to withstand the herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba.

The drought-tolerant corn decision, which came down on Dec. 21, was momentous occasion, because it marked the first deregulation of a GMO crop with a “complex” trait. What I mean by that is, the other GMOs on the market have simple, one-gene traits: a gene that confers resistance to a particular herbicide, like Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seed or a gene that expresses the toxic-to-bugs properties of the bacteria Bt, as in Monsanto’s Bt seed. But a plant’s use of water is a complex process involving several genes; there’s no single “drought tolerant” gene. Generating such traits in plants that succeed in field conditions has been considerably more tricky for the agrichemical giants than than simple traits.

The drought-tolerant corn the USDA signed off on in December is the first approved crop of that kind. The trouble is, it doesn’t work very well. The USDA acknowledged as much in its environmental its Nov. 11 Final Environmental Assessment of the crop. It makes clear that the product’s “drought tolerance” extends only to “moderate” drought conditions, and it has the same “minimum water requirements” as conventional corn.

And then it drops this bombshell, citing Monsanto’s own field tests: “It is prudent to acknowledge that the reduced yield-loss phenotype of MON 87360 does not exceed the natural variation observed in regionally-adapted varieties of conventional corn (representing different genetic backgrounds).” Translation: In areas of the US corn belt where drought is a factor, conventional breeders have already developed varieties that do just as well under moderate-drought conditions as Monsanto’s genetically altered product.

It added that these non-GMO varieties are “readily available,” and will remain so once Monsanto’s product is sold commercially. There are two things to say about this. The first is, it means that Monsanto’s novel product offers precisely nothing to farmers that isn’t already available to them—and without the need to pay a hefty GMO licensing fee. The second thing that comes to mind is that Monsanto’s dominance of the corn seed and trait market could mean that those “readily available” conventional varieties might not be readily available for very long once the company starts distributing its new seed. Already, there are areas in the corn belt in which farmers say they can’t buy non-Bt corn. Could Monsanto do the same thing with its drought-tolerant corn?
Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Food and Environment Program who has a paper forthcoming on the industry’s vexed efforts to make breakthroughs in drought tolerance, told me that it was “very possible” that Monsanto could use its market muscle to push big commodity farmers in the corn belt to use the company’s unnecessary product. “They could even use it as a loss leader, sell it at cost or even a loss, and then reap the PR benefits of a having a drought-tolerant product used on millions of acres.”

So even though Monsanto’s first complex-trait product is essentially a failure, it could still manage to ram it down farmers throats, and then be able to boast that it has its first super-seed out in the field. Meanwhile, the fact remains that the agrichemical industry still hasn’t produced a complex-trait product that works any better than conventional breeding.

And it’s not clear that the industry will ever succeed on this front, except in PR terms. Take another complex trait the industry has been promising for years: making plants more efficient as [BY?] using nitrogen fertilizer. Stanford biologist Peter Vitousek put it to me like this in an interview for an article two years ago: “Plants have been evolving for millions of years. I doubt that [GMO] plant breeders will be able to hit upon anything for nutrient utilization that nature already hasn’t tried.” In 2009, Gurian-Sherman published a paper showing that the industry had yet to generate a successful nitrogen-efficient crop after a decade of research, even as traditional plant breeders had continued to make gains. More than two years later, Guriab-Sherman’s analysis still holds. Read More…

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Food scientists are shedding light on items loaded with toxins and chemicals–and simple swaps for a cleaner diet and supersized health.

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often they’re organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today’s food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what’s safe–or not–to eat. We asked them a simple question: “What foods do you avoid?” Their answers don’t necessarily make up a “banned foods” list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health–and peace of mind.

1. The Endocrinologist Won’t Eat: Canned Tomatoes
Fredrick Vom Saal, is an endocrinologist at the Univ. of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi.

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

2. The Farmer Won’t Eat: Corn-Fed Beef
Joel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.

Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because processors charge extra for deboning. You can also buy direct from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as $5 per pound. To find a farmer near you, search eatwild.com.

3. The Toxicologist Won’t Eat: Microwave Popcorn
Olga Naidenko, is a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group.

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize–and migrate into your popcorn. “They stay in your body for years and accumulate there,” says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

Budget tip: Popping your own popcorn is dirt cheap

4. The Farm Director Won’t Eat: Nonorganic Potatoes
Jeffrey Moyer is the chair of the National Organic Standards Board.

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes–the nation’s most popular vegetable–they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. “Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,” says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals.”

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.

5. The Fisheries Expert Won’t Eat: Farmed Salmon
Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, published a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn’t intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. “You could eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer,” says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. “It’s that bad.” Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild catch, can be found for as little as $3 a can.

6. The Cancer Researcher Won’t Drink: Milk Produced With Artificial Hormones
Rick North is project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society.

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. “When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract,” says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. “There’s not 100 percent proof that this is increasing cancer in humans,” admits North. “However, it’s banned in most industrialized countries.”

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

Budget tip: Try Wal-Mart’s Great Value label, which does not use rBGH.

7. The Organic-Foods Expert Won’t Eat: Conventional Apples
Mark Kastel, a former executive for agribusiness, is codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods.

The problem: If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it’s just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. “Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers,” he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson’s disease.  

Read More from Fox News..By Prevention Magazine

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