We filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration on August 27th [1] for withholding a required study on the feasibility of electronic disclosure for labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods. Now, just 12 days after our suit was filed, the USDA has released the study! [2]
As you know, one of the most controversial aspects of the law is HOW companies will be required to label. The new federal law allows USDA to consider several options: on-package text, a GE symbol on packages, or “electronic or digital disclosures,” which would require shoppers to use a smart phone to scan packages to access a website or call a 1-800 number for every single product to find out if it was produced with genetic engineering.
We filed this lawsuit because knowing what’s in your food should be easy, not burdensome. Tell USDA Americans deserve clear, on-package labeling.
The just-released USDA study found, as CFS has long warned, that:
Tell USDA that allowing companies to hide genetically engineered ingredients behind a website or QR code is discriminatory and unworkable!
In the United States, there has never been a food labeling requirement met by “QR” codes instead of on-package labeling. USDA’s study shows that electronic labeling will not provide disclosure to all Americans, disproportionally affecting low-income, rural, and elderly people.
Even if access to digital disclosure was universal, a shopper would have to scan each item s/he is shopping for on any given shopping trip (which for a family of 4 could easily amount to more than 50 items). This would be an undue burden on the consumer and greatly impede access to information that is currently required for all other forms of food labeling.
Tell USDA: On-package labeling is simple, quick, and effective. As the USDA study clearly shows, QR codes, websites, and 1-800 numbers are not.
In yet another attack on science, President Trump has nominated Sam Clovis — a right-wing radio talk show host with no scientific or agricultural background and a history of making racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks — to be the chief scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Tell your Senators to stop this attack on science: vote NO on Clovis!
The position Clovis has been nominated for oversees a budget of nearly $3 billion and is responsible for agriculture and natural resource issues. The Farm Bill requires that the person in this position be a scientist, stating that the nominee "shall be appointed by the President . . . from among distinguished scientists with specialized training or significant experience in agricultural research, education, and economics.” [2] He's not an agricultural scientist, nor is he an agricultural economist. In short, he is simply not qualified for this position.
To make matters worse, Clovis has a history of racism, sexism, and homophobia. Clovis has made racist remarks about former President Obama, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and Van Jones, among others; sexist remarks about House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and all Democratic women; and compared protecting marriage equality and LGBTQ rights to protecting pedophilia [3][4].
USDA serves farmers of all races, genders, and sexual orientation. Tell your Senators: This racist, sexist, homophobic climate-denier has no place in the USDA!
One out every three bites of food we eat comes from a crop pollinated by bees. Yet over the past decade, honey bees and other pollinator populations have severely declined around the world.
Tell your Representative to support the Saving America’s Pollinators Act!
Neonicotinoids are a class of highly toxic insecticides designed to damage the central nervous system of insects, causing tremors, paralysis and death at even very low doses. Since the mid-2000s, their use has skyrocketed. There is a wealth of peer-reviewed scientific evidence demonstrating that these chemicals can kill or weaken more than just the targeted pests. Neonicotinoids are up to 10,000 times more toxic to bees than other insecticides and their use can have immediate and long-term effects.
Neonicotinoids also persist in the environment and can accumulate quickly. As a result, we’re now observing the widespread contamination of surface water, groundwater, and soil, endangering countless species that inhabit these ecosystems. Harmful effects from this type of contamination have been identified in aquatic invertebrates, and additional concern exists with respect to long-term impacts on waterfowl, rangeland birds and other wild animals.
We need to take swift action by suspending the use of these chemicals across the U.S. until they are proven safe to pollinators and the environment. The Saving America's Pollinators Act (H.R. 3040) seeks to do precisely that.
Join us in urging your Representative to support the Saving America’s Pollinators Act (H.R. 3040) and secure critical protections for bees and other pollinators!
In March, President Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reneged on a proposed ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that's known to harm kids’ development [1], and chose instead to protect the profits of Dow Chemical, the maker of the pesticide.
Chlorpyrifos is from a family of chemicals – organophosphates – that were used as neurotoxins by Nazi Germany in World War II [2]. Thus, it’s no surprise that chlorpyrifos damages brains. And as with many hazardous chemicals, fetuses and kids are especially susceptible.
While Trump’s EPA put corporate profits over public health, a bill has just been introduced in the Senate that would do what EPA refused to do: ban chlorpyrifos.
Tell your senators to protect our kids and ban this toxic pesticide once and for all.
Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico (D) has introduced a bill that would outlaw chlorpyrifos. The bill is called the Protect Children, Farmers and Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act of 2017 (S. 1624). Seven other Democratic senators are co-sponsoring it: Ben Cardin of Maryland, Kamala Harris of California, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
Long-term studies sponsored by the EPA and National institutes of Health have established that when pregnant women are exposed to chlorpyrifos and other organophosphate insecticides, resulting in fetal exposure, their children grow up to have lower IQ scores,[3] increased rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),[4] and poorer mental development [5] than unexposed children. The evidence is so strong that Dr. David Bellinger, a Harvard neurologist, estimates that Americans lose, collectively, 16.9 million IQ points due to fetal and early childhood exposure to chlorpyrifos and other organophosphates.[6] Fetal exposure to chlorpyrifos has also been associated with reduced birth weight and length, reduced gestation time and autism spectrum disorder.
Citing risks to children, in 2000, the EPA banned most uses of chlorpyrifos in homes, schools, day care facilities, parks, hospitals, nursing homes, and malls, but they allowed continued use on farms. While farmers, farmworkers, and children in farming communities get the biggest doses of chlorpyrifos, most people are exposed to chlorpyrifos through consuming contaminated food.
Tell your senators to support this bill and ban chlorpyrifos!
After more than 10 years of review, the EPA concluded in October 2015 that exposure to chlorpyrifos posed an unacceptable risk and proposed a new rule that would effectively ban agricultural use. But Dow Chemical and the pesticide industry pushed the Trump EPA to backtrack on the chlorpyrifos ban, and it appears to have paid off. Dow Chemical contributed $1 million to the president's inaugural committee.[7] Mike McKenna, a Dow lobbyist, was one of the first to serve on Trump’s transition team, and Trump even named Dow Chemical Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris chair of the American Manufacturing Council.[8]
It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that the Trump EPA refused to ban chlorpyrifos. Trump's pick to lead the EPA, former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has been openly hostile toward environmental regulations, and sued the EPA thirteen times while serving as Oklahoma’s Attorney General. At his confirmation hearings, Pruitt couldn't name a single EPA regulation he supports.[9]
Take Action now: Tell your Senators to ban this dangerous pesticide!
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Did you know that some cheese products may contain toxic chemicals called phthalates? Pronounced thal-eights, these are hormone-disrupting chemicals that may do the most harm in pregnant women and young children, and are linked to a genital condition in baby boys associated with increased risk of reproductive health problems and learning disabilities. Some phthalates are already banned in children’s products in the United States and in Europe – so why did they show up when cheese product items were tested?
Kraft is America’s biggest brand of cheese by far. That’s why people all over the country are calling on this company to show leadership by getting toxic phthalates out of any of its cheese products. Add your name!
Recent laboratory testing found toxic chemicals in some Kraft cheeses. Laboratory testing of cheese product samples was completed early in 2017, and shows that eight of the nine individual Kraft cheese product items tested, including macaroni and cheese powder, contain phthalates (THAL-eights), a group of toxic chemicals that threaten the health of kids and pregnant women. Twenty-nine of thirty cheese products tested from the largest food brands contained these chemicals.[1]
Physicians and health scientists have raised serious concerns about the harm that elevated exposure to phthalates can do: studies in children have linked prenatal exposure to some phthalates with harm to the developing brain, leading to learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and behavior problems. Other studies found that boys exposed prenatally to certain phthalates were more likely to have a genital condition associated with increased risk of reproductive health problems.
Consumers must demand that Kraft lead the industry in taking action. By eliminating any sources of these toxic chemicals, Kraft can help prevent avoidable exposure to toxic chemicals.
Phthalates are so dangerous that some are banned from use in toys and other products. The United States has banned six phthalates in toys and other children’s products, and five more phthalates are proposed as additions to that list. Europe also prohibits or tightly regulates several phthalates in items that come into contact with dairy and other fat-containing foods.
Clearly, phthalates don’t belong in any food. So why are phthalates in food? Phthalates are added to many of the materials that come into contact with our food, from plastic equipment used in the processing of food, to the packaging that food is sold in. Phthalates leach out from these materials into our food, ending up in our bodies.
A powerful company like Kraft has a responsibility to its consumers to keep these hormone-disrupting chemicals out of its products. Consumers can’t tell from a label if food contains phthalates, so we have to rely on companies to take responsibility for keeping phthalates out of their manufacturing and packaging, and off our plates. Safer alternatives to phthalates are widely available to manufacturers, and many companies have already been proactive in making phthalate-free products.
Take action to tell Kraft that phthalates have no place in our food!
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[1] For more information visit www.kleanupkraft.org
In March, President Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reneged on a proposed ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that's known to harm kids’ development [1], and chose instead to protect the profits of Dow Chemical, the maker of the pesticide.
Chlorpyrifos is from a family of chemicals – organophosphates – that were used as neurotoxins by Nazi Germany in World War II [2]. Thus, it’s no surprise that chlorpyrifos damages brains. And as with many hazardous chemicals, fetuses and kids are especially susceptible.
While Trump’s EPA put corporate profits over public health, a bill has just been introduced in the Senate that would do what EPA refused to do: ban chlorpyrifos.
Tell your senators to protect our kids and ban this toxic pesticide once and for all.
Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico (D) has introduced a bill that would outlaw chlorpyrifos. The bill is called the Protect Children, Farmers and Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act of 2017 (S. 1624). Seven other Democratic senators are co-sponsoring it: Ben Cardin of Maryland, Kamala Harris of California, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
Long-term studies sponsored by the EPA and National institutes of Health have established that when pregnant women are exposed to chlorpyrifos and other organophosphate insecticides, resulting in fetal exposure, their children grow up to have lower IQ scores,[3] increased rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),[4] and poorer mental development [5] than unexposed children. The evidence is so strong that Dr. David Bellinger, a Harvard neurologist, estimates that Americans lose, collectively, 16.9 million IQ points due to fetal and early childhood exposure to chlorpyrifos and other organophosphates.[6] Fetal exposure to chlorpyrifos has also been associated with reduced birth weight and length, reduced gestation time and autism spectrum disorder.
Citing risks to children, in 2000, the EPA banned most uses of chlorpyrifos in homes, schools, day care facilities, parks, hospitals, nursing homes, and malls, but they allowed continued use on farms. While farmers, farmworkers, and children in farming communities get the biggest doses of chlorpyrifos, most people are exposed to chlorpyrifos through consuming contaminated food.
Tell your senators to support this bill and ban chlorpyrifos!
After more than 10 years of review, the EPA concluded in October 2015 that exposure to chlorpyrifos posed an unacceptable risk and proposed a new rule that would effectively ban agricultural use. But Dow Chemical and the pesticide industry pushed the Trump EPA to backtrack on the chlorpyrifos ban, and it appears to have paid off. Dow Chemical contributed $1 million to the president's inaugural committee.[7] Mike McKenna, a Dow lobbyist, was one of the first to serve on Trump’s transition team, and Trump even named Dow Chemical Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris chair of the American Manufacturing Council.[8]
It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that the Trump EPA refused to ban chlorpyrifos. Trump's pick to lead the EPA, former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has been openly hostile toward environmental regulations, and sued the EPA thirteen times while serving as Oklahoma’s Attorney General. At his confirmation hearings, Pruitt couldn't name a single EPA regulation he supports.[9]
Take Action now: Tell your Senators to ban this dangerous pesticide!
If one of your Senators is a sponsor of the bill, you can send them a thank you here, too!
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We’ve fought for years for labeling of genetically engineered (GE or GMO) food. Now is our chance to finally get it.
As you may remember, a “compromise” bill on GMO labeling was passed last year, but a lot of the decisions about what foods would be labeled, and how they would be labeled, were left up to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The law includes labeling options other than on-package labeling, such as QR codes and websites, which would only serve to hide the information this law was passed to provide.
Big Ag and food companies have made it clear which option they support for labeling: QR codes. They know consumers don’t use these codes and that “labeling” via QR codes is really no labeling all. The agency has heard from big corporations – now they need to hear from you!
Tell the USDA that GMO labeling must be clear and on the package!
Only 64% of Americans own a smartphone. That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to access GMO information if products are labeled with QR codes. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately low income and those living in rural areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of rural Americans own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone. Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet. At the end of the day, a substantial number of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GMO labeling were implemented through QR codes.
In addition, electronic labeling disclosures put an undue burden on the shopper. It is completely unrealistic for a shopper to scan all of the many items s/he is shopping for on any given shopping trip (which for a family of 4 could easily amount to more than 50 items). This would be an undue burden on the consumer and would not provide the easy access to information that is currently required for all other forms of food labeling. On-package labeling is simple, quick, and effective. QR codes, websites, and 1-800 numbers are not.
The USDA is accepting comments through August 25th. Tell USDA to label GMOs, not hide them behind high-tech codes!
USDA is also deciding which GMOs are labeled. The labeling law should ensure that ALL foods produced through genetic engineering are labeled, not cave in to big ag’s pressure to avoid labeling their products through a deceptive, narrow definition of GMOs.
Tell USDA to label ALL GMOs on the package.
Comments Due: June 19, 2017
The last twenty years have proven that the regulatory system for genetically engineered (GE) crops is a total failure. The agencies continue to turn a blind eye to the modern risks of GMOs, and instead try to regulate them using 20th century standards. Now USDA has proposed new rules to overhaul the way GE crops are regulated, but they fall far short of what is needed, and will actually make things worse, not better.
The administration is accepting public comments right now on how GMOs should be regulated. Tell USDA to fix this broken system!
The haphazard and negligent government regulation of agricultural biotechnology has been nothing short of a disaster for the public and the environment. USDA should protect farmers and the environment, but has intentionally turned a blind eye to the harms that GE crops cause, like GE contamination of natural plants and crops, the creation of resistant superweeds, and massive increases in pesticides. The proposed rules would not only leave these longstanding GE crop harms unaddressed, they would make things worse.
Under the new proposal, the vast majority of GE plant experiments now would not even have to be reported to USDA, much less grown with measures to prevent escape. So rather than increasing its monitoring of open air GE experiments, USDA’s new proposal is instead to abdicate responsibility entirely, and leave it solely up to chemical companies like Monsanto and Dow to self-police their novel GE experiments. This change would exacerbate harm to farmers and the environment from increased escapes, and leave the public completely in the dark as to where these novel experiments are taking place.
In addition, the proposed rules also eliminate most safety reviews by USDA, has the agency make approval decisions in the absence of actual data, and further empowers industry to grow GE crops for commercial use without any effective USDA oversight.
Finally, some experimental GE plants have been engineered to act as “biofactories” for production of drugs and industrial compounds, like corn engineered to produce industrial enzymes and safflower engineered to produce human insulin. USDA itself has recognized the unique dangers to public health that these GE crops present, if they contaminate the food supply. Yet under the proposed rule, the agency refuses to regulate their cultivation.
By exempting most GE crops from regulation, USDA’s proposal would greatly exacerbate, rather than reduce, GE contamination and its costs, increase pesticides and superweeds and other harms of GE crops to farmers, health, and the environment. The government must fix these failings, not make them worse. To do this, basic protections must be included in the new rules:
Until these principles are implemented, the Trump Administration should halt the approval, commercialization, and release of any new genetically engineered crops or animals.
USDA’s rules will make things worse, not better, and make contamination events more common, not less. Sign the petition to USDA today!
Ignoring decades of independent study and clear links to human health harms — especially for kids — EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt recently decided to keep chlorpyrifos on the market.
This neurotoxic insecticide was banned for home use in 2001, due to its clear impact on children’s developing brains. But it continues to be used in agriculture, contaminating fruits and vegetables and putting rural kids, families, and farmworkers across the country at risk.
California has a chance to change that. Urge Governor Brown to ban this incredibly harmful pesticide in our state.
The body of science on chlorpyrifos is crystal clear. Childhood and prenatal exposure to this chemical can lead to changes in brain structure, loss of IQ, ADHD, developmental and behavioral disorders, reduced lung function and other harms. While farmers, farmworkers, and children in farming communities get the biggest doses of chlorpyrifos, most people are exposed to chlorpyrifos through consuming contaminated food.
It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that the Trump EPA refused to ban chlorpyrifos. Trump's pick to lead the EPA, former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has been openly hostile toward environmental regulation, and sued the EPA thirteen times while serving as Oklahoma’s Attorney General. At his confirmation hearings, Pruitt couldn't name a single EPA regulation he supports.
CFS members sent 35,000 comments into the EPA just yesterday urging the agency to follow the science and ban this toxic pesticide, but with Scott Pruitt at the helm we need states like California to step up.
Tell Governor Brown to lead the charge and ban chlorpyrifos in California!
*Please Note: The Governor's office requires your phone number to send the Governor an email.
Comments Due: June 19, 2017
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Genetically engineered (GE) salmon. GE apples. Synthetic oil squeezed out of GE algae. “Gene-edited” cows, mushrooms, and cabbage. These are just a few of the new genetically engineered animals and plants that may be making their way to your local supermarket.
Obviously, these foods are all genetically engineered. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed that these foods not be classified as GE, choosing instead to refer to these GE techniques as “modern breeding” and “precise,” and that some of these foods need not go through any specific assessments at all!
Comments Due: July 5, 2017
Tree biotechnology company ArborGen is requesting an unprecedented USDA approval: a genetically engineered (GE) “freeze tolerant” eucalyptus. If approved, this will be the first-ever GE forest tree to be commercially grown in the U.S., allowing ArborGen to plant massive, unregulated GE tree farms that will wreak havoc on the environment by destroying natural forests, polluting and depleting water, and endangering biodiversity. Paper and biofuel companies are planning on growing these trees on intensively managed monoculture tree plantations. Unfortunately, the Trump USDA has now formally proposed the approval of these dangerous GE trees.
The time is now critical: Help prevent these Frankentrees from taking over our forests. Tell USDA to reject these GE trees!
Even non-genetically engineered Eucalyptus trees are not native to North America, are harmful to native wildlife, and they’ve already become invasive in California. Now, industry plans to plant millions of GE eucalyptus trees in ecosystems and climates that have never supported eucalyptus in the past. Fragile ecosystems and a host of endangered plant and animal species will almost certainly be harmed by such large scale GE eucalyptus plantations.
Instead of focusing on unproven biotechnologies that will benefit a few large corporations, USDA’s goal should be the sustainable management of our nation’s forests for the benefit of all.
The first time ArborGen requested approval of its eucalyptus tree, more than 17,000 CFS members sent comments to USDA in opposition. Now, let's send them even more comments to make sure the USDA hears us loud and clear: say no to genetically engineered eucalyptus trees!
Tell the feds to reject this genetically engineered eucalyptus.
2016 was a great year for Hawaiʻi Center for Food Safety and we are thrilled to tell you about it!
Our latest report highlights the impact of our legal, science, policy, public education, and grassroots advocacy initiatives over the past year:
o Serving as a public policy resource and mobilizing thousands of citizens in civic action
o Providing pro bono legal services to Hawai‘i's food movement and submitting comments on the state’s regulations that impact local food safety and biodiversity
o Partnering with over 30 local organizations to train grassroots organizers and strengthen statewide coordination across the food movement; the list goes on...
...And much, much more. Believe in our work? Consider donating to HCFS!
Read the full report to learn more:
(Tip: Double-click to zoom or click on “Fullscreen” at the bottom right corner)
Our Commitments Moving Forward
We’re working hard to protect you and your community. Our ongoing work includes:
o Strategize and conduct research for potential new litigation to protect sensitive, endangered species and build support for a regenerative, biodiverse food system
o Help build capacity for civic engagement and demystify the policy process for those who want to engage
o Host and support community events, trainings, and film screenings with a diverse group of organizations and leaders
Not a member yet? Join today to start enjoying the benefits!
o Learn new skills through our online and in-person trainings
o Connect with like-minded people and organizations
o Stay in-the-know about food and environmental policy and litigation
o You can become a sustaining member by pledging a monthly or annual gift of $25, $50, $100, $125, $250 or another amount. Donate now >>
President Trump has just signed a new Executive Order, this time specifically on agriculture, directing the Secretary of Agriculture to undertake a 180-day review to “identify and eliminate" what Trump says are "unnecessary regulations”.1 The Presidential Order also creates a new task force to recommend eliminating food and agriculture legislation, policies, and regulations that might hinder the profit-making of “agribusiness.”
What kind of regulations are they looking at? Well, the details are slim, but what is there doesn’t look good. We know that regulations regarding the oversight, production, and export of genetically engineered crops are high on the list.2 The Executive Order also seems to push for faster and/or easier approvals for pesticides and biotech crops, pushing biotech crops abroad to ease export market access, easing the privatization of scarce public water resources for corporate gain, and opening public lands up to mining, farming, ranching and other activities that don’t belong on our public lands.3
We know that Agribusiness has Trump’s ear. He picked Sonny Perdue, one of Big Ag’s own, for his USDA Secretary. And this week, the Associated Press dropped a bombshell: Dow Chemical gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and the chemical giant is now urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set aside its findings on chlorpyrifos and three other pesticides that federal scientists from several agencies found were harmful to endangered species and human health.4 Trump’s EPA also just greenlighted Dow’s new “Enlist Duo” genetically engineered crops, resistant to 2,4-D, part of the Vietnam Era Agent Orange pesticide.
In January, then President-elect Trump sat down chemical giant Bayer’s CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto’s CEO Hugh Grant at Trump Tower and had a “productive meeting” on “the future of the agriculture industry” and the pending merger between the two companies. Combined, President Trump, EPA Administrator Pruitt, and newly confirmed USDA Secretary Perdue have received millions of dollars from Big Ag and chemical companies.
We can’t allow the protections we depend on for clean water, clean air, and safe food to be gutted by the new administration and the corporations which have purchased great influence over the President and his policies.
Trump and his administration have heard from the corporations, now they need to hear from you – add your name!
It’s no secret that neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics) harm bees and other pollinators like butterflies and birds, posing a serious threat to our food supply, public health, and environment. Neonics are up to 10,000 times more toxic to bees than other insecticides and their use can have both immediate and long-term effects. Unfortunately, neonics are widely used in California agriculture, commercial landscaping, and home gardens and pest control.
Thankfully, California legislators have taken steps to protect bees by introducing a bill (SB 602) that would ensure more transparency for consumers and home gardeners by requiring labels on plants that have been pre-treated with these bee-toxic chemicals. Passing this bill would be a strong first step in the fight to save bees, and we need your help to make it happen!
With President Trump and his administration doing everything they can to advance an anti-science, anti-environment agenda at the federal level, state action is more important than ever. We know the Trump Administration has met with Bayer and Monsanto — the companies that manufacture pollinator-toxic pesticides— and that the Administration has taken more than a million dollars in donations from chemical companies since January. To make matters worse, with Scott Pruitt — who is known to oppose even the most critical regulations of pesticides — at the helm of the Environmental Protection Agency, oversight of pesticides like neonics is likely to slide backwards, not advance. Clearly, California can’t wait for the federal government to act to save bees.
Momentum is building in states across the country. Last April, Maryland eliminated consumer use of these pesticides. A few weeks later, Connecticut also passed a bill restricting their use. In August, Minnesota’s governor issued an executive order to restrict neonicotinoids. It’s time for the state of California to also step us as a leader in pollinator protection in the country!
Tell your state Senator to support the California Pollinator Protection Act NOW!
States across the country are introducing bills to shield factory farms, also known as CAFOs, from public scrutiny and research. Now one of these bills has arrived in Texas. Texas HB 1643 would classify Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) as “critical infrastructure,” in the same category as power plants and petroleum refineries.
What does this mean?
- It would be illegal to simply fly a drone over any CAFO in Texas, even if you don’t take pictures;
- Flying a drone over a CAFO would be a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by jail time;
- Even university researchers would not be able to take pictures of CAFOs for academic and research purposes.
It is already illegal to take pictures of private property in Texas. Not only is taking drone pictures of private property a misdemeanor, but the individual or property owner may bring a civil suit against the person operating the drone, with penalties of $5,000 to $10,000, plus actual damages and attorneys’ fees.
But HB 1643 would mean that, instead of facing fines, people who took drone pictures of CAFOs could face jail.
Here’s the real kicker: HB 1643 would block any academic research of CAFOs that uses drones. Less than two years ago, Texas Tech released research showing the antibiotic-resistant bacteria were 4,000% higher in the dust downwind of CAFOs than in the dust upwind of these facilities. And a federal appeals court noted that “people have become seriously ill and even died” from emissions when CAFOs agitate their manure lagoons.
CAFOs are not “critical infrastructure.” CAFOs are private businesses that deserve the same protections – no more, no less – than other private businesses in our state.
Tell your State Representative to oppose this bad bill
Comments Due: June 19, 2017
The last twenty years have proven that the regulatory system for genetically engineered (GE) crops is a total failure. The agencies continue to turn a blind eye to the modern risks of GMOs, and instead try to regulate them using 20th century standards. Now USDA has proposed new rules to overhaul the way GE crops are regulated, but they fall far short of what is needed, and will actually make things worse, not better.
The administration is accepting public comments right now on how GMOs should be regulated. Tell USDA to fix this broken system!
The haphazard and negligent government regulation of agricultural biotechnology has been nothing short of a disaster for the public and the environment. USDA should protect farmers and the environment, but has intentionally turned a blind eye to the harms that GE crops cause, like GE contamination of natural plants and crops, the creation of resistant superweeds, and massive increases in pesticides. The proposed rules would not only leave these longstanding GE crop harms unaddressed, they would make things worse.
Under the new proposal, the vast majority of GE plant experiments now would not even have to be reported to USDA, much less grown with measures to prevent escape. So rather than increasing its monitoring of open air GE experiments, USDA’s new proposal is instead to abdicate responsibility entirely, and leave it solely up to chemical companies like Monsanto and Dow to self-police their novel GE experiments. This change would exacerbate harm to farmers and the environment from increased escapes, and leave the public completely in the dark as to where these novel experiments are taking place.
In addition, the proposed rules also eliminate most safety reviews by USDA, has the agency make approval decisions in the absence of actual data, and further empowers industry to grow GE crops for commercial use without any effective USDA oversight.
Finally, some experimental GE plants have been engineered to act as “biofactories” for production of drugs and industrial compounds, like corn engineered to produce industrial enzymes and safflower engineered to produce human insulin. USDA itself has recognized the unique dangers to public health that these GE crops present, if they contaminate the food supply. Yet under the proposed rule, the agency refuses to regulate their cultivation.
By exempting most GE crops from regulation, USDA’s proposal would greatly exacerbate, rather than reduce, GE contamination and its costs, increase pesticides and superweeds and other harms of GE crops to farmers, health, and the environment. The government must fix these failings, not make them worse. To do this, basic protections must be included in the new rules:
Until these principles are implemented, the Trump Administration should halt the approval, commercialization, and release of any new genetically engineered crops or animals.
USDA’s rules will make things worse, not better, and make contamination events more common, not less. Sign the petition to USDA today!
Comments Due June 5, 2017
President Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reneged on a proposed ban on a pesticide that's known to harm kids’ development1, and chose instead to protect the profits of Dow Chemical, the maker of the pesticide. We now have 60 days to convince the EPA to ban this dangerous pesticide and protect our kids.
The pesticide in question is chlorpyrifos. It is from a family of chemicals – organophosphates – that were used as neurotoxins by Nazi Germany2 in World War II. Thus, it’s no surprise that chlorpyrifos damages brains. And as with many hazardous chemicals, fetuses and kids are especially susceptible.
Tell the EPA to protect our kids and ban this toxic pesticide once and for all.
Long-term studies sponsored by the EPA and NIH have established that when pregnant women are exposed to chlorpyrifos and other organophosphate insecticides, resulting in fetal exposure, their children grow up to have lower IQ scores,3 increased rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),4 and poorer mental development5 than unexposed children. The evidence is so strong that Dr. David Bellinger, a Harvard neurologist, estimates that Americans lose, collectively, 16.9 million IQ points due to fetal and early childhood exposure to chlorpyrifos and other organophosphates.6 Fetal exposure to chlorpyrifos has also been associated with reduced birth weight and length, reduced gestation time and autism spectrum disorder.
Citing risks to children, in 2000, the EPA banned most uses of chlorpyrifos in homes, schools, day care facilities, parks, hospitals, nursing homes, and malls, but they allowed farms to continue spraying it. While farmers have reduced their use of chlorpyrifos in recent years, chlorpyrifos continues to be the most heavily used insecticide in U.S. agriculture.7 Chlorpyrifos is primarily used in nut orchards, soybeans, alfalfa, corn and wheat, as well as fruits and vegetables.8 While farmers, farmworkers, and children in farming communities get the biggest doses of chlorpyrifos, most people are exposed to chlorpyrifos through consuming contaminated food. This was demonstrated by a study showing that children's exposure to chlorpyrifos virtually disappeared9 when fresh organic fruits and vegetables were substituted for conventional counterparts in their diets.
Center for Food Safety has highlighted the perils of chlorpyrifos in Hawaiʻi,10 where it is heavily sprayed in the production of genetically engineered seed corn by agrichemical giants Dow AgroSciences and Syngenta. Chlorpryifos is a likely culprit in several pesticide poisoning episodes at a school on Kaua’i, due to its volatility, intensive use, and because after-the-fact tests found traces of it there. Workers are also at risk, as demonstrated by the ten Syngenta workers who were sent to the hospital11 after walking onto a corn field sprayed with chlorpyrifos on Kaua’i in January 2016, a violation that led to EPA sanctions.12
After more than 10 years of review, the EPA concluded in October 2015 that exposure to chlorpyrifos posed an unacceptable risk and proposed a new rule that would effectively ban agricultural use. After delaying its final decision for nearly a year, in August 2016 a U.S. Federal Appeals court demanded that a decision be made by March 31, 2017.
Dow Chemical and the pesticide industry pushed the EPA to backtrack on the chlorpyrifos ban, and it appears to have paid off. Dow Chemical contributed $1 million to the president's inaugural committee.13 Mike McKenna, a Dow lobbyist, was one of the first to serve on Trump’s transition team, and Trump even named Dow Chemical Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris chair of the American Manufacturing Council.14
It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that the Trump EPA refused to ban chlorpyrifos. Trump's pick to lead the EPA, former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has been openly hostile toward environmental regulation, and sued the EPA thirteen times while serving as Oklahoma’s Attorney General. At his confirmation hearings, Pruitt couldn't name a single EPA regulation he supports.15
Add your name now: Tell EPA to finally ban this dangerous pesticide.
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More Information:
1. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/us/politics/epa-insecticide-chlorpyrifos.html?_r=0
2. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1175139-overview
3. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1003160/
4. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/6/e1270.full
6. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1104170/#t2
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290988/
11. www.civilbeat.org/2016/01/syngenta-workers-seek-medical-aid-after-pesticide-use-on-kauai/
15. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/john-walke/trump-epa-nominee-answers-senators-contempt-and-extremism
Vital environmental and food safety protections are seriously endangered by a new bill in Congress—The so-called "Regulatory Accountability Act" (RAA)
The Regulatory Accountability Act1 (S. 951) has already passed the House and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will take up the bill TOMORROW!
The RAA is a dangerous bill that would effectively prevent the passage of food safety and other regulations that protect the public health by intentionally creating a roadblock of time-consuming, unnecessary, and unprecedented obstacles to the agency rulemaking process.
Many vital laws to protect the environment and public health would not have been enacted had the RAA been in place, such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), passed in 2011. FSMA gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) substantially improved oversight and provided FDA with new enforcement, inspection and recall powers to address foodborne pathogens. Foodborne illness is an epidemic in our country: According to the Centers for Disease Control, every year 47.8 million people (one in six Americans) are sickened as a result of foodborne illness.
Yet if the RAApasses, agencies like the FDA entrusted with protecting the American public’s health will be hamstrung.
This bill is designed to make it as difficult as possible for federal agencies to implement existing or new laws that protect clean air and water, ensure a safe food supply, require food labeling, regulate pesticides, address climate change, and even protect children from toxic toys. Instead of protecting public health and welfare, The RAA fast-tracks the repeal of rules while paralyzing the creation of new ones.
Tell the Senate to reject this dangerous bill!
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1. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5
You know that soils grow the food you eat, the flowers you received for your birthday, and the grass you play soccer on. What you might not know is that healthy soil also helps filter and store fresh water, can protect crops against pests and diseases, provides habitat for pollinators and wildlife, and even plays a role in mitigating climate change.
But globally, our soils are in trouble. Industrialized farming techniques can degrade soil health and leave soils susceptible to erosion. Soils around the world are eroding at a rate of 75 billion tons per year, primarily from agricultural lands.
That’s why Del. Dana Stein (D-Baltimore County) has introduced a bill to create the Maryland Healthy Soils Program. One of the first bills of its kind, House Bill 1063 would provide technical assistance, research, education, and—hopefully, in the future—financial incentives to farmers who implement practices that contribute to improving soil health. This means practices that increase the biological activity of soil and its organic matter, as well as those that sequester atmospheric carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The bill just passed the House, but it still needs to get through the Senate. Urge your state Senators to support the Maryland Healthy Soils Program!
The Oregon legislature is currently considering a bill (HB 2739) that would protect non-GE farmers by assigning liability for GE contamination to the patent holder, not farmers, and your legislators need to hear from YOU to keep this bill moving!
Can you help move this groundbreaking bill forward by sending a quick email to your elected representatives?
Over and over we see instances of GE crops contaminating their non-GE counterparts, devastating the value of these crops and hurting our nation’s farmers. Contamination by genetically engineered crops has caused literally billions of dollars of damage to U.S. agriculture. Who should bear the burden of contamination by GE crops, plants, and animals? The farmer supporting her family by growing valuable organic seed for other farmers and gardeners? Or the landowner who has been infested by hard-to-eradicate GE creeping bentgrass? Oregon is no stranger to this real and costly threat, from the GE wheat contamination that nearly shut down the wheat export market in 2013 to the ongoing struggle with escaped GE bentgrass, Oregonians deserve compensation when GE crops cause damage.
HB 2739 would rightfully put the liability for economic damages caused by GE contamination on the patent holder for the GE organism, not farmers, holding the Big Ag players who created and profited from these GE crops accountable.
Please take a minute to send an email to your legislators expressing your support for HB2739.
A dangerous bill has been pushed through the Arkansas legislature (H.B. 1665) which would prevent people who witness illegal or unethical activity occurring on a factory farm from bringing that abuse to light.
In fact, this bill is so far-reaching that it could even prevent nurses from revealing elder abuse in hospitals or nursing homes, teachers from exposing child abuse at day cares, or employees from documenting workplace discrimination or mistreatment.
Tell Governor Hutchinson to veto this dangerous bill now.
Whistleblowers are critical to preserving the integrity of our food production system and bringing to justice those who break the law by abusing vulnerable members of our community.
H.B. 1665 is a disturbing assault on free speech and would have disastrous consequences. We cannot let this bill become law. It is critical that you contact the Governor TODAY and urge him to veto H.B. 1665.
Please also make a brief, polite phone call to Gov. Hutchinson at (501) 682-2345 urging him to veto HB 1665.
You can say, "As an Arkansas resident, I urge you to please veto ag-gag bill HB 1665. This bill would threaten Arkansas' children, animals, and food safety, and shield offenders from accountability."
Oregon is facing a new threat to our environment and family-scale farms. A California company has applied for a water pollution (NPDES) permit for new 30,000-cow mega-dairy near Boardman, OR called 'Lost Valley Ranch.'
This factory farm would generate 187 million gallons of manure each year, roughly the biological waste of a city the size of Portland. The proposal threatens to pollute groundwater in a part of state that already has groundwater pollution issues related to nearby large livestock operations and other large-scale agricultural activities, the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area. Additionally, the proposed mega-dairy is taking advantage of Oregon's current loophole that allows unchecked air pollution from factory farms.
It is time for Governor Kate Brown to stand up and deny the water pollution permit for the Lost Valley Ranch mega-dairy and to support new air pollution regulations for factory farms in Oregon.
Last year, the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill requiring several state agencies to establish a pollinator habitat plan for the lands they own or manage — this will increase critical habitat for Maryland pollinators.
But now we need to ensure that pesticides toxic to pollinators are not used on those state pollinator habitats.
Senate Bill 386 would do just that, requiring that these habitats be free of toxic pesticides known to harm bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinators. The good news is SB386 was voted out of committee and is headed for a floor vote.
Your Maryland senator needs to hear from you today. Tell your senator to support SB386 with committee amendments — but with no additional weakening amendments!
The Maryland Senate may vote on SB386 as early as tomorrow morning. Send an email today to ask your Senator to PASS with only the committee's amendments.
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Honey bees and other pollinators are dying at an alarming rate. From April 2015 - April 2016, beekeepers reported losing nearly 44% of their honey bee populations, over double the total from previous years.
These catastrophic losses have the potential to severely impact our food system and our environment. Toxic pesticides, often coated onto the outside of the seeds we plant, are killing bees at an unprecedented rate.
Researching the toxic and lethal impacts that these pesticides are having and determining how we can prevent these chemicals from killing more bees is crucial in our fight to save pollinators and protect our food supply. But now, Trump's hiring freeze at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has halted these vital research programs. Critical research about the harmful impacts of inert ingredients in pesticide products (including the ability of inert ingredients to make active pesticides more toxic) is now on hold.
Your voice can help make sure researchers have the support they need to continue doing their jobs and protect pollinators and our food supply. As Julia Fine, one of the leading researchers on the project involving inert pesticide ingredients, told the Huffington Post, “We are very close to being able to make sound recommendations to growers that will prevent the effects we observed in the laboratory from occurring in the field (...) This research could help increase food security.”1
Protecting pollinators requires that the USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency, growers, and seed manufacturers work together to forge solutions based on sound research and data. We can't let this hiring freeze delay much-needed research to get bees the strong protections they need now.
Make your voice heard for bees now!
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1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-scientists-hiring-freeze-bees_us_5892e83fe4b0af07cb6b8bf5
Trump’s cabinet just keeps getting worse. Trump has chosen former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Perdue has been the favorite of corporate agribusiness companies, and has shown himself to be very friendly towards biotech companies and factory farms in Georgia. In fact, over his seven Georgia political campaigns, he received more than $325,000 from agribusiness interests.1
Tell your Senators we need an agriculture secretary that will protect family farmers, sustainable agriculture, animal welfare and the environment – not another corporate shill.
As Governor of Georgia, Perdue championed the expansion of factory chicken farms in the state,2 and signed a bill in 2009 that would prohibit local communities from taking action to stop animal cruelty, pollution and other hazards from factory farms.3 Perdue was also named Governor of the Year in 2009 by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) for his support and expansion of biotech in Georgia, the same year Atlanta hosted the annual BIO convention.4 As head of USDA, Perdue could undo years of work to curb factory farming and regulate genetically engineered crops. And don’t forget - its Trump’s USDA that is now in charge of finalizing the national GMO labeling law.
As secretary of agriculture, Perdue would also oversee programs aimed at curbing agriculture’s environmental footprint and contribution to climate change. But as is the case with most of Trump’s cabinet choices, he’s also a climate denier. In an opinion piece he wrote in 2014, Perdue mocked “liberals” and the “mainstream media” for daring to connect extreme weather events – like increases in hurricanes, droughts, and soaring temperatures—to climate change.5 When Georgia faced an urgent drought in 2007, Perdue responded by holding a prayer vigil at the state capitol to urge residents to “pray for rain.”6
In a time when bee populations are collapsing, family farms are struggling to survive, and every day we see the real impacts of a changing climate, we cannot allow the confirmation of agency heads that support policies which create more polluting factory farms, more pesticides in the food we feed our families, or more toxic chemicals in the environment.
Tell your Senators to block the confirmation of Sonny Perdue as secretary of agriculture!
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After you send your email call your Senators! You can call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request. Don't know who your Senators are? Find out here. |
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1. http://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?eid=6416704&default=candidate
2. http://sonnyperdue.georgia.gov/00/press/detail/0,2668,78006749_79688147_93050140,00.html
3. https://animallawcoalition.com/ga-gov-approves-bill-to-stop-local-regulation-of-factory-farms/
4. https://www.bio.org/media/press-release/biotechnology-industry-organization-honors-georgia-governor-sonny-perdue-governo
5. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/377495/common-core-blame-game-sonny-perdue
6. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/politics/sonny-perdue-agriculture-secretary.html?_r=0
President Trump sat down with Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant at Trump Tower and had a “productive meeting” on “the future of the agriculture industry”1 and the pending merger between the two companies.2
Trump has heard from the CEOs. Now we need you to make your voice heard. Add your name and tell President Trump: NO to the dangerous Bayer-Monsanto merger!
Over the last few decades, a handful of agrichemical giants have acquired much of the world’s seed supply. Just five companies – Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, Dow and Bayer – account for 62% of world seed sales.
This consolidation of seed control has already resulted in higher seed prices and declining choice of seed varieties, thousands of farmers sued for seed-saving, and sharply increased dependence on toxic pesticides – both weed-killing herbicides and insecticides.
The combination of Bayer and Monsanto would diminish competition in the increasingly intertwined markets for seeds and pesticides, reduce socially beneficial innovation, increase seed prices, and reduce seed choices for farmers (particularly non-GE and untreated seed options).
Not only is this the largest foreign corporate takeover ever by a German firm, as Reuters reported last year,3 it's the largest cash bid on record. A potential Bayer-Monsanto merger would put one foreign-owned megacorporation in charge of 29 percent of the global seed market and 25 percent of the global pesticide market. We can’t let this happen.
Giving a foreign-owned, Bayer-Monsanto mega-corporation unchecked power over what goes into our food supply is downright dangerous. Even Big Ag mega-donor Bruce Rastetter is against the deal, saying it would limit competition, raise costs for farmers and stunt job growth.4
We can’t let two billionaire CEO allies whisper in Trump’s ear without hearing from us, too.
Add your name and tell President Trump: the Bayer-Monsanto merger is bad news.
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1. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/01/monsanto-and-bayer-gets-audience-donald-promote-their-merger
2. http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/01/11/bayer-monsanto-ceos-meet-with-trump-argue-merger-would-create-u-s-jobs.html
3. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/01/monsanto-and-bayer-gets-audience-donald-promote-their-merger
4. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-monsanto-m-a-bayer-deal-idUSKCN11K128
We know that the Trump Administration has every intention of de-funding the EPA, making it ever more important to ensure that that State has the appropriate capacity to monitor and regulate industrial pesticide users.
No less than 1500 people have submitted testimony to help pass 10 bills through their first and second committees ! Your voice is making an impact, but we can’t back down now. Sign this petition to urge Chair Angus McKelvey and the House Consumer Protection Committee to hear and pass the three pesticide bills that are headed to their committee.
1. HB790 (mandatory statewide pesticide disclosure and notifications for High-Volume Users)
2. HB254 (expanding the state’s pesticide advisory committee by including additional experts)
3. HB253 (regulations on the known neurotoxin, chlorpyrifos)
Alternatively, call Rep. McKelvey to make your voice heard.
CALL NOW: (808) 586-6160
A POWERFUL, UNITED PUBLIC FRONT IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE THAT INDUSTRIAL PESTICIDE REFORM ADVANCES. Based on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decisions issued last year, it is clear that it is the state’s responsibility to step up and protect our keiki and our environment from toxic pesticide use. There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our keiki, which is why we must demand that these agrichemical companies say what they spray and give us space. Let them know that this matters to you by signing the petition NOW.
But why do the bills matter, you ask?
We echo the concerns of many in the medical and scientific community regarding the detrimental effects long-term pesticide application and pesticide drift on our keiki at schools. According to a 2012 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) entitled “Pesticide Exposure in Children,” children exposed to chronic, low-level exposure to Restricted Use Pesticides, like chlorpyrifos are at a risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism and ADHD, as well as leukemia and asthma.
HB 790:
Advanced notification disclosing pesticide use would give the school officials a chance to close windows and even move class locations to avoid direct drift contact. While the voluntary Kauaʻi pesticide disclosure program will ultimately be “expanded” by the state Department of Agriculture, voluntary programs are an unreliable compromise to mandatory disclosure. There is neither outside verification nor a hard deadline for submission, so it’s impossible to know if the data is accurate and valid.
HB 254:
When it comes to developing regulations for toxic pesticides, it is important that the state hear from a broad spectrum of individuals. This why we support HB 254: because it adds critical voices to the state’s pesticide advisory committee, including representatives from the DOE, Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United, each Mayor’s office, a medical expert and a scientific advisor from an NGO. That being said, this expansion MUST go further to include a broad spectrum of medical professionals who can help our agencies better understand how human health is impacted by industrial pesticide use.
HB 253:
Time and time again, the Department of Agriculture continues to shift the responsibility to the federal government on these issues. The EPA, to be clear, has never sufficiently protected us from the harmful effects of toxic pesticide exposure. It has a long history of approving and releasing pesticides that are only taken off the market after harming thousands of people and the environment. After phasing out the indoor residential use of the insecticide chlorpyrifos in 2000, for example, because of the known impacts on children’s health, the EPA only considered banning it for all agricultural use in 2015 after a federal court order demanded action. Until the final decision is made, this insecticide will continue to impact communities close to the agrichemical company operations. Our state legislators should take proactive action to prevent harm, not wait for the dysfunctional federal government.
Sign the petition to tell Chair McKelvey and the Consumer Protection Committee to hear and pass these three common sense measures. Our community demands it.
The Industrial Farming Lobby - and its allies at the Hawai‘i State Legislature - are working to pass a bill that would make it harder for small-scale organic farmers to sell their products as organic.
HB 452 makes it a violation for anyone to claim that their ag. product is organic unless certified by the National Organic Program. However, the National Organic Program actually allows small organic farmers, whose annual sales are below $5,000, to label their products as organic without certification. HB 452 would hurt small organic producers by eliminating that provision.
The House Agriculture Committee will hear this bill tomorrow (Feb 15th), so please submit your testimony today!
This exemption is critical for small farms and farmers who can’t afford the certification yet still follow organic production principles. This bill creates a penalty for small farmers that doesn’t exist under the National Organic Program, and must be rejected.
While the bill appears to uphold the National Organic Program on its face, in practice it sets up inconsistent standards that penalize small farmers and creates redundant regulation that would actually discourage organic food production.
They are also trying to repeal the historic organic farming tax credit that we passed into law last year (section 5 of HB961). Please take 30 more seconds to submit testimony on section 5 of HB 961 as well!
We need your help to defeat these bills that will hurt small-scale organic farms in Hawaiʻi. Will you submit testimony in opposition to HB 452 and HB 961 before the deadline?
Demand that the House Agriculture Committee protect our small organic farmers. Submit testimony today!
The Industrial Farming Lobby - and its allies at the Hawai‘i State Legislature - are trying to repeal the historic organic farming tax credit that we passed into law last year (section 5 of HB 961). This law created $20 million in tax credits to aid small farmers seeking organic certification.
The House Agriculture Committee will hear this bill tomorrow (Feb 15th), so please send your testimony TODAY!
The growing demand for locally grown, certified-organic produce and products in Hawai‘i greatly exceeds supply. But right now, Hawai‘i farmers face numerous barriers that deter them from entering the organic sector. These include the financial and paperwork requirements associated with obtaining and maintaining organic certification as well as the higher costs for organic materials, such as fertilizer, which can be double that of conventional farming.
The organic tax credit helps offset those costs and encourages growth of the organic sector. Testify now to protect this historic piece of legislation.
They are also working to pass HB 452 - which hurts small farmers by making it a violation for anyone to claim that their ag. product is organic unless certified by the National Organic Program. Take 30 more seconds to submit testimony on HB 452 as well!
We need your help to defeat these bills that will hurt small-scale organic farmers in Hawaiʻi. Will you submit testimony in opposition to HB 961 and HB 452 before the deadline?
Demand that the House Agriculture Committee protect our small organic farmers. Submit testimony today!
Did you know the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical scientists recognize pesticide drift as a health threat to children and recommend no-spray zones for schools?
In Hawaiʻi there are at least 27 schools located within a mile of fields where agrichemical companies like Monsanto and Dow Chemical spray restricted-use pesticides. Asthma, autism, neurological diseases and adverse birth outcomes are chief health concerns for children exposed to pesticides, especially those with low-level, chronic exposure.
Despite this danger, Hawai‘i is one of 19 states that does not have legislation on the books regulating the application of pesticides around schools.
Senate bill 29 is our opportunity to change that. If passed, SB 29 would protect our keiki from the impacts of large-scale agricultural pesticide use by establishing buffer zones around sensitive areas like schools, hospitals, nursing homes and waterways. Buffer Zones are a common sense solution for communities who are increasingly concerned about pesticide drift from large agricultural operations in their community.
SB 29 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture and the Environment on Wednesday, February 15th at 1:15 PM in room 224. If you can, please come out and testify in person! If not, you can submit your testimony on this page.
We need your help to pave the way to pesticide-free school environments for Hawai‘i. Please submit testimony in support of SB 29 by Wednesday at 1:15 PM.
Genetically engineered apples are coming to a supermarket near you – unless we stop it.
Intrexon’s genetically engineered (GE), non-browning “Arctic” apple will soon be sold in pre-sliced bags in supermarkets, starting with a test market of ten Midwestern supermarkets as early as this week!1
Intrexon’s Arctic Apples were genetically engineered to silence the genes that cause browning when exposed to oxygen. Pre-sliced apples are already a frequently recalled food product, because once the whole fruit is sliced, it has an increased risk of exposure to pathogens. Since browning is a sign that apples are no longer fresh, “masking” this natural signal could lead people to consume contaminated apples. And because FDA does no independent, pre-market safety testing of GE food there are several unanswered questions about the safety of GE apples that will only be answered by hungry consumers.
Although these GE apples will primarily be sold as bagged, sliced apples, they could also find their way into non-GE juice, baby foods or apple sauce at the processing level, all products predominantly eaten by children and babies who are at increased risk for any adverse health effects.
Like other GE products in the U.S., no mandatory labeling would be required. The “Arctic” apple will first be commercialized in Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties, with Fuji and Gala on the horizon.
Even the apple industry has opposed this genetically engineered product. The U.S. Apple Association, Northwest Horticultural Council (which represents Washington apple growers, who grow over 60% of the apples in the U.S.), British Columbia Fruit Growers Association and other grower groups have already voiced their disapproval of these GE apples.
McDonald’s, Wendy's, and Gerber have already indicated that they don’t plan to use these GE apples. Tell supermarkets parents do not want to feed their kids GE apples!
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Genetically engineered apples are coming to a supermarket near you – unless we stop it.
Intrexon’s genetically engineered (GE), non-browning “Arctic” apple will soon be sold in pre-sliced bags in supermarkets, this Fall!1
Intrexon’s Arctic Apples were genetically engineered to silence the genes that cause browning when exposed to oxygen. Pre-sliced apples are already a frequently recalled food product, because once the whole fruit is sliced, it has an increased risk of exposure to pathogens. Since browning is a sign that apples are no longer fresh, “masking” this natural signal could lead people to consume contaminated apples. And because FDA does no independent, pre-market safety testing of GE food there are several unanswered questions about the safety of GE apples that will only be answered by hungry consumers.
Although these GE apples will primarily be sold as bagged, sliced apples, they could also find their way into non-GE juice, baby foods or apple sauce at the processing level, all products predominantly eaten by children and babies who are at increased risk for any adverse health effects.
Like other GE products in the U.S., no mandatory labeling would be required. The “Arctic” apple will first be commercialized in Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties, with Fuji and Gala on the horizon.
Even the apple industry has opposed this genetically engineered product. The U.S. Apple Association, Northwest Horticultural Council (which represents Washington apple growers, who grow over 60% of the apples in the U.S.), British Columbia Fruit Growers Association and other grower groups have already voiced their disapproval of these GE apples.
McDonald’s, Wendy's, and Gerber have already indicated that they don’t plan to use these GE apples. Tell supermarkets parents do not want to feed their kids GE apples!
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1. http://producenews.com/the-produce-news-today-s-headlines/21259-okanagan-specialty-fruits-bolsters-staff-to-support-arctic-apple-launch
Honey bees and other pollinators are dying at an alarming rate. From April 2015 - April 2016, beekeepers reported losing nearly 44% of their honey bee populations, over double the total from previous years.
These catastrophic losses have the potential to severely impact our food system and our environment. Toxic pesticides, often coated onto the outside of the seeds we plant, are killing bees at an unprecedented rate.
Researching the toxic and lethal impacts that these pesticides are having and determining how we can prevent these chemicals from killing more bees is crucial in our fight to save pollinators and protect our food supply. But now, Trump's hiring freeze at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has halted these vital research programs. Critical research about the harmful impacts of inert ingredients in pesticide products (including the ability of inert ingredients to make active pesticides more toxic) is now on hold.
Your voice can help make sure researchers have the support they need to continue doing their jobs and protect pollinators and our food supply. As Julia Fine, one of the leading researchers on the project involving inert pesticide ingredients, told the Huffington Post, “We are very close to being able to make sound recommendations to growers that will prevent the effects we observed in the laboratory from occurring in the field (...) This research could help increase food security.”1
Protecting pollinators requires that the USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency, growers, and seed manufacturers work together to forge solutions based on sound research and data. We can't let this hiring freeze delay much-needed research to get bees the strong protections they need now.
Make your voice heard for bees now!
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1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-scientists-hiring-freeze-bees_us_5892e83fe4b0af07cb6b8bf5
Did you know that companies like Monsanto and Syngenta are not required to disclose the pesticides they spray? There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our ohana, which is why we must demand that these agrichemical companies “Just Say What You Spray and Give Us Space.” As we move through legislative session- the power of the opposition is growing, but so are we. We can’t back down now.
Submit testimony in support of HB 790, a bill that will establish the state’s first mandatory pesticide disclosure program for high volume users. It will also establish public notification requirements when pesticides are sprayed in proximity of schools, healthcare facilities, childcare facilities, elder care facilities, and other environmentally sensitive areas.
Why is this important?
Hawai‘i’s communities have no choice but to live, work, and commute daily in areas under threat of toxic pesticide drift – and they do not have access to information that would allow them to protect themselves from this vital threat. Children in utero and early childhood who are exposed to low-level restricted use pesticides are at risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism and ADHD, as well as leukemia and asthma.
While the industry will say this measure “hurts farmers” we need to let our elected officials know that we understand that regulations for Big Ag can exempt small farmers. Why? Because Monsanto, Syngenta, and Dow Chemical don’t use the chemicals the small conventional grower might use down the street. Rather they are using over 90 different pesticides forumations, across dozens of different combinations, 2 out of every 3 days, up to sixteen times a day, all year round. We deserve to know more about this heavy pesticide use.
Disclosure is a modest ask for communities that have been fighting for pesticide regulation reform. Lets keep kicking this important measure down the field. The goal line is in sight. SUBMIT YOUR TESTIMONY NOW.
The hearing is on Wednesday, March 1st, at 2:00 PM in room 329.
There are at least 27 schools in Hawai‘i located within a mile of fields where agrichemical companies like Monsanto and Dow Chemical spray restricted-use pesticides. Children and faculty in these schools are at heightened risk of exposure to pesticides that drift from these industrial operations.
Despite this danger, Hawai‘i does not have legislation on the books regulating the application of pesticides around schools.
House Bill 1571 is our opportunity to change that. If passed, HB 1571 would protect our keiki from the impacts of large-scale agricultural pesticide use by establishing a 5-school pilot program that would encourage the use of native and beneficial plants as buffer zones round schools at risk of unintended pesticide exposure.
HB 1571 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Committees on Agriculture and Energy & Environmental Protection on Tuesday, February 2nd at 8:30AM in room 325. Come out and testify!
The American Academy of Pediatrics finds that children are highly vulnerable to pesticide exposure, and recommends increased protections from pesticides in and around schools to safeguard their health. Asthma, autism, neurological diseases and adverse birth outcomes are chief health concerns for children exposed to pesticides, especially those with low-level, chronic exposure.
What does the bill do?
HB 1571 is a creative approach to addressing pesticide drift and exposure threats at Hawai‘i schools. The bill would establish a pilot program for the growing of native plants around five schools at risk of unintended pesticide exposure from nearby agricultural operations.
HB 1571 also requires the mandatory disclosure and notification of all toxic pesticide use by the schools and nearby large scale commercial agriculture operations that use excessive restricted use pesticides.
Why is the bill good?
Students need a healthy learning environment to thrive, and HB 1571 will motivate the State to take stronger action to ensure Hawai‘i schools are safe, healthy places for children and faculty to learn, work and play. Vegetative buffer zones not only act as wind-break, but they will provide habitats for critical native species and crops, support soil remediation, and create an outdoor learning space to engage the broader community in agriculture and environmental stewardship.
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It is well-established that agriculture contributes nearly 1/3 of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, what is less well-known is that agriculture also has the potential to be part of the solution to climate change.
By harnessing the power of photosynthesis, plants convert carbon dioxide into energy and send as much as 40% of that carbon down through their roots to feed hungry microorganisms living in the soil. By incentivizing farming and ranching practices based on regenerative, agroecological principles, we can keep that carbon in the ground where it can enhance crop yields, improve water quality, and increase plants’ resilience to drought, floods, and pathogens.
Hawai‘i has an opportunity to create a Carbon Farming Task Force that will create incentives for farmers and ranchers to improve the resilience of their land and protect their livelihoods and our food security in the face of escalating climate uncertainty. Soil health initiatives are sprouting up around the country, and Hawai‘i can and should become a leader in this hopeful movement!
We've come a long way. Thanks to your testimony, HB 1578 has advanced through the House Agriculture; Energy and Environmental Protection; and Finance Committees; and subsequently the Senate Economic Development, Tourism & Technology and Agriculture & Environment Joint Committee. The bill is now moving to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. This is our last hearing before conference!
Will you submit testimony in support and urge the state to research and support carbon farming opportunities in Hawai‘i?
The hearing is on Friday, March 31st at 9:30 AM (room 211). No oral testimony will be accepted, so make sure to submit written testimony now with one click!
If you only have a minute, you can submit your testimony in the box on the right.
It is clear pesticides are of increasing concern to communities across the state – and for good reason. Both acute and chronic exposure has been linked to severe health impacts in pregnant women, children and farmworkers.
Please testify in support of HB252. It would provide funding to implement the findings of the Kauaʻi Joint Fact Finding study group. Those findings include the State taking immediate action to overhaul Hawaiʻi’s pesticide regulations, including the establishment of consistent buffer zone and pesticide drift monitoring policies.
These and other measures recommended by the working group would go a long way towards increasing transparency about pesticide use in the state, and better protecting the health of community members at risk of exposure.
Submit your testimony in support of HB252 today. The most meaningful thing you can do is submit your own personalized testimony to the Capitol website and attend the hearing in-person. Go to protectourkeiki.org to find talking points and directions on how to submit.
The hearing is on Tuesday, February 7th at 8:30AM. The docket is stacked with other pesticide regulation and local food production bills so come out and take part in the civic process.
If you only have a minute, you can submit your testimony in the box on the right!
The health and wellbeing of our keiki should not have to wait another day. Take action now.
When it comes to developing regulations for toxic pesticides, it is important that the state hear from a broad spectrum of individuals. This why we support SB779: because it adds critical voices to the state’s pesticide advisory committee, including representatives from the DOE, Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United, each Mayor’s office, a medical expert and a scientific advisor from an NGO.
We applaud the inclusion of small family farmers and county officials to a board that previously privileged the voices large-scale industrial agriculture. That being said, this expansion MUST go further as there is only one seat allocated for the medical community. We feel this committee must include a broad cross-section of medical professionals who can help our agencies better understand how human health is impacted by industrial pesticide use. Don’t you think there should be more seats for medical professionals than industry? Submit your testimony now!
It is the state’s responsibility to ensure the health of the land and the health of its people. However when you look at the breakdown of this committee, it seems it is the health of the industry that is the government’s concern.
Will you submit testimony in support and urge the state have toxicologists, endocrinologists and pediatricians inform our state’s regulatory policy? Can we really trust the fox to guard the hen house?
The most meaningful thing you can do is submit your own personalized testimony to the Capitol website and attend the hearing in-person. Go to protectourkeiki.org to find talking points and directions on how to submit.
The hearing is on Monday, January 30th at 1:15 PM. The docket is stacked with other pesticide regulation and local food production bills so come out and take part in the civic process.
If you only have a minute, you can submit your testimony in the box on the right!
It is clear pesticides are of increasing concern to communities across the state – and for good reason. Both acute and chronic exposure has been linked to severe health impacts in pregnant women, children and farmworkers.
Please testify in support of SB 778. It would provide funding to implement the findings of the Kauaʻi Joint Fact Finding study group. Those findings include the State taking immediate action to overhaul Hawaiʻi’s pesticide regulations, including the establishment of consistent buffer zone and pesticide drift monitoring policies.
These and other measures recommended by the working group would go a long way towards increasing transparency about pesticide use in the state, and better protecting the health of community members at risk of exposure.
Submit your testimony in support of SB 778 NOW. The most meaningful thing you can do is submit your own personalized testimony to the Capitol website. Go to http://www.ProtectOurKeiki.org to find talking points and directions on how to submit.
The hearing is on Friday, February 24th at 1:30 PM – Capitol room 221. They will not be taking in person testimony, but your presence in the hearing will make a difference.
The health and wellbeing of our keiki should not have to wait another day. Take action now.
Our online seed network promotes the free sharing of rare, heirloom, and culturally significant seeds among farmers and gardeners around the world.
By saving, posting, and sharing seeds with the global community of farmers and gardeners, you are contributing to the preservation and conservation of plant diversity, and to the protection of our public food system from corporate control.
SIGN UP NOW to stay tuned about the official website launch and special gift offer in February!
Trump’s cabinet just keeps getting worse. Trump has chosen former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Perdue has been the favorite of corporate agribusiness companies, and has shown himself to be very friendly towards biotech companies and factory farms in Georgia. In fact, over his seven Georgia political campaigns, he received more than $325,000 from agribusiness interests.1
Tell your Senators we need an agriculture secretary that will protect family farmers, sustainable agriculture, animal welfare and the environment – not another corporate shill.
As Governor of Georgia, Perdue championed the expansion of factory chicken farms in the state,2 and signed a bill in 2009 that would prohibit local communities from taking action to stop animal cruelty, pollution and other hazards from factory farms.3 Perdue was also named Governor of the Year in 2009 by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) for his support and expansion of biotech in Georgia, the same year Atlanta hosted the annual BIO convention.4 As head of USDA, Perdue could undo years of work to curb factory farming and regulate genetically engineered crops. And don’t forget - its Trump’s USDA that is now in charge of finalizing the national GMO labeling law.
As secretary of agriculture, Perdue would also oversee programs aimed at curbing agriculture’s environmental footprint and contribution to climate change. But as is the case with most of Trump’s cabinet choices, he’s also a climate denier. In an opinion piece he wrote in 2014, Perdue mocked “liberals” and the “mainstream media” for daring to connect extreme weather events – like increases in hurricanes, droughts, and soaring temperatures—to climate change.5 When Georgia faced an urgent drought in 2007, Perdue responded by holding a prayer vigil at the state capitol to urge residents to “pray for rain.”6
In a time when bee populations are collapsing, family farms are struggling to survive, and every day we see the real impacts of a changing climate, we cannot allow the confirmation of agency heads that support policies which create more polluting factory farms, more pesticides in the food we feed our families, or more toxic chemicals in the environment.
Tell your Senators to block the confirmation of Sonny Perdue as secretary of agriculture!
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After you send your email call your Senators! You can call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request. Don't know who your Senators are? Find out here. |
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1. http://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?eid=6416704&default=candidate
2. http://sonnyperdue.georgia.gov/00/press/detail/0,2668,78006749_79688147_93050140,00.html
3. https://animallawcoalition.com/ga-gov-approves-bill-to-stop-local-regulation-of-factory-farms/
4. https://www.bio.org/media/press-release/biotechnology-industry-organization-honors-georgia-governor-sonny-perdue-governo
5. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/377495/common-core-blame-game-sonny-perdue
6. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/politics/sonny-perdue-agriculture-secretary.html?_r=0
President Trump sat down with Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant at Trump Tower and had a “productive meeting” on “the future of the agriculture industry”1 and the pending merger between the two companies.2
Trump has heard from the CEOs. Now we need you to make your voice heard. Add your name and tell President Trump: NO to the dangerous Bayer-Monsanto merger!
Over the last few decades, a handful of agrichemical giants have acquired much of the world’s seed supply. Just five companies – Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, Dow and Bayer – account for 62% of world seed sales.
This consolidation of seed control has already resulted in higher seed prices and declining choice of seed varieties, thousands of farmers sued for seed-saving, and sharply increased dependence on toxic pesticides – both weed-killing herbicides and insecticides.
The combination of Bayer and Monsanto would diminish competition in the increasingly intertwined markets for seeds and pesticides, reduce socially beneficial innovation, increase seed prices, and reduce seed choices for farmers (particularly non-GE and untreated seed options).
Not only is this the largest foreign corporate takeover ever by a German firm, as Reuters reported last year,3 it's the largest cash bid on record. A potential Bayer-Monsanto merger would put one foreign-owned megacorporation in charge of 29 percent of the global seed market and 25 percent of the global pesticide market. We can’t let this happen.
Giving a foreign-owned, Bayer-Monsanto mega-corporation unchecked power over what goes into our food supply is downright dangerous. Even Big Ag mega-donor Bruce Rastetter is against the deal, saying it would limit competition, raise costs for farmers and stunt job growth.4
We can’t let two billionaire CEO allies whisper in Trump’s ear without hearing from us, too.
Add your name and tell President Trump: the Bayer-Monsanto merger is bad news.
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1. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/01/monsanto-and-bayer-gets-audience-donald-promote-their-merger
2. http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/01/11/bayer-monsanto-ceos-meet-with-trump-argue-merger-would-create-u-s-jobs.html
3. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/01/monsanto-and-bayer-gets-audience-donald-promote-their-merger
4. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-monsanto-m-a-bayer-deal-idUSKCN11K128
Tired of hearing the same ol' industry talking points, but not sure how to respond?
Since the release of our groundbreaking report Pesticides in Paradise: Hawai'i’s Health and Environment at Risk, the agrichemical industry has deployed their monstrous PR machine to spread their typical counter points and misinformation.
With the help of our partners, we’ve compiled a “cheat sheet” with many of the typical agrichemical industry talking points debunked with hard facts. Broken down with simplified answers to over 30 frequently asked questions on genetic engineering and pesticides in Hawaiʻi, this resource is a must see for everyone working towards a safe, healthy and biodiverse food system.
Download the PDF file (1MB) >>>
Background
In 2016, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that in Hawaiʻi, it is the state that can regulate commercialized GE crops and local pesticide use. What this means is that counties can’t pass regulations to protect their residents from pesticides and GE crops, but the state can – and it must. It is up to us to ramp up the pressure on Governor Ige and the Hawaiʻi State Legislature ahead of the 2017 Legislative Session.
Sign our petition and urge the Governor and Hawaiʻi State Senate to take immediate action. It's their duty to protect Hawaiʻi's keiki and environment from chronic pesticide exposure! Sign the petition HERE >>>
To learn more about the 2017 Legislative Session and bills concerning pesticide disclosure and buffer zones, visit ProtectOurKeiki.org.
Social Media Kit
Sample Facebook post:
Despite a growing public awareness, there is still a lot of confusion around the GMO issue and pesticide use in Hawaiʻi. Check out this Hawaiʻi Center for Food Safety (@HIFoodPac) “cheat sheet” with many of the typical agrichemical industry talking points debunked with hard facts. Arm yourself with knowledge and get involved the lawmaking process during the 2017 Legislative Session. LEARN MORE >>> http://cfs.center/hipesticidefaqs
Sample Tweet:
Confused about the pesticide issue in HI? Bust some myths with @hifoodpac and get involved in the lawmaking process: http://cfs.center/hipesticidefaqs
Mythbuster Memes Gallery (To share on Facebook: click on the image, a Facebook window will open. To download: right-click -> Save As)
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The Senate is scheduled to vote on Scott Pruitt's confirmation to head the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, Feb 17th. This is our last chance to stop him and his anti-environment agenda!
Pruitt is a terrible choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. As Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt sued the EPA several times to stop vital protections for public health and the environment. He is a climate denier declaring war on any attempts to address global warming including defending his friends at ExxonMobil from carbon emission regulations. He is defending animal factories and trying to stop regulation of their water pollution.
When running for president Trump promised to “gut” the EPA, and Pruitt has devoted years to trying to do just that.
Pruitt has also opposed crucial regulations against smog and toxic pollutants like mercury and arsenic. Additionally, he is opposed to stringent federal regulation of pesticides. Pruitt has consistently protected corporate and factory farms at the expense of family farmers and animal welfare. In short Pruitt would be a disaster for the environment, public health, food safety and protection of wildlife.
We can’t let that happen.
Pruitt at the helm of EPA has the potential to reverse the environmental progress we’ve made together over the past twenty years. Tell your Senators to block Pruitt’s confirmation.
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After you send your email call your Senators! You can call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request. Don't know who your Senators are? Find out here. |
Due to Hawai‘i’s warm, windy climate and the agrichemical industry’s frequent spray schedule, pesticide drift is a major concern for families living in neighborhoods with pesticide-promoting genetically engineered (GE) crop field test sites.
The people of Hawai‘i have the right to know when hazardous pesticides are being used near their homes, schools and other sensitive areas. For years now, communities across the state of Hawai‘i have pushed state and county governments to regulate the pesticide practices of agrichemical companies.
In response to public demand, the Hawai‘i State Department of Agriculture has taken a small step in right the direction, announcing that it would expand Kauai’s voluntary pesticide-use reporting program to the entire state.
While more transparency is always an improvement, voluntary measures have an abysmal history of regulatory failure, particularly when it comes to environmental protection. That’s why we’re urging the governor and state legislators to make the program mandatory.
Tell the governor and your state legislators that you support state legislation that will mandate the public disclosure of pesticides.
Did you know that the largest single use of insecticides in the United States, neonicotinoid-coated crop seeds, is not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)? What if you were told that these bee-toxic insecticides often provide no benefit to farmers – that their use can actually do more harm than any potential good?
It’s true; neonic-coated seeds are doing more harm than good, and the data is outlined in Center for Food Safety’s new report, Net Loss.1 But as shocking as both of these facts may be, what’s most disturbing is that the EPA has the ability to fix both of these issues, but hasn’t.
Tell EPA enough is enough – it’s time to eliminate the use of bee-toxic neonic seed coatings!
As CFS’s new report outlines, the data continues to pile up showing that uses of neonic seed coatings are often completely unnecessary – and the many harms that result from their use greatly outweigh any purported benefits.
Neonic seed coatings are planted on nearly half of all cropland in the United States – more than 150 million acres have become contaminated with these highly toxic insecticides. To make matters worse, only a small fraction (~ 5% depending on the crop) of the chemical seed coating enters the plant, meaning that the remaining 95% of this toxic chemical pollutes the nearby environment, often through soil contamination, water runoff, or seed dust.
This widespread contamination from uses of neonic seed coatings isn’t just a problem for soil and water – it’s also a disaster for bees. Modeled after nicotine, neonicotinoids interfere with the nervous system of insects, causing tremors, paralysis, and eventually death. Neonics are up to 10,000 times more toxic to bees than the chemical DDT (which was banned decades ago due to its serious threats to wildlife and people), and their use can have both immediate and long-term effects on bees and other beneficial insects.
Bees are responsible for every one in three bites of food we eat - we can’t afford to keep losing them. The EPA has the power to protect bees and other pollinators by suspending uses of neonic-seed coatings.
It is EPA’s job to properly regulate pesticides and protect the environment from harms that may result from their use. The science is clear: neonics are wreaking havoc on bees and our environment. It’s time for EPA to wake up and protect these critical species!
Comments due December 1, 2016
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking comments on a dangerous proposal that will put our farms, our food, and our environment at risk.
The EPA is proposing a dramatic expansion of the use of the toxic pesticide Enlist Duo. Enlist Duo is a mixture of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup®) and the even more toxic 2,4-D (part of the chemical mixture Agent Orange). If approved the pesticide cocktail could be used on corn, soy, and cotton in 34 states — up from 15 states where the product was previously approved for just corn and soy.
The rush to expand the use of Dow AgroSciences’ toxic chemical concoction of glyphosate and 2,4-D for use on the next generation of genetically engineered crops comes only one year after the EPA asked a court to revoke its previous approval due to the unknown risks it posed, and now EPA suddenly wants to more than double the number of states where the pesticide can be used.
Enlist Duo is designed to be sprayed on Dow’s genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybeans, and cotton, killing the weeds but not the crops. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops are already failing because they created superweeds resistant to Roundup. Now imagine Roundup on overdrive. Scientists, lawmakers, and millions of citizens know that more chemicals are not the answer to the superweed problem.
Dow created Enlist crops as a quick fix for the superweed problem created by “Roundup Ready” crops that were genetically engineered to withstand what would otherwise be a toxic dose of the herbicide glyphosate. Just as overuse of antibiotics has left resistant strains of bacteria to thrive, repeated use of Roundup on those crops has resulted in the proliferation of glyphosate-resistant “superweeds” across millions of acres of U.S. farmland. Farmers are already reporting that some weeds have now also developed tolerance to 2-4, D. This means this next generation of new herbicide-tolerant crops will result in massive increases in pesticide use and perpetuate the pesticide treadmill.
Major news outlets are saying these crops are a serious cause for concern. According to the Los Angeles Times: “Just as the nation must stop overusing antibiotics if it hopes to slow the emergence of resistant infections, it must do the same with herbicides and genetically modified crops. The way to deal with so-called superweeds isn't by escalating the arms race against them.”
This GE crop system ensures a toxic spiral of ever-increasing chemical use on our land and food and poses a grave threat to our health. 2,4-D has been linked to major health problems including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, endocrine disruption, and reproductive problems. This approval would trigger millions of more pounds of toxic herbicides dumped onto our land. Even USDA admitted it could be as much as 176 million pounds per year!
Tell the EPA to reject this massive expansion in the use of Enlist Duo!
There are at least 27 schools in Hawai‘i located within a mile of fields where agrichemical companies like Monsanto and Dow Chemical spray restricted-use pesticides. Children and faculty in these schools are at heightened risk of exposure to pesticides that drift from these industrial operations.
The American Academy of Pediatrics finds that children are highly vulnerable to pesticide exposure, and recommends increased protections from pesticides in and around schools to safeguard their health. Asthma, autism, neurological diseases and adverse birth outcomes are chief health concerns for children exposed to pesticides, especially those with low-level, chronic exposure.
Despite this danger, Hawai‘i does not have legislation on the books regulating the application of pesticides around schools.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that under Hawai‘i law, counties and municipalities do not have the authority to regulate pesticide use. The authority to ensure local protection rests with the state. It is clear that it is the state’s responsibility to step up and protect our keiki and our environment from toxic pesticide use.
We must urge our representatives to pass legislation that protects our keiki’s health by requiring pesticide disclosure for large-scale, outdoor commercial agricultural operations, and public notification for pesticides applied around schools, healthcare facilities, child care facilities, elder care facilities, and other environmentally-sensitive areas.
Sign the petition to tell the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and Governor Ige to support pesticide disclosure and buffer zones legislation!
It’s no secret we love popcorn. In fact, Americans consume more than 16 billion quarts of popcorn each year, but we’re getting more than we bargained for in all those bowls of popcorn: bee-toxic pesticides.
Bees are dying at alarming rates, and scientists have identified a group of insecticides called neonicotinoids (“neonics”) as a prime culprit in these drastic population losses. The largest single use of neonicotinoids is as a seed coating for field crops. Researchers estimate that 79-100% of all corn grown in the U.S. comes from seed coated with bee-toxic neonic chemicals, and popcorn is no exception.
That’s why we’re calling on Orville Redenbacher—the biggest brand in the popcorn industry—to source its popcorn from seeds that are NOT coated in these harmful chemicals.
Thanks to your pressure, Pop Weaver1, Pop Secret2 and Preferred Popcorn3 have already agreed to phase out their use of neonics.
Neonics are the most widely used insecticides in the world. They are a class of systemic chemicals, meaning they disperse throughout the treated plant, rendering the whole plant toxic. Just as alarming, neonics can last in the environment for years and can harm beneficial species that the chemical is not designed to kill—like bees, butterflies, birds, and entire food chains.
Sign the Petition to Tell Orville Redenbacher to Stop Killing Bees:
Halloween is right around the corner, and that means it’s time for trick-or-treating fun! What it shouldn’t mean is worrying over whether or not we’re being tricked by candy producers into buying and eating potentially toxic treats.
Unfortunately, many food companies are using unlabeled, untested nano ingredients in their candies. In February, Mars—the largest candy maker in the world—released a statement1 in which it committed to removing artificial colors from its food products over the next five years. But it was not clear at the time whether this included titanium dioxide, one of the most common chemicals used to engineer nanomaterials. Center for Food Safety pressed Mars—the makers of M&Ms, Skittles, Snickers, Starburst, and Twix, among other popular candies—on the issue and the company stated in an email that it is including titanium dioxide among the colorants it will remove from human food products – but has made no such commitment on other nano ingredients.
Nanotechnology is a powerful new tool for taking apart and reconstructing nature at the molecular level – and it has some scary repercussions when used in food products. Nano-scale materials2 are really small, highly reactive particles that can pass into cells and through the body’s blood-brain barrier3 to places in the human body that other materials can’t, and cause more damage when they do. Scientists agree that nanomaterials create novel food safety risks4 that require toxicity testing, yet very little testing and regulation of these new products exists, and consumers have almost no information.
So what does that mean for you or your little ghoul on Halloween? Well, for example, titanium dioxide, one of the most common engineered nanomaterials, is often found in candy (it’s used as a whitener, an anti-caking agent, a “shine” agent, and for texture) – and studies show5 that nano titanium dioxides can cause pathological lesions of the liver, spleen, kidneys, and brain; lung tumors; and inflammation, cell necrosis, and dysfunction in the kidney.
We at CFS are working to get the government to adopt stronger regulations for nanotechnology, especially when it comes to applications in our food supply. And we commend Mars for committing to remove all titanium dioxide from its products. But Mars can and must do better by removing all nano ingredients from its products on a faster timeline.
Tell Mars to speed up its removal of titanium dioxide and to remove ALL nano ingredients from their candy and food products!
In the meantime, we want you to enjoy a Halloween without any nano tricks in your treats! That’s why we created this simple guide to help you say no to nano ingredients in candy this Halloween.
Download the Guide | Share the Guide
Using oil wastewater to irrigate our food has not been proven safe—neither for the health of the public nor for the health of farm workers, who are exposed firsthand to these chemicals. Oil companies use toxic, cancer-causing chemicals in their operations and then supply their wastewater to irrigate crops.1 Yet companies like Wonderful Company (the U.S.’s largest citrus grower and the company behind Halos® mandarins) continue to use it!
Wonderful Company claims to care about public health, but is failing to protect farm workers and the public from the potential health risks of using oil wastewater to irrigate their citrus.
Big Oil has taken advantage of California farmers’ desperate need for water and is selling them oil wastewater at a cheap rate for irrigation. The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is expanding rapidly in California,2 which is the U.S.’s third largest oil-extracting state and produces over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits.3
This is an urgent food safety and public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes. Companies shouldn’t put their profits before our health.
Recently, we delivered your signatures to California Governor Jerry Brown urging him to end the use of oil wastewater for food irrigation. To date, he has failed to do so. In the absence of strong government action, we’re calling on Wonderful Company to stop using oil wastewater.
California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has released a draft plan for protecting schoolchildren in agricultural communities from drift-prone, health-harming pesticides.
Sadly, the proposal falls far short of what California kids need and deserve.
Over 140 agricultural pesticides of public health concern are used near California schools, daycares, and preschools. These aren’t our numbers; this is hard data from the Department of Public Health. Many of these pesticides drift from the farms where they’re applied to nearby schools, fields and playgrounds.
Research makes clear that chronic, low level childhood exposures can cause health harms that last a lifetime, including cancer and damage to children’s developing brains. That’s why we’re calling for 24/7 buffer zones for the most hazardous chemicals.
The Department of Pesticide Regulation’s part-time protections (just during school hours) ignore the facts: many pesticides keep drifting for days after application, and kids use school grounds and fields in the evening, on weekends, and all summer long. And these new rules don’t even require that schools are notified when pesticides are sprayed. This plan leaves hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren across the state in harm’s way.
This is not how you protect children from dangerous pesticides. We have until April 4th to convince the Department of Pesticide Regulation to do better. Sign the petition to the Department of Pesticide Regulation today.
Preferred Popcorn, a fully farmer-owned company that provides popcorn to popular popcorn brands and movie theatre concessions, has just confirmed to CFS that it is removing bee-toxic insecticides from their popcorn supply!
As you’re likely aware, the most widely-used class of insecticides, neonicotinoids (neonics for short), are harmful to both bees and the broader environment. That’s why exactly one year ago CFS launched a new market campaign, and with the help of our members, we’ve been encouraging popcorn companies to phase out the use of neonicotinoid seed coatings.
Thanks to your help, the momentum has continued to grow over the past year, and we’re thrilled to be able to thank Preferred Popcorn for not only agreeing to completely remove neonics from their supply chain, but also for their leadership in launching the addition of a certified organic popcorn line!
Preferred is the third company to commit to phasing out uses of neonicotinoid seed coatings – Pop Secret and Pop Weaver have already made similar commitments after you pressured them. While Preferred isn’t the first popcorn company to make this commitment, they are the first fully farmer-owned company to step up in such a significant way for bees. Preferred’s strong commitment to remove uses of neonic-coated seeds is an encouraging reminder of the critical role farmers can play in efforts to protect pollinators and the environment.
Join us in thanking Preferred Popcorn for their leadership and commitment to bees and the environment!
You can also thank them on Facebook! Leave a post like the below on their Facebook page:
Thanks for standing up for bees! As a concerned consumer, I appreciate your commitment to removing bee-toxic neonics from your popcorn seed supply and am encouraged by the actions your company and farmers are taking. Keep up the great work!
Over the last few decades, a handful of agrichemical giants have acquired much of the world’s seed supply. Just five companies – Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta, Dow and Bayer – account for 62% of world seed sales.
Now, two of the world’s largest pesticide-seed companies—Monsanto and German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Bayer AG—may merge into a still bigger entity. Two other mega-deals are also in the works. If these mergers go through, the result would be an unprecedented oligopoly of just four mega-corporations that control an astounding 73% of the world’s combined market in seeds and pesticides: Bayer-Monsanto, Dow-DuPont, Syngenta-ChemChina and BASF. What would this mean for the future of farming? It doesn’t look good.
This consolidation of seed control has already resulted in higher seed prices and declining choice of seed varieties, thousands of farmers sued for seed-saving, and sharply increased dependence on toxic pesticides – both weed-killing herbicides and insecticides.
The Department of Justice has ample reason to block this merger of giants on traditional anti-trust grounds. The combination of Bayer and Monsanto would diminish competition in the increasingly intertwined markets for seeds and pesticides, reduce socially beneficial innovation, increase seed prices, and reduce seed choices for farmers (particularly non-GE and untreated seed options). All of these impacts would be exacerbated if the two other proposed mergers – Dow-DuPont and Syngenta-ChemChina – also go through.
The DOJ must act to ensure that America’s diverse farmers have the seed they need. Without action we risk food insecurity, endanger the future economic success of American agriculture, and ignore consumer demand for a healthier, more just, and sustainable food system.
Urge the DOJ to block these seed and chemical company megamergers!
Most meat served by America's chain restaurants comes from animals raised in factory farms. The animals are often fed antibiotics daily in order to prevent diseases that occur in crowded, unsanitary living conditions, and to promote faster growth.
Regularly dosing animals with antibiotics for purposes other than treating illnesses has contributed to rising cases of infections in humans that are resistant to important medicines. The spread of resistant pathogens means that infections are harder to treat, require longer hospitalizations, and pose greater risk of death.
This is a disaster, and it’s critically important that our biggest restaurant chains do their part to address this growing problem right away.
Choosing meat and poultry raised without routine antibiotics is a way for consumers to help curb the spread of resistant pathogens and protect the efficacy of critical human medicines.
Sign our petition to tell the restaurants that received an "F" rating on our 2016 scorecard to adopt strong policies that prohibit the regular use of these antibiotics in their meat and poultry!
Most meat served by America's chain restaurants comes from animals raised in factory farms. The animals are often fed antibiotics daily in order to prevent diseases that occur in crowded, unsanitary living conditions, and to promote faster growth.
Regularly dosing animals with antibiotics for purposes other than treating illnesses has contributed to rising cases of infections in humans that are resistant to important medicines. The spread of resistant pathogens means that infections are harder to treat, require longer hospitalizations, and pose greater risk of death.
This is a disaster, and it’s critically important that our biggest restaurant chains do their part to address this growing problem right away.
Choosing meat and poultry raised without routine antibiotics is a way for consumers to help curb the spread of resistant pathogens and protect the efficacy of critical human medicines.
Sign our petition to tell the restaurants that received an "F" rating on our 2017 scorecard to adopt strong policies that prohibit the regular use of these antibiotics in their meat and poultry!
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Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical known to cause birth defects and is linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, obesity, diabetes and numerous other serious health concerns.
Last year, California added this toxic chemical to the state’s Proposition 65 list, notifying canned food makers that they would need to start warning consumers about BPA in their products by May 2016.
Now, having had more than a year to prepare for the warning law to come into effect, canned food makers say they still need more time to comply with the law. So the state has proposed extending the rule that lets canned food companies deny consumers their right to know about BPA in their products.
We deserve the right-to-know when our food contains toxic chemicals like BPA!
Tell state regulators that we demand to know when canned food contains BPA.
California State Senator Mark Leno is the bee’s knees - literally!
This year, among other things, he:
Sign the Thank You card to let Senator Leno know how much you appreciate his work to promote healthy food and farming in California!
Comments due September 12, 2016
After decades of promises from the biotech industry that genetically engineered (GE) food would feed the world, cure the sick, reduce agricultural dependence on toxic chemicals, and save countless crops from imminent collapse, industry is poised to finally release a product they think will solve a problem humans have struggled with for centuries… an apple that doesn’t brown when you slice it… Seriously; we couldn’t make this stuff up.
Last year, despite comments from nearly 80,000 CFS members alone, USDA approved the first varieties of GE apples - Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties of Intrexon/Okanagan Specialty Fruit’s “Arctic Apple”. Now, the agency is proposing to approve a new GE Arctic Apple variety—a Fuji—using the same incomplete environmental and food safety studies used to approve the first varieties. Meaning there are no new studies addressing the concerns raised in the last comment period, and since the first GE apples haven’t hit the commercial market, there are no market data, either. This is simply a rubber stamp approval.
While these GE apples are a waste of time and money, we don’t want to downplay the real concerns about them. Pre-sliced apples are actually a frequently recalled food product. Once the whole fruit is sliced, it has an increased risk of exposure to pathogens. Since browning is a sign that apples are no longer fresh, “masking” this natural signal could lead people to consume contaminated apples.
Further, since FDA does no independent, pre-market safety testing of GE food there are several unanswered questions about the safety of GE apples. “Silencing” the genes that make apples turn brown when exposed to oxygen could have unintended consequences that will only be tested by hungry consumers. Although these apples are primarily targeted to the fresh-sliced apple market they could also find their way into non-GE juice, baby foods or apple sauce at the processing level, all products predominantly eaten by children and babies who are at increased risk for any adverse health effects.
Even the apple industry has opposed this genetically engineered product. The U.S. Apple Association, Northwest Horticultural Council (which represents Washington apple growers, who grow over 60% of the apples in the U.S.), British Columbia Fruit Growers Association and other grower groups have already voiced their disapproval of these GE apples due to the negative impact they could have on farmers growing organic and non-GE apples through contamination, and to the image of the apple industry as a whole.
If the apple industry doesn’t want GE apples, and consumers don’t want GE apples, who do these apples really benefit? As usual, this product only benefits the biotech industry and big food processing companies.
Tell USDA to Reject this GE Apple!
Apple season is quickly approaching. And after the USDA approved the first genetically engineered (GE) apple last year, Intrexon – the company that makes it – has started planting the first commercial GE apple orchards!
But we still have a chance to keep these apples off the market. Fast food restaurants purchase lots of apples – and they may switch to the GE varieties.
Burger King could be one of the biggest buyers. So if we can convince it to reject these apples, we can help stop them from reaching our dinner plates!
The GE apple — known as the “Arctic Apple ®” — was genetically engineered to not turn brown when cut. Of course, browning in apples can be prevented naturally by applying lemon juice or another source of vitamin C — making this GE apple completely unnecessary.
What’s more, these apples may look fresh when actually they have been on the shelf for quite a while. Pre-sliced apples are a frequently recalled food product. Once the whole fruit is sliced, it has an increased risk of exposure to pathogens. Since browning is a sign that apples are no longer fresh, “masking” this natural signal could lead people to consume contaminated apples, which is why some folks are calling it the “botox apple.”
Further, since FDA does no independent, pre-market safety testing of GE food there are several unanswered questions about the environmental and food safety of GE apples. “Silencing” the genes that make apples turn brown when exposed to oxygen could have unintended consequences that will only be tested by hungry consumers.
Even the apple industry has opposed this genetically engineered product. The U.S. Apple Association, Northwest Horticultural Council (which represents Washington apple growers, who grow over 60% of the apples in the U.S.), British Columbia Fruit Growers Association and other grower groups have already voiced their disapproval of these GE apples.
If the apple industry doesn’t want GE apples, and consumers don’t want GE apples, who do these apples really benefit? As usual, this product only benefits the biotech industry and big food processing companies.
The good news is McDonald’s, Wendy's, and Gerber have already indicated that they don’t plan to use these GE apples. Burger King could be next.
Tell Burger King to reject GE apples!
Every day industrial dairy operations in Washington State generate millions of pounds of manure. Unlike human waste, it’s untreated, and when it isn’t managed properly, it pollutes our waterways, shuts down Puget Sound shellfish beds, and worst of all, contaminates our drinking water supplies, putting public health at risk.
Big Ag wants a weak approach to managing this pollution, and so far the WA State Department of Ecology—the state agency charged with protecting Washington’s ground and surface waters—seems to be listening to them. They’ve issued a new draft permit1 for these industrial operations that won’t protect our waterways and drinking water supplies from this pollution.
The WA Dept of Ecology is accepting public comments on this issue right now. With your help, we can make sure Washington’s waterways and drinking water supplies are protected from harmful manure pollution.
It’s this simple: if the Dept of Ecology has a strong permit for these industrial dairy farms, we can protect our waterways and drinking water from dairy pollution. A strong permit would include these three key provisions:
With a public comment period ending on August 17, we only have a few weeks to convince the WA Department of Ecology to protect our drinking water and waterways from industrial dairy pollution. Tell the WA Dept. of Ecology to choose safe drinking water and public health over Big Ag!
Sign onto the below commments and we'll deliver your signature to the Department of Ecology at the close of the comment period:
In-N-Out Burger made headlines when it committed to stop using beef raised with routine antibiotics five months ago. But the company has failed to set a timeline or put out a plan for making the change.
That’s where you come in. If enough fans of In-N-Out demand action, it will have to deliver.
Tell In-N-Out to set a timeline for getting routine antibiotics out if its beef!
Most meat served by America's chain restaurants comes from animals raised in factory farms. The animals are often fed antibiotics daily in order to prevent diseases that occur in crowded, unsanitary living conditions.
This kind of antibiotic overuse leads to the rise of superbug infections. These infections are getting more and more dangerous –--claiming at least 23,000 lives each year in the U.S.
Just 24 hours after over 50 groups sent it a letter – and people like you took action on social media – the company issued a statement saying it would to source beef raised without routine antibiotics.
But that’s not enough. It needs to show concrete action with a time-bound commitment.
Shake Shack and Elevation Burger have already eliminated routine antibiotics and other drugs in their meat production. Elevation Burger goes even further by only offering 100% grass-fed organic burgers. It’s time for In N Out to step up.
In-N-Out has the power to get its meat suppliers to adopt better practices – like reducing routine antibiotics or, even better, shifting to organic production. These practices are better for people, animals, and the planet.
By offering an organic, grass-fed burger option, In-N-Out would not only reduce antibiotics use, but would also cut the use of toxic pesticides like Roundup – which drench GMO feed crops and make their way into our bodies through the food we eat.
Together we can end the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms. We can support organic farmers that do not use toxic pesticides or GMO feed. And we can build a food system that works for people and the planet.
Tell In-N-Out to be part of the solution and follow through on serving better beef!
This Wednesday July 20, the Kaua‘i County Council will vote on whether or not to appoint Syngenta spokeswoman Beth A. Tokioka to the county’s Board of Water Supply.
The appointment of an industry representative to the Board of Water Supply raises questions about how the industry will unduly influence decisions affecting Kaua‘i’s water supply.
Just consider these facts:
In 2012, the Kauaʻi Department of Water accepted a class action suit settlement with Syngenta from atrazine contamination of some water wells. Atrazine is a restricted-use pesticide manufactured by Syngenta and applied to its experimental GE field trials.
Syngenta is currently suing the County of Kaua‘i to prevent mandated disclosure of information related to its pesticide use.
Syngenta leases land from Grove Farm, one of Kaua‘i’s largest landowners that could be affected by Board of Water Supply decisions.
The Board of Water Supply is no place for business and other special interests. Urge the Kaua‘i County Council to protect the public’s interest and restore confidence in government by opposing this nomination.
Please sign this letter before the council meeting on Wednesday, July 20 at 8:30 AM.
Despite the tens of thousands of calls, faxes, tweets, and emails by CFS members like you, the House passed the sham GMO labeling bill on July 14th. The bill now goes to Obama’s desk to be signed or vetoed.
We urgently need you to tell President Obama to veto this new DARK Act!
Though its supporters call it a “labeling” bill, this new DARK Act actually exempts most current GE foods from any labeling. That’s right, according to the FDA’s comments to Congress it would leave out large sectors of GE foods from any labeling requirement. This bill is really a non-labeling law masquerading as a labeling law. The FDA pointed out many other significant problems with the bill that if signed will cause mass consumer and market confusion. Meanwhile the bill preempts the strong GE food labeling laws of Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, the GE fish labeling law of Alaska, and the GE seed labeling laws of Vermont and Virginia - a profound violation of the democratic decision making of millions of Americans.
The bill also gives corporations the power to hide GE labeling by using digital QR codes that can only be read by smartphones. As if anyone had the time to point their smart phone at each and every product they are buying in the supermarket and try and read what it signifies, or access a website, or a call an 800 number.
But these QR codes are not only impossibly burdensome to those who have smartphones, they discriminate against more than a third of all Americans who do not even own these devices.1 That’s more than 100 million Americans! That means that those tens of millions on the “wrong side” of the digital divide will not be able to access GMO information labeled with QR codes. Moreover, those left out are mainly low income, those living in rural areas, and the elderly. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of rural Americans own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.2 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.3
At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GMO labeling were done through QR codes.
When President Obama was running for office in 2008, he promised he’d label GMOs as President. This is President Obama’s last chance to get GMO labeling right – by vetoing this sham labeling bill and supporting plain language, mandatory on-package labeling.
Tell President Obama to veto this discriminatory bill and ensure the Right to Know of EVERY American!
Despite the tens of thousands of calls, faxes, tweets, and emails by CFS members like you, the House passed the sham GMO labeling bill on July 14th. The bill now goes to Obama’s desk to be signed or vetoed.
We urgently need you to tell President Obama to veto this new DARK Act!
Though its supporters call it a “labeling” bill, this new DARK Act actually exempts most current GE foods from any labeling. That’s right, according to the FDA’s comments to Congress it would leave out large sectors of GE foods from any labeling requirement. This bill is really a non-labeling law masquerading as a labeling law. The FDA pointed out many other significant problems with the bill that if signed will cause mass consumer and market confusion. Meanwhile the bill preempts the strong GE food labeling laws of Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, the GE fish labeling law of Alaska, and the GE seed labeling laws of Vermont and Virginia - a profound violation of the democratic decision making of millions of Americans.
The bill also gives corporations the power to hide GE labeling by using digital QR codes that can only be read by smartphones. As if anyone had the time to point their smart phone at each and every product they are buying in the supermarket and try and read what it signifies, or access a website, or a call an 800 number.
But these QR codes are not only impossibly burdensome to those who have smartphones, they discriminate against more than a third of all Americans who do not even own these devices.1 That’s more than 100 million Americans! That means that those tens of millions on the “wrong side” of the digital divide will not be able to access GMO information labeled with QR codes. Moreover, those left out are mainly low income, those living in rural areas, and the elderly. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of rural Americans own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.2 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.3
At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GMO labeling were done through QR codes.
When President Obama was running for office in 2008, he promised he’d label GMOs as President. This is President Obama’s last chance to get GMO labeling right – by vetoing this sham labeling bill and supporting plain language, mandatory on-package labeling.
Tell President Obama to veto this discriminatory bill and ensure the Right to Know of EVERY American!
Despite the tens of thousands of calls, faxes, tweets, and emails by CFS members like you, the House passed the sham GMO labeling bill on July 14th. The bill now goes to Obama’s desk to be signed or vetoed.
We urgently need you to tell President Obama to veto this new DARK Act!
Though its supporters call it a “labeling” bill, this new DARK Act actually exempts most current GE foods from any labeling. That’s right, according to the FDA’s comments to Congress it would leave out large sectors of GE foods from any labeling requirement. This bill is really a non-labeling law masquerading as a labeling law. The FDA pointed out many other significant problems with the bill that if signed will cause mass consumer and market confusion. Meanwhile the bill preempts the strong GE food labeling laws of Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, the GE fish labeling law of Alaska, and the GE seed labeling laws of Vermont and Virginia - a profound violation of the democratic decision making of millions of Americans.
The bill also gives corporations the power to hide GE labeling by using digital QR codes that can only be read by smartphones. As if anyone had the time to point their smart phone at each and every product they are buying in the supermarket and try and read what it signifies, or access a website, or a call an 800 number.
But these QR codes are not only impossibly burdensome to those who have smartphones, they discriminate against more than a third of all Americans who do not even own these devices.1 That’s more than 100 million Americans! That means that those tens of millions on the “wrong side” of the digital divide will not be able to access GMO information labeled with QR codes. Moreover, those left out are mainly low income, those living in rural areas, and the elderly. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of rural Americans own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.2 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.3
At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GMO labeling were done through QR codes.
When President Obama was running for office in 2008, he promised he’d label GMOs as President. This is President Obama’s last chance to get GMO labeling right – by vetoing this sham labeling bill and supporting plain language, mandatory on-package labeling.
Tell President Obama to veto this discriminatory bill and ensure the Right to Know of EVERY American!
In 24 hours the Senate will vote again on the fake GMO labeling bill (S. 764) from Senators Stabenow (D-MI) and Roberts (R-KS). Unfortunately, Senator Feinstein (D-CA) voted FOR this sham of a bill in a procedural vote last week. She needs to hear from you that you do NOT support this bill and that you expect her to Vote NO tomorrow.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent Congress a scathing critique of the labeling law, calling the bill out for its weak language and lack of enforcement. FDA even notes that many, perhaps even most, current GMO foods wouldn't even get labeled under the bill!
Fax the facts! Tell Senator Feinstein that we need a strong, mandatory labeling law that relies on words on the package, not high-tech gimmicks.
This bill creates a GMO labeling scheme that will immediately override the state GMO labeling laws passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, but will not require any labeling for 2 years, while USDA comes up with some vague labeling standard using discriminatory QR codes, websites or 800 numbers.
Big Ag and food companies have made it clear which option they support for labeling: QR codes. They know consumers don’t use these codes and that “labeling” via QR codes is really no labeling all.
Only 64% of Americans own a smartphone.1 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to access GMO information if products are labeled with QR codes. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately low income and those living in rural areas.
According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of rural Americans own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.2 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.3 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GMO labeling were done through QR codes.
Last week the bill passed its first legislative hurdle—in what was essentially a test vote—by a vote of 68-29. The bill is up for a second procedural vote TOMORROW.
Let’s flood Senator Feinstein’s fax with the facts! It's critical that Senator Feinstein hear from you before the next vote tomorrow!
P.S. – Want to go the extra mile? Fax a graphic to Senator Feinstein for free through Fax Zero. Just download this document, go to https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php, choose Senator Feinstein in the list of Senators, enter your contact information, upload the document and enter any personal comments you want to include (optional) in the cover sheet box. Then just choose “send free fax now” at the bottom. Check your email to confirm your send (this step is important – it won’t send the fax unless you confirm via email). Done!
In 24 hours the Senate will vote again on the fake GMO labeling bill (S. 764) from Senators Stabenow (D-MI) and Roberts (R-KS). Your Senators need to hear from you that you expect them to vote NO tomorrow!
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent Congress a scathing critique of the labeling law, calling the bill out for its weak language and lack of enforcement. FDA even notes that many, perhaps even most, current GMO foods wouldn't even get labeled under the bill!
Fax the facts! Help us tell Senators we want strong, mandatory labeling law that relies on words on the package, not high-tech gimmicks.
This bill creates a GMO labeling scheme that will immediately override the state GMO labeling laws passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, but will not require any labeling for 2 years, while USDA comes up with some vague labeling standard using discriminatory QR codes, websites or 800 numbers.
Big Ag and food companies have made it clear which option they support for labeling: QR codes. They know consumers don’t use these codes and that “labeling” via QR codes is really no labeling all.
Only 64% of Americans own a smartphone.1 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to access GMO information if products are labeled with QR codes. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately low income and those living in rural areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of rural Americans own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.2 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.3 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GMO labeling were done through QR codes.
You’ve emailed, you’ve called, you’ve tweeted…what’s left? Let’s flood their faxes with facts!
Last week the bill passed its first legislative hurdle—in what was essentially a test vote—by a vote of 68-29. The bill is up for a second procedural vote TOMORROW.
P.S. – Want to go the extra mile? Fax a graphic to your Senators for free through Fax Zero. Just download this document, go to https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php, choose the Senator you’d like to fax, enter your contact information, upload the document and enter any personal comments you want to include (optional) in the cover sheet box. Then just choose “send free fax now” at the bottom. Check your email to confirm your send (this step is important – it won’t send the fax unless you confirm via email). Done!
The Hawai‘i State Legislature made history by passing the first state-funded tax credit for organic farmers and new farmers seeking organic certification in May 2016. This legislation provides the state support necessary to growing Hawaii’s organic agriculture sector and increasing safe local food production in the state.
However, Governor David Ige can still kill the bill (House Bill 1689 CD1) with a veto, and we need your help to make sure he doesn’t. Sign this petition and urge Governor Ige to support the next generation of farmers by passing this bill!
Why Should the Governor Sign the Bill into Law?
By passing unprecedented legislation that would allocate $2 million in state-funded tax credits for certified organic food production, the state legislature stepped up to fulfill its responsibility to support local food self-sufficiency, and recognize organic farming as a means for promoting a healthy, viable future for Hawai‘i.1
Now it’s time for Governor Ige to do this same. Sign this petition to urge the Governor to pass the organic tax credit bill!
If you eat avocados, oranges and grapes, you’ve eaten crops grown in California. In fact, over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits are grown in California.1 When you bite into those fruits and vegetables, what comes to mind? Freshness, sunshine, good health?
Well, add toxic oil wastewater to that list, because that’s what is being used to irrigate California crops.
Big Oil has taken advantage of California farmers’ desperate need for water and is selling them oil wastewater—the water that’s been used in oil extraction operations—at a cheap rate for irrigation. Hundreds of chemicals are used in oil operations, and some of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, kidney failure, and liver damage2—and they could be in the oil wastewater that is being used on our fruits and vegetables.
How is that possible? No comprehensive and independent testing has been undertaken to ensure that our food and health is protected from the chemicals used in oil operations. And no action has been taken to protect the farmworkers who are potentially exposed to these toxins daily.
Now, as California braces for another hot, dry summer, plans are underway to expand the use of toxic oil wastewater for crop irrigation in the state.3
We need to put an end to this practice immediately.
Sign the petition to tell Governor Brown and the California State Water Board to stop the use of oil wastewater for crop irrigation in California!
“A sham and an embarrassment.” That’s how Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) described the DARK Act on the Senate floor.
When we defeated the DARK Act in December and then again last month we thought at least for now we’d won the battle for our right to know. Following the victory in March, major food companies began announcing they would label their GE foods, including General Mills, Kellogg’s, Mars and ConAgra.
But this panicked Monsanto and the biotech industry who don’t want an informed public deciding whether to buy GE foods. So once again they are using all of their financial muscle to push the U.S. Senate to pass the DARK Act…and do it in the next two or three weeks.
The force behind this new DARK Act push is Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). She is working with the biotech industry and the Republicans to pass a law that again would leave the majority of U.S. consumers in the dark about the food we buy and feed our families.
Why would Senator Stabenow put forward such an anti-consumer and anti-democratic bill? Just follow the money. In the last five years, Senator Stabenow has raked in over half a million dollars from companies like Monsanto, Dow, and Coca-Cola. With that kind of money on the line, it’s no wonder she seems hell-bent on stopping meaningful GMO labeling.
Stabenow’s new bill once again thwarts the democratic will of the people as it will erase state GE labeling laws passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, and replace them with complicated computer QR codes or 800 numbers consumers would have to access instead of simple on-package labeling.
But QR code labeling is really no labeling at all – it’s discriminatory, incredibly burdensome, and even a threat to our privacy.
Only 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone.1 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to use this form of labeling. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately low income and those living in non-urban areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of people living in rural areas own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.2 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.3 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GE labeling were done through QR codes.
Knowing about the foods you purchase should be the right of everyone, not a luxury available only to those who can afford particular technologies and the capabilities to use them.
Tell your Senators to dump the DARK Act once and for all!
“A sham and an embarrassment.” That’s how Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) described the DARK Act on the Senate floor.
When we defeated the DARK Act in December and then again last month we thought at least for now we’d won the battle for our right to know. Following the victory in March, major food companies began announcing they would label their GE foods, including General Mills, Kellogg’s, Mars and ConAgra.
But this panicked Monsanto and the biotech industry who don’t want an informed public deciding whether to buy GE foods. So once again they are using all of their financial muscle to push the U.S. Senate to pass the DARK Act…and do it in the next two or three weeks.
The force behind this new DARK Act push is Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). She is working with the biotech industry and the Republicans to pass a law that again would leave the majority of U.S. consumers in the dark about the food we buy and feed our families.
Why would Senator Stabenow put forward such an anti-consumer and anti-democratic bill? Just follow the money. In the last five years, Senator Stabenow has raked in over half a million dollars from companies like Monsanto, Dow, and Coca-Cola. With that kind of money on the line, it’s no wonder she seems hell-bent on stopping meaningful GMO labeling.
Stabenow’s new bill once again thwarts the democratic will of the people as it will erase state GE labeling laws passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, and replace them with complicated computer QR codes or 800 numbers consumers would have to access instead of simple on-package labeling.
But QR code labeling is really no labeling at all – it’s discriminatory, incredibly burdensome, and even a threat to our privacy.
Only 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone.1 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to use this form of labeling. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately low income and those living in non-urban areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of people living in rural areas own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.2 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.3 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GE labeling were done through QR codes.
Knowing about the foods you purchase should be the right of everyone, not a luxury available only to those who can afford particular technologies and the capabilities to use them.
Tell your Senators to dump the DARK Act once and for all!
Last summer, the USDA approved Monsanto’s genetically engineered dicamba-resistant cotton and soybeans. Now the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is poised to approve the new use of dicamba on these pesticide-promoting GE crops. If approved, millions more pounds of this hazardous chemical will be sprayed, polluting our food, water, and air.
Monsanto’s genetically engineered Roundup Ready crops are planted on over 150 million acres nationwide. They have triggered a huge increase in the use of glyphosate (Roundup) herbicide, and an epidemic of glyphosate-resistant “superweeds.” Now, in a misguided effort to fix the weed resistance problem created by its Roundup Ready crops, Monsanto has genetically engineered soybeans and cotton to be resistant to more toxic herbicides like dicamba.
This pesticide use application is the last stop to the commercialization of Monsanto’s new dicamba-resistant GE crop system. Tell the EPA to reject the use of dicamba for Monsanto’s dicamba resistant soybeans and cotton!
For over three years, Kaua‘i communities directly impacted by pesticide drift from agrichemical company fields have been asking the government to take action to protect their health.
In response to these concerns, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, along with the Kauaʻi County Council commissioned a $100,000, year-long joint fact finding report1 about pesticide use by large agribusinesses on Kaua‘i, including experimental cultivation of pesticide-promoting genetically engineered (GE) crops.
After a year-long research process, the results have finally been published. The report validates public concerns about pesticides, and recommends that the state take numerous actions to reduce the public’s exposure to pesticides and better understand the threats they pose to human and environmental health.
The report directly calls upon Governor David Ige to undertake a major update to Hawaiʻi’s pesticide laws and regulations.
Our children should not have to wait another day for vital protections from pesticide exposure. Sign the petition to urge Governor Ige to implement these recommendations:
Establish mandatory reporting of restricted and general use pesticides by large agribusinesses across the state, and make the data publicly accessible.
Set stricter standards for pesticide safety that better account for the adverse health effects of chronic, low-level exposures; exposures to multiple pesticides; and the greater sensitivity of children.
Establish a consistent pesticide buffer zone policy around sensitive areas like schools to protect people from pesticide drift.
Initiate a pesticide drift monitoring program, especially downwind of sites where pesticides are used intensively and around schools and other public facilities.
Offer voluntary tests for pesticide residues in the blood and urine of schoolchildren at Hawai’i’s schools.
Help protect Hawaiʻi from the impacts of pesticides and industrial agriculture by urging the Governor to take action now!
Hawaii Center for Food Safety serves as a unique toolkit for Hawaii’s food movement. Read about our accomplishments in our 2015 Annual Program Report.
This work is only possible with the support and partnership of our members. Start enjoying the perks of membership by signing up today!
If you’re already a member, thank you! Become a sustaining member by pledging a monthly or annual donation.
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When we defeated the DARK Act in December and then again last month we thought at least for now we’d won the battle for our right to know. Following the victory in March, major food companies began announcing they would label their GE foods, including General Mills, Kellogg’s, Mars and ConAgra.
But this panicked Monsanto and the biotech industry who don’t want an informed public deciding whether to buy GE foods. So once again they are using all of their financial muscle to push the U.S. Senate to pass the DARK Act…and do it in the next two or three weeks.
The force behind this new DARK Act push is Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). She is working with the biotech industry and the Republicans to pass a law that again would leave the majority of U.S. consumers in the dark about the food we buy and feed our families.
Why would Senator Stabenow put forward such an anti-consumer and anti-democratic bill? Just follow the money. In the last five years, Senator Stabenow has raked in over half a million dollars from companies like Monsanto, Dow, and Coca-Cola. With that kind of money on the line, it’s no wonder she seems hell-bent on stopping meaningful GMO labeling.
Stabenow’s new bill once again thwarts the democratic will of the people as it will erase state GE labeling laws passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, and replace them with complicated QR codes or 800 numbers consumers would have to access instead of simple on-package labeling.
But QR code labeling is really no labeling at all – it’s discriminatory, incredibly burdensome, and even a threat to our privacy.
Only 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone.1 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to use this form of labeling. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately low income and those living in non-urban areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of people living in rural areas own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.2 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.3 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GE labeling were done through QR codes.
Knowing about the foods you purchase should be the right of everyone, not a luxury available only to those who can afford particular technologies and the capabilities to use them.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Stabenow holds the key to advancing—and to stopping—this new DARK Act.
Tell Senator Stabenow not to stab us in the back!
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Have you heard the buzz in California? California State Senators Leno and Allen recently introduced a bill that would help protect bees from bee-toxic pesticides. The bill would ensure more transparency for home gardeners, by requiring labels on plants that have been pre-treated with bee-toxic chemicals (neonicotinoids). The bill would also restrict uses of these potent chemicals to only be applied by trained and certified pesticide applicators.
Research has continued to show that neonics kill and harm bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators, and these chemicals pose a serious threat to our food supply and the environment.
Last year, California beekeepers lost a staggering 40 percent of their hives, nearly twice the national average. And wild bee populations are also at risk – researchers have pointed to wild bee declines in the Central Valley and other key agricultural regions of the country.
Neonics are the most widely used insecticides in the world. Though they’re used heavily in agriculture, they are also used extensively in gardens, lawns and landscaping, leading to many routes of exposure for bees and other pollinators.
Californians should have the right to know whether plants they are purchasing contain these bee-toxic chemicals. By labeling garden plants treated with these pesticides and by restricting their use, we can and will make a difference for pollinators and the environment.
The Pollinator Protection Act will help consumers support local bee populations and make California a healthier state for bees. Tell your legislator to stand up for bees and support SB 1282!
Missouri has strong state laws that ensure that citizens and reporters have access to important public records. But a few bad actors are trying to strip away the public's access to information.
If passed, these bills (HB 1414 and SB 928) would exempt animal and environmental data from the state's Sunshine Law, which means that the public would be left in the dark about animal welfare abuses, potential public health problems and environmental concerns caused by factory farms.
Responsible business owners and farmers have nothing to fear from a transparent system. The only way to fix animal welfare, food safety, and environmental problems that impact the community is to be open about them, not to hide them away from the public.
These bills are moving fast, so please take action today!
The organic program’s baseline standards are intended to ensure that consumers are getting exactly what they want—healthy, humane food—without the harmful additives, pesticides, and other chemicals present in most of America’s food today. Despite the organic program’s clear mandate for high animal welfare, the standards that would guarantee that organic food is “humane” have been lagging behind.
But there is a reason to be optimistic1 about the direction of organic food animal production in the U.S. – the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has finally released a proposed rule2 that would strengthen standards of health and quality of life for food animals that are designated as certified organic. This is a hugely important step for animal welfare, the organic label and for conscientious consumers.
The USDA’s proposal would move the dial on organic food animal production by requiring producers to implement several practices and strategies to promote high welfare, including the prohibition of painful and unethical practices like de-beaking of poultry, tail docking of pigs and cattle, and face branding of cattle. It would also require producers to not only provide outdoor space, but encourage animals to utilize the outdoor area through appropriate system designs. And while these are great advancements, there will still be work to done.
There are some disappointing aspects of the proposed rule, too. The rule recommends just two square feet of room per laying hen outdoors, and less than one square feet of space per turkey or broiler chicken. The European Union (EU) requires 43 square feet per bird. Certified Humane, one of the most reputable animal welfare organizations in the U.S., mandates 100 square feet per bird.
Not only is two square feet insufficient for poultry to exhibit their natural behaviors outdoors (the current requirement in the law), the USDA proposal does not require that the outdoor space be covered in plants. In fact the draft rule proposes that 50% of the outdoor space could be covered with concrete or gravel, and 50% covered by soil.
Tell the USDA that if the organic standard is going to meet expectations and be an effective measure of higher quality food and animal welfare, it must include all necessary safeguards to ensure animals are well-fed, healthy, have access to the outdoors, are raised in an environment that allows them to engage in natural behaviors and are humanely slaughtered.
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1. http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4328/usda-proposes-organic-animal-welfare-regulations
2. https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic-livestock-and-poultry-practices
This comment period has been extended to May 13, 2016
Imagine a company releasing millions of experimental, genetically engineered, biting insects into a populated island environment. Sounds like the plot to a new Jurassic Park, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, this plot is very real, and it will happen unless we stop it.
Our environment should not be a testing ground for experimental genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes. But if approved, millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes could be released into the Florida Keys, for the first time in the U.S.
Why would anyone want to do this? Oxitec—the creator of the GE mosquitoes—claims that their GE mosquitoes might help reduce the spread of diseases like zika and dengue by reducing mosquito populations. Reducing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases is important, but independent scientists have critiqued the GE mosquito as a potentially ineffective and risky attempt to address dengue. There are flaws in Oxitec’s experimental logic; for example, there have been no dengue fever cases in the Florida Keys since 20091 and the Center for Disease Control notes that there is not data from any of Oxitec’s other trials that show a reduction in diseases.2 Even a great reduction in these mosquitoes still leaves enough mosquitoes in peoples’ homes and backyards to spread disease.
Oxitec, owned by synthetic biology giant Intrexon, which also owns the GE apple and GE salmon, has proposed moving this experiment from the lab into the Florida Keys, without adequate understanding of the impacts. We need to tell FDA that it should not approve this risky experiment. We need independent environmental and health safety assessments and strong regulations to protect people and the environment before these, and other, GE insects are released into living ecosystems.
Scientists have significant concerns about how GE mosquitoes could impact the health of people and of critical ecosystems. Once released into the environment, this new, living engineered organism cannot be “recalled”; GE mosquitoes could reproduce and cause unintended changes in the ecosystem.
Despite being a brand new type of invention that poses new types of risk, the U.S. has not created new regulations for these genetically engineered insects; the government is using existing regulations meant for “new animal drugs” like cow vaccines.3 The FDA needs to establish strong, updated regulations before any GE mosquitoes swarm our environment.
Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. If Oxitec is allowed to release its experimental GE mosquitoes without responsible oversight and understanding of impacts on human health and the environment, it will set a dangerous precedent for other GE insects in the pipeline, including moths and flies.
The environment, including our homes, should not be a testing ground for risky new GE technologies. Our government agencies must not rely on companies that would profit from genetically engineered organisms to decide what information the public and regulators should know. We must demand independent, transparent safety assessments, answers to our questions about impacts to the environment and health, and a regulatory system equipped to deal with the novel risks from these experimental mosquitoes before they are released from labs into our environment.
Tell the FDA to not approve this experiment!
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References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Locally acquired dengue—Key West, Florida, 2009–2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2010;59:577.
2. See testimony of CDC’s Dr. Tom Frieden to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. http://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF02/20160302/104594/HHRG-114-IF02-Transcript-20160302.pdf see page 43 where Frieden says: “ The other thing that's very important to understand is, this mosquito is so tricky that even when we've seen very large knockdowns in mosquito populations, we haven't necessarily seen commensurate reductions in human infections, so it'll be important to look at both of those factors.” Even Oxitec does not say that the trial is to reduce disease, but rather to see if they can reduce populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
3. See http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM113903.pdf Note that in June 2015, the FDA eliminated from this guidance the requirement for a public hearing before approval of a new GE animal or insect.
This week, the Senate will take up the DARK Act, and one of its biggest cheerleaders is Senator Klobuchar Monsanto (D-MN).
Last December the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act was defeated in the Senate because democrats refused to join Republicans in trying to trample the rights of Vermont, Connecticut, Maine and Alaska who voted for the labeling of genetically engineered foods. Well, this week Republicans are bringing a new DARK Act1 for a vote in the full Senate. This new pernicious version of the bill not only halts all present and future mandatory labeling of GE food but also potentially rescinds over 130 other state seed and food protection laws and forces the USDA to create a program to promote GE foods around the world – at taxpayers’ expense!
Why are the Republicans trying it this time when they lost before? Because some Democrats have listened to the siren call of Monsanto and the other big chemical and major industrial food companies and have now voted to push the bill forward. And these Dark Act Democrats are led by Senator Amy Klobuchar who used to represent the interests of the people of Minnesota but now apparently has switched to being Senator Monsanto.
It’s bad enough for a Democrat to support the DARK Act, but Senator Klobuchar is actively promoting the passage of this bill. Tell Sen. Klobuchar Monsanto to support citizens – not chemical companies!
Why the big switch? Well Sen. Klobuchar is up for reelection in 2018 and maybe she is thinking of her campaign war chest. In the past she has been able to rely on campaign contributions by Monsanto, Dupont, Syngenta, Dow and Croplife (the Trade Association that represents all the big agrochemical companies), along with major U.S. food companies like General Mills, Coca-Cola and Pepsi.2
Sen. Klobuchar says that she is just being “scientific” when supporting the DARK Act but she must be talking about the science of fundraising. She has no scientific background in genetics or agriculture and is just reciting the talking points of Monsanto. Her claims have no basis in science, and are legally misguided. If Senator Klobuchar is serious about giving consumers the information they want about GE foods and avoiding a “patchwork” of state labeling laws, she should support the Merkley bill that would create national mandatory GE food labeling, not push the DARK Act.
What makes Senator Monsanto’s choice to lead Democratic support for the Dark Act even more damaging is that it could rescind the Minnesota wild rice protections which have profound cultural and economic impacts on Native Americans in Minnesota.
Use the form to the right to send Senator Klobuchar an email urging her to stop promoting Monsanto and instead protect the right to choose what is in the food we eat and to protect the cultural heritage of her state!
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What else can you do? Call Senator Klobuchar TODAY! |
Despite strong opposition from the public as well as Native Hawaiian, environmental and conservation organizations, Water Theft Bill (HB 2501 HD 2) has passed through two Hawai‘i State House committees and will be read on the House floor this Tuesday, March 8.
We need massive public participation to defeat this bill and protect public water rights. Will you sign the letter on this action page right now to demand state representatives vote NO on HB 2501 (HD 2)?
Here’s the problem: for decades, Alexander & Baldwin (A&B) Company has been diverting millions of gallons of water every day from East Maui streams primarily for its commercial sugar production. HB 2501 (HD 2) would allow this multi-billion dollar company to continue diverting water at the expense of kalo farmers and residents who rely on that water for survival.
Traditional farmers and local residents should have fresh water priority over large development companies, especially when these companies have little respect for other water users. For example, A&B loses an average of 41 million gallons per day mostly due to unlined reservoirs and aging pipes, demonstrating a severe lack of stewardship.
We know there is more than enough water in the streams for everyone on Maui to thrive. We simply need to share it.
For the health of our streams, for public water rights, for the success of our taro farmers, please take action today to stop HB 2501 (HD 2).
What does the bill do?
Proposed measure HB 2501 (HD 2) would allow Alexander & Baldwin (A&B) Company to divert an unlimited amount of water indefinitely without environmental review or mitigation for the harm to East Maui residents who rely on that water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and growing taro.
Natural resources in Hawai‘i are held in public trust and belong to the people. This bill is an attempt by industrial agriculture to evade the public trust doctrine and avoid stream restoration, environmental analysis, and basic water stewardship.
Why is the bill bad?
Contrary to some arguments, this bill would hurt local agriculture on Maui. Drastically changing the local water cycle, like A&B is currently doing and will continue to if this bill is passed, will lead to more dried up stream beds, increased loss of biodiversity, and decreased soil productivity.
Although this bill would benefit A&B primarily at first, the passing of HB 2501 (HD 2) would open the door for more unregulated water diversion in unlimited quantities from East Maui streams.
Our lawmakers are elected to protect the public trust, not subsidize corporate profits. Take action now to ensure they vigorously oppose HB 2501 (HD 2).
By working together, we’ve killed the dangerous “Right to Farm” bill. This is a major win for county home rule, good government and public safety this session.
This legislation was backed by the agrichemical industry in an attempt to co-opt the democratic process and strip counties of their powers to regulate agriculture.
“Chem cash” is everywhere in Hawai‘i. It’s in our schools, university, hospitals – and, of course, our state legislature. Just last month it was announced that Monsanto is among the top companies spending big lobby money on our state legislators.1
It’s clear the agrichemical industry in Hawai‘i is banks its political strategy on money and influence. But, the industry is losing sight of an important reality: the people are watching.
We see through the industry’s tired talking points and twisted half-truths. Together we’re holding government accountable, and beating the industry at its own game.
The government is charged with protecting public health and safety. The death of preemption today proves that this citizens’ movement is capable of pushing legislators to do what’s right by the people.
Help us mahalo our legislators for doing the right thing. Show your appreciation and send a short thank you note to state Senators and Representatives.
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If you want the right to know what you’re eating, now is the time to fight for it.
The DARK Act passed in the Senate Agriculture Committee last week, and we’ve heard that the DARK Act could hit the Senate floor ANY DAY NOW.
We have been fighting variations of this terrible bill for a long time, and together we’ve channeled over half a million emails and calls to Congress. We can’t stop now – we need all of you to take action in order to stop this corporate take-over of our democracy.
The DARK Act would overturn democratically-passed laws to label genetically engineered (GE) foods in Vermont and other states and block the government from ever implementing mandatory nationwide GE food labeling.
We all know the DARK Act (S. 2609) will strip states of their right to label genetically engineered (GE) foods and make it impossible for the government to require mandatory labeling at the national level.
But there’s also a clause in the bill language that requires USDA to create a program to promote biotech crops around the world, and taxpayers will foot the bill.
This bill is not just bad for consumers, it’s a Monsanto Bailout.
Thankfully, Senator Merkley has just introduced a bill2 that would require mandatory labeling of GE foods nationwide. There has been a lot of talk in the Senate about needing a national solution to the perceived “patchwork” of state GMO labeling laws. If these Senators are honest in their desire to find a national labeling solution that gives consumers the information they want, they should support the Merkley bill, not the DARK Act.
Nine out of ten Americans across the country want GE foods labeled, but we’re never going to get labeling if we don’t stop the DARK Act. Can we count on you to contact your Senators RIGHT NOW?
Tell your Senators to stop the Monsanto Bailout and support the mandatory GE labeling!
Did you know that over 80% of antibiotics used in the U.S. are purchased by the agricultural industry?
Antibiotics have been misused in animal agriculture to promote growth, improve feed efficiency, and prevent the spread of diseases in crowded confinement conditions.
This overuse of antibiotics in food production has contributed to the development of harmful organisms that are resistant to medicine. In 2014, the World Health Organization announced that the world is nearing a “post-antibiotic era” in which the available drugs are no longer effective against common infections. Without these oft taken-for-granted antibiotics, common infections can become life threatening. It is estimated that roughly 23,000 people die in the U.S. due to infections resistant to antibiotics. The additional use of beta-agonists and hormones to promote rapid unnatural growth also has significant impacts beyond the factory farm. These drugs pose significant risks to the safety of our food supply.
That’s why we’re calling on the biggest fast food companies like In-N-Out to serve meat that is raised without the routine use of antibiotics and other drugs like beta agonists. By implementing policies that require their suppliers to not overuse antibiotics or other growth promoting drugs, restaurant chains could make a significant impact towards achieving reductions in the amount of drugs used in animals raised for food. As a regional chain with a reputation for high quality, In-N-Out can make a significant impact by committing to better policies on animal drugs.
Some large restaurant chains have already responded, committing to eliminating the routine use of antibiotics in their meat supply, including Chipotle, Panera, and McDonald’s. But In-N-Out hasn’t made a commitment yet – that’s where you come in.
Sign the petition to In-N-Out urging them to switch to meat raised without the routine use of antibiotics and other drugs!
Senators Stabenow (D-MI) and Roberts (R-KS) have released their “compromise” GMO labeling bill1, and it’s bad. As expected, the bill creates a GMO labeling scheme that will immediately override the state GMO labeling laws passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, but will not require any labeling for 2 years, while USDA comes up with some vague labeling standard using discriminatory QR codes, websites or 800 numbers.
ON June 29th, this fake GMO labeling bill (S. 764) passed its first legislative hurdle—in what was essentially a test vote—by a vote of 68-29. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill again July 6th!
This could be our last chance to save GMO labeling. Even if you’ve already called and written your Senators, PLEASE DO IT AGAIN. If this bill passes, we’ll be left permanently in the dark about the food we buy and feed our families.
Big Ag and food companies have made it clear which option they support for labeling: QR codes. They know consumers don’t use these codes and that “labeling” via QR codes is really no labeling all.
Only 64% of Americans own a smartphone.2 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to access GMO information if products are labeled with QR codes. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately low income and those living in rural areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone; only 52% of rural Americans own a smartphone; and only 27% of seniors own a smartphone.3 Even those who do own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.4
At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GMO labeling were done through QR codes.
To make matters worse, this new DARK Act would immediately stop state labeling laws from going into effect, but would give USDA two years to create new labeling standards! It even goes so far as to exempt from labeling newer genetic engineering techniques like gene editing, which means many GMO products wouldn’t even get a lousy QR code. AND it even nulls state and local GMO seed labeling laws! In short, this is a biotech dream bill.
And if companies choose to use 800 numbers to “label” their GMO products instead of QR codes, consumers would have to call a different 800 number for every product they purchase! All that just to avoid 4 simple words: “produced with genetic engineering.”
Why would Senator Stabenow put forward such an anti-consumer and anti-democratic bill? Just follow the money. In the last five years, Senator Stabenow has raked in over half a million dollars from companies like Monsanto, Dow, and Coca-Cola.5 Senator Stabenow is up for re-election in 2018, and with that kind of money on the line, it’s no wonder she seems hell-bent on stopping meaningful GMO labeling.
If you’re like many across the U.S., you’ve already seen GMO labels like this one showing up on big-name products like Kellogg’s, Frito Lay, General Mills, Mars, ConAgra, Dannon and Campbell’s.6 And contrary to industry talking points, prices did not increase, the food system did not collapse, and there is no chaos. Don’t let Congress take that labeling away!
We all have a right to know what’s in our food, not just those who can afford smartphones.
Tell your Senators to dump this biotech dream bill!
Missouri’s Sunshine Law guarantees citizens the right to access government records on a host of topics. But the factory farming industry and other inhumane and polluting businesses would rather not let you see their records.
Missouri House Bill 1414 and Senate Bill 928 would create an information blackout just for factory farms and similar industries. If these bills pass, you will lose your right to access records about many things that go on in Missouri’s industries related to animals and agriculture. Even journalists would be unable to obtain this information.
Factory farms pack hundreds, thousands, and sometimes millions of cows, pigs, and chickens into unsanitary, inhumane and unsafe conditions, damaging our environment, our public health and our economy. The operation of these cruel, dangerous, and polluting “farms” have little to no regard for the environment, animal welfare or food safety, and they often put the health of consumers and rural communities at risk for the sake of profit. It is critical that the public be able to access information about these facilities to protect our communities.
Passage of these bills could have terrible consequences for public health, the environment and animal welfare.
Tell your state legislators to oppose these dangerous bills!
There are at least 27 schools in Hawai‘i located within a mile of fields where agrichemical companies like Monsanto and Dow Chemical spray restricted-use pesticides. Children and faculty in these schools are at heightened risk of exposure to pesticides that drift from these industrial operations.
Despite this danger, Hawai‘i does not have legislation on the books regulating the application of pesticides around schools.
House Bill 2564 is our opportunity to change that. If passed, HB 2564 would protect our keiki from the impacts of large-scale agricultural pesticide use by establishing a 5-school pilot program that would encourage the use of native and beneficial plants as buffer zones round schools at risk of unintended pesticide exposure.
The American Academy of Pediatrics finds that children are highly vulnerable to pesticide exposure, and recommends increased protections from pesticides in and around schools to safeguard their health. Asthma, autism, neurological diseases and adverse birth outcomes are chief health concerns for children exposed to pesticides, especially those with low-level, chronic exposure.
What does the bill do?
HB 2564 is a creative approach to addressing pesticide drift and exposure threats at Hawai‘i schools. The bill would establish a pilot program for the growing of native plants around five schools at risk of unintended pesticide exposure from nearby agricultural operations.
Comprised of native plants that are known to improve air, water and soil quality, these “vegetative buffer zones” would act as wind-breaks to protect schools from pesticide drift. This pilot program will demonstrate feasibility and lay the groundwork for implementing these protections in more schools.
HB 2564 also requires large-scale commercial users of restricted-use pesticides to observe no-spray buffer zones for all pesticides around schools selected for the pilot program.
Why is the bill good?
Students need a healthy learning environment to thrive, and HB 2564 will motivate the State to take stronger action to ensure Hawai‘i schools are safe, healthy places for children and faculty to learn, work and play. These buffer zones will play a vital role in promoting the healthy development of children by protecting them from unintended exposure to pesticide drift.
In addition to acting as a windbreak, native plants will provide habitats for critical native species and crops, support soil remediation, and create an outdoor learning space to engage the broader community in agriculture and environmental stewardship.
We need your help to pave the way to pesticide-free school environments for Hawai‘i. Please support HB2564!
Did you know that companies like Monsanto and Dow are not required to disclose the pesticides they spray? This lack of oversight jeopardizes the health of residents, denying their right to know vital information about the environment in which they live, work, and play.
According to a 2012 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) entitled “Pesticide Exposure in Children,” children exposed to chronic, low-level exposure to restricted used pesticides are at a risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism and ADHD, leukemia. and asthma. AAP recommends protections for children from hazardous exposure to pesticides, such as mandatory disclosure of pesticide sprayed in and around schools.
We have a chance to change this with new House Bill 2574, which would establish the first mandatory pesticide disclosure program for the state.
Will you help us demand greater transparency and accountability around pesticide use in Hawai‘i? Sign this petition to urge House Agriculture Committee Chair Clift Tsuji to schedule a hearing for mandatory pesticide disclosure bill HB 2574!
What does the bill do?
HB 2574 will protect Hawai‘i’s residents and environment and from the unintended impacts of large-scale pesticide use by making the public disclosure and reporting guidelines for the “Good Neighbor Program” mandatory for large-scale, outdoor commercial agricultural operations across the state. The bill will establish public notification requirements when pesticides are sprayed in proximity of schools, healthcare facilities, child care facilities, elder care facilities, and other environmentally-sensitive areas.
Why is this important?
Hawai‘i’s communities have no choice but to live, work, and commute daily in areas under threat of toxic pesticide drift – and they do not have access to information that would allow them to protect themselves from this vital threat. With agrichemical companies spraying 2 out of every 3 days, mandatory public disclosure will ensure the industrial agriculture is held responsible for the potential impacts of its pesticides on human health and the environment.
Help us pass HB 2574! Sign the petition and tell Chair Tsuji to hear and pass the bill!
Have you ever used a “QR code,”? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Less than 20% of the U.S. population has ever used one.1
Yet some Senators are suggesting putting these QR codes on food products instead of mandatory on-package labeling of genetically engineered foods and to preempt the GE food labeling laws in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. But using a QR code is no substitute for clear, simple labels – worse, it’s discriminatory, burdensome, and raises serious privacy concerns.
A QR code is a small square of black and white pixels that you can scan with the camera and a special app on your smartphone to take you to a certain website that the QR code creator has selected.
With fair and effective on-package labeling, you can walk down the grocery aisle, examine the products on the shelves, and pick up each one to quickly find the information you need on the package – simple, fast, and practical. Now imagine that each time you pick up a product you have to pull out your phone, open up an app, wait for the camera to focus on the bar code, wait for a webpage to load (if you can connect to the internet), and then finally read to see if the information you need is there. All that just to find out whether or not a food product contains GMOs, when it could easily be stated on the package in 4 simple words: “Contains genetically engineered ingredients.” It’s a cop out, and they know it.
It gets worse: QR codes aren’t just inconvenient - they are discriminatory.
Only 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone.2 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to use this form of labeling. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately the poor and those living in non-urban areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone and only 52% of people living in rural areas own a smartphone3. Even those who own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.4 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GE labeling were done through QR codes.
QR codes also raise serious questions about the privacy of consumer data. When using QR codes, what data would be exchanged and how might companies be able to use that data? For instance, would a company be able to determine which customers are viewing their products through QR codes? Could they use that data to target consumers through advertising? Would any personal data be exchanged? The government thus far has a poor track record protecting consumer data and curbing the massive marketing machines of the food industry. This system only makes consumers more susceptible to further exploitation and invasion of privacy.
Tell your Senators that QR codes are unjust and impractical! Knowing about the foods you purchase should be the right of everyone, not a luxury available only to those who can afford particular technologies and the capabilities to use them.
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More Information:
1. http://www.sparkpage.com/5-reasons-why-qr-codes-are-worse-than-useless/
2. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/
3. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/chapter-one-a-portrait-of-smartphone-ownership/
4. http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-state-of-lte-4g-networks-worldwide-in-2014-and-the-poor-performance-of-the-us/
“We can no longer just sit by. You see these experimental fields by the side of the road. They may look green and benign, but they're not. They're spraying them seven out of ten days, right next to schools and where we surf and fish."
- Jeri Di Pietro, Hawaii | #wearethemovement
What is Happening?
Hawaii is ground zero for open-air field testing of genetically engineered crops. The vast majority of these experimental crops are genetically engineered to resist chemical pesticides.
Six of the largest agrichemical companies in the world - Monsanto, Syngenta, DOW Chemical, Pioneer, Bayer, and BASF - have set up their research operations in the state of Hawaii.
Communities are concerned about the long-term impacts of these chemicals on their health and the health of the land, water, and ocean. Local residents are kept in the dark about which pesticides are being sprayed on nearby fields, and when.
What is the Movement?
This is a movement that started in people’s living rooms and backyards. Now we are taking to the polls, we are taking to the streets, and we are making change. We will protect what we love about Hawaii.
On Kauai, residents organized to pass Ordinance 960, a measure that requires large argichemical companies to disclose the pesticides they are spraying and observe buffer zones around schools, homes, and hospitals. The chemical companies responded by suing the county rather than telling the community what they are doing.
The citizens of Hawaii Island passed a law prohibiting new GE crop production last year to protect the island’s biodiversity and local farmers from genetic drift. This effectively prohibits large agrichemical companies from operating on Hawaii Island. The chemical companies are now suing Hawaii County.
On Maui, residents have brought a citizen’s ballot initiative to the polls – calling for a temporary moratorium on GE crop production until human and environmental health impact assessments are completed. Chemical companies have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising to defeat this initiative.
The pattern here is clear: when communities come together to protect our children and our islands, the chemical companies sue so they don’t have to give us basic information about what they grow and spray on our islands.
What Do We Want?
Our demands are simple. We want to maintain our biodiversity. We want to have good jobs that are healthy and safe. We want to know what these chemical companies are growing and spraying near our homes, schools, and hospitals. We want a food system that feeds local people.
How Can You Take a Stand? Join the Movement!
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Thousands of people are standing up and speaking out against GMOs across Hawaii. We're not alone - we are in this fight together. We are the movement.
Last week Center for Food Safety, along with Our Family Farms Coalition and Friends of Family Farmers, filed “the Transgenic Contamination Prevention Bill” (HB 4122), which would give all local governments in Oregon back the right to protect family farmers from contamination by genetically engineered crops.
The bill has been assigned to the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Government Effectiveness where it can get a fair hearing. Unfortunately, industry groups with close ties to Monsanto and legislators who support them are now pushing House Speaker Tina Kotek to reassign the bill to the Rural Communities, Land Use and Water committee, where it has little to no chance to proceed.
Speaker Kotek deserves credit for sending HB 4122 to the Consumer Protection committee, but she needs to hear from you and your state representative today that she should stand strong. It’s no time to cave in to the effort by Monsanto and their allies in the Legislature to kill HB 4122.
It’s clear we are fighting powerful chemical industry and biotech interests with this bill, but it's time to protect both family farmers and our local democratic rights.
Urge Speaker Kotek and your state legislators to support this important bill by ensuring it gets a fair hearing!
Our families and communities depend on clean drinking water for our health and well-being. And the salmon and endangered orca whales that call Puget Sound home depend on clean water, too.
But right now, the industrial dairies near our shared waters are contaminating our drinking water supplies and polluting the streams that feed Puget Sound.
To make matters worse, lobbyists for these industrial-sized dairy farms are promoting a bill in the Washington Legislature that would allow these mega-dairies to continue polluting our water without having to adhere to clean water laws.
We can’t allow sickening cow manure to pollute our drinking water.
House Bill 2840 would greatly reduce the ability of communities to protect their drinking water and prevent harmful animal waste from entering the waters that feed Puget Sound.
This legislation comes just months after four Washington State dairies agreed to implement changes in their operations—and provide clean drinking water to a large number of residents with polluted water—following a series of lawsuits brought by Center for Food Safety and the Community Association for Restoration of the Environment (CARE) against the dairies alleging that their mismanagement of manure contaminated water supplies in the Lower Yakima Valley, Washington community.
Now these mega-dairies are trying to insulate themselves from our clean water laws altogether.
Send a quick email to your state legislator, and let him/her know that you are opposed to HB 2840, which would limit enforcement of clean water laws and allow industrial dairies to keep polluting our drinking water, our streams, and Puget Sound.
Have you ever used a “QR code,”? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Less than 20% of the U.S. population has ever used one.1
Yet some Senators are suggesting putting these QR codes on food products instead of mandatory on-package labeling of genetically engineered foods and to preempt the GE food labeling laws in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. But using a QR code is no substitute for clear, simple labels – worse, it’s discriminatory, burdensome, and raises serious privacy concerns.
A QR code is a small square of black and white pixels that you can scan with the camera and a special app on your smartphone to take you to a certain website that the QR code creator has selected.
With fair and effective on-package labeling, you can walk down the grocery aisle, examine the products on the shelves, and pick up each one to quickly find the information you need on the package – simple, fast, and practical. Now imagine that each time you pick up a product you have to pull out your phone, open up an app, wait for the camera to focus on the bar code, wait for a webpage to load (if you can connect to the internet), and then finally read to see if the information you need is there. All that just to find out whether or not a food product contains GMOs, when it could easily be stated on the package in 4 simple words: “Contains genetically engineered ingredients.” It’s a cop out, and they know it.
It gets worse: QR codes aren’t just inconvenient - they are discriminatory.
Only 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone.2 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to use this form of labeling. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately the poor and those living in non-urban areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone and only 52% of people living in rural areas own a smartphone3. Even those who own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.4 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GE labeling were done through QR codes.
QR codes also raise serious questions about the privacy of consumer data. When using QR codes, what data would be exchanged and how might companies be able to use that data? For instance, would a company be able to determine which customers are viewing their products through QR codes? Could they use that data to target consumers through advertising? Would any personal data be exchanged? The government thus far has a poor track record protecting consumer data and curbing the massive marketing machines of the food industry. This system only makes consumers more susceptible to further exploitation and invasion of privacy.
Tell your Senators that QR codes are unjust and impractical! Knowing about the foods you purchase should be the right of everyone, not a luxury available only to those who can afford particular technologies and the capabilities to use them.
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More Information:
1. http://www.sparkpage.com/5-reasons-why-qr-codes-are-worse-than-useless/
2. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/
3. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/chapter-one-a-portrait-of-smartphone-ownership/
4. http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-state-of-lte-4g-networks-worldwide-in-2014-and-the-poor-performance-of-the-us/
Please call Secretary Vilsack at (202) 720-3631 and email him using the form on the right.
Last week U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack met in secret with five undisclosed representatives from Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association and five individuals industry claims represent the GE food labeling movement, to broker a deal on the labeling of genetically engineered foods that would allow industry to avoid Vermont’s GE labeling law.
This undemocratic meeting took place behind closed doors, its membership and topics kept confidential. We were not invited to this meeting because we are firm in our opposition to any federal GE food labeling standard that doesn’t meet or exceed the mandatory GE labeling law set to take effect this summer in Vermont.
So far, we’ve heard very little about this secret meeting, other than that the same players will convene again this week to pick up where they left off. The meeting participants are not public, the few known participants are not talking, and some won’t even acknowledge that these meetings are taking place. But make no mistake: a profound betrayal of the public trust is being discussed.
What we do know is that the meetings are being convened by Vilsack, a staunch opponent of labeling and a major spokesman for deregulating GE crops here and around the world. While we don't know for certain, Vilsack and industry's secret deal would seem to include:
(1) Meaningless promises of voluntary labeling by industry.
(2) Pre-emption of state GE labeling laws, including overturning the Vermont GE labeling law set to go into effect in July.
(3) Industry disclosure provided to consumers through “QR Codes,” in which only those shoppers with smartphones, the appropriate apps, and a strong internet connection at the point of sale would be able to access product information about GMOs.
These weak alternatives to clear, mandatory labeling are unacceptable.
We will accept nothing less than mandatory, on-package labeling that clearly states—in words—whether a product is genetically engineered. But you can bet that’s not what Monsanto and the GMA are pushing in these meetings.
The worst part about these “urgent” secret meetings is that the truth is that Congress does not need to act; it just needs to stand aside and let democracy run its course in Vermont and across the country. There is no need to rush to a federal solution just because the food industry falsely claims it cannot label without a new federal law: the truth is, they can. Just look at Campbell’s recent decision to label its GE products. The “urgency” felt by industry and Secretary Vilsack comes solely from our defeat of the DARK Act last month. This is a desperate attempt to avoid having to label their GE products in Vermont.
Tell Secretary Vilsack that you won’t let him barter away your right to know!
Please call Secretary Vilsack at (202) 720-3631 and email him using the form on the right.
Center for Food Safety, along with Our Family Farms Coalition and Friends of Family Farmers, has filed “the Transgenic Contamination Prevention Bill” (HB 4122), which would give all local governments in Oregon back the right to protect family farmers from contamination by genetically engineered crops.
Introduced by Representative Paul Holvey, the bill would repeal parts of Senate Bill 863, which was passed in 2013 under an emergency session called by former Governor John Kitzhaber. That bill, which was pushed by interests heavily invested in genetically engineered crops, pre-empted local governments from taking actions to protect family farmers facing the threat of contamination from genetically engineered crops. Giving away local democratic control to Monsanto and other chemical companies that control the GMO industry didn’t make sense then and it doesn’t now.
We know we are fighting powerful chemical industry and biotech interests with this bill, but it's time to protect both family farmers and our local democratic rights.
Urge your state legislators and Governor Brown to support this important bill!
90 different pesticide formulations.
Sprayed 2 to 3 times a week.
Up to 16 times a day.
No mandatory disclosure or notifications.
No regular monitoring.
LAWSUITS against three counties to protect their right to spray.
These are the dangerous pesticide practices we detail in our new animated video Pesticides in Paradise.
In the absence of state and federal protection, the counties of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island, and Maui passed laws to protect the health of our keiki and ‘āina from pesticide-promoting genetically engineered (GE) crops. But agrichemical companies have sued all these counties to overturn these protections, and the fight for home rule is currently ongoing in the courts.
And now, Representatives in the Hawai‘i State Legislature are introducing so-called “right-to-farm” bills (HB849 & SB3046) that in reality are just an attempt to protect their right-to-spray toxic pesticides.
Due to Hawai‘i’s warm, windy climate and the frequent spray schedule, pesticide drift is a major concern for families living in neighborhoods with pesticide promoting genetically engineered (GE) crop field test sites.
Based on findings from over 150 medical and scientific studies, we know that the restricted-use pesticides used by agrichemical companies in Hawai‘i are linked to human health harms, especially for children, including asthma, autism, adverse birth outcomes and cancers. Scientists have also shown that low-level, chronic exposure to toxic pesticides may increase the risks of various serious diseases including cancer, autism, Parkinson’s disease, and childhood leukemia.
If passed, this industry-backed bill will jeopardize the health and safety of communities across the state in order to protect the rights of corporations to apply hazardous pesticides without local oversight.
Each island is different. Each county should determine its own rules. Tell your Hawai‘i legislators to oppose HB849 & SB3046, the “right-to-spray” bills!
For more information, please read the new report Pesticides in Paradise: Hawai’i’s Health & Environment at Risk
As a resource for communities across the islands, HCFS is offering free presentations of the report’s key findings, and we encourage you to sign-up for a presentation in your neighborhood or for your organization - Sign up here.
Have you ever used a “QR code,”? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Less than 20% of the U.S. population has ever used one.1
Yet some Senators are suggesting putting these QR codes on food products instead of mandatory on-package labeling of genetically engineered foods and to preempt the GE food labeling laws in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. But using a QR code is no substitute for clear, simple labels – worse, it’s discriminatory, burdensome, and raises serious privacy concerns.
A QR code is a small square of black and white pixels that you can scan with the camera and a special app on your smartphone to take you to a certain website that the QR code creator has selected.
With fair and effective on-package labeling, you can walk down the grocery aisle, examine the products on the shelves, and pick up each one to quickly find the information you need on the package – simple, fast, and practical. Now imagine that each time you pick up a product you have to pull out your phone, open up an app, wait for the camera to focus on the bar code, wait for a webpage to load (if you can connect to the internet), and then finally read to see if the information you need is there. All that just to find out whether or not a food product contains GMOs, when it could easily be stated on the package in 4 simple words: “Contains genetically engineered ingredients.” It’s a cop out, and they know it.
It gets worse: QR codes aren’t just inconvenient - they are discriminatory.
Only 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone.2 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to use this form of labeling. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately the poor and those living in non-urban areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone and only 52% of people living in rural areas own a smartphone3. Even those who own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.4 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GE labeling were done through QR codes.
QR codes also raise serious questions about the privacy of consumer data. When using QR codes, what data would be exchanged and how might companies be able to use that data? For instance, would a company be able to determine which customers are viewing their products through QR codes? Could they use that data to target consumers through advertising? Would any personal data be exchanged? The government thus far has a poor track record protecting consumer data and curbing the massive marketing machines of the food industry. This system only makes consumers more susceptible to further exploitation and invasion of privacy.
Tell your Senators that QR codes are unjust and impractical! Knowing about the foods you purchase should be the right of everyone, not a luxury available only to those who can afford particular technologies and the capabilities to use them.
---------------------------------
More Information:
1. http://www.sparkpage.com/5-reasons-why-qr-codes-are-worse-than-useless/
2. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/
3. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/chapter-one-a-portrait-of-smartphone-ownership/
4. http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-state-of-lte-4g-networks-worldwide-in-2014-and-the-poor-performance-of-the-us/
Clean air, safe water, and nutritious locally-grown food. Hawai‘i students need a healthy learning environment to thrive. School gardens and ‘āina-based learning programs empower youth to be stewards of the environment for generations to come.
That’s why we’re pushing for the creation of a Healthy Agriculture Zones pilot program around Hawai‘i schools. These zones around school perimeters will serve as outdoor learning centers for students, and demonstrate regenerative farming practices that are safer alternatives to industrial agriculture.
Healthy Agriculture Zones will provide habitats for critical native species and crops, support soil remediation, and engage the broader community in agriculture education and stewardship.
Since Hawai‘i is one of 13 states that does not have legislation regulating the application of pesticides around schools, Healthy Agriculture Zones would also establish wind breaks to reduce impacts of pesticide drift on schools and protect the health and safety of school communities.
It’s time for the State to take action to provide more opportunities for student enrichment, and ensure Hawai‘i schools are safe, healthy places for communities to work and play.
Urgent: Your Senators have less than a week to save GE labeling laws!
We’ve worked hard to pass GE food labeling laws in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine—and to push for mandatory federal labeling—but now Congress is poised to keep GE labeling from ever happening.
Several months ago, Members of the House of Representatives voted for a controversial bill that would prohibit any state or federal labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, even in states which already have labeling laws on the books – hence the bill’s nickname: the “Deny Americans the Right to Know Act” or “DARK Act”.
Right now, Senators are discussing overturning state labeling laws and instead pushing high-tech gimmicks like “QR Codes” as a replacement for the clear labeling of GE foods that these other countries have – and they’re even talking about sneaking QR codes or other means of stopping state labeling laws into next week's must-pass federal spending bill!
Polls show that over 90% of Americans want genetically engineered foods to be labeled. Unfortunately, many Members of Congress have recently decided to protect the bottom line of corporations such as Monsanto rather than listen to the will of the people. Protecting the rights of public citizens over those of powerful corporations like Monsanto is the very foundation of democracy.
64 countries around the world already require GE foods to be labeled including Russia, China, Japan, Brazil and all member countries in the European Union. The U.S. population wants the same right to know as the citizens of all these countries. And we deserve it!
If we don’t stop it, the Senate could block GE food labeling from going into effect in Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, while permanently stopping citizens nationwide from having access to the information that over 90% of Americans want to know: whether their food has been produced using genetically engineered ingredients.
Tell your Senators to reject any rider in the federal spending bill that would block GE labeling!
Have you ever used a “QR code,”? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Less than 20% of the U.S. population has ever used one.1
Yet some Senators are suggesting putting these QR codes on food products instead of mandatory on-package labeling of genetically engineered foods and to preempt the GE food labeling laws in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. But using a QR code is no substitute for clear, simple labels – worse, it’s discriminatory, burdensome, and raises serious privacy concerns.
A QR code is a small square of black and white pixels that you can scan with the camera and a special app on your smartphone to take you to a certain website that the QR code creator has selected.
With fair and effective on-package labeling, you can walk down the grocery aisle, examine the products on the shelves, and pick up each one to quickly find the information you need on the package – simple, fast, and practical. Now imagine that each time you pick up a product you have to pull out your phone, open up an app, wait for the camera to focus on the bar code, wait for a webpage to load (if you can connect to the internet), and then finally read to see if the information you need is there. All that just to find out whether or not a food product contains GMOs, when it could easily be stated on the package in 4 simple words: “Contains genetically engineered ingredients.” It’s a cop out, and they know it.
It gets worse: QR codes aren’t just inconvenient - they are discriminatory.
Only 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone.2 That means that more than a third of all Americans will not be able to use this form of labeling. Moreover, those left out are disproportionately the poor and those living in non-urban areas. According to Pew Research Center, only 50% of low income people in the U.S. own a smartphone and only 52% of people living in rural areas own a smartphone3. Even those who own smartphones are not guaranteed consistent access to the internet.4 At the end of the day, a substantial majority of Americans would be deprived of their right to know if GE labeling were done through QR codes.
QR codes also raise serious questions about the privacy of consumer data. When using QR codes, what data would be exchanged and how might companies be able to use that data? For instance, would a company be able to determine which customers are viewing their products through QR codes? Could they use that data to target consumers through advertising? Would any personal data be exchanged? The government thus far has a poor track record protecting consumer data and curbing the massive marketing machines of the food industry. This system only makes consumers more susceptible to further exploitation and invasion of privacy.
Tell your Senators that QR codes are unjust and impractical! Knowing about the foods you purchase should be the right of everyone, not a luxury available only to those who can afford particular technologies and the capabilities to use them.
---------------------------------
More Information:
1. http://www.sparkpage.com/5-reasons-why-qr-codes-are-worse-than-useless/
2. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/
3. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/chapter-one-a-portrait-of-smartphone-ownership/
4. http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-state-of-lte-4g-networks-worldwide-in-2014-and-the-poor-performance-of-the-us/
The text of the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership (TPP) has finally been released to the public– and it’s worse than we thought. The TPP would be the largest trade deal in history - representing 792 million people and accounting for 40 percent of the world economy.
How bad is this “free trade” deal? The TPP will offshore millions of American jobs, expose the U.S. to imports of unsafe food, and empower corporations to attack hard-fought U.S. environmental and health safeguards.
The TPP language could also dissuade rigorous oversight of imported foods, including inspection of fish imported from TPP member countries that raise farmed fish with chemicals and antibiotics not allowed in the U.S. Already federal inspection of seafood imports is already inadequate with just over 1 percent of imported fish and seafood shipments being inspected or tested.
And, as we feared, the TPP language could allow private corporations to set food standards. One of the most concerning aspects of the TPP is the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism, which allows private corporations to sue national governments over rules that companies believe inhibit their profit-making ability. As ISDS tribunals in other trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) attest, trade courts have consistently ruled against nation-state bans on toxins, laws protecting forests or water services, restrictions on mining, and many other public and environmental safeguards.
To make matters worse, any U.S. food safety rules on GMOs, labeling, pesticides, animal drugs, or additives that are higher than international standards could be subject to challenge as "illegal trade barriers."
What’s next? Under “fast-track” trade authority passed earlier this year, the Obama Administration is required to provide 90 days for Congressional review after which time legislators must vote a straight yes/no and are not allowed to amend any text of the TPP. Congress must take it or leave it – and they should leave it. Instead of elevating economic, health, and environmental standards across borders, the TPP creates a race to the bottom.
Add your name to tell Congress to vote NO on the TPP!
Last week, Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, a decorated Senior Scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), filed a whistleblower complaint accusing the federal agency of suppressing research findings that challenge the safety and efficacy of a heavily used class of pesticides – neonicotinoids.1
Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world and are extremely toxic to bees and other pollinators.
In March 2014, Lundgren served as an External Reviewer for Center for Food Safety’s report Heavy Costs, which revealed that neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments offer little benefit, do not increase crop yields, and cause widespread environmental and economic damage,2 and the Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article featuring his research on neonicotinoids.
After that, Lundgren claims, “USDA managers blocked publication of his research, barred him from talking to the media, and disrupted operations at the laboratory he oversaw,” according to Harvest Public Media.3
"Within one week of these late-March press interviews and the release of the CFS study, improper reprisal, interference and hindrance of my research and career began in earnest," said Lundgren, according to the complaint.4
Dr. Lundgren filed a scientific integrity complaint in September 2014, describing these interferences with his research and the day-to-day operations of his laboratory and travel. In August 2015, less than a year after his scientific integrity complaint against the Agency, Lundgren was disciplined with a 14-day suspension over minor issues with travel paperwork and with an article submission to a journal.
While Lundgren is the first to file a formal complaint about the scientific integrity of research by USDA scientists, he is unfortunately not the first USDA scientist to be targeted for his “sensitive” research.
"Your words are changed, your papers are censored or edited or you are not allowed to submit them at all," a scientist, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.5
Dr. Jeffrey Pettis — formerly the lead scientist at the USDA’s bee research lab and one of the world’s most respected honey bee researchers— was demoted from his position in 2014. In a letter6 to USDA Secretary Vilsack after Pettis’s demotion, America’s largest beekeeper organizations objected strongly, but say they were told by an ARS administrator that Pettis was demoted because he “had been falling behind on his administrative duties.”
And this spring, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed a petition7 charging the agency with ordering many USDA researchers to “retract studies, water down findings, remove their name from authorship and endure long indefinite delays in approving publication of papers that may be controversial.”
Intimidation and harassment of USDA ARS scientists doing critical research on pesticides, genetically engineered crops, and our food and farming system cannot be tolerated.
USDA has serious influence over the President’s recent Pollinator Health Task Force. With pollinator populations plummeting, we can’t let scientists get silenced. Bees, beekeepers and ecosystem sustainability can’t continue to play second-fiddle to industry sales.
Rigorous, independent science is the basis for sound regulatory decisions. Giving special “sensitivity” to research that might harm priorities of pesticide companies, such as Dr. Lundgren’s, undermines scientific integrity at the USDA
Sign the petition to Secretary Vilsack demanding that Catherine Woteki resign as the USDA Chief Scientist and head of ARS!
More Information:
1. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2015/10/28/suspended-usda-researcher-alleges-agency-tried-to-block-his-research-into-harmful-effects-of-pesticides-on-bees-butterflies/ and http://www.panna.org/blog/usda-suppressing-bee-science and
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/10/29/usda-suppressing-research-bee-toxic-pesticide?cmpid=san and http://civileats.com/2015/10/29/whistleblower-claims-censorship-of-research-into-pesticide-linked-to-bee-deaths-neonicitinoids-usda/
2. http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/2999/heavy-costs-weighing-the-value-of-neonicotinoid-insecticides-in-agriculture
3. http://harvestpublicmedia.org/article/usda-whistleblower-claims-censorship-pesticide-research
4. http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/10/28/bee-expert
5. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/27/usda-petition-idUSL2N0WT1TQ20150327#2Dt015ppU2ccgV6z.97
6. http://www.eenews.net/assets/2015/01/20/document_gw_03.pdf
7. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/27/usda-petition-idUSL2N0WT1TQ20150327#2Dt015ppU2ccgV6z.97
Last month the Senate Agriculture Committee held its first hearing1 on genetically engineered (GE) crops in over a decade, and we were there. While the hearing was intended to examine the regulation of biotechnology, the burning issue on everyone’s mind was how the Senate would address the growing demand for GE food labeling across the country. Throwing her support behind a national labeling standard, the ranking Democrat on the committee Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) committed to working with Sen. Mike Hoeven (R-ND) in crafting a national labeling bill.
You’ll remember that in July the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1599, a bill we call the DARK Act (Denying American’s the Right to Know) because it would deny voters the right to pass state bills to label genetically engineered foods and make mandatory labeling at the federal level impossible.
For years, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has suggested that consumer demand for GE labeling should be solved with the voluntary use of bar code or QR code technology for smartphones. We know that not every American can afford a smart phone or access the internet on the go, and that most consumers do not use their smartphones to scan foods in the supermarket aisle. More fundamentally, all Americans should be able to read for themselves on the package what’s in their food and how it was produced.
We need your help to tell Ranking Member Stabenow that all Americans should have the right to know, not just those with smartphones. At the hearing the chairman of the committee, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), said that he expected some legislation to come from the committee in the next few weeks. So time is of the essence!
Tell Senator Stabenow to support the mandatory, on-package labeling of GE foods!
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References:
1. http://www.ag.senate.gov/hearings/agriculture-biotechnology-a-look-at-federal-regulation-and-stakeholder-perspectives
Right now, we have the opportunity to overhaul the way genetically engineered (GE) crops and animals are regulated in the U.S. Currently, federal agencies are charged with ensuring the safety of GE organisms and foods sold in the United States based on the so-called “coordinated framework” of 1986. Mostly, these agencies are the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Unfortunately the last twenty years has proved this system to be a total failure: USDA and EPA regulations are contradictory and uncoordinated. The agencies continue to turn a blind eye to the novel risks and properties of GMOs and instead try to regulate them using 20th century regulatory standards. As a result, GE crops’ significant harms to farmers and the environment continue, unabated. And incredibly, FDA “regulation” is only voluntary – leaving genetically engineered foods on the U.S. market without independent testing for risks to human health. Nor is labeling required, leaving consumers in the dark about whether their food is genetically engineered.
Now is our chance to fix this broken system. Over the next several months the Administration is accepting public comments on how GMOs should be regulated.
The haphazard and negligent agency regulation of agricultural biotechnology has been nothing short of a disaster for the public and the environment. Unsuspecting consumers by the tens of millions are purchasing and consuming unlabeled GE foods, despite a finding by U.S. Food & Drug Administration scientists that these foods could pose serious risks.
The root of the problem is the 1986 coordinated framework was intended to explain how USDA, FDA and EPA would work together to “regulate” GE crops. But it was merely a guidance document, meaning it was a voluntary—not mandatory—standard. It had no requirement for rigorous and adequate regulation, resulting in decades of failure to protect the public or the environment from GE crops. And it has resulted in decades of failure to protect the public or the environment from GE crops.
How bad is the coordinated framework? Currently, FDA “regulates” genetically engineered foods under a voluntary system in which the types and methods of safety testing are the responsibility of only Monsanto and the other biotech companies - the agency itself never approves or tests the safety of the foods. Even any meetings between the GE developer and FDA is confidential, and only voluntary!
USDA’s oversight is just as bad. USDA has the authority to protect farmers and the environment, but has intentionally turned a blind eye to the harms that GE crops cause, like transgenic contamination, the creation of resistant weeds, and massive increases in pesticides. Before CFS legal actions over the past decade-plus, USDA entirely failed to account for the novel risks and significant impacts to farmers and the environment that GE crops cause.
And though herbicide-resistant GE crops make up the vast majority of all commercialized GE crops in the United States, the EPA still does not evaluate the environmental risks of these varieties and their accompanying pesticides.
The government must fix these failings, not double down on them. To do this, three basic protections must be included in the new framework:
Safety Testing: All agencies must have mandatory regulation for any organisms developed using genetic engineering processes that independently fully tests and regulates engineered foods and organisms for all types of risks, including long-term food safety risks and direct and indirect environmental harm. Safety, not rapid commercialization, must be priority #1. Until proven safe, GE crops and animals should not be commercialized.
Manufacturer Liability: Biotech companies that make and sell GE crops must be held liable for the significant costs their products cause for organic and non-GE farmers. Traditional farmers’ rights and seed choice must be protected; therefore contamination of non-GE crops must be prevented. The burden for contamination prevention should be shouldered by those companies profiting from the sales of GE seeds, not by those harmed by contamination.
Guarantee the public’s right to know: Mandatory labeling should be required for all genetically engineered foods.
To make the coordinated framework into a workable regulatory scheme that protects the public, farmers and the environment, mandatory testing, liability, and labeling are absolutely necessary. Until these principles are implemented, the Obama Administration should halt the approval, commercialization, and release of any new genetically engineered crops or animals.
Tell the Obama Administration you want mandatory labeling, testing, and liability!
What’s scarier than all those spooky Halloween costumes? The genetically engineered sugar hiding in your Halloween candy.
Sugar in our Halloween candy (and our cereal, granola bars, crackers, bread – anything that contains sugar) comes from several sources, including sugar beets. In fact, about half of the sugar used in the U.S. is beet sugar (the other half is cane sugar). Sadly, the vast majority of sugar beets grown in the U.S. are now Roundup Ready® genetically engineered sugar beets.
Hershey announced earlier this year that it will drop GE beet sugar and other GE ingredients in its Kisses® and Milk Chocolate® bars, two of its best-known products, by the end of the year. But Mars has given us no such assurances. Mars makes up nearly 30% of the U.S. chocolate market and makes Mars Bars, M&Ms, Milky Way, Skittles, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Starburst and Twix, among other Halloween favorites.
Halloween should be scary – but our candy shouldn’t be!
Roundup Ready® GE sugar beets are genetically engineered to withstand repeated spraying with Monsanto’s toxic weed killer, Roundup®, and its active ingredient, glyphosate.
But here’s the really scary part - when the USDA first approved the planting of GE sugar beets, the EPA also increased the maximum allowable residues of glyphosate on the beet roots (from which sugar is extracted) by a staggering 5,000%! This EPA policy change was made at the request of Monsanto, producer of GE sugar beet seeds.
Glyphosate is the world’s most heavily used conventional pesticide, with over 280 million lbs. sprayed on American cropland each year. With such massive use comes increasing exposure, and Glyphosate has been detected in the air, water and rainfall, in foods, and in human urine and blood.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) cancer authorities – the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) – recently determined that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” IARC is the world’s leading authority on cancer.
Sign the petition to tell Mars to drop GE sugar and move towards more sustainable ingredients!
It’s no secret we love popcorn, In fact, Americans consume more than 16 billion quarts of popcorn each year. But we’re getting more than we bargained for in all those bowls of popcorn: bee-toxic pesticides.
Bees are dying at alarming rates, and scientists have identified a group of insecticides called neonicotinoids (“neonics”) as a prime culprit in these drastic population losses. The largest single use of neonicotinoids is as a seed coating for field crops. In fact, researchers estimate that 95-99% of all field corn grown in the U.S. comes from seed coated with bee-toxic neonic chemicals.
Unfortunately, the popcorn industry uses bee-killing chemicals on their seeds, too. That’s why we’re calling on Pop Secret and Pop Weaver, two of the biggest brands in the industry, to urge them to source their popcorn from seeds that are NOT coated in these harmful chemicals.
Neonics are the most widely used insecticides in the world, and are a class of systemic chemicals, meaning they are dispersed throughout the treated plant, rendering the whole plant toxic. Just as alarming, neonics can last in the environment for years and they can harm species that the chemical was not designed to kill - like bees, butterflies, birds, and entire food chains.
As two of the largest popcorn brands in the U.S., Pop Secret and Pop Weaver can make a big difference for bees by phasing out their use of neonic-coated seeds.
Sign the Petition to Tell Pop Secret & Pop Weaver to Stop Killing Bees:
On September 4, 2015, the California Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) issued a notice of intent to list glyphosate (the main ingredient of Monsanto’s Roundup and other herbicides) as a chemical known to the state to cause cancer under Proposition 65.1 OEHHA has a public comment period open until October 20th.
California law requires that “[s]ubstances listed as human or animal carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)” be listed under Proposition 65.2 IARC is an arm of the World Health Organization, and the world’s leading authority on cancer.
The only relevant question for OEHHA is whether IARC has, in fact, determined that glyphosate is a human or animal carcinogen. The answer is yes.
IARC concluded that: “There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of glyphosate.” This sufficient evidence derives from multiple studies in which glyphosate3, when administered in the diet, caused carcinomas or other tumors in the kidneys, pancreas, liver and/or other organs of experimental mice and rats.4
When IARC released its assessment, Monsanto immediately launched a campaign to discredit IARC and its findings on glyphosate.
EPA has known for years that glyphosate probably causes cancer, yet the agency has allowed Monsanto and other companies to sell more and more of it every year.
There is no doubt that both the use of and exposure to glyphosate has increased tremendously over the past two decades. Glyphosate is the most heavily used conventional pesticide in the U.S.,5 and is sprayed on more acres than any other pesticide in California.6 Glyphosate is detected in the air, water and rainfall, in foods,7 and in human urine and blood.8
California farmers, farmworkers, farm communities and consumers deserve to know that glyphosate has been found to cause cancer in animals. If our federal agencies won’t tell us, the state has an obligation to – and that’s what this listing does.
Send your comment supporting the listing of glyphosate as a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer!
References:
1. CA EPA OEHHA (2015). Notice of intent to list chemicals by the Labor Code mechanism: tetrachlorvinphos, parathion, malathion, glyphosate. CA Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, September 4, 2015.
2. Labor Code section 6382(b)(1); Health and Safety Code section 25249.8(a). Health and Safety Code section 25249.8(a) incorporates Labor Code section 6382(b)(1).
3. IARC (2015a). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Volume 112. Glyphosate. IARC, World Health Organization, Lyon, France, p. 78. http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol112/mono112-02.pdf
4. IARC (2015a), op. cit., p. 76.
5. http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/pnsp/usage/maps/show_map.php?year=2012&map=GLYPHOSATE&hilo=H
6. CA DPR (2015). Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data 2013: Indexed by Chemical. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, May 2015. http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pur/pur13rep/chmrpt13.pdf.
7 . For glyphosate in air, rain and surface water, see Chang F-C et al (2011). Occurrence and fate of the herbicide glyphosate and its degradate aminomethylphosphonic acid in the atmosphere. Environ Toxicol Chem 30(3): 548-555; and Coupe RH et al (2011). Fate and transport of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in surface waters of agricultural basins. Pest Manag Sci 68(1): 16-30. For glyphosate in food, see FoEE (2013). Human contamination by glyphosate. Friends of the Earth Europe, June 2013. https://www.foeeurope.org/sites/default/files/press_releases/foee_4_human_contamination_glyphosate.pdf. For lack of testing in U.S., see: Gillam C (2015). Regulators may recommend testing food for glyphosate residues, Reuters, 4/20/15.
8. For glyphosate in urine, see Curwin BD et al (2007a). Urinary pesticide concentrations among children, mothers and fathers living in farm and non-farm households in Iowa. Ann. Occup. Hyg. 51(1): 53-65. For glyphosate detected in blood, see Aris A, Leblanc S. Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. Reprod Toxicol. 2011: 31(4): 528-533.
It’s no secret we love popcorn. In fact, Americans consume more than 16 billion quarts of popcorn each year, but we’re getting more than we bargained for in all those bowls of popcorn: bee-toxic pesticides.
Bees are dying at alarming rates, and scientists have identified a group of insecticides called neonicotinoids (“neonics”) as a prime culprit in these drastic population losses. The largest single use of neonicotinoids is as a seed coating for field crops. Researchers estimate that 79-100% of all corn grown in the U.S. comes from seed coated with bee-toxic neonic chemicals, and popcorn is no exception.
That’s why we’re calling on Orville Redenbacher—the biggest brand in the popcorn industry—to source its popcorn from seeds that are NOT coated in these harmful chemicals.
Thanks to your pressure, Pop Weaver1, Pop Secret2 and Preferred Popcorn3 have already agreed to phase out their use of neonics.
Neonics are the most widely used insecticides in the world. They are a class of systemic chemicals, meaning they disperse throughout the treated plant, rendering the whole plant toxic. Just as alarming, neonics can last in the environment for years and can harm beneficial species that the chemical is not designed to kill—like bees, butterflies, birds, and entire food chains.
Sign the Petition to Tell Orville Redenbacher to Stop Killing Bees:
For years, communities in Hawai‘i have been organizing to get clear answers about the pesticide-seed industry’s influence on state public policy. Recently, Hawai‘i Center for Food Safety (HCFS) contributed to these efforts by filing a public records request for communications between five Hawai‘i state legislators and pesticide-seed corporations and related special interest groups.
Despite the fact that it’s the public’s legal right to access this information, the legislators we have petitioned have refused to release the files. We need your help to draw attention to this injustice and demand the records be released!
HCFS filed the request on behalf of the community to ensure the proper functioning of our democratic process. When common sense regulations, like pesticide-free buffer zones around our schools, are shot down behind closed doors, we must demand more information to ensure that our civic process is protected.
Reviewing these records is the only way for the public to truly assess the extent to which the pesticide-seed industry exerts pressure and influence on our elected officials and policy-making process.
Many of us are familiar with the devastating effects that pesticides have on bees and other pollinators. But less well-known is that within the last several decades, the use of highly toxic, persistent insecticides--largely neonics--has also become one of the greatest threats to our waters and the life that depends on them.
Neonics have caused widespread contamination of water bodies across the United States, and as a result, have jeopardized a range of wildlife including crabs, insects, and migratory birds.
Tragically, we are on our way to an ecological crisis – a second Silent Spring. It’s well past time for EPA to suspend neonicotinoid pesticide registrations due to their unreasonable adverse effects – on pollinators, aquatic ecosystems, and the larger environment.
Right now, EPA is failing to do its job. EPA won’t even finish reviewing the use of many of these chemicals for several more years!
Tell EPA enough is enough – suspend neonics now!
UPDATE: Congressman Pompeo has just released a dangerous new amendment to the DARK Act that would preempt any state or county laws regulating genetically engineered (GE) crops in any way.
Congressman Pompeo and his gang of Big Food bullies are once again trying to deny consumers our right to know what we are eating and feeding our families.
The bill that would deny voters the right to pass state bills to label genetically engineered foods—and make mandatory labeling at the federal level impossible—has been reintroduced in Congress, despite hundreds of thousands of emails and phone calls from people like you opposing this corporate power-grab.
To make matters worse, Congressman Pompeo just released a dangerous new amendment to the DARK Act that would preempt any state or county laws regulating genetically engineered (GE) crops in any way.
Pompeo’s bill (H.R. 1599)—dubbed the “Denying Americans the Right-to-Know Act” (DARK Act)—would:
The bill also seeks to create a federal certification process for voluntary non-GMO labels. While non-GMO marketing claims allow companies to distinguish themselves in the marketplace, the labeling of non-GE foods and organic foods is limited to only about 2% of products on the shelves and is not a substitute for mandatory disclosure.
GE labeling is important to Americans, with over 90% consistently supporting transparency in the marketplace through mandatory GE labeling. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states, with laws being passed in Maine, Connecticut, and Vermont.
The DARK Act would shut down these efforts and reverse these successfully passed bills, only to be replaced with an undemocratic, hollow “voluntary” labeling scheme. In the 14 years that FDA has allowed companies to voluntarily label GE foods, a total of zero companies have done so.
This is not the solution consumers have been demanding and it is high time for Congress to wise up.
Thankfully, Congressman DeFazio and Senator Boxer have also reintroduced their bill to put in place mandatory, nationwide labeling of genetically engineered foods. Congress should focus on the labeling solutions that Americans are asking for – not legislation written by and for big food and chemical companies that only serves to keep Americans in the dark.
Tell Congress to OPPOSE the DARK Act and SUPPORT mandatory GE food labeling!
Hawai‘i parents and residents have had enough. Communities on Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island and Maui have spoken – and now it’s O‘ahu’s turn. We want Monsanto out of our schools.
At Waialua Elementary School on the North Shore of O‘ahu, the agrochemical giant is trying to buy community support by infiltrating schools’ activities and curriculum. Monsanto even issued photo permission forms at the school to students for advertising purposes. Meanwhile, the company conducts open-air tests of pesticides within a one mile radius of several schools on the North Shore. Does that sound like a good neighbor to you?
Monsanto’s latest advertising campaign puts a full spin on their public image, trying to convince consumers that community well-being is their number one priority. If this was true, then why would they refuse to tell the public about the pesticides they spray on their fields every week? Do you want to know the real threats this company’s pesticides pose to our children’s health? Get the hard facts and key findings from our newest report Pesticides in Paradise available for free on our website.
Tell the Department of Education that you demand stronger protections of schools and our children from the predatory corporate initiatives by Monsanto or agrochemical companies!
Did you know that as much as 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used in animal agriculture? In fact, the entire system of animal factories is propped up by a constant overuse of antibiotics.
To sustain themselves, animal factories rely on the routine feeding of antibiotics to accelerate animal growth rates and prevent animals from getting sick while housed by the thousands—even by the millions—in cramped, filthy conditions ripe for breeding disease.
The overuse of these antibiotics greatly compromises public health. The consistent use of antibiotics in livestock has led to antibiotic-resistant superbugs that are infecting humans at an alarming rate.
The result? Those same antibiotics fed to animals may not work when we need them most: when your parents get pneumonia or your kids get a staph infection.
But we have the power to push for a food system that doesn’t rely on routine antibiotics. We can eat less meat and demand healthier, organic, and humanely raised meat and dairy that aren’t produced with routine antibiotics wherever we eat and shop.
But in order to change our food system quickly and prevent the worst impacts of industrial agriculture, we must demand that restaurants like Subway—the world’s largest restaurant chain—be part of the solution.
The routine use of antibiotics artificially props up the animal factory system, facilitating the production of cheap meat that not only fails to deliver nutritional quality, but may, in fact, put public health at serious risk.
Tell Subway to help reduce antibiotic resistance by serving meat raised without routine use of antibiotics!
UPDATE: Congressman Pompeo has just released a dangerous new amendment to the DARK Act that would preempt any state or county laws regulating genetically engineered (GE) crops in any way.
Congressman Pompeo and his gang of Big Food bullies are once again trying to deny consumers our right to know what we are eating and feeding our families.
The bill that would deny voters the right to pass state bills to label genetically engineered foods—and make mandatory labeling at the federal level impossible—has been reintroduced in Congress, despite hundreds of thousands of emails and phone calls from people like you opposing this corporate power-grab.
To make matters worse, Congressman Pompeo just released a dangerous new amendment to the DARK Act that would preempt any state or county laws regulating genetically engineered (GE) crops in any way.
Pompeo’s bill (H.R. 1599)—dubbed the “Denying Americans the Right-to-Know Act” (DARK Act)—would:
The bill also seeks to create a federal certification process for voluntary non-GMO labels. While non-GMO marketing claims allow companies to distinguish themselves in the marketplace, the labeling of non-GE foods and organic foods is limited to only about 2% of products on the shelves and is not a substitute for mandatory disclosure.
GE labeling is important to Americans, with over 90% consistently supporting transparency in the marketplace through mandatory GE labeling. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states, with laws being passed in Maine, Connecticut, and Vermont.
The DARK Act would shut down these efforts and reverse these successfully passed bills, only to be replaced with an undemocratic, hollow “voluntary” labeling scheme. In the 14 years that FDA has allowed companies to voluntarily label GE foods, a total of zero companies have done so.
This is not the solution consumers have been demanding and it is high time for Congress to wise up.
Thankfully, Congressman DeFazio and Senator Boxer have also reintroduced their bill to put in place mandatory, nationwide labeling of genetically engineered foods. Congress should focus on the labeling solutions that Americans are asking for – not legislation written by and for big food and chemical companies that only serves to keep Americans in the dark.
Tell Congress to OPPOSE the DARK Act and SUPPORT mandatory GE food labeling!
While states across the country are debating legislation to label genetically engineered foods, Michigan is taking a dramatic step backwards by pushing legislation to deny state labeling and support the federal “Dark Act” which would preempt labeling at the state level and could make it impossible for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to implement mandatory labeling at the federal level.
Instead of supporting your right to know, the Michigan state legislature is debating resolutions (House Resolution 89 and Senate Resolution 59) to keep you in the dark about the foods you eat and feed your family.
The federal “Dark Act” (HR 1599 introduced by Reps Pompeo and Butterfield) that Michigan’s proposed resolutions support would:
Prevent states from adopting their own GE labeling laws.
The bill also seeks to create a federal certification process for voluntary non-GMO labels. While non-GMO marketing claims allow companies to distinguish themselves in the marketplace, the labeling of non-GE foods and organic foods is limited to only about 2% of products on the shelves and is not a substitute for mandatory disclosure.
GE labeling is important to Americans, with over 90% consistently supporting transparency in the marketplace through mandatory GE labeling. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states, with laws being passed in Maine, Connecticut, and Vermont.
The DARK Act would shut down these efforts and reverse these successfully passed bills, only to be replaced with an undemocratic, hollow “voluntary” labeling scheme. In the 14 years that FDA has allowed companies to voluntarily label GE foods, a total of zero companies have done so.
Michigan should not be passing bills to take away the rights of its citizens. Tell your legislators to oppose this undemocratic legislation!
UPDATE: The House is scheduled take up the bill (HR 2393) to repeal COOL for meat on Wednesday, June 10th!
The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently issued a final ruling against the U.S. country-of-origin labeling policy that allows American consumers to know where their meat is born, raised, and slaughtered.
Consumer and farm advocates fought for more than a decade to get Country of Origin Labels (COOL) for our food — and won! Due to overwhelming consumer and farmer support, country of origin labeling on our fruit, vegetables, and meat became mandatory in the U.S. as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.
In light of the WTO ruling against the U.S., House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) has introduced legislation (HR 2393) to repeal the Country of Origin Labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken. The House Agriculture Committee approved the bill by a 38-6 vote, sending it to the House floor for consideration.
Our food safety policies in this country should not be dictated by a closed-door trade tribunal. The WTO has essentially overruled our democratic law making process and demonstrates how trade agreements—like “fast track” approval for the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement currently being debated in Congress—can lower U.S. food safety standards.
We need Congress and President Obama to stand up for country of origin labeling, not use the WTO ruling to give giant meat producing companies what they’ve wanted all along – secrecy when it comes to where your food was raised.
Rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater by repealing COOL, the U.S. should slow down and take the time to find a legislative solution that works without sacrificing the fundamental purpose of existing U.S. law and regulation.
Now is the time for President Obama to make a forceful defense of these sensible consumer labels and to tell Congress that he won't sign any legislation that undermines, weakens or eliminates country of origin labeling.
Tell Congress and President Obama to stand up for your right to know where your food is coming from and to protect country of origin labels!
The Oregon legislature is now considering yet another bill proposed by Oregon Rep. Brian Clem aimed at protecting Monsanto and the agribusiness interests behind genetically engineered (GE) crops.
HB 2509 is being openly backed by Monsanto’s main front group “Oregonians for Food and Shelter” and the bill has a hearing TODAY at the Senate Environment Committee – Tell the Committee to oppose this dangerous bill!
What would HB 2509 do? The bill would put Monsanto’s myth that genetically engineered crops can “co-exist” with organic and traditional crops into state law while ignoring the billions in economic damage that GE contamination of traditional crops has already caused to other farmers, but that’s not the worst of it.
There are at least 4 big problems with HB 2509:
1. Forced mediation. HB 2509 would effectively force farmers whose crops were contaminated by GE crops into a vague “mediation process” orchestrated by the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture (ODA) before a farmer could go to court to sue to try to stop GE contamination. Farmers can already use mediation if it make sense, but they should not be forced into a biased “mediation” process controlled by staunch biotech supporters at the ODA.
2. Liability for farmers contaminated by GE crops. If a farmer refused to mediate, HB 2509 says they could be liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney's fees for the farmer growing GE crops in a related court case. AND if Monsanto or other biotech interests joined the case, the farmer could even be liable for their attorney fees.
3. Pro-GE mediators. HB 2509’s mediation process would be orchestrated by the State agency that has done more to defend agricultural biotech interests than any other: the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture (ODA). ODA could then create a costly and time consuming mediation process that would make it harder for farmers to protect themselves against GE contamination.
4. Funding for pro-GE propaganda. The bill would also direct propaganda funding to Oregon State University (OSU) for “educational materials and information regarding the coexistent use of agricultural lands.” The bill would put OSU, which has a long history of promoting GE organisms, in the position of using Monsanto’s talking points that GE organisms can “co-exist” with organic and other traditional crops despite the dramatic contamination events and billions in damage that GE contaminations continue to cause to traditional crops.
If you can, please also call the Senate Committee offices and let them know there’s no reason to make it even harder for family farmers to protect themselves against GE contamination:
Committee Chair, Senator Chris Edwards 503-986-1707
Senator Michael Dembrow 503-986-1723
Senator Flolyd Prozanski 503-986-1704
Senator Alan Olsen 503-986-1720
Senator Chuck Thompson 503-986-1726
The White House Pollinator Health Task Force continues to roll out its strategy to address the threats to bees, monarchs and other pollinators. While the Task Force has developed positive, far reaching goals for honey bees, monarch butterflies and other pollinators, the plan is unfortunately far too weak to actually accomplish those goals and many of the recent efforts fail to address issues with pesticides.
We think the White House can do better.
The Good: The plan calls for reducing honey bee colony losses during winter to no more than 15 percent within 10 years; increasing the monarch butterfly population to 225 million butterflies in the overwintering grounds in Mexico by 2020; and restoring or enhancing 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the next 5 years.
As part of the plan, EPA will also speed up the reviews of several bee-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides and prohibit foliar sprays of acutely toxic pesticides while managed honey bees are present for pollination services. Other highlights in the WHTF strategy include the need to assess wild bee population declines and to expand pesticide risk assessments to include additional species and the long-term impacts of pesticide exposure to these species.
The Bad: While the plan focuses heavily on improving pollinator habitat, it is blind to the fact that new habitat will simply become contaminated by insecticides still heavily in use, ultimately harming pollinators. We can’t just plant more wild flowers near crop land and expect insecticides to stop being a problem. Similarly, while efforts to restore milkweed habitat for monarchs are important, without addressing the agricultural practices responsible for the eradication of milkweed, monarch populations will not rebound to resilient, healthy levels.
The Ugly: Unfortunately, the White House plan ignores several common sense solutions repeatedly put forth by CFS and our allies, which include closing loopholes in the pesticide review process, suspending the use of neonicotinoids for seed coatings, and instituting a national pesticide use reporting system.
The plan has some good steps, but it fails to recognize or in any way follow the concrete steps taken in the European Union or elsewhere to sharply reduce the risks to pollinators posed by agricultural chemicals. It is a slow, reactive plan instead of the proactive plan the pollinator crisis now demands.
Tell President Obama and the Task Force that the time to act is NOW. Any future pollinator protection efforts must tackle the issues with bee-toxic pesticides!
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Read the White House pollinator Health Task Force "National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators":
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/Pollinator%20Health%20Strategy%202015.pdf
Americans are increasingly concerned about animal abuse and food safety violations on factory farms revealed by concerned employees or animal advocates. But instead of making sincere efforts at reform, some big meat and dairy companies are pushing bills that punish the whistleblowers!
In 2013 and 2014, thousands of advocates like you spoke out and stopped dangerous anti-whistleblower "ag-gag" legislation that was being pushed in North Carolina’s General Assembly. Despite these victories, animal abusers and their lobbyists at the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce are back with yet another bill aimed at keeping the public in the dark about animal abuse on factory farms.
This bill has already passed the House and Senate and is currently on Governor McCrory's desk!
The effect of these “ag-gag” laws is that environmental, animal welfare, and health violations go unreported, covered up, and the state does not discover them until it is too late. Citizen involvement in this process is necessary to ensure that healthy and humane agricultural practices exist.
The new ag-gag bill, SB 433/HB 405, would put North Carolina residents and animals in danger by granting factory farm operators, who are already sorely lacking transparency, the power to silence whistleblowers.
Tell Governor McCrory to reject this cruel and dangerous bill!
Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most Americans imagine. Factory farms pack hundreds, thousands, and sometimes millions of pigs, chickens, and cows into unsanitary, inhumane and unsafe conditions, damaging our environment, our public health and our economy.
Outraged by the inherent cruelty of immobilizing pigs in gestation crates and the extreme confinement of veal calves, New York legislators have introduced legislation (S 59 and A 384) to put an end to these kinds of extreme confinement in the state.
Extreme confinement is of the most inhumane features of factory farms. According to the Humane Society, the typical gestation crate is about 6 feet long by 2 feet wide—hardly enough room for a sow that can grow to be 600 pounds. These pigs—some of the smartest animals on the planet—are forced to spend their pregnancies, sometimes virtually their entire lives, in these tiny metal crates, standing on concrete. Veal calves are taken from their mothers and in their first few days of life and confined in tiny pens too small for them to even turn around in, for the duration of short lives.
That is no way to treat an animal.
New York voters are not alone in their support for a ban on gestation crates. Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island and the entire European Union have passed legislation to outlaw gestation crates. Additionally, McDonald’s, Costco, Safeway, Kroger, Oscar Mayer and more than 60 other leading food companies have announced plans to eliminate gestation crates from their supply chains. Veal producers have set a deadline for themselves of 2017 for phasing out veal crates as well.
The welfare of animals raised and slaughtered in animal factories also has a direct correlation with the safety of the U.S. food supply. The conditions in which these animals are kept and processed before hitting your plate are critical to maintaining a healthy food supply, but often these animals live in unsanitary and cramped surroundings. Animals that are forced to stand or lay in close quarters are extremely likely to contact fecal matter. These animals are susceptible to Salmonella and E.coli contamination not only because they are in constant contact with animal waste, but because they are often under extreme stress, reducing their ability to fight infection.
Urge state lawmakers to pass S 59 and A 384 to protect farm animals from cruel and extreme confinement!
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View the Bill text here: http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S59A-2015
Two dangerous new bills—House Bill 882 and Senate Bill 131—have been introduced in the Missouri legislature that attempt to keep information from animal factories hidden from public view and scrutiny, and undermine the state Sunshine Law by keeping this information private. They even go so far as to fine state agencies that DO reveal this basic public health and safety information!
The legislative session ends on Friday, May 15th – Please contact your state legislators and tell them to vote NO on these undemocratic bills!
Americans are increasingly concerned about animal abuse and food safety violations on factory farms. But instead of making sincere efforts at reform, some big meat and dairy companies are pushing bills that keep data from factory farms secret.
The effect of these “ag-gag” laws is that environmental, animal welfare and health violations go unreported, covered up, and kept from the public. Public knowledge and scrutiny are necessary to ensure that healthy and humane agricultural practices exist.
Your state lawmakers need to hear from you that you oppose laws that favor industrial agriculture at the expense of public health, the environment, and animal welfare!
Last May, voters in Jackson County overwhelmingly voted to ban the growing of GMO crops by a 66%-34% margin, even after being outspent by the biotech and pesticide corporations 3-1. This was an incredible victory for local farmers, businesses and food safety advocates.
But now, there is a back-door attempt to undermine the ban in the state legislature. HB 3212 is a bill defining any regulation of a farming practice as a “land use regulation.” It would entitle a property owner to compensation for any reduction in the price of their property OR the county could just waive the requirement – meaning they could waive the ban on growing genetically engineered crops!
Unfortunately, HB 3212 has already passed in the House, but there is still time to stop this bill in the Senate!
Proposed by Rep. Brian Clem, HB 3212 is a major expansion to Measure 49 and would significantly increase when counties, cities, and the state would be liable to farmers for claimed reductions in property values due to local or state laws. The bill would require compensation (or the waiver of laws) even when the state or local laws were meant to protect family farmers or organic farmers from industrial agricultural practices, as well as, laws aimed at important public health, safety and environmental values.
Laws intended to protect water quality and salmon from agricultural pesticides, for example, could be subject to challenge under HB 3212 as could laws requiring humane treatment of animals (such as minimum chicken cage requirements). Basic water and soil conservation measures could also expose local governments to legal challenges under HB 3212.
Tell your state Senator to support the ability of local communities and the state to protect family farmers, organic farmers, and the environment without the threat of millions of dollars in liability claims by voting NO on HB 3212.
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That’s why OK state Representative Claudia Griffith has introduced HB 1370 to label GE food in Oklahoma.
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Oklahoma could be the next state to label genetically engineered foods—but your legislators need to hear from you!
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Oklahoma!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families. That’s why Maine passed a law to label GE foods in 2013.
As you know, Maine’s GE labeling bill included a delay of the law’s implementation until mandatory labeling of GE food is adopted by at least 5 contiguous states including Maine. The law also included an automatic repeal if mandatory labeling of genetically engineered food is not adopted by at least 5 contiguous states including Maine by January 1, 2018.
But now, legislators in Maine have introduced a bill (HP 686) that would repeal these delay tactics and implement Maine’s GE labeling law immediately!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013, more than 50 labeling bills were introduced in 26 states—and Connecticut and Maine became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Additionally, a federal court decision from the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont just affirmed the constitutionality of Vermont’s genetically engineered food labeling law, upholding the rights of Vermonters and U.S. citizens across the country. If Vermont can do it, so can Maine.
Why should Mainers have to wait for other states to catch up in order to have the right to know whether the food they’re buying and feeding their families is genetically engineered?
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Maine NOW!
Last week two Congressional Committees approved the Trade Promotion Authority bill which would “fast track” the approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other secretive trade deals. The approval in the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee paves the way for floor votes in each chamber sometime next month. Fast Track approval would stimulate a “race to the bottom” on food safety standards and other public health issues.
These Democratic Senators and Representatives were key to the passage of fast track in Senate and House committees:
• Senator Ron Wyden, OR
• Senator Maria Cantwell, WA
• Senator Bill Nelson, FL
• Senator Tom Carper, DE
• Senator Ben Cardin, MD
• Senator Michael Bennet, CO
• Senator Mark Warner, VA
• Representative Earl Blumenauer, OR
• Representative Ron Kind, WI
“Fast track” authority would allow the President to present the TPP and other secretive trade deals to Congress for a straight up or down vote – no debate, no amendments, no public input. As Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY, 25th district) put it, “Fast track is an undemocratic seizure of power that usurps our ability to represent the American people.”
Let your Congressional representatives know you oppose fast track authority and urge their NO vote!
The TPP is a trade deal currently under negotiation among 12 nations—Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam. If ratified by these governments, TPP would be the largest trade deal in history -- representing 792 million people and accounting for 40 percent of the world economy -- yet it's being written and negotiated in secret.
That’s right—none of the details of this sweeping trade agreement are available to the public. "Fast track" authority will only further limit public input on critical public health, environmental, labor, and economic standards.
Leaked TPP documents validate concerns that this deal could result in imports of unsafe food, potentially impact millions of American jobs, and would empower corporations to attack hard-fought U.S. environmental and health safeguards in private, extrajudicial trade courts.
A trade deal this sweeping must be debated and negotiated in the light of day—not behind closed doors. But fast track authority would allow the President to sign the TPP before Congress has voted to approve it, and then railroad the deal through Congress with limited debate and no amendments allowed -- essentially allowing trade representatives and corporations to subvert the democratic process by finalizing this disastrous deal without the benefit of Congressional oversight or public scrutiny.
Let your members of Congress know you are disappointed in their Committee vote, and urge them to Vote “No” on Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in the floor vote!
Vermont's GMO labeling law will take effect July 1st, and New York stands poised to join them in protecting our right to know what's in the food we're eating, but we need all hands on deck to make it happen.
That's where you come in. With only a month left in this year's legislative session, there's no time to waste. We now have a majority of legislators in support of the Assembly bill (A. 617), and a near-majority on the Senate bill (S. 485), but we can’t stop now.
We have a right to know whether our food is genetically engineered — and we're closer than ever to winning GMO labeling in New York! But to beat Monsanto and their allies and push this issue over the top, it's going to take all of us.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in New York!
For years, agrichemical companies have used their influence to pass state legislation that prevents cities, counties and even states from regulating farming practices that may cause harm to human health, the environment or farmers. From regulations intended to protect children from exposure to toxic pesticides, to those intended to protect farmers from contamination by genetically engineered crops, an all-out assault on regulatory safeguards is being waged by major corporate interests across the country. What may be more alarming is the fact that they are doing so by claiming to be based in “sound science.”
And right now, this same debate is playing out in the Texas legislature.
Texas House Resolution 1508—the so-called “sound science” resolution—is intended to inoculate the state from any federal, state or local regulations that would unfairly limit the use of so-called “modern agricultural technologies” like genetic engineering, synthetic pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers.
Already this year two states, Mississippi and Indiana, have passed resolutions opposing legislative or regulatory action at any level that may restrict the use of modern agricultural technologies despite known or potential risks. Don’t let Texas be next!
Modern agricultural technologies by their very nature are new. Rigorous research prior to their approval, as well as continued research during their use is paramount to ensuring their safety for human health and the environment. While HR1508 calls for the use of “sound science” in studying and regulating modern agricultural technologies, their attempt to discourage regulation is fundamentally anti-scientific in nature and relies on industry “junk science.”
From the well-documented overuse of herbicides on GE crops to the impact of neonicotinoids and other systemic insecticides on pollinators and aquatic invertebrates, there is no shortage of reputable science backing the need to protect against the unintended impacts of new technologies in agriculture. International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) recently determined that glyphosate–an herbicide sprayed on over 200 million acres of GE crops in this country–is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
The use of well-supported and breakthrough science is critical for effectively protecting communities in the long term. Yet passage of this falsely named “sound science” bill will instead further erode the public’s trust in the government’s ability to evaluate new agricultural technologies entering the market and fundamentally undermine the objectivity of science itself.
Urge your state legislators to vote NO on this dangerous bill!
Bees are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat – and a tremendous contributor to Minnesota’s agriculture – yet they are in serious trouble because of the rampant use of bee-toxic pesticides like neonicotinoids.
That’s why we’re thankful that Minnesota legislators have recently introduced three bills that would help protect pollinators from bee-toxic pesticides like neonics. Senate bill 1241 prohibits the use of pollinator-lethal insecticides on wildlife management areas, while House bill 2029 establishes a moratorium on the sale and use of certain bee-toxic pesticides, like neonics, in the state. Finally, House bill 411 establishes a pollinator-friendly neighborhood program.
These bills are a beacon of hope for pollinators, and it’s essential for more legislators to take a stand and protect these important species. Minnesota is already showing tremendous progress in local protection of pollinators: five cities have recently passed ordinances to protect pollinators. Yet, under pressure from pesticide corporations, Minnesota legislators are considering backpedalling on last year’s truth-in-labeling law, which outlaws “bee-friendly” advertising for plants that contain neonics or other systemic, bee-harming pesticides.
Protecting bees from neonics and other bee-toxic insecticides is not only essential to the livelihood of beekeepers, but also to the success of Minnesota’s agricultural and ecological systems. Neonicotinoids, as well as their cousin “systemic” pesticides, are linked to bee kills and poor pollinator health, as well as effects on bee navigation, reproduction and communication.
In the absence of federal leadership, Minnesota legislators must take steps to protect pollinators from pesticides linked to their decline; now is the time to act. Minnesota can continue to lead the way by taking steps to protect bees and other pollinators from hazardous pesticides.
Urge your state legislators to protect Minnesota’s pollinators!
The overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture has created a serious human health risk that must be addressed. The FDA and the CDC have stated that there is a definitive link between the routine use of antibiotics for disease prevention and growth promotion on industrial farms and the crisis of bacterial resistance in humans.
While the federal government has been slow to take the steps needed to curb this crisis, Oregon legislators have recently introduced a bill that would help address it in the state.
Senate bill 920 would require livestock producers to limit the amount of medically important antibiotics administered to food producing animals. It would also require livestock producers maintain more stringent records with regards to antibiotic use and be more transparent in the form of reports filed to the Oregon Health Authority.
Why is this bill so important? Just two types of drug-resistant bacteria carried by food – Salmonella and Campylobacter – sicken at least 410,000 people annually in the United States. Research continues to find that additional bacteria such as E. coli and even Staphylococcus aureus may be acquiring antibiotic resistance due to overuse of antibiotics in food production.
It is critical that we address the serious threat that antibiotic resistance poses to public health and our economy.
Tell your state legislators to publicly support S. 920 so that Oregonians may benefit from a healthier and safer food system!
More than anywhere else, counties in Hawaii should have the right and authority to determine the future of their food system. This is home rule.
Hawaii is home to untold biodiversity and some of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth. However, it is also ground zero for the outdoor experimentation of pesticide-promoting plant technologies, genetically engineered to withstand heavy spraying of toxic chemicals.
On Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Molokai, chemical and biotechnology companies like Monsanto, Syngenta, Dupont, Dow Chemical, Bayer, and BASF have purchased prime agricultural land, taking advantage of Hawaii’s isolation and year-round growing season, in order to field test crops that have been genetically engineered (GE) to withstand greater applications of pesticides. Despite public health concerns and contamination of natural resources, the State of Hawaii has taken no action to regulate the activities of biotechnology companies performing open-air testing on genetically engineered seed and synthetic pesticides.
As a result, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Counties asserted their county’s authority to create policies that address these issues and protect the safety and health of its residents and land. Otherwise known as “Home Rule,” Hawaii has shown the world just how important this kind of political power is in the movement to create more safe and sovereign food systems.
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why Indiana legislators have introduced a bill to label genetically engineered food in the state—Senate bill 60—and we need you to show your support for it!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Indiana!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why Texas legislators have introduced a bill to label genetically engineered food in the state—House bill 3499—and we need you to show your support for it!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Texas!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why Massachusetts legislators have introduced a bill to label genetically engineered food in the state—House bill 4156—and we need you to show your support for it!
Vermont's GMO labeling law will take effect July 1st, and Massachusetts stands poised to join them in protecting our right to know what's in the food we're eating, but we need all hands on deck to make it happen.
That's where you come in. More than 75% of the Massachusetts legislature has co-sponsored the Massachusetts GMO labeling bill, making it the most popular bill at the State House. The level of support from legislators and residents across the state speaks to the momentum behind passing commonsense GMO labeling this session. But if it doesn't come up for a vote, all this support means nothing!
We have a right to know whether our food is genetically engineered — and we're closer than ever to winning GMO labeling in Massachusetts. But to beat Monsanto and their allies and push this issue over the top, it's going to take all of us.
We need to help make it a priority so it reaches the floor for a vote before the session ends in July. Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Massachusetts by bringing it up for a vote!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why Minnesota legislators have introduced bills to label genetically engineered food in the state—Senate bill 335 and House bill 351—and we need you to show your support for them!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Minnesota!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why the Florida legislature has introduced bills to label genetically engineered food in the state—Senate bill 416 and House bill 351—and we need you to show your support for them!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Florida!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why Arizona legislators have introduced a bill to label genetically engineered food in the state—House bill 2275—and we need you to show your support for it!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Arizona!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why Alaska legislators have introduced a bill to label genetically engineered food in the state—House bill 92—and we need you to show your support for it!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Alaska!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why Rhode Island legislators have introduced a bill to label genetically engineered food in the state—House bill 7082—and we need you to show your support for it!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Rhode Island!
Did you know that at least 25 schools in Hawai‘i are located within a mile of large agricultural companies that spray restricted-use pesticides? Right now, children, the elderly, and other sensitive residents have no choice but to live, work, and commute daily in close proximity to areas where restricted use pesticides are being sprayed.
That’s why Hawai‘i Center for Food Safety is working hard to pass legislation in Hawai‘i that would create pesticide buffer zones around schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. Buffer zones are a necessary step for mitigating the negative human health impacts of pesticide drift - in fact, Hawai‘i is one of only 19 states in the U.S. that doesn’t have restrictions on pesticide use around these sensitive populations.
In addition to buffer zones, we’re also working to pass notification and disclosure requirements which would bring much needed transparency to pesticide regulation in our state and prioritize the protection of Hawai‘i’s public health and natural resources. These regulations are in line with those of 31 other states who understand that it is vital to provide communities with information about the dangerous chemicals that are regularly applied in close proximity to schools, nursing homes, and other sensitive areas.
It’s time for the state to step up and put the health and safety of Hawai‘i’s people first.
Tell your Senators and Representatives to support legislation that would implement buffer zones, disclosure, and notification!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. But as you know, under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
That's why the Illinois Senate has introduced the Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Bill—SB 734—and we need your help to support it!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states—and Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Since the federal government has so far refused to label genetically engineered food, it’s up to state legislatures to protect the interests of the people they represent.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Illinois!
Choosing organic, sustainable, and humanely-raised products is both a healthful and environmentally-friendly decision. The health and nutrition experts that developed the 2015 Dietary Guidelines (what the “food pyramid” is based on) for Americans agree as well.
That is why they decided for the first time ever to add considerations of sustainability into their recommendations. However, their decision to address sustainability in the new dietary guidance has been challenged by those in industry who stand to profit from business as usual.
The fight over dietary guidelines is a classic case of industry spin vs. independent science. The guidelines’ advisory committee -- an independent panel of experts -- is recommending a diet higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods on both health and environmental grounds. This would help shift us away from a food system reliant on factory farms and industrial meat production, which have devastating impacts on our soil, water, and climate -- and our health.
In response, the meat industry lobbyists and factory farm apologists are out in full force. They’re trying to push the Obama administration to ignore sustainability and leave recommendations for reduced meat consumption out of the guidelines.
We have the science and the economics on our side -- but we have to make sure our message isn’t drowned out by all the industry spin.
We know that human health and the health of the planet are inextricably linked, and individual dietary choices affect the sustainability of our food system and influence the nation's capacity to meet the nutritional needs of the population.
The government’s Dietary Guidelines are a cornerstone of our nutritional policy and education, and they impact the menus of federally supported food programs, like school lunches. So a shift in the Dietary Guidelines toward sustainability would have a positive effect throughout our entire food system.
Take action to support sustainability in the dietary guidelines today!
UPDATE: AB 1259, the bill that would give California’s bees a safe haven by prohibiting the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on state-owned or state-managed lands, passed the state Assembly on May 14th and is now in the state Senate!
Bees are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat – and a tremendous contributor to California’s agriculture – yet they are in serious trouble because of the rampant use of bee-toxic pesticides like neonicotinoids.
That’s why we’re thankful that the California state legislature is considering a bill (AB 1259) that would give California’s bees a safe haven by prohibiting the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on state-owned or state-managed lands, including spray applications of the pesticide, pre-applications to young plants, and the planting of seeds coated with the chemical. The bill is a beacon of hope for pollinators, and it’s essential for more legislators to take a stand and protect these important species.
Bees are responsible for pollinating many of the state’s crops, everything from increasing yields in strawberries, to essential pollination of the multi-billion dollar almond industry. But bees face a growing problem from almost inescapable pesticide use.
Creating safe havens on public lands and protecting bees is not only essential to the livelihood of beekeepers, but also to the success of our state’s agricultural and ecological systems. Neonicotinoids, as well as their cousin “systemic” pesticides, are linked to bee kills and poor pollinator health, as well as effects on bee navigation, reproduction and communication.
In the absence of federal leadership, California legislators must take steps to protect pollinators from pesticides linked to their decline; now is the time to act. California can continue to lead the way by taking steps to protect bees and other pollinators from hazardous pesticides, starting with passing AB 1259.
The bill has just passed the state Assembly - Urge your state Senator to give California’s bees a safe haven!
A bill that strips away the power of counties, cities, and towns in Idaho to regulate genetically engineered seeds has just passed through the House and is now pending in the Idaho Senate.
This bill, H. 114, states that the regulation of "cultivation, production, processing, labeling, sale, storage, transportation, distribution, notification of use, use of seeds, and planting of seeds" is within the state’s exclusive authority and preempts any local regulation. The bill’s broad scope would preempt any local regulation of genetically engineered crops and prevent any county in Idaho from adopting safeguards intended to protect against transgenic contamination of their potato and wheat crops. Moreover, the bill could even stop efforts to protect bees and other pollinators by preempting the ability of counties to put in place sensible restrictions related to neonicotinoid-coated seeds.
This “seed preemption” bill, like other bills that have been passed or have moved towards adoption in at least seventeen states around the nation, is an orchestrated biotech industry response to recent local actions on genetically engineered crops and foods.
Local citizens and governments deserve the right to determine how this technology is applied in their communities and what is grown in their fields.
Taking away voters’ rights is a serious threat to democracy. This is especially troubling given that genetically engineered crops are not adequately regulated at the State or Federal level, and they can pose serious risks to public health and the environment.
The current situation of corporate control and lack of oversight affects all farmers. Idaho shouldn’t be stripping away the rights of local governments to protect the farmers in their communities.
Urge the Idaho Senate to reject this undemocratic bill!
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Millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes could soon be released into the Florida Keys -- with unknown impacts on one of our most fragile ecosystems – unless we stop it!
Oxitec, a British company, wants to use the Florida Keys as a testing ground for releasing GE mosquitoes in the U.S., with plans to release millions of these experimental mosquitoes into the open environment. Oxitec claims that the genetically engineered mosquitoes might help control mosquitoes that may carry dengue fever. While working to reduce the spread of dengue is laudable, independent scientists aren’t even sure the plan to release these GE mosquitoes will work! At this point, it’s all risk and no reward.
There are still many unanswered questions about the impact of these GE insects on our environment. Independent scientists have raised serious concerns about the impacts the GE mosquito could have on the health of people and of sensitive ecosystems.1
We need independent, transparent safety assessments and a regulatory system equipped to deal with the novel risks from these experimental mosquitoes before they are released into our environment.
Unfortunately, the U.S. has no laws on the books to assess or regulate genetically engineered insects or animals -- only antiquated regulations meant for “new animal drugs.” These regulations are simply not adequate to address the GE mosquito experiment. The FDA must ensure that health and environmental concerns are addressed and at a minimum put in place strong, updated regulations before deciding whether to allow this risky experiment to move forward.
Add your voice today! Tell FDA to say NO to GE mosquitoes!
Millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes could soon be released into the Florida Keys -- with unknown impacts on one of our most fragile ecosystems – unless we stop it!
Oxitec, a British company, wants to use the Florida Keys as a testing ground for releasing GE mosquitoes in the U.S., with plans to release millions of these experimental mosquitoes into the open environment. Oxitec claims that the genetically engineered mosquitoes might help control mosquitoes that may carry dengue fever. While working to reduce the spread of dengue is laudable, independent scientists aren’t even sure the plan to release these GE mosquitoes will work! At this point, it’s all risk and no reward.
There are still many unanswered questions about the impact of these GE insects on our environment. Independent scientists have raised serious concerns about the impacts the GE mosquito could have on the health of people and of sensitive ecosystems.1
We need independent, transparent safety assessments and a regulatory system equipped to deal with the novel risks from these experimental mosquitoes before they are released into our environment.
Unfortunately, the U.S. has no laws on the books to assess or regulate genetically engineered insects or animals -- only antiquated regulations meant for “new animal drugs.” These regulations are simply not adequate to address the GE mosquito experiment. The FDA must ensure that health and environmental concerns are addressed and at a minimum put in place strong, updated regulations before deciding whether to allow this risky experiment to move forward.
Add your voice today! Tell FDA to say NO to GE mosquitoes!
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Did you know that at least 25 schools in Hawai‘i are located within a mile of large agricultural companies that spray restricted-use pesticides? These pesticides have been designated “restricted use” due to their negative impacts on human health as well as the environment, yet they are still being sprayed next to our schools!
Enough is enough! Our children are being exposed to pesticides. There is no time to waste. The State must hold the agrochemical industry accountable for the harmful impacts of their pesticides on Hawai‘i’s public health and environment.
Hawai‘i Center for Food Safety is working hard to pass legislation in Hawai‘i that would create pesticide buffer zones to protect children from exposure to pesticide via drift. Buffer zones are a necessary step for mitigating the negative human health impacts of pesticide drift - in fact, Hawai‘i is one of only 19 states in the U.S. that doesn’t have restrictions on pesticide use around children.
In addition to buffer zones, we’re also working to pass notification and disclosure requirements, which would bring much needed transparency to pesticide regulation in our state. These common sense regulations are long overdue for our state, and are necessary for protecting the long-term health and well-being of our keiki.
Tell your Senators and Representatives to support legislation that would implement buffer zones, disclosure and notification now!
Did you know that at least 25 schools in Hawai‘i are located within a mile of large agricultural companies that spray restricted-use pesticides? These pesticides have been designated “restricted use” due to their negative impacts on human health as well as the environment, yet they are still being sprayed next to our schools!
Enough is enough! Our children are being exposed to pesticides. There is no time to waste. The State must hold the agrochemical industry accountable for the harmful impacts of their pesticides on Hawai‘i’s public health and environment.
Hawai‘i Center for Food Safety is working hard to pass legislation in Hawai‘i that would create pesticide buffer zones to protect children from exposure to pesticide via drift. Buffer zones are a necessary step for mitigating the negative human health impacts of pesticide drift - in fact, Hawai‘i is one of only 19 states in the U.S. that doesn’t have restrictions on pesticide use around children.
In addition to buffer zones, we’re also working to pass notification and disclosure requirements, which would bring much needed transparency to pesticide regulation in our state. These common sense regulations are long overdue for our state, and are necessary for protecting the long-term health and well-being of our keiki.
Tell your Senators and Representatives to support legislation that would implement buffer zones, disclosure and notification now!
California came so close to passing a law to label genetically engineered (GE) foods (Proposition 37) in 2012, and to passing a similar law in the State Legislature last year.
Now we need to let our elected officials know we're back to urge support for introduction of a GE labeling law for 2015!
Opponents of labeling GE foods have spent millions of dollars to prevent Americans from knowing which of the foods in our grocery stores are genetically engineered. While industry's well-funded opposition campaigns ultimately won in California, and more recently in Oregon state, the reality is that more than 90% of Americans want GE foods to be labeled, and we're not giving up.
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions in the marketplace and beyond. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to the GE foods we purchase and feed our families.
More than 64 other countries have enacted laws specifically focused on overseeing genetically engineered crops and foods, or their labeling, and to date three states in the U.S. have passed similar laws. As you know, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. In its absence, states have a duty to their citizens, environment, and agricultural economy to enact this right.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
The deadline for introducing bills in California is this Friday, February 27. Your state Senator has been supportive of GE labeling in the past – urge him to introduce a GE labeling bill this year!
In a June 2014 Presidential memorandum, President Obama outlined a new strategy to protect pollinators that emphasized the need for public education, additional research, and habitat expansion. While these are all important in the protection of pollinators, there isn’t much urgency or clarity on how the task force will address one of the primary threats to bees and other pollinators: exposure to highly toxic, systemic, and persistent pesticides.
By signing this petition your name will be sent to the White House with the following request:
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered foods we purchase and feed our families.
Yet 93 percent of Americans1 want to know whether their food has been genetically engineered (GE). GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world2, and Vermont, Maine, and Connecticut have already passed laws to label GE foods. Hawaii has the chance to be next!
Consumers want to know more than ever how their food is produced. A poll released in the Honolulu Star Advertiser showed that three-quarters of voters interviewed in a Hawaii Poll want the state Legislature to pass a law requiring that genetically engineered foods sold in Hawaii carry labels.3
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families.
Hawaii could be a leader in making sure genetically engineered foods are labeled, but we need your help to push lawmakers to pass a bill!
After decades of promises from the biotech industry that genetically engineered (GE) food would feed the world, cure the sick, reduce agricultural dependence on toxic chemicals, and save countless crops from imminent collapse, USDA has just approved1 a product they think will solve a problem humans have struggled with for centuries… an apple that doesn’t brown when you slice it… Seriously; we couldn’t make this stuff up.
While these GE apples are a waste of time and money, we don’t want to downplay the real concerns about them. Pre-sliced apples are actually a frequently recalled food product. Once the whole fruit is sliced, it has an increased risk of exposure to pathogens. Since browning is a sign that apples are no longer fresh, “masking” this natural signal could lead people to consume contaminated apples, which is why some folks are calling it the “botox apple.”
Further, since FDA does no independent, pre-market safety testing of GE food there are several unanswered questions about the safety of GE apples. “Silencing” the genes that make apples turn brown when exposed to oxygen could have unintended consequences that will only be tested by hungry consumers. Although these “botox apples” are primarily targeted to the fresh-sliced apple market they could also find their way into non-GE juice, baby foods or apple sauce at the processing level, all products predominantly eaten by children and babies who are at increased risk for any adverse health effects.
Like other GE products in the U.S., no mandatory labeling would be required. While Okanagan (the manufacturer) says they’ll require growers to label their whole apples as “Arctic variety,” the government has announced no plans to require labeling of these apples as GE. If approved, Okanagan’s non-browning “Arctic” apple would be first commercialized in Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties, with Fuji and Gala on the horizon.
Even the apple industry has opposed this genetically engineered product. The U.S. Apple Association, Northwest Horticultural Council (which represents Washington apple growers, who grow over 60% of the apples in the U.S.), British Columbia Fruit Growers Association and other grower groups have already voiced their disapproval of these GE apples due to the negative impact they could have on farmers growing organic and non-GE apples through contamination, and to the image of the apple industry as a whole.
McDonald’s, Wendy's, and Gerber have already indicated that they don’t plan to use these GE apples.
If the apple industry doesn’t want GE apples, and consumers don’t want GE apples, who do these apples really benefit? As usual, this product only benefits the biotech industry and big food processing companies.
Tell food companies parents do not want to feed their kids GE apples!
We’ll send your signatures along with a letter to the top fast food restaurants, supermarkets, and food companies to secure commitments from them that they will not sell or use this risky new product.
Did you know that Hawai‘i is one of only 19 states that does NOT regulate pesticides near schools?
It’s true, yet pesticide drift happens frequently in Hawai‘i because of the windy and warm conditions of the islands. At least 26 schools in Hawai‘i are located within a mile of large agricultural companies that spray restricted-use pesticides. Many residents, including children, have suffered from sickness they attribute to pesticide drift.
But now there is a state Senate bill that could help protect our kids from pesticides, and your state legislators need to know that you support it!
This bill also requires that restricted-use pesticide users disclose the pesticides they are spraying and notify communities who could be potentially impacted by pesticide drift. These are common sense regulations that are in line with those of 31 other states who understand that it is vital to provide communities with information about the dangerous chemicals that are regularly applied in close proximity to where they live, learn, and play, and to restrict application near our schools.
The people of Hawai‘i have the right to decide that the risks associated with the use of toxic pesticides in commercial agriculture near our schools and nursing homes are unacceptable, and the state legislature has the duty to take action to reduce and prevent the potential negative impacts of that use.
Tell your state legislators to protect keiki and kupuna health by voting Yes on SB 793!
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade deal currently under negotiation among 12 nations—Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam. If ratified by these governments, TPP would be the largest trade deal in history -- representing 792 million people and accounting for 40 percent of the world economy1 -- yet it's being written and negotiated in secret.
That’s right—none of the details of this sweeping trade agreement are available to the public. The only text that has been made public so far has been through leaked documents. Members of Congress have extremely limited access to the negotiation texts. But Corporate representatives have access to, and in some instances have written the negotiation documents through USTR advisory committees, where they “significantly outnumber representatives of organized labor, environmental advocates and academic experts”.2
What's been leaked about it so far reveals that the TPP would offshore millions of American jobs, expose the U.S. to imports of unsafe food, and empower corporations to attack hard-fought U.S. environmental and health safeguards.
For example, the TPP would require the U.S to allow food imports if the exporting country claims that their safety regime is "equivalent" to our own, even if it violates the key principles of our food safety laws. So, fish from Vietnam and other TPP countries using antibiotics and other drugs banned in the U.S. would be allowed under equivalency rules in the agreement. These rules would effectively outsource domestic food inspection to other countries. Further, any U.S. food safety rules on pesticides, labeling or additives that is higher than international standards could be subject to challenge as "illegal trade barriers."
Instead of using trade agreements to elevate economic, health, and environmental standards across borders, the TPP creates a race to the bottom.
What’s worse, Congress is currently considering granting “fast track” approval of the TPP. “Fast track” enables trade agreements to become law by removing a democratic step of lawmaking by stripping Congress of its authority to debate or amend the content of a trade deal. Congress gets a vote, but only after the negotiations have been completed.
Tell Congress to Vote “No” on Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and demand the text of the TPP be made public!
Buffer Zones Bill HB 1514 needs your help! This Thursday, February 19 at 8:30 AM in Conference Room 312 the House Committee on Agriculture will hear HB 1514. Agriculture Committee Chair Clift Tsuji, Vice Chair Richard Onishi and members of the committee need to know that you support no spray buffer zones around schools to protect keiki health.
Buffer zones are a necessary step for mitigating the negative human health impacts of pesticide drift in our state. As you may know, at least 25 schools in Hawai‘i are located within a mile of large agricultural companies that spray restricted-use pesticides. Children, the elderly and other sensitive residents have no choice but to live, work, and commute daily in close proximity to areas where restricted use pesticides are being sprayed.
Notification and disclosure requirements will bring much needed transparency to pesticide regulation in Hawaii and prioritize the protection of Hawaii’s public health and natural resources. These regulations are in line with those of 31 other states who understand that it is vital to provide communities with information about the dangerous chemicals that are regularly applied in close proximity to schools, nursing homes and other sensitive areas.
We know our members have the power to tip the scales. It’s time for the state to step up and put the health and safety of Hawai‘i’s people first.
From Hilo to Kona side, from Kamuela to Kaʻū, we all love Hawaiʻi Island. From mauka to makai, this island is our special home, and all of us must fight to protect what we love. We must protect Hawaiʻi County’s local authority to determine its food future.
On Wednesday, February 4, the Council will vote on whether to approve Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice as the official legal counsel representing the County in the appeals process. Our expertise and winning track record are unmatched in this field. We are offering our services at no cost because we stand in solidarity with the County and support its right to exercise home rule authority.
Please tell your council members to ACCEPT Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice legal counsel free of charge. We will be there every step of the way to support the County and its efforts to protect the people and natural resources of Hawaiʻi County.
We are already making history! Thanks to the groundswell of calls and emails from people like you, the Hawaiʻi County Council recently voted to appeal the invalidation of the County’s ban on genetically engineered crops. Along with Kauaʻi and Maui, the legal battle to preserve county home rule rights in Hawaiʻi marches forward.
The whole world is watching. This is a historic case not only because it denies the agrochemical industry a foothold in Hawaiʻi County, but is critical to preserving our home rule rights and local authority to address matters relating to the well-being of our land and people.
When we win, we inspire others who are also struggling to preserve the balance of power between county and state — and keep power in the hands of local government. We are a force to be reckoned with, and we will not rest until home rule prevails.
The best fighters are lovers, and we need you, lovers of Hawaiʻi Island, to contact your council members today and urge them to make the right choice!
President Obama will be meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 25 and 26. In response, activist, author and physicist, Dr. Vandana Shiva has written an open letter addressed to President Obama and Prime Minister Modi on seed freedom and food democracy urging the two leaders to renounce the patenting of life and to stop pursuing “harmonization” of seed patenting laws which would further extend corporate control of our seeds and food.
And she’d like you to sign it.
Why? The U.S. is pressuring the Indian government to conform to U.S. seed and patent law, subverting the strong patent laws India has, and threatening India’s small farmers. We are calling on President Obama to instead recognize seed freedom as essential to food security and to democracy.
In her letter, Dr. Shiva says:
"We hope you show great leadership by working together to strengthen the laws to protect your citizens and countries instead of making it easier for corporations to take control over life-forms for short term profits. Let us work toward a future where our food is our freedom."
President Obama must hear from us that we care what the U.S. pushes upon other nations, and that we firmly believe that life should not be patented—anywhere.
Sign on in support Dr. Shiva’s letter!
Update: On Friday, June 12th, the House voted for the Fast Track bill, or Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) (219-211); however, they voted against Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) legislation that is needed to advance Fast Track. Keep up the pressure!
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade deal currently under negotiation among 12 nations—Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam. If ratified by these governments, TPP would be the largest trade deal in history -- representing 792 million people and accounting for 40 percent of the world economy1 -- yet it's being written and negotiated in secret.
That’s right—none of the details of this sweeping trade agreement are available to the public. The only text that has been made public so far has been through leaked documents. Members of Congress have extremely limited access to the negotiation texts. But Corporate representatives have access to, and in some instances have written the negotiation documents through USTR advisory committees, where they “significantly outnumber representatives of organized labor, environmental advocates and academic experts”.2
What's been leaked about it so far reveals that the TPP would offshore millions of American jobs, expose the U.S. to imports of unsafe food, and empower corporations to attack hard-fought U.S. environmental and health safeguards.
For example, the TPP would require the U.S to allow food imports if the exporting country claims that their safety regime is "equivalent" to our own, even if it violates the key principles of our food safety laws. So, fish from Vietnam and other TPP countries using antibiotics and other drugs banned in the U.S. would be allowed under equivalency rules in the agreement. These rules would effectively outsource domestic food inspection to other countries. Further, any U.S. food safety rules on pesticides, labeling or additives that is higher than international standards could be subject to challenge as "illegal trade barriers."
Instead of using trade agreements to elevate economic, health, and environmental standards across borders, the TPP creates a race to the bottom.
What’s worse, Congress is currently considering granting “fast track” approval of the TPP. “Fast track” enables trade agreements to become law by removing a democratic step of lawmaking by stripping Congress of its authority to debate or amend the content of a trade deal. Congress gets a vote, but only after the negotiations have been completed.
Tell Congress to Vote “No” on Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and demand the text of the TPP be made public!
We did it! Resolution 22-14, an appeal to the ruling which overturned Hawaii County’s GMO Moratorium, passed!
As our County Council pushes forward with an appeal to a higher court, let’s remember to show gratitude for the work accomplished.
We are deeply appreciative of the thoughtful and passionate work of Council members Chair Dru Mamo Kanuha, Vice Chair Valerie Poindexer, Margaret Wille, Karen Eoff, and Maile ‘Madeiros’ David, who all voted yes.
Please take just a minute to thank these Council members!
Because of its year-long growing season, Hawaii has become the epicenter of genetically engineered (GE) organism experimentation and the production of commercial GE seed stock. In response to this threat, last year Hawaii County put in place an ordinance (Ordinance 13-121) that would have banned most genetically engineered (GE) crops from being grown on the Big Island, with the exception of GE papaya.
After the ordinance was passed, the Biotechnology Industry Organization--the association for biotech companies like Monsanto and Syngenta--filed a federal lawsuit protesting the Ordinance. Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice helped the County defend the law in court.
But the day before Thanksgiving, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren invalidated Ordinance 13-121 (The Ban on Genetically Engineered Crops), saying that such matters should be regulated by the state, not the county.
The reality is that no such state laws exist to protect Hawaii Island’s biodiversity and environment from the pesticide drift, genetic contamination and degradation of soil, air and water quality associated with GE crop operations.
The vast majority of both experimental and approved genetically engineered crops are engineered in order to be resistant to and withstand great applications of pesticides. These operations have dramatically increased pesticide usage across the State of Hawaii and the United States. This intense form of agriculture can harm the environment, agriculture and human health.
Hawaii County residents and their elected officials know what’s best for protecting the future of Hawaii’s agriculture, natural resources and wildlife. The principle of preemption is to prevent conflict between laws, such that the laws of the higher level of government prevail. In this case, there are no Hawaii State laws or regulations relating to the cultivation of genetically engineered seeds and crops, so the County’s ban on the cultivation of GE seeds should be the prevailing law on the matter.
The outcome of this case could affect all U.S. counties, because it is the first legal challenge to a county law of this kind. It is vital that the Hawai‘i County Council appeal the ruling and stand up for the rights of County to enact legislation to protect itself from the negative impact GE seed operations can have on agriculture and the environment.
Tell the Hawaii County Council to SUPPORT a motion to APPEAL this misguided ruling.
You may be getting an extra side dish with your turkey that you didn’t bargain for: a risky drug called ractopamine.
Ractopamine is a growth enhancing drug that’s added to turkey feed—as well as the feed of pigs and cattle—to increase their muscle mass - making big turkeys even bigger for your holiday table. But when it comes to your health, bigger isn’t necessarily better.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed widespread use of ractopamine in turkey feed since its approval in 2008 without conducting comprehensive scientific studies that document the risks of ractopamine to human and animal health.
Ractopamine raises significant food safety and animal welfare concerns. Ractopamine mimics stress hormones causing the turkeys, pigs and cattle that eat it to convert feed to muscle more quickly. It is connected to “downed” animals, muscular tremors, cardiovascular dysfunction and increased aggressive behavior in animals.
While human health studies on ractopamine are limited, those that exist raise serious concerns. The drug’s primary human health study, conducted on just six healthy men, caused heart pounding in three of the men so severe that one of them had to be withdrawn from the study.
That is bad news for consumers since both USDA and Consumer Reports have found residues of ractopamine in meat samples. That’s because there’s no mandatory withdrawal period for the drug - ractopamine can be fed to turkeys right up until the day they are slaughtered!
Unlike the U.S., dozens of countries, including the 27 members of the European Union, China, and Taiwan, ban or strictly limit the use of ractopamine. Yet the U.S. continues to approve ractopamine and drugs like it even in the face of consumer demand for ractopamine-free meat.
Tell the FDA to protect human health and animal welfare by banning the use of ractopamine in turkey production!
You know that many of the foods we need for healthy diets require bees for pollination, including many of our favorite fruits, vegetables and nuts. In fact, we have bees to thank for more than one out of every three bites of food we eat!
But over the past decade we have witnessed alarming declines of honey bees. And while the honey bee is the primary pollinating species our food crops depend upon, native species of other bees and insects are also essential - without these species 70% of plants would be unable to reproduce or provide food. Unfortunately, these native species are also in trouble.
To address this dramatic decline, President Obama issued a directive this summer to federal agencies to create a federal strategy to promote honey bee and other pollinator health. As part of this directive, the White House created a Pollinator Health Task Force, co-chaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and charged federal agencies with developing a plan to better protect pollinators and mitigate current honey bee losses.
Sign the petition to the Pollinator Health Task Force urging swift and meaningful action on bee-killing pesticides:
Bees are essential for one out of every three bites of food we eat. But they are being wiped out by the indiscriminant use of bee-toxic pesticides called neonicotinoids, or “neonics.” These neonics are everywhere -- in commercial agriculture, on the shelf of your local garden stores, and as it turns out -- even in the plants and seeds we buy from nurseries, with no warning to the consumer.
Many “bee friendly” home garden plants sold at Lowe’s, and other leading garden centers have been pre-treated with pesticides shown to harm and kill bees.
Leading home and garden stores in Europe have already taken neonics off the shelves–it’s time for Lowe’s to do the same. While pesticides like neonics may not be the only factor in bee die offs, they are a significant factor, and one that we can do something about.
Tell Lowe’s to rid their stores of bee-toxic pesticides, seeds and garden plants:
In the last few years the Gulf of Mexico has been battered by hurricanes and covered in oil. Now, the Gulf faces another serious threat: open-ocean fish farms.
Years ago, the people who make management decisions about the Gulf of Mexico approved a plan that would allow the development of giant floating fish farms in Gulf waters, despite that tens of thousands of people clearly voiced opposition to it. Now, regulations to allow fish farms in the Gulf are about to be finalized.
We have one last chance to stop this! Let our policy-makers know we have had enough pollution and damage in the Gulf:
“We can no longer just sit by. You see these experimental fields by the side of the road. They may look green and benign, but they're not. They're spraying them seven out of ten days, right next to schools and where we surf and fish."
- Jeri Di Pietro, Hawaii | #wearethemovement
What is Happening?
Hawaii is ground zero for open-air field testing of genetically engineered crops. The vast majority of these experimental crops are genetically engineered to resist chemical pesticides.
Six of the largest agrichemical companies in the world - Monsanto, Syngenta, DOW Chemical, Pioneer, Bayer, and BASF - have set up their research operations in the state of Hawaii.
Communities are concerned about the long-term impacts of these chemicals on their health and the health of the land, water, and ocean. Local residents are kept in the dark about which pesticides are being sprayed on nearby fields, and when.
What is the Movement?
This is a movement that started in people’s living rooms and backyards. Now we are taking to the polls, we are taking to the streets, and we are making change. We will protect what we love about Hawaii.
On Kauai, residents organized to pass Ordinance 960, a measure that requires large argichemical companies to disclose the pesticides they are spraying and observe buffer zones around schools, homes, and hospitals. The chemical companies responded by suing the county rather than telling the community what they are doing.
The citizens of Hawaii Island passed a law prohibiting new GE crop production last year to protect the island’s biodiversity and local farmers from genetic drift. This effectively prohibits large agrichemical companies from operating on Hawaii Island. The chemical companies are now suing Hawaii County.
On Maui, residents have brought a citizen’s ballot initiative to the polls – calling for a temporary moratorium on GE crop production until human and environmental health impact assessments are completed. Chemical companies have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising to defeat this initiative.
The pattern here is clear: when communities come together to protect our children and our islands, the chemical companies sue so they don’t have to give us basic information about what they grow and spray on our islands.
What Do We Want?
Our demands are simple. We want to maintain our biodiversity. We want to have good jobs that are healthy and safe. We want to know what these chemical companies are growing and spraying near our homes, schools, and hospitals. We want a food system that feeds local people.
How Can You Take a Stand? Join the Movement!
Share a picture of yourself with a "We Are The Movement" sign and tag it with #wearethemovement.
Or post your selfie to our Tumblr page.
Thousands of people are standing up and speaking out against GMOs across Hawaii. We're not alone - we are in this fight together. We are the movement.
“Organic” fish farmed at sea polluting our oceans? That will be the case if USDA develops regulations that allow ocean-based fish farms to be certified “organic.”
Despite all of the well-documented problems associated with ocean-based fish farming [1], the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is poised to allow open-ocean fish farms (aquaculture) to be certified as organic.
It’s mind-boggling that USDA would seriously consider allowing fish farms at sea to be organic. It’s absolutely impossible to control the wide range of substances, many of which are toxic and prohibited in organic, that flow in and out of sea-based farms. Permitting “organic” ocean-based aquaculture would put the entire U.S. organic industry in jeopardy by weakening the integrity of the USDA organic label.
Tell USDA that open-ocean fish farms should never be certified as organic!
Oregon has the chance this November to be the first state to pass a GE labeling law by ballot initiative, clearing the path for more states to follow.
In sixty-four countries across the globe, U.S. companies already label foods if they are genetically engineered, but not here at home. Americans deserve the same rights, not to be kept in the dark about secret changes to the food they feed their families. A YES vote in Oregon will change all that.
Pledge to VOTE YES on Measure 92:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just issued a dangerous approval that will put our farms, our food, and our environment at risk.
EPA has announced approval of Dow Chemical’s new “Enlist Duo” herbicide. “Enlist Duo” is a mixture of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup) and the even more toxic 2,4-D (part of the chemical mixture Agent Orange).
Please take just a few seconds to urge President Obama to stop this toxic herbicide and the genetically engineered crops that depend on it!
Enlist Duo is designed to be sprayed on Dow’s genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybeans and cotton, killing the weeds but not the crops. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops are already failing because they created superweeds. Now imagine Roundup on overdrive. Scientists, lawmakers and millions of citizens know that more chemicals are not the answer to the superweed problem.
Major news outlets are saying these crops are serious cause for concern. The Los Angeles Times recently said, “Just as the nation must stop overusing antibiotics if it hopes to slow the emergence of resistant infections, it must do the same with herbicides and genetically modified crops. The way to deal with so-called superweeds isn't by escalating the arms race against them.”
Despite half a million public comments, letters from scientists and health care professionals, and a letter signed by 60 Members of Congress opposing government approval, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently gave Dow’s risky crops the green light.
EPA’s approval of Dow’s toxic chemical cocktail was all that stood between Dow’s “Agent Orange” crops and a grocery store near you -- unless we convince the Obama administration to stop it.
Dow’s new 2,4-D resistant crops are part of a growing problem: an escalating chemical arms race going on across America’s heartland, started by Monsanto and now being driven by Dow. By driving up 2,4-D use, Dow’s crops will generate even more weeds resistant to 2,4-D and other herbicides. This GE crop system ensures a toxic spiral of ever-increasing chemical use on our land and food.
These new crops pose a grave threat to our health. 2,4-D has been linked to major health problems including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, endocrine disruption, and reproductive problems. Independent tests continue to turn up highly toxic dioxin contaminants in 2,4-D. Approval would trigger millions of more pounds of toxic herbicides dumped onto our land. Even USDA admitted it could be as much as 176 million pounds per year!
Tell Obama to stop Dow Chemical’s “Agent Orange” crops and the toxic chemicals they rely on!
For the second year in a row, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that experimental genetically engineered (GE) wheat has been found growing where it shouldn’t be. Last May, an unapproved variety of GE wheat was found in an Oregon farmer’s field, halting wheat exports around the country. Last week, USDA concluded that it doesn’t know how it happened but that there has been another GE wheat contamination episode, this time in Montana.
As we’ve warned for over a decade, contamination is inevitable when irresponsible companies like Monsanto are allowed to experiment with our food supply while USDA is asleep at the wheel.
The experimental GE wheat, known as Roundup Ready, was developed by the Monsanto Company to withstand direct application of the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate).
In response to the 2013 contamination episode, more than 150 farm organizations, food processors, millers, retail companies, bakeries, and seed businesses sent USDA a letter last year calling for improvements in the agency’s oversight of trials of experimental GE crops, yet USDA has done nothing.
In fact, USDA has actually continued to allow Monsanto to conduct GE wheat field trials, despite unanswered questions as to how the company’s product contaminated Oregon wheat last year.
This repeated contamination underscores why stronger regulations are long overdue.
Sadly, this was not the first case of experimental GE crops escaping from field trials. Past transgenic contamination episodes involving GE corn and GE rice triggered over $1 billion in losses and economic hardship to farmers. China recently rejected huge shipments of contaminated U.S. corn and turned to Brazil instead.
USDA has a terrible track record overseeing these field trials. Even the USDA’s own Inspector General issued a scathing report detailing numerous violations of agency rules in regulating genetically engineered crop field trials. USDA officials did not know the locations of many field trials it was charged with regulating, and did not conduct required inspections of others.
How many times does this have to happen before we finally put a stop to these risky GE field trials?
As if the approval of Dow Chemical’s “Agent Orange” genetically engineered (GE) corn and soybeans wasn’t bad enough1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now considering approval of Monsanto’s new GE dicamba-resistant soybeans and cotton2. If approved, millions more pounds of this hazardous chemical will be sprayed, polluting our food, water, and air.
Sign the petition to the USDA to reject these risky new GE crops:
“Bees are directly responsible for one in three bites
of food we eat. We NEED them."
- Moby | Musician, DJ, Activist
“If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos”
- Edward O. Wilson
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Plant bee-friendly plants in your yard or garden
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Avoid bee-toxic pesticides at home
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Go organic to be bee-friendly
Click on the message you’d like to tweet to your followers:
Moby is passionate about #SaveOurBees, are you? www.hollywoodfood.org/bees via @TrueFoodNow
Hollywood Food Voices is a video series by Center For Food Safety engaging the voices of informed celebrities with a passion for food and environmental health and justice. The goal of the series is to help bring greater awareness to the critical importance of the growing food movement. Stay tuned for our next celebrity voice at www.hollywoodfood.org!
On June 20, 2014, President Obama issued a directive to federal agencies asking that they create a federal strategy to promote honey bee and other pollinators’ health and identify what actions can be taken to reverse pollinator decline. The directive specifically asks the EPA to assess the effect of pesticides, including neonicotinoids, on bee and other pollinator health and take action, as appropriate, to protect pollinators. Yet EPA has so far ignored the President’s call to action.
As you know, pollinators—including honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects—play a critical role in our agriculture systems. More than 70% of America’s food sources are pollinated by bees and the worldwide economic value of bee-pollinated crops is as high as $125 billion year. But over the past decade beekeepers have lost more than 30% of their hives annually—a huge threat to the vitality of our farms.
In response to the growing body of information on the dangers of neonicotinoid pesticides to pollinators and the broader environment, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced it plans to phase out use of neonicotinoids in all National Wildlife Refuges by 2016. FWS’s decision marks a significant move in the right direction as the first U.S. agency to restrict use of neonicotinoids.
Representatives Earl Blumenauer and John Conyers are now asking their fellow members of Congress to urge EPA to follow the lead of FWS and respond to this troubling situation swiftly and effectively.
The President’s leadership on protecting pollinators could not come at a more critical time. Commercial beekeepers across the country continue to experience unsustainable losses, threatening their livelihoods and our food supply. Native pollinators, such as bumblebees, have also suffered alarming population declines, and two species now have petitions pending for protection under the Endangered Species Act. There are currently over 40 pollinator species Federally-listed as threatened or endangered. Equally alarming, we recently learned that the iconic monarch butterfly population has declined by 90 percent in under 20 years.
Tell your Representative to join Reps. Blumenauer and Conyers’ letter to EPA urging swift and meaningful action from the agency!
Monarch butterflies are one of the most beautiful and iconic insects in the world, but the use of herbicides like Monsanto’s Roundup on genetically engineered crops is destroying a significant portion of their breeding habitat in North America, sending monarch populations into a tailspin, as detailed in Center for Food Safety’s landmark new report, Monarchs in Peril.
This grave threat to monarchs led CFS and our allies to file a groundbreaking legal action to list monarchs as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Sign the petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in support of protecting monarchs under the ESA:
Last summer, the White House released a Presidential Memorandum outlining efforts to protect the nation’s vital pollinators, including the creation a new federal task force to "promote the health of honey bees and other pollinators."
The word on the street is that the White House Pollinator Health Task Force may announce its Federal strategy in the coming weeks – let’s make sure they follow through with swift and meaningful action to protect honey bees and other pollinators.
It’s well past time for the United States to step up and curb the impacts of bee-toxic pesticides (like “neonics”) from killing more bees and contaminating our environment. We need your help to put pressure on President Obama and the administration to make sure they do the right thing and protect pollinators from bee-toxic pesticides!
As a co-chair of the White House Pollinator Task Force, it is unacceptable for the Environmental Protection Agency to continue dragging its feet on taking meaningful action on this issue. Their current considerations to merely update pesticide labels and encourage states to adopt their own pollinator protection plans are not nearly enough. Bees and other pollinators have been increasingly exposed to these toxic pesticides for long enough – we need action NOW to stop the harms of bee-killing pesticides.
Let’s make sure any actions coming from the White House and our government agencies are strong and effective – pollinators have already suffered enough at the expense of toxic pesticides.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s public comment period on the approval of the use of toxic 2,4-D specifically for Dow’s GE corn and soybeans has closed to the public, and over 500,000 people around the country wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) telling it not to approve the use of the toxic herbicide 2,4-D specifically for Dow’s genetically engineered (GE) corn.
In response, Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) have written a Congressional sign-on letter urging the EPA and USDA to deny approval of 2,4-D crops and this new version of Dow’s 2,4-D herbicide, and they are circulating the letter to Congress for signers. Ask your Representative to sign!
EPA is timing their approval process with that of USDA, with both agencies proposing approval of the Dow Agent Orange, GE crop system.
Dow Chemical, the same company that brought us Dursban, Napalm, and Agent Orange, is now in the food business and is pushing for an unprecedented government approval: genetically engineered (GE) versions of corn, soybeans and cotton that are designed to survive repeated dousing with 2,4-D, half of the highly toxic chemical mixture Agent Orange.
Agent Orange was the chemical defoliant used by the U.S. in Vietnam, and it caused lasting environmental damage as well as many serious medical conditions in both American veterans and the Vietnamese.
Wide scale use of Roundup with Roundup Ready GE crops has already led to an epidemic of resistant weeds, and the next step in the chemical arms race is 2,4-D — a chemical linked to major health problems including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, endocrine disruption, and reproductive problems. Industry tests show that 2,4-D is contaminated with dioxins—often referred to as the most toxic substances known to science.
EPA has reported that 2,4-D is the seventh largest source of dioxins in the U.S. Dioxin contamination in the rivers and soil around Dow Chemical’s headquarters in Midland, Michigan has led to the highest dioxin levels ever found by the EPA in fish, and has been linked to increased breast cancer rates in the contaminated areas.
If approved, Dow's "Agent Orange" crops will trigger a large increase in 2,4-D use--and our exposure to this toxic herbicide—yet the government has completely failed to investigate the harms such increased use would cause. This is part of a growing problem, an escalating chemical arms race going on across America’s heartland. Dow Chemical is hyping GE 2,4-D corn, soy and cotton as the “solution” to Roundup-resistant weeds caused by GE Roundup Ready crops. But by driving up 2,4-D use, Dow’s crops will generate even more intractable weeds resistant to 2,4-D and other herbicides. This GE crop system ensures a toxic spiral of ever-increasing chemical use on our land and food, which benefits no one but Dow.
Tell your representative to sign onto the DeFazio/Pingree letter urging EPA and USDA to reject Dow Chemical’s “Agent Orange” crops and the toxic chemicals they rely on!
*This action requires your full name and address in order to match you with your Representative.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, along with allies like Monsanto and Dow, have teamed up with Koch-backed Congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas to introduce a federal bill that would deny your right to know what is in your food.
This bill, (HR 4432), which has been called the “Denying Americans the Right-to-Know Act” (DARK Act), is on the march and has just gained 20 new Republican co-sponsors, bringing the total up to 25. That’s 25 members of Congress who stand with industry in an effort to keep consumers in the dark.
This backwards bill would:
GE labeling is important to Americans, with over 90% consistently supporting transparency in the marketplace through mandatory GE labeling. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills and ballot initiatives introduced across 30 states, with laws being passed in Maine, Connecticut and Vermont. The DARK Act would shut down these efforts and replace them with an undemocratic, hollow “voluntary” labeling scheme. In the 13 years that FDA has allowed companies to voluntarily label GE foods, a total of zero companies have done so. This is not the solution consumers have been demanding.
Even though Americans overwhelmingly support labeling, there is a disastrous momentum behind the DARK Act. Instead of joining the 64 countries across the world that require GE labeling, these 25 co-sponsors are actually promoting consumer confusion. While countries like South Korea, Japan, China, Brazil, South Africa and the entire European Union care about their citizens’ right to know what is in their food, some in Congress are instead working on keeping Americans in the dark.
UPDATE: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the DARK Act (HR 1599) by a vote of 275-150 on July 23, 2015. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Congressman Pompeo and his gang of Big Food bullies are once again trying to deny consumers our right to know what we are eating and feeding our families.
The bill that would deny voters the right to pass state bills to label genetically engineered foods—and make mandatory labeling at the federal level impossible—has been passed by the House, despite over half a million emails and phone calls from people like you opposing this corporate power-grab.
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Pompeo’s bill (H.R. 1599)—dubbed the “Denying Americans the Right-to-Know Act” (DARK Act):
The bill also creates a federal certification process for voluntary non-GMO labels. While non-GMO marketing claims allow companies to distinguish themselves in the marketplace, the labeling of non-GE foods and organic foods is limited to only about 2% of products on the shelves and is not a substitute for mandatory disclosure.
GE labeling is important to Americans, with over 90% consistently supporting transparency in the marketplace through mandatory GE labeling. In 2013 and 2014 there were over 70 GE labeling bills introduced across 30 states, with laws being passed in Maine, Connecticut, and Vermont.
The DARK Act would shut down these efforts and reverse these successfully passed bills, only to be replaced with an undemocratic, hollow “voluntary” labeling scheme. In the 14 years that FDA has allowed companies to voluntarily label GE foods, a total of zero companies have done so.
This is not the solution consumers have been demanding and it is high time for lawmakers to wise up.
Thankfully, Congressman DeFazio and Senator Boxer have also reintroduced their bill to put in place mandatory, nationwide labeling of genetically engineered foods. Congress should focus on the labeling solutions that Americans are asking for – not legislation written by and for big food and chemical companies that only serves to keep Americans in the dark.
Tell your Senators to OPPOSE the DARK Act and SUPPORT mandatory GE food labeling!
More than anywhere else, counties in Hawaii should have the right and authority to determine the future of their food system. This is home rule.
Hawaii is home to untold biodiversity and some of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth. However, it is also ground zero for the outdoor experimentation of pesticide-promoting plant technologies, genetically engineered to withstand heavy spraying of toxic chemicals.
On Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Molokai, chemical and biotechnology companies like Monsanto, Syngenta, Dupont, Dow Chemical, Bayer, and BASF have purchased prime agricultural land, taking advantage of Hawaii’s isolation and year-round growing season, in order to field test crops that have been genetically engineered (GE) to withstand greater applications of pesticides. Despite public health concerns and contamination of natural resources, the State of Hawaii has taken no action to regulate the activities of biotechnology companies performing open-air testing on genetically engineered seed and synthetic pesticides.
As a result, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Counties asserted their county’s authority to create policies that address these issues and protect the safety and health of its residents and land. Otherwise known as “Home Rule,” Hawaii has shown the world just how important this kind of political power is in the movement to create more safe and sovereign food systems.
The California bill to label genetically engineered foods passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote this week! Urge your State Senator to support your right know about GE foods today!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to the genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families. That’s why California State Senator Noreen Evans has introduced Senate Bill 1381, a bill to label GE foods in the state!
California has the opportunity to lead the nation on this issue. More than 64 other countries have enacted laws specifically focused on overseeing genetically engineered crops and foods, or their labeling. As you know, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. In its absence, states have a duty to their citizens, environment, and agricultural economy to enact this right.
California could be the next state to label genetically engineered foods—But your State Senator needs to hear from you!
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why SB 1381 is so important.
The California bill to label genetically engineered foods passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote this week!
Tell your State Senator to support the labeling of genetically engineered foods in California!
As if the situation weren’t bad enough for the bees already, EPA is once again turning its back on protecting pollinators by proposing to expand the use of yet more bee-toxic pesticides. Tell the EPA to stop poisoning bees!
The California bill to label genetically engineered foods passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote this week! Urge your State Senator to support your right know about GE foods today!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to the genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families. That’s why California State Senator Noreen Evans has introduced Senate Bill 1381, a bill to label GE foods in the state!
California has the opportunity to lead the nation on this issue. More than 64 other countries have enacted laws specifically focused on overseeing genetically engineered crops and foods, or their labeling. As you know, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. In its absence, states have a duty to their citizens, environment, and agricultural economy to enact this right.
California could be the next state to label genetically engineered foods—But your State Senator needs to hear from you!
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why SB 1381 is so important.
The California bill to label genetically engineered foods passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday and now heads to the Senate floor for a vote this week!
Tell your State Senator to support the labeling of genetically engineered foods in California!
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In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
Vermont has the opportunity to lead the nation on this issue. As you know, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. In its absence, states have a duty to their citizens, environment, and agricultural economy to enact this right.
Vermont could be the next state to label genetically engineered foods, but the state legislature needs to hear from you!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! More than 64 other countries have enacted laws specifically focused on overseeing genetically engineered crops and foods, or their labeling [1]. This year, 31 bills have been introduced in 17 states, bringing the total number of state bills up to 62 bills in 23 states—and Connecticut and Maine became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
The Vermont labeling bill is scheduled to hit the Senate floor this week, so please take action TODAY!
More Information
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The Grocery Manufacturers Association has introduced a bill in Congress that would block states from enacting GE food labeling laws and make “voluntary labeling” the law of the land. Big Food is trying to kill your right to know if the food you’re eating is genetically engineered.
With their anti-labeling allies like Monsanto and Dow, the Grocery Manufacturers Association has teamed up with Koch brothers-backed Congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas to introduce a federal bill that would deny your right to know.
The bill (HR 4432), which we're calling the “Deny Americans the Right-to-Know Act (DARK Act),” would:
It’s no surprise that industry chose the Kansas Republican as their cheerleader. Pompeo was the single largest recipient of campaign funds from Koch Industries in 2010. It’s clear that corporate money = legislative favors with Congressman Pompeo.
And now the Koch brothers are teaming up with Monsanto? Monsanto was the single largest contributor against the recent Washington State ballot initiative to label GE foods. Between Washington State and California, Monsanto, along with GMA and other agribusiness companies, have contributed over $67 million to keep consumers in the dark.
So what’s wrong with “voluntary” GE food labeling? In a word: everything. It is grossly misleading for industry—let alone members of Congress—to continue trumpeting the idea that voluntary labeling will solve the overwhelming consumer demand for labeling in the marketplace. In the 13 years that FDA has allowed companies to voluntarily label genetically engineered foods, not one single company has done so.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. Already in 2014, there are more than 60 active bills in 23 states requiring labeling or prohibiting genetically engineered foods.
This industry-backed bill will cut these state labeling bills off at the knees and replace them with an undemocratic, hollow “voluntary” labeling scheme that does nothing to address consumer interests and only serves to allow corporations to deny us our right to know.
Tell Congress to drop this corporate hand-out of a bill!
For more information:
H.R. 4432, summary and bill text
State Labeling Initiatives, Center for Food Safety (April 2014)
Bill seeks to block mandatory GMO food labeling by states, Reuters (April 10th, 2014)
Big Food's "DARK Act" Introduced in Congress, CFS Press Release (April 9th, 2014)
GMO Pushers and The Art of War, Huffington Post (April 10, 2014)
National Farmers Union statement on the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (April 11, 2014)
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Last week, Michigan’s organic and heritage pig farmers celebrated a victory when a judge deemed “unconstitutional” a misguided state law meant to deal with feral pigs but which actually endangered farmers’ ability to raise heritage pig breeds. Unless we convince the Governor and state Attorney General to stop defending this unconstitutional law and repeal it the legal fight will drag on for years to the detriment of sustainable farmers throughout the state.
In 2011, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued an Invasive Species Order (ISO) designed to clamp down on a perceived threat from feral pigs in Michigan. Contrary to its stated purpose, however, the DNR’s ISO was drafted so broadly that it contains no exemptions for heritage pigs or sustainable farming. The order essentially outlaws all pigs except those used in industrial-scale animal factories.
The ISO made possession of “wild boar, wild hog, wild swine, feral pig, feral hog, feral swine, Old world swine, razorback, eurasian wild boar, Russian wild boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus)” a felony with punishment of up to 2 years in prison and fines ranging from $2,000 - $20,000. The ISO stated that it “does not and is not intended to affect” domestic pigs “involved in domestic hog production.” Despite this provision, small family pig farmers were threatened with prosecution under the Order and filed suit in Michigan on constitutional grounds.
Roger Turunen and his wife Brenda are just two sustainable family farmers who would be affected by this unfair Order. The Turunens raise “Hogan Hogs” on their Michigan farm, a heritage breed of pig different in appearance from those raised by big commercial animal factories. Heritage pigs bring farmers and consumers a number of benefits that the conventional pigs do not – they are hardy animals well suited to the tough Michigan winters, they are easier to manage, and are raised on small, more sustainable farms.
To determine whether a hog was prohibited, the DNR based its ISO on physical characteristics, not on whether it was actually feral. The characteristics included coloration, skeletal appearance, tail structure (including either curly or straight tails) and ear structure. Hogan Hogs are a breed of hog carefully cross-bred under the Turunen’s husbandry. Despite being well-kept in pens and on farms, Hogan Hogs are similar in appearance to the pigs outlawed by the ISO, so all of a sudden the Turunens went from wholesome farmers to felons.
Last week, there was finally a step in the right direction! A Michigan judge ruled that the state’s ban was unconstitutional. The Court held that the Invasive Species Order violates the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the United States and Michigan Constitution, denying equal protection of the laws, without a rational basis, to these Plaintiffs and others owning hybrid or heritage pigs. The Court found without a doubt that the Plaintiffs’ pigs are indeed domestic pigs and granted an injunction barring enforcement of the law against the Turunens and other Plaintiffs.
Many in Michigan and elsewhere were encouraged by this victory. Unfortunately, big agri-business concerns are pushing back, heavily lobbying the Governor and the Michigan Attorney General to appeal the judge’s decision and outlaw all breeds of pig except those favored by industrial scale animal factories.
If the Governor and Attorney General cave in to pressures brought by these big agri-business concerns the victory for small sustainable farmers might be short-lived. Michigan’s heritage pig farmers could find themselves facing felony prosecution if they continue to raise their heritage breeds, just because their animals resemble the Michigan Department of Resource’s overly broad definition of “feral” pigs!
Tell the Michigan Attorney General not to appeal the decision, and tell the Governor to repeal this unfair and unconstitutional law!
Hawaii’s lawmakers recently failed to pass a bill to label GE foods in the state. Sign the petition urging Hawaii lawmakers to pass a state labeling bill in the next legislative session!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
A poll recently released in the Honolulu Star Advertiser showed that three-quarters of voters interviewed in a Hawaii Poll want the state Legislature to pass a law requiring that genetically engineered foods sold in Hawaii carry labels. [1]
Let’s show lawmakers what that support looks like—Sign the petition urging the state legislature to pass a GE food labeling bill. We’ll submit your signatures to lawmakers and let them know Hawaii supports GE food labeling in the state:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is proposing the use of toxic insecticides to kill mosquitoes at the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on the Southern Oregon coast. These insecticides could harm wildlife, such as threatened Coho salmon.
The Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is the last substantial tract of salt marsh remaining in the Coquille River estuary. This sensitive habitat is home to a variety of animals, including clams, shrimp, salmon, and bald eagles. It is used by thousands of migrating birds as a stopover to rest and feed, as well as by threatened species such as Coho salmon and snowy plover.
Stop the spraying of toxic chemicals in and around Bandon Marsh -The comment period closes April 9th, so please sign the petition today:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is proposing the use of toxic insecticides to kill mosquitoes at the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on the Southern Oregon coast. These insecticides could harm wildlife, such as threatened Coho salmon.
The Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is the last substantial tract of salt marsh remaining in the Coquille River estuary. This sensitive habitat is home to a variety of animals, including clams, shrimp, salmon, and bald eagles. It is used by thousands of migrating birds as a stopover to rest and feed, as well as by threatened species such as Coho salmon and snowy plover.
USFWS is working to reduce mosquito numbers after an oversight during a restoration project increased mosquito breeding habitat in a portion of the marsh, resulting in unusually high numbers of mosquitos. But FWS’s plan is premised on the unfounded fear of mosquito-borne diseases, none of which exist in this area.
In the fall of 2013, public pressure halted the first plan set forth by USFWS, which included the unneeded application of toxic chemicals to 10,000 acres in and around Bandon Marsh, including areas where cranberries are grown. In the end, 290 acres were sprayed inside the National Wildlife Refuge.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is entrusted with protecting our most vulnerable species. Allowing pesticides that are harmful to wildlife in a National Wildlife Refuge goes against the basic purpose of our refuge system—to provide a safe haven for wildlife.
Although this year’s plan is an improvement over last year’s, the USFWS needs to make changes to ensure that they meet their mosquito management goals while not harming fish, birds, and other wildlife.
Stop the spraying of toxic chemicals in and around Bandon Marsh -The comment period closes April 9th, so please send your comment today!
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For more information
You can read the Draft Plan and Environmental Assessment for Mosquito Control for Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and find more background at: http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/bandonmarsh/Mosquito.html
To learn more about effective and sustainable mosquito management read the Xerces Society’s Report Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management in Wetlands at: http://www.xerces.org/mosquito-management-wetlands/
Learn more about the Center for Food Safety’s recent work to protect National Wildlife Refuges at http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/2934/center-for-food-safety-files-groundbreaking-legal-action-to-protect-national-wildlife-refuges.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That's why the California Senate is considering a bill that would finally label genetically engineered foods in the state! Urge your state Senator to support your right know about GE foods today!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to the genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families. That’s why California State Senator Noreen Evans has introduced Senate Bill 1381, a bill to label GE foods in the state!
California has the opportunity to lead the nation on this issue. More than 64 other countries have enacted laws specifically focused on overseeing genetically engineered crops and foods, or their labeling. As you know, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. In its absence, states have a duty to their citizens, environment, and agricultural economy to enact this right.
California could be the next state to label genetically engineered foods—But your state Senator needs to hear from you!
There is overwhelming public support for GE food labeling in California. Polls both before and after the vote on Proposition 37 showed that 67% of Californians supported California having its own GE food labeling law. Even though Prop. 37 was narrowly defeated, more than 6 million Californians voted in favor of Prop 37. And, immediate post-election polling showed 21% of all voters who voted against Prop 37 reported they actually support labeling of GE foods.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why SB 1381 is so important!
* If you enter your address and receive a "no targets found" response, it means you live outside of the targeted Senate districts for this alert and cannot participate. Please check our Action center for other urgent actions you can participate in!
Antibiotic resistance is a real, growing problem. Infections that were easily treated with antibiotics 50 years ago can now result in serious illness and even death. While doctors can certainly over-prescribe antibiotics, the real culprit is not the health care system, but our food system.
Sign the petition to tell FDA to Protect Public Health, Not Animal Factories:
Kroger and Safeway--the #1 and #2 U.S. conventional grocery chains--have joined other major retailers like Target, Meijer, Aldi, Giant Eagle, Whole Foods and many others in protecting consumers, wild salmon, and the environment by rejecting GE salmon, but Costco--one of the largest retailers of salmon and seafood in the U.S.--is one of the last large retailers that hasn’t made a commitment not to sell GE salmon.
Sign the petition urging Costco to join its competitors and commit to keeping GE salmon off its shelves:
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world. In 2013, more than 50 labeling bills were introduced in 26 states—and Connecticut and Maine became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Massachusetts could be the next state to label genetically engineered foods. H. 3996, the bill to label GE food in Massachusetts has just cleared another hurdle, and is on it's way to the Ways and Means Committee. Your legislators need to hear from you to get through this committee!
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why lawmakers have introduced bills to label GE food in Massachusetts.
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Massachusetts!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world. In 2013, more than 50 labeling bills were introduced in 26 states—and Connecticut and Maine became the first states to pass labeling legislation. Vermont just passed it's GE labeling bill this week.
New York could be the next state to label genetically engineered foods--Your legislators need to hear from you!
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why lawmakers introduced bill A.3525 (Rosenthal) to label GE food in New York.
The bill is headed for a vote in the Consumer Protection Committee as early as next week, so please contact your state Assembly member today!
Tell state lawmakers to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in New York!
Right now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened a comment period on the so called “coexistence” of organic, conventional and genetically engineered crops, but the problem is that misses the point. It calls for “farmer education” to prevent GE contamination rather than the need for USDA to establish-mandatory GE contamination prevention measures. As usual, the agency’s proposal reads like it was written by the biotech industry. Despite acknowledging the very real threat to organic and non-GE farmers of contamination by genetically engineered crops, USDA’s recommendations would make a bad situation even worse.
Tell USDA that their coexistence proposal isn’t protection, it is forced GE contamination!
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Americans are increasingly concerned about animal abuse and food safety violations on factory farms revealed by concerned employees or animal advocates. But instead of making sincere efforts at reform, some big meat and dairy companies are pushing bills that punish the whistleblowers!
A dangerous new bill was just introduced in the Arizona legislature that would punish whistleblowers who expose animal abuse and food safety violations on factory farms. The bill, HB 2587, would also significantly weaken the animal welfare protections for farm animals. The effect of these “ag-gag” laws is that environmental, animal welfare and health violations go unreported, covered up, and the state does not discover them until it is too late. Citizen involvement in this process is necessary to ensure that healthy and humane agricultural practices exist.
Your state lawmakers need to hear from you that you oppose laws that favor industrial agriculture at the expense of public health, the environment, and animal welfare!
Americans are increasingly concerned about animal abuse and food safety violations on factory farms revealed by concerned employees or animal advocates. But instead of making sincere efforts at reform, some big meat and dairy companies are pushing bills that punish the whistleblowers!
A dangerous new bill was just introduced in the Idaho legislature that would punish whistleblowers who expose animal abuse and food safety violations on factory farms. The bill, S. 1337, would also significantly weaken the animal welfare protections for farm animals. The effect of these “ag-gag” laws is that environmental, animal welfare and health violations go unreported, covered up, and the state does not discover them until it is too late. Citizen involvement in this process is necessary to ensure that healthy and humane agricultural practices exist.
Your state lawmakers need to hear from you that you oppose laws that favor industrial agriculture at the expense of public health, the environment, and animal welfare!
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In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
A new poll just released in the Honolulu Star Advertiser showed that three-quarters of voters interviewed in a new Hawai'i Poll want the state Legislature to pass a law requiring that all food from genetically modified organisms sold in Hawai'i carry labels. [1] In 2013, more than 50 labeling bills were introduced in 26 states—and Connecticut and Maine became the first states to pass labeling legislation. GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world [2].
Thanks to public pressure, the GE labeling bill passed out of the Senate Health committee. But we need your help to ensure that it keeps moving!
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, we are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why SB 2521 is so important.
Tell the state legislature to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Hawai'i!
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1. DePledge, D. (18 February, 2014). Honolulu Star Advertiser, "Labeling for GMO food garners broad support," http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=245928541
2. http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/ge-map
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world1. In 2013, more than 50 labeling bills were introduced in 26 states—and Connecticut and Maine became the first states to pass labeling legislation.
Maryland can be a leader in making sure genetically engineered foods are labeled.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why Senator Montgomery and Representative Kelly have introduced SB0778 and HB1191 to label GE food in Maryland.
Tell the state legislature to support the labeling of genetically engineered food in Maryland!
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1. http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/ge-map
Dow Chemical, the same company that brought us Dursban, Napalm, and Agent Orange, is now in the food business and is pushing for an unprecedented government approval: genetically engineered (GE) versions of corn and soybeans that are designed to survive repeated dousing with 2,4-D, half of the highly toxic chemical mixture Agent Orange.
Agent Orange was the chemical defoliant used by the U.S. in Vietnam, and it caused lasting environmental damage as well as many serious medical conditions in both American veterans and the Vietnamese.
USDA has just released its draft environmental impact statement and announced a 45-day public comment period on these new crops. Tell USDA and President Obama to reject Dow Chemical’s “Agent Orange” crops!
As a direct result of our victories in Kauai and Hawaii improving regulation of pesticides and GE crops, some Hawaii state lawmakers have now introduced a bill (HB 2506 / SB 3058) which would take away the rights of all Hawaii counties to regulate their local agriculture. If this bill becomes law, all local control of agricultural would be removed – replaced by a “one size fits all” policy dictated by the state. This bill, like similar bills introduced in several other states, is a thinly veiled attempt by the chemical companies to silence concerns over genetically engineered (GE) foods and pesticides, and gut all county efforts at addressing the growing of GE crops and their accompanying pesticides.
We’ve beaten similar bills before, and we can beat this one, too--but your state lawmakers need to hear from you!
Local oversight such as county ordinances have been instrumental in restricting GE crops in Hawaii and other states. Numerous counties and cities in California, Hawaii, Washington, and Maine have already adopted ordinances to ban or limit the growing of GE crops in their counties. But HB 2506 /SB 3058 would give exclusive power over agriculture to the state, preempting local authority. This would make it impossible to establish local restrictions or prohibitions on genetically engineered crops grown in Hawaii, or the spraying of pesticides. This bill would also affect local control of agriculture well beyond the scope of pesticides and GMOs. Counties also regulate grading and grubbing that impacts agriculture, storm run-off into streams, as well as property taxes and zoning that affect agriculture. It is a short-sighted bill and will have far-reaching consequences.
The bill was mainly prompted by a 2013 Kauai County law that regulates pesticide use, and a 2013 Hawaii County law that bans the cultivation of new GE crops on the Big Island. The bill would eliminate the Kauai and Hawaii Island laws, and would preclude other counties from ever taking any similar action to regulate pesticides or GE crops.
Hawaii has numerous county ordinances that would be eliminated if this bill passed, including:
• In 2008, the Hawaii County Council banned the cultivation of genetically modified coffee and taro.
• In October 2013, the Kauai County Council passed Bill 2491, which requires companies to report and publicly disclose the pesticides used on the island. Through the imposition of buffer zones, the bill prevents all pesticide use near schools, medical facilities, parks, and waterways that flow into the ocean, and calls for the County to prepare a detailed analysis of the numerous environmental and health impacts of pesticides and GE crops.
• On the Big Island, Bill 113 was signed into law in December 2013, banning the growing of any new genetically altered crops.
If passed, HB 2506 / SB 3058 would eliminate these and other laws, effectively handing all decisions over agriculture to the state in order to protect chemical company interests.
Tell state lawmakers to reject this undemocratic bill!
On the heels of the passage of mandatory genetically engineered (GE) food labeling bills in Connecticut and Maine, and the narrow defeat of the labeling bill in Washington State, the big food and chemical companies are going on offense. As Center for Food Safety reported last week [1], according to a draft bill outline leaked by Politico, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is proposing a federal voluntary labeling bill that would block states from passing meaningful mandatory labeling bills, redefine GE food as “safe” and even allow GE foods to be labeled as “natural.” [2]
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. There is overwhelming public demand—consistently near 95%—for the labeling of GE foods. Yet the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling; sixty-four countries have mandatory labeling policies for GE foods including South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, China, South Africa, Australia, the entire European Union, among others. In 2013, over 50 GE labeling bills were introduced in 26 states, including Hawaii, Washington, Indiana, Missouri, and Vermont, with many more expected.
Action has already been taken at the federal level this legislative session: Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) have introduced legislation that would require nationwide, mandatory labeling of GE products.
So why would anyone introduce another GE food labeling bill? Because industry will do whatever it takes to make sure you don’t have the right to know whether the food you’re buying is genetically engineered. Voluntary labeling of GE foods has been allowed by FDA for more than a decade and not a single company has “volunteered” to label its products as containing GE food. There is no reason to think they will do so now, when there is more support for mandatory labeling of GE food than there ever has been.
The introduction of this bill would only serve to undermine state and federal legislation meant to grant consumers the right to know and avoid GE foods. Attacking state labeling laws does nothing to address the increasing call from consumers for transparent GE food labeling. Instead, it gives the biotech and food industries yet another free pass and keeps consumers in the dark.
Tell Congress to oppose the GMA bill that would block state GE food labeling, and instead to support the Boxer-DeFazio bill to label GE food.
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More information:
1. CFS Press Release: Leaked Document Reveals Big Food Lobby's Plans to Preempt State GMO Labeling (January 7, 2014).
2. Draft GMA bill outline leaked by Politico (January 7, 2014).
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Over a hundred million additional pounds of toxic pesticides associated with cancers and birth defects are coming to a field near you. UNLESS YOU STOP IT!
“Agent Orange” crops are genetically engineered by Dow Chemical to promote the use of 2,4-D, one of the herbicides in the toxic mixture Vietnam veteran's know as Agent Orange. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is on the cusp of approval, even though they acknowledge the use of this toxic pesticide will skyrocket.
There is a 30-day public comment period and it MIGHT BE OUR LAST CHANCE to stop this chemical assault - Sign the petition today!
What do Monsanto and Coke have in common? They’ve both spent millions of dollars to keep you in the dark about the foods you buy.
After the narrow defeat of a ballot initiative to label genetically engineered foods in Washington State the public learned that Coca-Cola had secretly contributed more than $1.5 million to the campaign against GE labeling in the state. Coca-Cola also contributed more than $1.7 million to defeat GE labeling in California the year before, making the company one of the largest contributors to the defeat of state labeling efforts.
More than a quarter of a million people have joined us in pressuring Coke to stop funding opposition to state labeling initiatives, and to get on the side of consumers in supporting national, mandatory labeling for genetically engineered foods. But now Coke has spent more than they ever have—over $2 million—to fund the opposition in Oregon and Colorado.
Sign the petition to tell Coca-Cola to stop funding efforts to block the labeling of genetically engineered foods:
Monarch butterflies are one of the most beautiful and iconic insects in the world, but the use of herbicides like Monsanto’s Roundup on genetically engineered crops is destroying a significant portion of their breeding habitat in North America, sending monarch populations into a tailspin, as detailed in Center for Food Safety’s landmark new report, Monarchs in Peril.1
This grave threat to monarchs led CFS and our allies to file a groundbreaking legal action to list monarchs as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Sign the petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in support of protecting monarchs under the ESA:
The final votes are nearly in and unfortunately I-522 looks to have been narrowly defeated. I-522 would have required the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods in Washington State. While late polls showed the Yes on I-522 campaign in the lead, I-522 is now failing by a 3 point margin. While more votes still need to be counted, I-522 is not expected to overcome this deficit in the votes that remain.
In what became a disappointing replay of last year’s vote on California’s GE labeling bill (Prop 37), big food and chemical companies dumped millions of dollars into defeating the initiative, with a carefully coordinated smear campaign to mislead voters. These out of state companies poured an outrageous $22 million dollars into the “No” campaign in Washington, and a shocking $45 million into the “No” campaign in California last year.
While corporate interests may have won in Washington State, we can win in Washington, D.C. Tell Obama and the FDA it’s time to label GE foods nationwide!
Now that the government is back to work in D.C., they are renewing long-stalled efforts to pass a Farm Bill. Conferees from the House and Senate sides have begun reconciling their two versions of the bill, and Congress needs to hear from you to ensure that this Farm Bill protects organic and family farmers, our vital pollinators, consumers and the environment.
As is typical of behemoth legislation like the Farm Bill, there are both good and bad proposals.
The Good: Protecting Pollinators
The House version includes a provision to protect honey bees and other vital pollinators. As we know, over the past decade, there has been an alarming decline in honey bee populations around the world, with many colonies collapsing mysteriously. This phenomenon includes the syndrome known as “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD) and has been linked to a variety of factors, including: pesticides, pathogens, parasites, poor nutrition and habitat loss. The House provision would be a significant step towards ensuring the long-term viability of populations of honey bees, wild bees, and other beneficial pollinators by greatly improving Federal coordination in addressing the dramatic decline of managed and native pollinators as well as directing the government to regularly monitor and report on their health.
The Bad: Organic Farmers Lose Funding
The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP), enacted in the 2002 farm bill and reauthorized through the 2008 farm bill, has historically provided organic certification cost share for organic farmers. But the short-term farm bill extension enacted on January 1st of this year failed to fund this important organic program. No other sector of agriculture was as hard-hit by this funding hiatus as the organic sector, which makes renewed funding for this and other organic programs in this Farm Bill even more critical.
The Ugly: Squashing States’ Rights to Protect Consumers and the Environment
One of the ugliest provisions up for debate is an intensely controversial House provision originally offered by Representative Steve King that could negate state and local laws regarding agricultural production and manufacturing--even those laws approved overwhelmingly by voters through ballot initiatives or by state legislatures. King’s provision is so broad that it could block or preempt a wide swath of state laws covering everything from child labor to dangerous pesticides to food safety to alcohol and tobacco products. It is standard practice for states to impose conditions relating to the production or manufacture of agriculture products in order to safeguard their citizens - from state laws regarding use of dangerous pesticides on crops, arsenic in poultry feed or labeling of farm-raised fish to state pollution standards and animal welfare laws restricting practices such as intensive confinement of animals on large factory farms. Adopting this provision or anything like it would not only be bad policy, it would likely be a poison pill that could derail conference committee negotiations.
Another ugly House provision would repeal a section of law authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop hazardous imports of seeds treated with pesticides or genetically engineered. This provision could greatly limit EPA’s authority to protect farmers, consumers, and the environment from pesticides that, by virtue of their incorporation into seeds, can find their way into soil, food, waterways, and the environment generally.
Tell Congress to pass a Farm Bill that protects our organic farmers, pollinators, and our ability to protect public health and the environment.
Now that the government is back to work in D.C., they are renewing long-stalled efforts to pass a Farm Bill. Conferees from the House and Senate sides met yesterday to begin reconciling their two versions of the bill, and Congress needs to hear from you to ensure that this Farm Bill protects organic and family farmers, our vital pollinators, consumers and the environment.
As is typical of behemoth legislation like the Farm Bill, there are both good and bad proposals.
The Good: Protecting Pollinators
The House version includes a provision to protect honey bees and other vital pollinators. As we know, over the past decade, there has been an alarming decline in honey bee populations around the world, with many colonies collapsing mysteriously. This phenomenon includes the syndrome known as “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD) and has been linked to a variety of factors, including: pesticides, pathogens, parasites, poor nutrition and habitat loss. The House provision would be a significant step towards ensuring the long-term viability of populations of honey bees, wild bees, and other beneficial pollinators by greatly improving Federal coordination in addressing the dramatic decline of managed and native pollinators as well as directing the government to regularly monitor and report on their health.
The Bad: Organic Farmers Lose Funding
The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP), enacted in the 2002 farm bill and reauthorized through the 2008 farm bill, has historically provided organic certification cost share for organic farmers. But the short-term farm bill extension enacted on January 1st of this year failed to fund this important organic program. No other sector of agriculture was as hard-hit by this funding hiatus as the organic sector, which makes renewed funding for this and other organic programs in this Farm Bill even more critical.
Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) may be another victim of Farm Bill negotiations. Consumers overwhelmingly want to know where their food comes from yet agribusiness is doing all it can to eliminate all or at least some parts of COOL. Congress decided in 2008 that Country-of-Origin Labeling should be the law of the land but now a handful of Members want to take that away.
The Ugly: Squashing States’ Rights to Protect Consumers and the Environment
One of the ugliest provisions up for debate is an intensely controversial House provision originally offered by Representative Steve King that could negate state and local laws regarding agricultural production and manufacturing--even those laws approved overwhelmingly by voters through ballot initiatives or by state legislatures. King’s provision is so broad that it could block or preempt a wide swath of state laws covering everything from child labor to dangerous pesticides to food safety to alcohol and tobacco products. It is standard practice for states to impose conditions relating to the production or manufacture of agriculture products in order to safeguard their citizens - from state laws regarding use of dangerous pesticides on crops, arsenic in poultry feed or labeling of farm-raised fish to state pollution standards and animal welfare laws restricting practices such as intensive confinement of animals on large factory farms. Adopting this provision or anything like it would not only be bad policy, it would likely be a poison pill that could derail conference committee negotiations.
Congress may also be faced with provisions to weaken or preempt the rights of states to pass and implement laws mandating labeling of genetically engineered foods.
Another ugly House provision would repeal a section of law authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop hazardous imports of seeds treated with pesticides or genetically engineered. This provision could greatly limit EPA’s authority to protect farmers, consumers, and the environment from pesticides that, by virtue of their incorporation into seeds, can find their way into soil, food, waterways, and the environment generally.
Tell Congress to pass a Farm Bill that protects our organic farmers, pollinators, and our ability to protect public health, consumer right-to-know, and the environment.
In another victory for the food movement, yesterday, the Kaua‘i County Council passed a law that would create a new system to protect the public from pesticide exposure and assess the risks stemming from the use of pesticides and the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) crops.
This year’s World Food Prize—a prize dedicated to furthering a “nutritious and sustainable food supply”—will be awarded to top executives at Monsanto and Syngenta for creating GE crops. GE crops are about feeding the profits of biotech giants, not the world’s hungry.
Outraged by the inherent cruelty of immobilizing pigs in gestation crates - crates so small the pregnant sows confined in them can’t even turn around - Sen. Raymond Lesniak backed a bill to ban gestation crates in New Jersey earlier this year. That bill, S.1921, overwhelmingly passed the state legislature with bipartisan support. But agricultural interest groups succeeded in pressuring Christie's office to veto this important animal welfare bill.
The good news is we can still make these inhumane crates illegal by asking lawmakers to finish the job and override Christie’s veto!
Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most Americans imagine. Factory farms pack hundreds, thousands, and sometimes millions of pigs into unsanitary, inhumane and unsafe conditions, damaging our environment, our public health and our economy.
Gestation crates are one of the most inhumane features of factory hog farms. According to the Humane Society, the typical gestation crate is about 6 feet long by 2 feet wide—hardly enough room for a sow that can grow to be 600 pounds. These pigs—some of the smartest animals on the planet—are forced to spend their pregnancies, sometimes virtually their entire lives, in these tiny metal crates, standing on concrete. That is no way to treat an animal. The legislation passed in New Jersey this year, S.1921, simply required that pigs used for breeding be able to at least stand up, lie down, turn around and extend their limbs.
New Jersey voters are not alone in their support for a ban on gestation crates. Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island and the entire European Union have passed legislation to outlaw gestation crates. Additionally, McDonald’s, Costco, Safeway, Kroger, Oscar Mayer and more than 60 other leading food companies have announced plans to eliminate gestation crates from their supply chains. A statewide survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research revealed 91 percent of New Jersey voters support the legislation, and more than 100 New Jersey-based veterinarians signed on to a letter expressing support for A.3250/S.1921. Even Martha Stewart has urged lawmakers to override Christie’s outrageous veto. By vetoing this bill, Governor Christie threatens to plunge New Jersey into the dark ages.
Urge state lawmakers to stand with the 91% of the state that supported the passage of S.1921 by voting yes for S.1921 when it comes up for an override vote!
After more than a year of fighting the biotech rider, dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act,” Senator Mikulski (D-MD) announced she was striking it from both the short-term continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government for the next 3 months, and that it is not in either the House or Senate 2014 appropriations bills! This is a huge victory—and it’s yours!
We also owe a big thanks to Senator Mikulski for her leadership on this issue. She promised us that she would not let the Monsanto Protection Act live past its September 30th expiration date, and she has delivered on her promise!
Join us in thanking Senator Mikulski. Add your name to our thank you card! We'll deliver the card to her along with your warm thanks.
For over a decade, the National Organic Program (NOP) has solicited public input regarding what organic fish farms (aquaculture) should entail. Center for Food Safety has been clear in its expectations of organic fish farming. We absolutely oppose allowing aquaculture in open ocean-based facilities because escapes into the wild are inevitable and farmed fish can carry diseases and parasites that would disrupt the ocean ecology near the facility. Migratory fish, such as salmon, should be prohibited in fish farms because caging salmon severely inhibits their natural behavior of swimming long distances to spawn in inland waters.
It is clear that not every form or method of fish farming should be considered “organic.” The public has submitted tens of thousands of comments urging the NOP to create organic aquaculture regulations that reflect the principles of organic. Unfortunately, the NOP has yet to respond to our call, and has not issued final rules. Now, those wanting to develop the organic fish farming industry have requested the approval of synthetic feed additives to move the process along.
Acting on these requests for feed additives before regulations governing organic fish farming are in place puts the cart before the horse. The type of feed to be permitted in organic aquaculture cannot possibly be determined without knowing whether the system is open or closed or what types of fish are permitted. Without that information, it’s also impossible to determine the environmental impacts of any feed additives.
Sign the petition to tell the NOSB to wait until regulations have been finalized before voting to permit or deny any requests for the use of synthetic materials in organic aquaculture systems.
Petition text:
On the heels of the passage of mandatory genetically engineered (GE) food labeling bills in Connecticut and Maine, and the narrow defeat of the labeling bill in Washington State, the big food and chemical companies are going on offense. As Center for Food Safety reported last week [1], according to a draft bill outline leaked by Politico, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is shopping a Federal voluntary labeling bill in Congress that would block states from passing meaningful mandatory labeling bills, redefine GE food as “safe” and even allow GE foods to be labeled as “natural.” [2]
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. There is overwhelming public demand—consistently near 95%—for the labeling of GE foods. Yet the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling; sixty-four countries have mandatory labeling policies for GE foods including South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, China, South Africa, Australia, the entire European Union, among others. In 2013, over 50 GE labeling bills were introduced in 26 states, including Hawaii, Washington, Indiana, Missouri, and Vermont, with many more expected.
Action has already been taken at the federal level this legislative session: Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) have introduced legislation that would require nationwide, mandatory labeling of GE products.
So why would anyone introduce another GE food labeling bill? Because industry will do whatever it takes to make sure you don’t have the right to know whether the food you’re buying is genetically engineered. Voluntary labeling of GE foods has been allowed by FDA for more than a decade and not a single company has “volunteered” to label its products as containing GE food. There is no reason to think they will do so now, when there is more support for mandatory labeling of GE food than there ever has been.
The introduction of this bill would only serve to undermine state and federal legislation meant to grant consumers the right to know and avoid GE foods. Attacking state labeling laws does nothing to address the increasing call from consumers for transparent GE food labeling. Instead, it gives the biotech and food industries yet another free pass and keeps consumers in the dark.
Tell Congress to oppose the GMA bill that would block state GE food labeling, and instead to support the Boxer-DeFazio bill to label GE food.
----------------------------------
More information:
1. CFS Press Release: Leaked Document Reveals Big Food Lobby's Plans to Preempt State GMO Labeling (January 7, 2014).
2. Draft GMA bill outline leaked by Politico (January 7, 2014).
In April, we urged you to sign our petition to end tetracycline use in organic apple and pear orchards—and thanks to your action, we won. With your help, we convinced the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to stop the use of this antibiotic in 2014. But, there’s one more antibiotic that some organic apple and pear farmers still use – streptomycin.
Like tetracycline, streptomycin is sprayed to prevent the spread of fire blight, a disease that can damage organic apple and pear orchards. Resistance to streptomycin is already widespread in apple and pear orchards around the country. In fact, residues of the drug have been found in apples from orchards sprayed with the antibiotic
Streptomycin is commonly used to treat human and animal infections, and its use in organic production undermines the ability of antibiotics to treat human infections. Given the mounting evidence of antibiotic resistance, the time is ripe to prohibit all antibiotics in organic once and for all.
Tell the NOSB that enough is enough—antibiotic drugs have no place in organic production, and the use of streptomycin must come to an end.
SB 633, the preemption bill that would have stripped the rights of Oregon counties to control their local agriculture, has reportedly been quietly inserted into a complicated tax and pension package currently under consideration by state legislators. This bill was aimed at blocking local communities from setting food and agriculture policies, including requiring labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods and other policies related to GE crops. According to the Oregonian, legislative leadership have included a new version of the policy from SB 633 “as a bargaining chip” to pass the tax and pension package [1].
Our legislators should not be bargaining away our rights in order to appease each other. Stop the inclusion of this bill NOW by contacting your state legislators and the Governor to voice your opposition to the inclusion of SB 633 in any tax and pension reform package.
If the policies from SB 633 become law in this tax bill, all local control of agricultural seed and seed products could be removed – replaced by a “one size fits all” policy dictated by the state. This bill is a thinly veiled attempt by the chemical companies to silence concerns over genetically engineered foods and gut all county efforts at addressing the growing of genetically engineered (GE) crops.
Jackson county voters succeeded in putting a measure to ban the growth of GE crops on the May 2014 ballot. While Jackson County may be exempted from SB 633, the proposed law would preempt all planned and future similar initiatives in other Oregon counties. Oregon citizens deserve to have their voices respected. The policies in SB 633 do nothing to protect local sustainable agriculture. Instead it takes away the rights of citizens to protect their food sovereignty.
Local policies such as the Jackson County measure have been instrumental in eliminating GE crops in other states. Several counties and cities in California, Hawaii, Washington, and Maine have already adopted policies to ban the growing of GE crops in their counties. Oregon counties should be allowed the same level of local control as these other states. But the policies in Senate Bill 633, would strip counties in Oregon of their abilities to craft appropriate county-wide seed policies, instead giving exclusive regulatory power over seeds, and products of agricultural seed, to the state, preempting local authority. This could make it impossible to establish local policies which put restrictions or prohibitions on genetically engineered crops.
Your state legislators and the Governor need to hear your strong opposition to the inclusion of SB 633 now!
You can read the original bill language here
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[1] http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/inclusion_of_gmo_crop_policy_i.html#incart_river_default
Thanks to your calls and emails, and the leadership in the Senate, today Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, will propose an alternative short term government funding bill that would repeal the “farmer assurance provision,” otherwise known as the “Monsanto Protection Act.”[1]
The Continuing Resolution, passed by the House last week, would fund the federal government beyond the current deadline of September 30, 2013, but the House also extended a controversial policy rider that would guarantee the ability of agrichemical companies to continue selling genetically engineered (GE) seeds even if a federal court declared them unlawful. Senator Mikulski’s alternative bill would strip the controversial provision before sending the bill back to the House for final approval.
Though wrapped in a “farmer-friendly” package, the Monsanto-driven rider remains simply a biotech industry ploy to continue to plant GE crops even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally.
The rider is intended to force USDA to allow GE crops to be planted even if a Federal court rules that USDA hadn’t adequately considered the environmental or economic risks to farmers. This would negate any meaningful judicial review of USDA’s decisions to allow commercialization of GE crops. If a GE crop approval was shown to violate the law and require further analysis of its harmful impacts (as several courts have concluded in recent years in our cases) this provision could override any court-mandated caution and could instead allow continued planting. Further, it forces USDA to approve permits for such continued planting immediately, putting industry completely in charge by allowing for a “back door approval” mechanism.
Tell your Senators to support Senator Mikulski’s move to remove this agribusiness give-away from the continuing resolution!
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1. "Senate CR to strip Monsanto rider," Politico, 9/24/13; “Chairman Mikulski Seeks to End "Monsanto Protection Act," Center for Food Safety press release, 9/24/13.
Bees are essential for one out of every three bites of food we eat. But they are being wiped out by the indiscriminant use of bee-toxic pesticides called neonicotinoids, or “neonics.” These neonics are everywhere -- in commercial agriculture, on the shelf of your local garden stores, and as it turns out -- even in the plants and seeds we buy from nurseries, with no warning to the consumer.
Many “bee friendly” home garden plants sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other leading garden centers have been pre-treated with pesticides shown to harm and kill bees.
Leading home and garden stores in Europe have already taken neonics off the shelves–it’s time for Home Depot and Lowe’s to do the same. While pesticides like neonics may not be the only factor in bee die offs, they are a significant factor, and one that we can do something about.
Tell Home Depot and Lowe’s to rid their stores of bee-toxic pesticides, seeds and garden plants!
Honey bees are responsible for producing 1/3 of our food but they are being wiped out by the indiscriminate use of toxic pesticides called neonicotinoids. It is the job of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect our environment – this includes bees and other pollinators. Right now, EPA is failing to do its job. In fact, EPA won’t even finish reviewing the use of these chemicals for another four years! But bees can’t wait another four years, and neither can we.
On Thursday, March 20th, Center for Food Safety and our allies will deliver this petition to Gina McCarthy at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Sign the petition today so we can deliver YOUR signature to Administrator McCarthy!
In March, Center for Food Safety worked with Friends of the Earth and other partners to launch the Campaign for Genetically Engineered-Free Seafood, and it’s already a huge success! Major grocery stores, such as Target, Aldi, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Giant Eagle, and Meijer have committed not to sell genetically engineered (GE) salmon or other GE fish.
Now we are asking Kroger, the nation’s largest conventional grocery store chain*, to follow suit.
The Food and Drug Administration has stated that it won’t likely require grocery stores to label genetically engineered fish, leaving consumers with no way of avoiding them unless supermarkets like Kroger make clear to consumers their policies against selling genetically engineered seafood.
*Kroger owns supermarkets in 31 states, including Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralph's, King Soopers, Food 4 Less, Baker's Supermarkets, City Market, Dillons Food Stores, Fry's Food & Drug, Gerbes Super Markets, Jay C, Owen's, Pay Less Super Markets, QFC, Scott's, Smith's, Foods Co. and Ruler Foods.
In May 2015, the White House released a National Pollinator Strategy, aimed at improving the health and populations of bees and other pollinators. While the strategy proposes several positive, far-reaching goals for honey bees, monarch butterflies, and other pollinators, the plan is unfortunately far too weak in terms of tackling pesticide issues to achieve its goals. More specifically, the National Pollinator Strategy focuses heavily on communications, outreach, and research, but it has few concrete actions aimed at protecting pollinators from the unique risks of systemic, highly persistent insecticides, such as neonicotinoids.
Thankfully, Representatives John Conyers (D, MI) and Earl Blumenauer (D, OR) have introduced the Saving America's Pollinators Act (H.R. 1284), calling for the suspension of neonicotinoids until a full review of scientific evidence indicates that they are safe and a field study demonstrates no harmful impacts to pollinators.
Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world, and exposure to neonicotinoids is a key culprit in pollinator declines and poor pollinator health. In June 2014, a major scientific analysis on the impacts of neonicotinoids was released, documenting significant harms to bees and a variety of ecosystems. The analysis was conducted by 29 independent scientists from around the world, who reviewed over 800 peer-reviewed scientific studies on the impacts of neonicotinoids and one other highly toxic systemic insecticide. Their comprehensive analysis highlights the wide-ranging impacts of neonicotinoids on entire ecosystems, from direct exposure to at-risk species, to persistence in soil and water. Bumble bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that are critical to our agricultural system and provide ecosystem support services, are also in jeopardy from these pesticides.
We need to take swift action by suspending the use of these chemicals across the U.S. until they are proven safe to our critical pollinators and our environment. The Saving America's Pollinators Act seeks to do precisely that.
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Read H.R. 1284 here
This week the House of Representatives will begin debate on its Farm Bill and there are a number of possible amendments we have our eye on this year pertaining to genetically engineered crops, the protection of pollinators, and supporting organic farming.
Stop GE Crop Contamination
Just recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that unapproved, genetically engineered (GE) wheat was found to have contaminated an Oregon farmer’s field. The GE wheat, known as Roundup Ready, was developed by the Monsanto Company to withstand direct application of Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide.
The Oregon wheat incident was not the first time a GE field trial has had serious consequences for farmers, and unless Congress does something about it, it won’t be the last. This incident underscores why stronger regulation is long overdue.
Center for Food Safety is calling on Congress to use the Farm Bill as an opportunity to improve the oversight of GE field trials and protect farmers and the environment from future contamination incidents.
Protect Pollinators
Over the past decade, honey bees and other pollinators have been suffering record-high population losses. Given that one in every three bites of food is reliant on bees and other species for pollination, the decline of pollinators demands swift action; our agricultural economy, food supply and environment depend on their well-being.
Support Organic
Center for Food Safety is a strong supporter of organic agriculture. Unfortunately, a number of vital organic programs that received full funding in the Senate Farm Bill are currently not funded in the House Farm Bill. We urge you to tell your Representatives that now is the time to advocate for sustainable, organic farming!
The challenges we face will not be resolved unless we invest in agriculture that protects and enhances our future – not destroy it.
Amendments to the House Farm Bill are being discussed now, so please take action today!
New York’s bill to label genetically engineered food, A3525-A, was recently voted down in the Consumer Protection Committee. Unfortunately, Assemblymember Hennessey committed his support only to ABSTAIN from the vote in committee at the last minute. Please e-mail Assemblymember Edward Hennessey TODAY and ask him to commit to voting YES on A3525-A if it comes up again for a vote in committee. If we are able to get his vote, the committee may take the vote again and the bill will have a chance at moving through the legislature.
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA policy, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
Just this week, Connecticut became the first state in the country to pass a bill to label genetically engineered (GE) foods. And New York could easily follow in its footsteps. But the bill— A3525-A —recently failed in the Consumer Protection Committee by just two votes.
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world.
New York can be a leader in making sure genetically engineered foods are labeled, but the Assembly must act on the bill.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, New York consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why 26 states have introduced GE food labeling bills this year.
Tell Assemblymember Hennessey to support the bill to label genetically engineered food in New York!
New York’s bill to label GE food, A3525-A, was recently voted down in the Consumer Protection Committee. Unfortunately, Assemblymember Gabryszak, who is a co-sponsor of the bill, committed his support only to vote NO in committee at the last minute. Please e-mail Assemblymember Dennis Gabryszak TODAY and ask him to commit to voting YES on A3525-A if it comes up again for a vote in committee. If we are able to get his vote, the committee may take the vote again and the bill will have a chance at moving through the legislature.
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA policy, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
Just this week, Connecticut became the first state in the country to pass a bill to label genetically engineered (GE) foods. And New York could easily follow in its footsteps. But the bill— A3525-A —recently failed in the Consumer Protection Committee by just two votes.
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world.
New York can be a leader in making sure genetically engineered foods are labeled, but the Assembly must act on the bill.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, New York consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why 26 states have introduced GE food labeling bills this year.
Tell Assemblymember Gabryszak to support the bill to label genetically engineered food in New York!
One year ago today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that unapproved, genetically engineered (GE) wheat was found to have contaminated an Oregon farmer’s field, halting wheat exports around the country. The experimental GE wheat, known as Roundup Ready, was developed by the Monsanto Company to withstand direct application of the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate).
Yet one year later, we’re still waiting for the government to take action.
Thousands of people contacted their Senators and Representatives urging Congress to take action, yet Congress has done nothing. More than 150 farm organizations, food processors, mil-lers, retail companies, bakeries, and seed businesses sent USDA a letter last year calling for improvements in the agency’s oversight of trials of experimental GE crops, yet USDA has done nothing.
In fact, USDA has actually continued to allow Monsanto to conduct GE wheat field trials, despite unanswered questions as to how the company’s product contaminated Oregon wheat last year.
As we’ve warned for over a decade, contamination is inevitable when irresponsible companies like Monsanto are allowed to experiment with our food supply while USDA is asleep at the wheel.
Sadly, this was not the first case of experimental GE crops escaping from field trials. Past transgenic contamination episodes involving GE corn and GE rice triggered over $1 billion in losses and economic hardship to farmers. China recently rejected huge shipments of contaminated U.S. corn and turned to Brazil instead.
How many times does this have to happen before we finally put a stop to these risky GE field trials?
USDA has a terrible track record overseeing these field trials. Even the USDA’s own Inspector General issued a scathing report detailing numerous violations of agency rules in regulating genetically engineered crop field trials. USDA officials did not know the locations of many field trials it was charged with regulating, and did not conduct required inspections of others.
Tell Congress and the USDA to stop open-air field trials of GE crops!
June 3rd Congress comes back from recess and the Senate will resume debates on the Farm Bill. While there are a number of possible amendments we have our eye on this year, especially those pertaining to the labeling of genetically engineered food, support for organic farmers, and a repeal of the “Monsanto Protection Act,” there’s one amendment in particular that we’re expecting to receive a ton of buzz: Senator Boxer’s pollinator protection amendment.
Over the past decade, honey bees and other pollinators have been suffering record-high population losses. Given that one in every three bites of food is reliant on bees and other species for pollination, the decline of pollinators demands swift action; our agricultural economy, food supply and environment depend on their well-being. Thankfully, Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) introduction of amendment 1027 to the Farm Bill would be a step in the right direction towards protecting honey bees and other pollinators if passed.
What exactly would this amendment require the government to do?
Amendment 1027 would help to ensure the long-term viability of populations of honey bees, wild bees, and other beneficial insects through several initiatives, including:
While the Farm Bill debates continue to be a rollercoaster of upsets and victories for small farmers, conservation groups and other stakeholders, it is important to remember that this five-year bill affects all of us, and all of us will be affected by the devastating pollinator losses plaguing our nation. It is crucial that we take whatever steps we can, however small they may be, to work towards protecting these critical species and our future food security.
The Senate will resume voting on amendments next week, so please take action today and urge your Senator to support the Pollinator Protection Amendment!
The Senate has begun debate this week on amendments to the Farm Bill. Tell Congress to Repeal the “Monsanto Protection Act” and Support Pro-Farmer, Pro-Environment, and Pro-Consumer Amendments!
As you know, the Farm Bill has historically given large bailouts to agribusiness companies and the country’s largest industrial farms at the expense of consumers, family farms, and the environment. However, a number of amendments to the 2013 Farm Bill have been offered that would support labeling of genetically engineered food, support organic farmers, repeal the “Monsanto Protection Act,” protect honey bees and other pollinators, and so much more.
There are five amendments in the Senate Farm Bill supporting labeling and oversight of genetically engineered food and crops:
1. Senator Boxer (D-California) introduced an amendment in support of mandatory GMO labeling (#1025) as well as her amendment requesting that FDA and USDA study the 64 countries around the world that already require GMO labeling (#1026).
2. Senator Begich (D-Alaska) introduced an amendment (# 934) to ban the sale of genetically engineered salmon until Federal wildlife agencies are properly consulted and find that GE salmon pose no environmental risk.
3. Senator Tester (D-Montana) introduced an amendment to reinvigorate public plant and animal breeding, which has hit an all-time low because of private sector assaults from companies like Monsanto.
4. Senator Merkley (D-Oregon) introduced an amendment (#978) to repeal the "Monsanto Protection Act" provision in the 2013 government spending bill that attacked judicial oversight of genetically engineered crops.
Senator Boxer (D-California) has also introduced an amendment to protect honey bees and native pollinators (#1027), which declined by over 45% last winter as a result of pesticides and industrial agriculture, and Senators Leahy (D-Vermont) and Cowan’s (D-Massachusetts) EQIP Organic Initiative amendment would eliminate the separate payment limit in EQIP for farmers participating in the Organic Initiative so that all farmers are subject to the same payment limitations in EQIP.
The Farm Bill is a 5-year bill that affects all of us. It is crucial that we pass a Farm bill that is protective of the environment, consumers, and organic and family farmers—not just protective of big agribusiness. The Senate is voting on amendments this week, so please take action today!
Tell your Senators to Support GE Food Labeling, Pollinator Protection and Organic Farming in the Farm Bill!
The Senate will begin debate of the Farm Bill this week. Tell Congress to Repeal the “Monsanto Protection Act!”
Last week both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees passed their draft versions of the 2013 Farm Bill. This week, the full Senate will begin debate about amendments to its version.
Despite receiving calls and emails from hundreds of thousands of you opposing the “Monsanto Protection Act,” the industry-driven policy rider was included in the 6-month government spending bill. Since its passage, even Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Barbara Mikulski released a statement asserting her opposition to the “biotech rider.”
In response, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) announced that he will offer an amendment to the Senate Farm Bill to repeal the rider.
Tell your Senators to support the Merkley amendment in the Farm Bill!
New York’s bill to label genetically engineered food, S3835, is stuck in the Consumer Protection Committee and must be passed through soon or it will die before making it to a floor vote. Urge the Consumer Protection Committee members to pass S3835 to label GE food!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA policy, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) foods we purchase and feed our families.
New York could be the first state in the country to pass a bill to label genetically engineered (GE) foods. But the bill—S3835—is stuck in the Consumer Protection Committee. If they don’t pass the bill through soon it could die before even reaching the Senate floor for a full vote. Tell the members of the Consumer Protection Committee to move the bill!
A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling! GE foods are required to be labeled in 64 countries around the world.
New York can be a leader in making sure genetically engineered foods are labeled, but the Senate must act on the bill.
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, New York consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. That’s why 26 states have introduced GE food labeling bills this year.
Tell the Consumer Protection Committee to support the bill to label genetically engineered food in New York!
Antibiotic resistance is a real, growing problem. Infections that were easily treated with antibiotics 50 years ago can now result in serious illness and even death. The routine feeding of antibiotics to food animals creates drug-resistant superbugs, which can spread to humans by eating meat, poultry, and eggs, and through environmental exposure.
Animal factories rely on antibiotics, antimicrobials, and other drugs to accelerate animal growth rates and prevent them from getting sick while housed by the thousands in cramped conditions ripe for breeding disease.
The overuse of these pharmaceuticals greatly compromises public health, as their consistent use in livestock selects for antibiotic-resistant superbugs that are infecting humans at an alarming rate. In human medicine, antibiotic use is generally confined to treatment of illness. Yet, an estimated 70 percent of antibiotics produced in the United States—nearly 13 million pounds per year, more than four times the amount used to treat illness in people—are used in animal factories for animals that aren’t even sick, without any requirement for veterinary consultation or prescription. Instead, the feed farmers buy often has antibiotics blended right in, or they simply add antibiotics to the water.
The use of pharmaceuticals artificially props up animal factories, facilitating the production of cheap meat and dairy that not only fails to deliver nutritional quality, but in fact puts public health at serious risk.
Tell Congress to keep antibiotics working! Urge your Senators and Representative to support the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act.
The end of April marked the close of the comment period on FDA review of GE salmon, and nearly 2 million people wrote to FDA opposing approval of the fish. Rather than just wait for FDA to make a decision, we’re taking action by urging Congress to pass the PEGASUS Act, which would ban the approval of GE salmon unless it is reviewed and found safe by expert fisheries agencies.
FDA limited its already minimal environmental review to the local impact of these GE salmon at two isolated locations in Canada and Panama, and based it’s finding of “no significant impact” on the U.S. environment largely on the fact that the fish would not be produced or raised in the U.S.
But internal documents we uncovered reveal that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has already received applications to import AquAdvantage salmon eggs into the U.S. for commercial production.
Agency documents further revealed that scientists within the FWS questioned the FDA’s ability and authority to review the impacts of GE salmon, and that they believed a full Environmental Impact Statement should be conducted before making any decision on approval.
We couldn’t agree more.
That’s why we’re supporting the PEGASUS Act (the Prevention of Escapement of Genetically Altered Salmon in the United States), which would prohibit “the shipment, sale, transportation, purchase, possession, or release in the wild of GE salmon unless the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service complete a full environmental impact statement and find that it will result in no significant impact to the environment.”
The failure to study the impact of U.S. production has grave consequences for our fisheries and the environment. Each year, an estimated two million salmon escape from open-water net pens into the North Atlantic, outcompeting wild populations for resources and straining ecosystems. Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found that even a small release of GE fish could lead to the extinction of wild populations, wreaking havoc on the fishing industry and the natural ecosystem.
Tell Congress to hold the FDA accountable and protect our health, our environment, and our fisheries from the dangers of genetically engineered salmon by passing PEGASUS!
More information:
For more information on the documents uncovered, click here
More information on PEGASUS, see the text of the Senate bill (S. 246) here, and the announcement of the House bill (H.B. 1667) here
House Bill 379, an “Act to Clarify the Authority of the Board of Agriculture Over Plants,” is a preemption bill that would strip the rights of North Carolina counties to control their local agriculture. The bill passed through the state House Agriculture Committee last week and is now being considered by the House Committee for the Environment. Stop this bill NOW by contacting your state House representative to oppose HB 379.
If HB 379 becomes law, all local control of agricultural seed and seed products would be removed – replaced by a “one size fits all” policy dictated by the state. This bill, like similar bills introduced in several other states, is a thinly veiled attempt by the chemical companies to silence concerns over genetically engineered (GE) foods and gut all county efforts at addressing the growing of GE crops. A number of the preemption bills have been introduced since the passage of county restriction on GE crops passed in California; a similar bill was even introduced, and rejected, in North Carolina in 2005.
We beat a similar bill before, and we can beat it again, but your state House representative needs to hear from you!
Local policies such as county measures have been instrumental in restricting GE crops in other states. Several counties and cities in California, Hawaii, Washington, and Maine have already adopted policies to ban the growing of GE crops in their counties. But HB 379 would give exclusive regulatory power over seeds and plants to the state, preempting local authority. This would make it impossible to establish local restrictions or prohibitions on genetically engineered crops grown in North Carolina.
Tell the state House to reject this undemocratic bill!
More information:
1. HB 379, an “Act to Clarify the Authority of the Board of Agriculture Over Plants"
2. Porter, J. (2013, April 17). Locals lose control over GMOs in new ag bill.
3. General Assembly of North Carolina, Session 2005, Senate Bill 631 / House Bill 671
Bees and other beneficial pollinators are disappearing at alarming rates. While we may not know the exact cause of the disappearance, we do know that some pesticides are contributing to their decline. We also know there are simple things we can each do to help combat pollinator loss. That’s why we’ve launched the Bee Protective Campaign. By making simple choices—such as avoiding pesticide products that contain neonicotinoids and choosing to plant pollinator-friendly plants to provide bees forage—we can help address this crisis.
Help to protect our honey bees and other pollinators by taking the pledge to protect bees and other beneficial insects.
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA policy, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in the foods we purchase and feed our families. That’s why Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) have sponsored new federal legislation, The Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act, that would require the labeling of all GE foods; the first labeling bill to be introduced in the Senate in over a decade!
To date, ten Senators and thirty Representatives have signed on to the bill as original co-sponsors. Now it’s time to push the President and all Senators and Representatives to support the bill!
Without mandatory labeling of GE foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. There is overwhelming public demand—consistently near 95%—for the labeling of GE foods. Yet the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling; sixty-four countries have mandatory labeling policies for GE foods including Korea South, Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, China, South Africa, Australia, the entire European Union, and many others. Already in 2013, 37 GE labeling bills have been introduced in 21 states, including Hawaii, Washington, Indiana, Missouri, and Vermont, with many more expected by year’s end.
Tell Congress and President Obama that it’s time to finally pass a GE food labeling bill in 2013—Support the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act!
More Information
Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Begich (D-AK), Jon Tester (D-MT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) are cosponsors of the Senate bill.
Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), James Moran (D-VA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Don Young (R-AK), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), George Miller (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) are cosponsors of the House bill.
Click here for more information on the bills
SB 633, the preemption bill that would strip the rights of Oregon counties to control their local agriculture, is back and is scheduled for a vote on the House floor on Monday. Stop this bill NOW by contacting your state legislators to voice your opposition to SB 633.
If SB 633 becomes law, all local control of agricultural seed and seed products would be removed – replaced by a “one size fits all” policy dictated by the state. This bill is a thinly veiled attempt by the chemical companies to silence concerns over genetically engineered foods and gut all county efforts at addressing the growing of genetically engineered (GE) crops.
Jackson county voters succeeded in putting a measure to ban the growth of GE crops on the May 2014 ballot. SB 633 could preempt this and similar initiatives in other Oregon counties. Oregon citizens deserve to have their voices respected. SB 633 does nothing to protect local sustainable agriculture. Instead it takes away the rights of citizens to protect their food sovereignty.
Local policies such as the Jackson County measure have been instrumental in eliminating GE crops in other states. Several counties and cities in California, Hawaii, Washington, and Maine have already adopted policies to ban the growing of GE crops in their counties. Oregon counties should be allowed the same level of local control as these other states. But Senate Bill 633, would strip counties in Oregon of their abilities to craft appropriate county-wide seed policies. SB 633 would give exclusive regulatory power over seeds, and products of agricultural seed, to the state, preempting local authority. This would make it impossible to establish local policies which put restrictions or prohibitions on genetically engineered crops.
Your state legislators need to hear your strong opposition to SB 633 now!
You can read the bill here
As you likely know, the biotech rider (which has been dubbed “The Monsanto Protection Act”) passed as part of the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government for the next six months, and was signed into law. Though wrapped in a “farmer-friendly” package, this Monsanto-driven rider is simply a biotech industry ploy to continue to plant GE crops even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally.
Thanks to your pressure, Senators Tester, Boxer, Gillibrand, Leahy, Begich and Blumenthal have all spoken out against the rider, as well as other corporate “pork” earmarks, and offered an amendment to strike the rider from the Senate CR. Despite receiving calls and emails from hundreds of thousands of citizens opposing the industry-driven rider and supporting the amendment to strike it, the amendment was ultimately never voted on. The rider will be alive for the six month duration of the temporary spending bill and we are now working to ensure that this agribusiness handout is not included in any future Appropriations bills.
While there are no definite fingerprints for whoever is responsible for including the rider, the earmark was allowed under the direction of Senator Barbara Mikulski, the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee (D-MD). Congress held no hearings on this controversial rider and many Democrats in the Committee were unaware of its presence in the CR. However, Senator Mikulski later released a statement asserting her opposition to the “biotech rider.”
As Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski will ultimately be responsible for the next Senate Appropriations bill, so her opposition is crucial. We urge Senator Mikulski to continue speaking out against this rider and to ensure that it is excluded from any future appropriations bills. Congress is expected to take up FY2014 appropriations bills in the next few months, and we need to make sure this dangerous rider doesn’t get included in them. Let’s keep the pressure on Congress to dump the Monsanto rider!
Write your Senators and Representative and urge them to keep the biotech rider out of upcoming spending bills.
Genetically engineered (GE) salmon, the first GE animal meant for human consumption, may soon be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.The experimental fish is in its last stage of review by the agency.
Since the FDA has stated that it will likely not require GE fish to be labeled, we are reaching out to chefs and restaurants to pledge not to intentionally purchase, serve, or sell genetically engineered fish. CFS will be publishing the list of signers on our website and a downloadable Guide so that consumers can make informed choices and support businesses that reject GE fish.
Take the Pledge to Avoid GE Fish!
Please only sign this pledge if you are a chef or restaurant owner. If you are not a chef or restaurant owner, you can sign the petition against GE fish here.
Until last year, the Willamette Valley was protected from GE canola because no canola was allowed to be grown in the Valley. But last August, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) proposed a rule to allow canola growing in the region, threatening the production of all canola-related seeds and crops, but Center for Food Safety and our allies went to court and successfully stopped it. Now ODA is trying to permit canola planting in the Valley again!
In response, Oregon House Representatives Gelser, Hoyle, Holvey and Tomei, and Senator Edwards, introduced a bill, H.B. 2427, in the Oregon Legislative Assembly that would restore protections to the Willamette Valley and keep canola out of this unique growing region for good. But time is running out and your voice is needed to get HB 2427 in front of the full Oregon legislature for a vote.
Last week the House Agriculture Committee heard hours of testimony on HB 2427 and they are currently deliberating on whether to send it to the full Oregon House for a vote. If they don't move the bill forward soon, it will be dead. It is critical they hear from you today.
Tell your Representative that this issue matters, and it deserves a vote!
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Safeway, Kroger, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Red Lobster and many other companies have already agreed not to sell genetically engineered salmon. But there are a ot more companies that have not yet commited to avoid GE salmon.
We’ve reached out to the nation’s top grocery stores, seafood companies, and seafood restaurants asking them to commit not to sell genetically engineered fish should it come to market. Some of the biggest grocery stores in the U.S. have already replied, stating that they will not sell genetically engineered salmon in their stores. Together, these supermarkets and restaurants are showing that they care about consumers and sustainable fisheries. But there are a lot more companies yet to sign!
Sign the petition to urge Supermarkets, Seafood companies and restaurants to take a position not to purchase, sell, or serve GE salmon:
Tell your state Senator to oppose SB 633!
Although Washington is getting a lot of buzz on its labeling bill, Oregon is also a hotbed of activity in the fight against genetically engineered (GE) crops. Citizens in Jackson County (in Southern Oregon) have successfully achieved getting a GE crop ban on the May 2014 ballot. Citizens in four other Oregon counties are also hard at work on similar county GE crop bans.
These local policies have been instrumental in eliminating GE crops in other states. Several counties and cities in California, Hawaii, Washington, and Maine have already adopted policies to ban the growing of GE crops in their counties. Oregon counties should be allowed the same level of local control as these other states. But local policies such as these are now in jeopardy in Oregon due to a biotech industry-backed bill in the Oregon Senate.
The bill, Senate Bill 633, would strip counties in Oregon of their abilities to craft appropriate county-wide seed policies. SB 633 would give exclusive regulatory power over seeds, and products of agricultural seed, to the state, preempting local authority. This would make it impossible to establish local policies which put restrictions or prohibitions on genetically engineered crops.
The bill is being heard in the Senate Committee for Rural Policy and Economic Development on March 12th, so please take action today!
You can read the bill here
Clark testing
You may have seen the disturbing stories in the news about controversial beta-agonist drugs--like zilpaterol and ractopamine--that are fed to animals to speed their weight gain.
Ractopamine, in particular, raises significant food safety and animal welfare concerns for U.S. and international consumers. Unlike the U.S., more than 160 countries – including Russia, China, Taiwan, and the 27 members of the European Union -- ban or strictly limit the use of ractopamine, a drug used widely in animal feed that promotes growth in pigs, cattle, and turkeys. Ractopamine is linked with serious health and behavioral problems in animals, and while human health studies are limited, those that exist raise serious concerns.
While the U.S. has so far refused to join the international community in banning this risky drug in animal feed, the U.S. already has a certified ractopamine-free program for pork exports to the E.U., and some corporate producers are already operating production plants that are 100% ractopamine-free to meet international demand. Even pork giant Smithfield Foods recently announced that it will stop feeding ractopamine to half its pig herd, a move seen largely as an effort to please the lucrative Chinese market. It is therefore not unreasonable to expect the same for U.S. market as well. In fact, some U.S. food companies already avoid meat produced with the feed additive, including Chipotle restaurants, producer Niman Ranch, and Whole Foods Markets. But in order for food companies to offer meat free of ractopamine, pork producers need to provide it.
Sign our petition to Smithfield Foods and other pork producers in the U.S. urging them to stop using ractopamine in pork production!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in the foods we purchase and feed our families.
GE foods are required to be labeled in more than 60 countries around the world. A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling.
Washington can be a leader in making sure genetically engineered foods are labeled.
Voters last fall enthusiastically supported Initiative 522 to label GMOs in Washington. The legislature now has three options: they can pass the initiative now, amend it, or take no action. If they amend it, both versions (the amended version and the original version) will be on November’s ballot and we’ll face months of dirty campaigns ads and propaganda funded by Monsanto and other corporate food and chemical companies to combat between now and then.
Tomorrow, February 14th, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Water & Rural Economic Development will be holding a public hearing at 10am to discuss I-522.
Tell the state legislature to enact I-522 now to label genetically engineered food!
In August, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) filed a temporary rule without public comment that would dramatically expand the area in the Willamette Valley where canola can be grown. Center for Food Safety, Friends of Family Farmers and three specialty seed growers filed for an emergency lawsuit challenging the rule, and the Oregon Court of Appeals granted our motion to stay the rule, meaning that no canola production can be allowed in 2012.
We won that battle, but the war continues.
ODA proposed a permanent rule at the same time as the temporary rule, which is exactly like the temporary rule, and would dramatically cut away the protection of the Valley. However unlike the temporary rule, the permanent rule allows for a public comment period from now through October 5th.
Please Sign the petition below to dump this dangerous rule. The petition will be delivered to ODA Director Katy Coba and Governor Kitzhaber during the public hearing on September 28th at the Salem Fairgrounds.
Despite over one million people urging the agency to act swiftly, the EPA has refused to take emergency action on a critical petition calling for suspending the use of clothianidin, a toxic pesticide shown to adversely impact the survival and health of honey bees, along with harmful effects to numerous other invertebrate species. While refusing to issue an immediate suspension, EPA opened a public comment docket, which ends September 25th, to allow any member of the public to comment on to comment on the petition.
Honey bees are an indicator species, and also essential for our food system: one-third of our agricultural supply is pollinated by honey bees - without pollinators, these crops cannot be grown.
It is imperative that EPA acts quickly to suspend these pollinator-toxic pesticides. Please take action by sending a comment to EPA below. Comments are due no later than September 25th, 2012.
For more information on the petition, please visit the CFS website here.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently considering approval of Monsanto’s new genetically engineered (GE), dicamba-tolerant soybeans. If approved, millions more pounds of this hazardous chemical will be sprayed, polluting our food, water, and air. This is just the latest effort in the corporate chemical arms race, and it will cause serious harm to human health and the environment.
Sign the Petition below to the USDA urging the agency to reject this risky crop!
After decades of promises from the biotech industry that genetically engineered (GE) food would feed the world, cure the sick, reduce agricultural dependence on toxic chemicals, and save countless crops from imminent collapse, industry is poised to finally release a product they think will solve a problem humans have struggled with for centuries… an apple that doesn’t brown when you slice it… Seriously; we couldn’t make this stuff up.
Tell USDA to Reject this GE Apple! Comments are due January 30th, so please sign the petition today:
Dow Chemical is currently requesting yet another unprecedented USDA approval: a genetically engineered (GE) version of soy that is resistant to 2,4-D, a major component of the highly toxic Agent Orange. Agent Orange was the chemical defoliant used by the U.S. in Vietnam, and it caused lasting ecological damage as well as many serious medical conditions in both Vietnam veterans and the Vietnamese. USDA approval of Dow’s GE soybeans will trigger a huge increase in 2,4-D use – and our exposure to this toxic herbicide. This will come on top of a large spike in 2,4-D use from Dow’s 2,4-D resistant GE corn.
Sign the petition to USDA telling them to reject Dow's genetically engineered, 2,4-D resistant soy!
Late last Friday, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) sent out a news release announcing its plan to file a temporary administrative rule that would dramatically expand the area in the Willamette Valley where canola can be grown: from a few hundred acres to 300,000 acres. This short-sighted ruling, which would invite canola, including GE canola, into the protected zone of the Willamette Valley, could mean the ruination of the specialty seed industry.
Tell ODA and the Governor to keep Canola, especially GE canola, out of the Willamette Valley!
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a public comment period open through July 24th on the oversight of nanotechnology in food. Amazingly, the FDA currently does not regulate the use of nanotechnology in food, despite its widespread use, and serious public health concerns.
Already a wide variety of nanoscale applications in food packaging and processing are being developed. Yet, we know very little about the health effects of exposure to engineered nanomaterials, and what we do know, is cause for alarm.
Make your voice heard and urge FDA to regulate nanotechnology to protect consumer health.
For more information on nanotechnology, click here
Help stop climate change! Take the Cool Foods pledge and do your part to stabilize the earth’s climate by being more thoughtful about the way you eat.
Center for Food Safety’s Cool Foods Campaign provides information about the connection between agriculture, food and a stable climate.
Everyone eats, so everyone can join our campaign!
Help us raise public awareness about how your everyday food choices impact the climate by following our five Cool Foods guidelines.
A shocking 80% of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used not by humans, but by the meat and poultry industries, making factory farm animals grow fatter faster and enabling them to survive crowded and unsanitary conditions. The facilities and feedlots where these cows, chickens, and pigs live are teeming with antibiotic-resistant bacteria that make their way into the air, the water, soil, your food, and you.
Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration has done little to protect us, so now it’s time for consumers to act. That’s why the Center for Food Safety is supporting the Meat Without Drugs campaign, and we’re starting where we can have the most impact – our neighborhood supermarkets.
Join us in urging Trader Joe’s to lead the way in getting antibiotics out of our food chain by selling only meat raised without antibiotics!
In human medicine, antibiotic use is generally confined to treatment of illness. Yet, on many industrial livestock farms in the U.S., antibiotics and other antimicrobials (drugs that kill microorganisms like bacteria) are routinely administered to healthy animals. In fact, 80 percent of all antibiotics produced in the U.S. are given to animals, not humans. One result of this unregulated overuse has been a significant increase in antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” which can dangerously jeopardize the use and effectiveness of medically important antibiotics for humans.
Antibiotics are essential tools in both human and animal medicine, but mounting evidence has linked persistent use of these drugs in animal production to the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms. To preserve medically important antibiotics for treatment of disease in people, current practices must be radically changed.
Urge FDA to immediately ban all use of medically important human antibiotics in food-producing animals for growth promotion or disease prevention.
Honey bees and other insect pollinators are dying off at unprecedented rates and pesticides are a clear causal factor. This week and next, EPA is deciding just how “real” they think the pesticide threat to our pollinators is.
In March, the Center for Food Safety joined partners and beekeepers from around the country in filing a legal petition with EPA, calling on the agency to make use of its emergency powers to protect bees from a pesticide called clothianidin that is particularly harmful to bees. In the next two weeks, we expect EPA will decide whether this threat constitutes the “imminent hazard” necessary for the agency to take emergency action to suspend registration of this toxic pesticide.
Bees and other pollinators are indicator species – as they go, so goes the environment, and with it, us. If bees dying off en masse aren’t an “imminent hazard”, then we don’t know what is.
Sign the petition below to tell EPA that the threat to bees is very real, and they need to take emergency action!
Since the death of her newborn from exposure to pesticides 13 years ago, Sofía Gatica has been working tirelessly with other moms to hold Monsanto and Co. accountable for the harms they impose.
In April, Sofía — winner of the 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize — hand delivered a letter to a top White House official, Ms. Nancy Sutley of the Council on Environmental Quality, urging the administration to investigate Monsanto’s “pesticide poisonings and livelihood harms” in her Argentine community, the U.S. and beyond.
Ms. Sutley promised Sofía a response by June 1, but that deadline has come and gone.
Sign the petition urging the White House to respond to Sophia and hold the “Big Six” accountable!
Uncontrolled climate change threatens our food supply. That’s why several years ago the Center for Food Safety took legal action to stop reckless corporations from dumping unlimited amounts of industrial carbon pollution into the air that causes global warming.
As a result of CFS’s legal efforts, the Environmental Protection Agency is acting for the first-time ever to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants – the largest source of such pollution. But polluter-funded attack groups are seeking to stop it. The future of the food system we want depends on a sustainable climate.
Sign the petition to EPA urging strong limits on all carbon pollution
In the name of budget-cuts, more defective and unsanitary poultry could make its way to the supermarket if a new USDA rule goes into effect. Despite rising incidents of foodborne illness and increasing public concern over the safety of our food, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service is proposing to both increase line speeds and reduce the number of trained government inspectors at poultry slaughter houses—a serious threat to food safety, animal welfare, and poultry workers.
Sign the petition to tell USDA to reject this proposed rule, because food safety is more important than corporate profits
The Missouri House recently passed an “ag gag” bill that would criminalize employees taking photos or digital recordings of animal or crop facilities. The Missouri Senate will be considering a similar bill this week. The effect of these laws is that environmental and health violations go unreported, covered up, and the state does not discover them until it is too late. Citizen involvement in this process is necessary to ensure healthy agricultural practices exist. Iowa and Utah have passed similar bills this year; don’t let Missouri fall to Big Ag interests!
Your state Senator needs to hear from you that you oppose laws that favor industrial agriculture at the expense of public health, the environment, and animal welfare!
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is set to enact an Invasive Species Order (ISO) that would make it a felony for anyone – including family farmers - to possess certain kinds of pigs. Scheduled to go into effect only a few days from now, on April 1st, 2012, the ISO will criminalize owning heritage pigs, and protect pigs raised by industrial feeding operations. While the ISO may have good intentions—targeting feral pigs that can damage Michigan’s environment—the Order is so poorly worded that it puts family farmers raising heritage breeds at risk of losing their pastured pigs, or even imprisonment.
The State of Michigan needs to hear from you that you support preserving genetic diversity in agriculture, farmers’ rights to raise heritage pigs, and that the ISO must either be rescinded or revised to make clear that the Order applies only to feral pigs.
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Surveys over the past decade have consistently shown that Americans don’t want to eat genetically engineered (GE) food. Despite the overwhelming opposition to this risky new food technology, the biotech giant Monsanto continues to impose its unlabeled GE foods onto our dinner plates.
The latest: Monsanto’s new GE sweet corn. This experimental corn will not be labeled, so consumers cannot know when they may be eating sweet corn that contains a toxic pesticide in every bite. Monsanto’s corn is a new GE variety that has been genetically modified for three different traits, to resist two different insects and to withstand heavy spraying with Monsanto's toxic Roundup herbicide. Because there are already varieties of other insect-resistant and Roundup-Ready varieties on the market, federal regulators are not requiring ANY approval process—which means NO public comment on its introduction into our food supply.
CFS has teamed up with the Center for Environmental Health and Food and Water Watch to urge major food companies and grocers to reject Monsanto’s GE sweet corn, and we need your help to tell leading retailer Walmart to reject this new GMO corn. General Mills (Green Giant, Cascadian Farms), Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have already indicated that they will not use Monsanto’s new GMO sweet corn in their products—so can Walmart!
We’ll be delivering the petition to Walmart by April 1st, so please sign the petition today!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to GE ingredients in the foods we purchase and feed our families. This led the Center for Food Safety to submit a legal petition to the FDA demanding that the agency require the labeling of GE foods. In response, Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) and Representative Peter DeFazio (OR) have authored a bicameral Congressional letter in support of our legal petition and will be urging their fellow Members on Capitol Hill to sign onto their letter.
Unsuspecting consumers by the tens of millions are being allowed to purchase and consume unlabeled genetically engineered foods, despite the fact that FDA undertakes no testing of its own, instead relying only on a voluntary consultation with industry and confidential industry data to assure safety. Internal FDA documents discovered in prior CFS litigation actually indicated the foods could pose serious risks, but those views were overruled.
Genetically engineered foods are required to be labeled in nearly 50 countries around the world including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, China, New Zealand and many others. A recent poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. As ABC News stated, “Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare.” Yet the United States is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling of GE food!
Please email your U.S. Senators and Representative and urge them to join the Boxer-DeFazio letter in support of labeling!
Dow Chemical is currently requesting an unprecedented USDA approval: a genetically engineered (GE) version of corn that is resistant to 2,4-D, a major component of the highly toxic Agent Orange. Agent Orange was the chemical defoliant used by the U.S. in Vietnam, and it caused lasting ecological damage as well as many serious medical conditions in both Vietnam veterans and the Vietnamese.
Exposure to 2,4-D has been linked to major health problems that include cancer (especially non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), lowered sperm counts, liver disease and Parkinson’s disease. A growing body of evidence from laboratory studies show that 2,4-D causes endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, neurotoxicity and immunosuppression. Further, industry’s own tests show that 2,4-D is contaminated with dioxins, a group of highly toxic chemical compounds that bioaccumulate, so even a minute amount can accumulate as it goes up the food chain, causing dangerous levels of exposure. Dioxins in Agent Orange have been linked to many diseases, including birth defects in children of exposed parents; according to EPA, 2,4-D is the seventh largest source of dioxins in the U.S.
USDA approval of Dow’s GE corn will trigger a big increase in 2,4-D use – and our exposure to this toxic herbicide. Yet USDA has not assessed how much, nor analyzed the resulting impacts on public health, the environment or neighboring farmers (2,4-D is prone to drift and cause damage to nearby crops). Instead, USDA has once again bowed to the pesticide industry, by giving preliminary approval to still another pesticide-promoting crop that will likely harm people and their children, including farmers, and the environment. USDA claims to be adhering to a scientific process, yet the Agency is blatantly ignoring the science on 2,4-D.
Tell USDA To Do Its Job And Reject 2,4-D Resistant GE Corn!
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, we don't have that choice when it comes to genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in the foods we purchase and feed our families.
GE foods are required to be labeled in the 15 European Union nations, Russia, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries around the world. A poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. Yet the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling.
Connecticut and Maine each passed GE labeling laws this past spring, but both bills include a trigger clause requiring several other states to also pass labeling bills before the new laws can be implemented. Vermont was the first state to pass a no-strings-attached labeling law, set to go into effect in 2016. The campaign in Oregon narrowly lost a state ballot initiative to label GE foods--by a mere 837 votes--in November, making it the closest election in the state's history.
Numerous states are already planning to introduce GE food labeling bills in 2015 or are considering ballot initiatives of their own. In 2014, 36 bills were introduced in 20 states and experts are projecting the number to be as high or higher in 2015. It is clear that the U.S. public supports mandatory labeling of GE foods - it's time for FDA to use its authority to give us our right to know.
That's why Center for Food Safety filed a formal legal petition with FDA demanding that the agency require the labeling of GE foods and has spearheaded a drive with the Just Label It coalition to direct two million comments to the FDA in support of our petition. We have surpassed the one million mark--help us reach our goal of 2 million!
Please send your comment to FDA and President Obama in support of mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods!
Surveys over the past decade have consistently shown that Americans don’t want to eat genetically engineered (GE or GMO) food. Despite the overwhelming opposition to this risky new food technology, the biotech giant Monsanto continues to impose its unlabeled GMO’s onto our dinner plates.
The latest: Monsanto’s new GMO corn, intended for the frozen and/or canned corn market. This experimental corn will not be labeled, so consumers cannot know when they may be eating a GMO food that contains a toxic pesticide in every bite. Monsanto’s corn is a new GMO variety that has been genetically modified for three different traits, to resist two different insects and to withstand heavy spraying with Monsanto's toxic Roundup herbicide. Because there are already varieties of other insect-resistant and Roundup-Ready varieties on the market, federal regulators are not requiring ANY approval process—which means NO public comment on its introduction into our food supply.
CFS has teamed up with the Center for Environmental Health to urge major companies that make frozen and/or canned corn to take action to avoid Monsanto’s new crop. We need tell Del Monte, Bird’s Eye and other major food makers to reject this new GMO corn. General Mills (Green Giant, Cascadian Farms), Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have already indicated that they will not use Monsanto’s new GMO sweet corn in their products—so can the other top companies!
Take action today! Send food makers a message that we don’t want Monsanto’s food experiments!
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In poll after poll, the American public has said that it does not want to eat food that comes from cloned animals. A 2008 Food Marketing Institute poll indicated that 77% of Americans are not comfortable with eating foods from cloned animals.
But we won’t have much choice about eating cloned foods unless USDA creates a robust system to track clones and their offspring.
Dozens of food companies have pledged to avoid cloned animals in their supply chains, and the National Organic Program has determined that cloned animals and their offspring cannot be certified organic. But these efforts may not be successful unless clones and their offspring can be reliably identified through a national tracking system.
Tracking is also necessary for any kind of labeling about cloned foods. The radio frequency tagging system proposed by the cloning companies stops at the slaughterhouse door and only covers clones, not their offspring; that’s not good enough.
Take Action Now! Tell Congress they must allow for real consumer choice by establishing a national DNA-based tracking system for cloned animals and their offspring.
Tell Mars and Hershey's to sign the Non-GM Beet Sugar Registry
Support the bipartisan legislation to ban GE fish, require labeling
Despite nearly 400,000 comments in opposition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to announce its approval of genetically engineered (GE) salmon any day now. To make matters worse, FDA argues that these GE salmon don’t even need to be labeled!
In response to FDA’s imminent approval, Congress is taking action. Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Representative Don Young (R-Alaska) recently introduced bipartisan legislation in Congress that would ban GE fish (Bill# S. 230/H.R. 521) and require mandatory labeling for consumers if approved (Bill# S. 229/H.R. 520).
The legislation has been endorsed by 64 consumer, worker, religious and environmental groups, along with commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries associations, food businesses and retailers—including the Center for Food Safety, Ocean Conservancy, Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development, the Alaska Trollers Association, Food and Water Watch, the National Cooperative Grocers Association and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations among others—who know that the approval of GE salmon would represent a serious threat to the survival of native salmon populations, many of which have already suffered severe declines related to salmon farms and other man-made impacts. Wild Atlantic salmon are already on the Endangered Species List in the U.S.; approving these GE Atlantic salmon could be the final blow to these wild stocks. Additionally, the human health impacts of eating GE fish are entirely unknown. If GE salmon are approved, these fish must be labeled so people can make informed choices.
Please write your U.S. Senators and Representative and urge them to protect fishers, consumers and the environment by co-sponsoring S. 230/H.R. 521 and S. 229/H.R. 520!
Despite public opposition, the USDA recently approved Monsanto's Roundup Ready, genetically engineered alfalfa for commercial planting in the absence of sound science to prove that contamination can be prevented or that it is safe for human health or the environment.
Alfalfa is primarily used as animal feed in dairies. Now that GE alfalfa has been cleared for commercial production, dairies need to hear from you that you will not purchase dairy products from companies that allow GE alfalfa!
Sign the petition to dairies below!
