MONSANTO, MOST EVIL CORRUPTION, LOSING LOSING LOSING! Great News!
TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK Foiled AgainMonsanto can’t catch a break, not that it deserves one. The $50-billion mega-corporation, now owned by Bayer, has taken a beating this year, both in the courts and in the public eye. On August 10, a jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289.2 million to a former groundskeeper who successfully argued that the company’s flagship weedkiller, Roundup, caused his cancer. A few days later, Monsanto lost its bid to keep glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, off of California’s Proposition 65 list of carcinogens. Now this: On September 6, a Manhattan judge threw out a subpoena filed by Monsanto against an activist group, going so far as to lecture Monsanto on the importance of free speech and democracy. The 168-page subpoena, issued on behalf of Monsanto from a New York court, would have forced the global activist organization Avaaz to hand over decade’s worth of internal campaign communications, including personal information belonging to millions of activists who signed petitions against Monsanto’s genetically modified crops and Roundup weedkiller. TAKE ACTION: Tell the National School Boards Association: No More Roundup Weedkiller in Schools! Make a tax-deductible donation to OCA’s Millions Against Monsanto campaign |
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SUPPORT THE OCA & CRL Note from RFK, Jr.As hard as we at OCA work to expose the devastating consequences of Roundup (and all toxic agri-chemicals, for that matter) on human health and the environment, we’re keenly aware that we are not alone. Thankfully, there are hundreds of good organizations, millions of people, hard at work to end the poisoning of our food system. One of those people is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy was co-counsel for the recent trial in San Francisco, which pitted one of Monsanto’s victims against a cadre of Monsanto attorneys. Throughout the trial, he provided us with eyewitness accounts of, how he puts it, the “spectacle” of Monsanto’s lawyers as they tried to deny that Roundup weedkiller caused Dewayne “Lee” Johnson’s cancer. Kennedy writes: I watched Monsanto’s hired guns tap dance and dissemble, as they tried to explain Monsanto’s herculean 40-year campaign to hide the truth about Roundup’s deadly cancer-causing properties. We’re gratefull for Kennedy’s reports, and work, on the landmark trial that ended in the jury awarding Johnson $289.2 million. We’re also grateful that he was willing to reach out to our networks to ask for support for our latest fundraising campaign. We hope you’ll read his plea, written on our behalf. Read this letter from RFK, Jr. Help us reach our fall fundraising goal Click here to learn about other ways to support our work |
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ACTION ALERT Raw Deal?States are allowed to write their own laws governing the sale of raw milk. But thanks to a 1987 ordinance passed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), all milk sold across state lines, even between two states where raw milk sales are legal, must be pasteurized. We think that’s wrong. So, on September 26, the Organic Consumers Association will join our allies at the Real Food Consumer Coalition, the Organic and Natural Health Association and the American Grassfed Association to bring the truth about raw milk to Congress. Want to help? We’re calling on all raw milk farmers and drinkers to join us in educating their members of Congress about the benefits of raw milk. TAKE ACTION: Register for our pre-lobby-day training webinar on September 17, at 8 p.m EDT TAKE ACTION: Join our lobbying team in Washington, D.C., on September 26 Learn more about this upcoming event on raw milk and why it matters |
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ACTION ALERT Deadline ExtendedIf you think meat labeled “Product of U.S.A.” should come from cattle actually raised in the U.S.—not imported from other countries—you’re not alone. The American Grassfed Association (AGA) and the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) have submitted a petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) asking that the USDA change its labeling policy for grass-fed meat. Here’s the issue. Current policy allows imported beef to be labeled “Product of U.S.A.” if the meat passes through a U.S.-based inspection plant, or is blended with meat from cattle actually born and raised in the U.S. That policy deceives consumers. And it puts U.S. grassfed beef producers at a huge disadvantage. Following a “significant interest from stakeholders,” the USDA has extended the public comment period for another month—so if you haven’t yet weighed in, you’re in luck. TAKE ACTION: U.S. Grassfed Meat Producers Need Your Help—Act by Midnight September 17 Read ‘Do You Know Where Your Meat Comes From?’ |
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VIDEO OF THE WEEK Miraculous AbundanceRegeneration International and Kiss the Ground have teamed up to create a video series they call “Trails of Regeneration.” Their latest segment takes you to Normandy, France, for a closer look at a farm that has been highly successful over the last 12 years: Farm du Bec Hellouin. By what yardstick do farmers Charles and Perrine Hervé-Gruyer measure the success of their farm business? For starters: yield. Using regenerative practices, the husband-and-wife team says they can grow as much food on one-tenth of a hectare (one hectare equals about 2.3 acres) of land as neighboring farms grow on only one hectare of land! How? The organic farm, based on the principles of permaculture, uses mound cultivation, agroforestry, associated crops, animal traction, fragmented ramal wood, effective microorganisms, terra preta and more. But better yields is just one aspect of this farm’s success. These farmers are also restoring soil fertility, sequestering carbon and cultivating biodiversity. Read ‘Could Farms Like This Change the World?’ Support Regeneration International with a tax-deductible donation Sign up for Regeneration International’s newsletter |
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ORGANIC STOREFRONT Smooth MoveRaw beets provide a host of health benefits. They help lower blood pressure, boost stamina during exercise and strengthen the immune system. What could be better than that? Fermented beets. According to Mercola.com: Fermenting your beets rather than eating them raw gives you all the health-boosting benefits of raw beets—which are made even more bioavailable through fermentation—plus the beneficial bacteria and enzymes that result from fermentation. It’s easy to ferment your own beets—here are six recipes if you want to try your hand at it. (Be sure to use organic ingredients, including organic non-GMO beets). Prefer to get your veggies by drinking a smoothie? Try adding a scoop of fermented beet powder. You’ll get all the benefits of raw beets, plus the added boost for your gut health. Now through midnight September 30, 2018, get 20 percent off Mercola’s fermented beet powder with this promo code: ORGANIC918. Mercola will also donate 20% of the product price to OCA. Get 20% off a wide range of Mercola products with this coupon: ORGANIC918 Watch this video on why fermentation is so important for gut health |
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LITTLE BYTES Essential Reading for the WeekConsumer Reports Maintains Stand on Possible Dangers of Meat, Poultry House Republicans Look to Overturn Glyphosate Bans Preharvest Use of Glyphosate Poisons Kids’ Foods The Climate Impact of the Food in the Back of Your Fridge The Godfather of California Organics Is Optimistic about the Future of Food Antibiotics Send 70,000 Kids to the ER |