Just thought I would pass this on. More reason to keep those heirlooms!
U.S. INSPECTOR GENERAL SLAMS USDA ON GENE-ALTERED CROPS
The USDA is getting some heat for inadequately enforcing regulations on genetically engineered (GE) crops. But this time the heat's not from environmental groups, it's from the agency's own auditor. According to a two year long safety audit by the United States Office of Inspector General, the USDA "lacks basic information about the field test sites it approves and is responsible for monitoring, including where and how the crops are being grown, and what becomes of them at the end of the field test." The government report goes on to say "Current (USDA) regulations, policies and procedures do not go far enough to ensure the safe introduction of agricultural biotechnology." After 10 years, GE crops now account for 114 million acres in the U.S., one-seventh of all crop acreage. Despite the USDA's negligence in enforcing GE crops regulations, Congress continues to refuse to require mandatory safety-testing and labeling of these experimental food products.
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The Helpful Gardener
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All the big corporate growers are cooking up their own laws and the government can't even follow those? Right now Monsanto is suing some poor tater farmer in Maine because some of their crop got into his field (not sure how, could even be cross-pollination). Mexico was going to lose favored trade status unless they start allowing GMO's to be imported (this after US-grown GMO corn labelled ag use only got into a batch of corn for a tortilla factory down there. Can't imagine why they don't trust us...
You are what you eat, so if you eat Monsanto potatoes (fries at McD's?) there's some stuff in you that will make you glow under UV light (THAT's how they check plants in the field so they can sue poor Maine potato farmers). Wonder what critter THAT gene came from?
Scott
You are what you eat, so if you eat Monsanto potatoes (fries at McD's?) there's some stuff in you that will make you glow under UV light (THAT's how they check plants in the field so they can sue poor Maine potato farmers). Wonder what critter THAT gene came from?
Scott
Thankfully, I don't eat anything from McDonalds, Burger King, KrystalBurger, TacoBell or any other fast food joint.
The food industry is a very frightening place right now. Watch which "organic" dairy you are buying - because it may not be organic after all, just under an "organic" label Congress permitted them to slap on there starting in October.
I do wish more people paid attention to where their food comes from. If people knew half the things done to livestock, or even half the things that have been altered in our fruits and veggies - there would be more gardeners I am sure!
Where is a modern Upton Sinclair when you need him?
The food industry is a very frightening place right now. Watch which "organic" dairy you are buying - because it may not be organic after all, just under an "organic" label Congress permitted them to slap on there starting in October.
I do wish more people paid attention to where their food comes from. If people knew half the things done to livestock, or even half the things that have been altered in our fruits and veggies - there would be more gardeners I am sure!
Where is a modern Upton Sinclair when you need him?
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I only buy organic veggies because I have a better assurance of safety from chemicals and hormones. And I certainly don't want any frankenveggies in my system, either.I do wish more people paid attention to where their food comes from.
It's really cool to walk out the backdoor and discover a mini-farm. My next home will feature a garden for growing herbs and veggies.
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The Helpful Gardener
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Hey the food industry is probably quuicker to react to consumer demand than any other. I do marketing and I feel that food companies do it better than any other sector. Organic is hot right now; our local supermarket came out with it's own line of organic food, lowering the price. That's the first step in becoming mainstream; pricewar followed by commodity pricing. Organics is here to stay...
But it weren't always so... used to be Mr. Supermarket owner would hear the occasional request and say "Please, they don't look as good, have a shorter shelf life, and cost 25% more. Go away, now. Buh-bye..." Now he stands to lose that customer to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or whoever is peddling in your neighborhood. Financial pressure is the only tool at hand to change markets, but it's a good tool as long as you get enough people to push for thast tipping point. I'd like to see that in the garden industry as well; invasives and pesticides will become things of the past if we assert the same influences. We simply need to educate the same person who shops at Whole Foods; they are already sold on these concepts...
But it weren't always so... used to be Mr. Supermarket owner would hear the occasional request and say "Please, they don't look as good, have a shorter shelf life, and cost 25% more. Go away, now. Buh-bye..." Now he stands to lose that customer to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or whoever is peddling in your neighborhood. Financial pressure is the only tool at hand to change markets, but it's a good tool as long as you get enough people to push for thast tipping point. I'd like to see that in the garden industry as well; invasives and pesticides will become things of the past if we assert the same influences. We simply need to educate the same person who shops at Whole Foods; they are already sold on these concepts...
I go to the Whole Foods market in Chattanooga when I can - unfortunately it's an hour away!
Thankfully, my teeny-tiny neighborhood grocery store has some organic veggies AND the true organic dairy. The bigger store in town doesn't have but ONE kind of organic milk (whole) - and it's by that company that isn't organic! While both stores vegetable offerings are pretty unpredictable, at least the effort is being made in Smalltown, USA.
Which reminds me, I need to write a thank-you note to my grocery store for doing that. I didn't even know the bigger store lacked the selection until my hubby (probably wanting a taste of normalicy) begged that we go to the big store this weekend.
Thankfully, my teeny-tiny neighborhood grocery store has some organic veggies AND the true organic dairy. The bigger store in town doesn't have but ONE kind of organic milk (whole) - and it's by that company that isn't organic! While both stores vegetable offerings are pretty unpredictable, at least the effort is being made in Smalltown, USA.
Which reminds me, I need to write a thank-you note to my grocery store for doing that. I didn't even know the bigger store lacked the selection until my hubby (probably wanting a taste of normalicy) begged that we go to the big store this weekend.