The USDA is Set to Approve a GM-Corn Resistant to 2,4-D, a Primary Ingredient in Agent Orange

Written by Max Goldberg on January 9, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

Does our government have any interest in putting the health of its citizens ahead of corporate profits of the chemical industry?

Based on recent news, it doesn’t appear that this is the case.

The USDA is poised to approve Dow Chemical’s genetically-modified corn that is resistant to 2,4-D, a primary ingredient in Agent Orange.

In case you’re not familiar with Agent Orange, it was the code name for one of the chemicals used in Vietnam as part of a broad herbicidal warfare program.

Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children were born with birth defects as a result of this lethal strategy.

But it wasn’t just the Vietnamese who suffered greatly. U.S. soldiers came back from the war and realized that exposure to Agent Orange had greatly impacted them as well. Read More »

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Frito-Lay Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Using GMOs in Tostitos and Sun Chips

Written by Max Goldberg on December 23, 2011. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

As I have been predicting, the class action lawsuits would continue against major food companies for using genetically-modified ingredients (GMOs) and/or synthetic substances in their “all-natural” products.

The trend started first started with Con Agra then moved to Kashi and Naked Juice. Now it is against PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay.

In a class action lawsuit filed (PDF) by law firm Milberg LLP against Frito-Lay, the claim states that the company markets its Tostitos and Sun Chips products as “made with all natural ingredients” when in fact they are not “all natural”.

The lawsuit contends that the ingredients are not “all natural” because the corn and vegetable oils (soybean, corn and canola) that they are using are all genetically-modified. Therefore, they are not “all natural” and are counter to what Frito-Lay is marketing them as. Read More »

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Congress Holds First Ever Hearing on Genetically-Engineered Salmon – An Extremely Positive Step

Written by Max Goldberg on December 15, 2011. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

When you follow the organic industry closely and care deeply about health, it is very easy to get frustrated with how our leaders place such little importance on organic.

While we do have a small number of organic advocates in Washington D.C., the overall policy that emanates from our government is one that supports genetically-modified food, largely because the GM-industry uses its vast resources to influence politicians and regulatory bodies.

And if you think the GM-industry hasn’t gotten to Obama, think again.

Not only did he renege on his promise to label genetically-modified food while on the campaign trail in 2007 but he supported the deregulation of genetically-engineered alfalfa, a policy that has disastrous implications for the organic dairy and meat industries. Read More »

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Our Tax Dollars are Now Being Used for Genetically-Engineered Salmon

Written by Max Goldberg on October 21, 2011. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

If you’ve been reading the news lately, you know that the Obama administration lost $535 million dollars on a loan to a failed solar panel company, Solyndra.

While it is totally inexcusable that we can be wasting money like this, at least the cause – solar energy – was noble. The same cannot be said for what the USDA just spent its money on.

The USDA recently announced a $500,000 grant to fund research for the development of genetically-engineered, sterile salmon. Read More »

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Right2Know March Ends in Washington DC and Marks the Official Beginning of a Big Movement

Written by Max Goldberg on October 17, 2011. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

Over the last few weeks, a group of about 50 people walked from New York City to Washington demanding that our government label genetically-modified food.

Throughout the march, many other people joined at different stages/cities and yesterday culminated in an official protest just steps outside of the White House.

Many luminaries and well-known voices in the organic movement were in Washington for the finale including Maria Rodale, whose grandfather, J.I. Rodale, started the organic movement in the U.S. in the 1940s, and Vandana Shiva (below), one of the world’s leading environmentalists and an absolute hero in India. Read More »

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