Clipmarks | bignosemousie's Agriculture collection

Monsanto Loses Case in Canada

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:56:21 GMT

clipped by: cheapogroovo

Key points achieved were:

1. Percy has maintained his freedom to speak out - no gag order.

2. He will be compensated for the removal of Monsanto GMO plants from his land.

3. He or members of his family can take Monsanto to court in the future if they feel their land is contaminated by Monsanto. (Monsanto wanted a settlement earlier that would have involved Percy and his family accepting a gag order, and giving up any rights to take Monsanto to court in the future).

4. Percy and his partner Louise have set a precedent by challenging Monsanto and effecting a settlement with them

Percy, Louise and their family view this not only as victory for them but for producers throughout the world who want the freedom to plant their own seed, and keep the natural seeds from being contaminated by GMO products. And, the freedom to speak out and challenge those interests who promote corporate domination of the food system.

Tags: seed, farming, gmo, monsanto, fascism

The Meatrix needs your help

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:33:57 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: In case any Clippers would like to volunteer for the cause, they need people that can read and write Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

Links to the two Meatrix movies at the top.

Clip Source: www.sustainabletable.org

The Meatrix and The Meatrix II: Revolting. For short, entertaining films on the problems with our meat and dairy supplies, watch the award-winning animated Matrix spoofs produced by Sustainable Table and Free Range Graphics.

Clip Source: sustainabletable.org

We need HELP proofreading Chinese, Japanese and Korean!

But, we are in desperate need of people to help proofread the Asian languages. Can you read Chinese, Japanese or Korean? Do you have a friend who might be able to help? If you can volunteer a little time, please contact Dawn at dawn@sustainabletable.org for more details. For Chinese, we need someone who can read and write and who has the capability to re-type the subtitles for us (they are already created but need some help!)… this would be a little more time commitment if anyone is interested!

You will be showered with Meatrix gifts if you can help out, THANKS!!

Tags: volunteer, meatrix, agriculture, dairy

The Sustainable Table

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:27:48 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: There are many links, and much information at this website for getting started.

Clip Source: www.sustainabletable.org

oday’s dominant form of agriculture relies on synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, large amounts of water, major transportation systems and factory-style practices for raising livestock and crops. Artificial hormones in milk, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, mad cow disease, and large-scale outbreaks of potentially deadly e.coli are all associated with this industrial form of food production.

Sustainable agriculture involves food production methods that are healthy, do not harm the environment, respect workers, are humane to animals, provide fair wages to farmers, and support farming communities. But rather than focus on the problems, Sustainable Table promotes the positive shift toward local, small-scale sustainable farming.

Clip Source: www.sustainabletable.org

Small changes can have large, lasting impacts, so join the millions of people who are now making wiser choices about the food they eat. Find out what you can do – and then go do it!

Tags: agriculture, sustainable, farming, eating, health, food

Monsanto's Udder Disgrace

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:15:19 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks:

The milk labeling controversy - and other corporate practices of Monsanto - have been issues for years. For a while every time I saw my Senator, I would greet him with the same comment, "Hey Bernie, when are you going to do something about Monsanto?" Senator Bernie would shake his head and raise his hands in frustration.

I often heard him say that no matter how bad you think things are in Washington, they are really much worse. While the Congress is distracted with growth hormones taken by sports figures, our farm animals are being abused with other hormones. Baseball players have a free choice. Cows don't.

None of us have a choice. Not if Monsanto has anything to say about it and they do. Money talks.

Clip Source: mwcnews.net

I won't say that cows suffer painful mastitis because of injections of Monsanto's BGH.

I won't say that Monsanto puts profits ahead of the health of all of us.

Monsanto, known for its strong-arm legal tactics, is opposing the labeling of ice cream.

BGH, otherwise known as Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, is a drug developed to increase bovine milk production. Ben & Jerry's is fighting for the right to continue to label ice cream that is made with milk from BGH-free cows.

Monsanto's position, which was supported by the USDA

was that consumers did not have the right to that information.

The food chain is under worldwide assault by U.S. corporations. The Master Race of corporations has seized control of the very essence of life itself. We are now in the age of Genetically Modified Doomsday Seeds. Why has there been no public discussion on who should have control of the planetary gene pool?

Tags: gmo, food safety, animal welfare

Not just a Farm Bill, it's a food bill

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:17:16 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks:

If the eaters and all the other “people on the outside” make themselves heard, we just might end up with something that looks less like a farm bill and more like the food bill a poorly fed America so badly needs.

Call your Senator!

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Americans have begun to ask why the farm bill is subsidizing high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils at a time when rates of diabetes and obesity among children are soaring, or why the farm bill is underwriting factory farming (with subsidized grain) when feedlot wastes are polluting the countryside and, all too often, the meat supply. For the first time, the public health community has raised its voice in support of overturning farm policies that subsidize precisely the wrong kind of calories (added fat and added sugar), helping to make Twinkies cheaper than carrots and Coca-Cola competitive with water.

“This is not just a farm bill. It’s a food bill, and Americans who eat want a stake in it.”

Tags: farming, farm bill, agriculture, politics

National Action to Support Farmers

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:26:13 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: See source for ways to help. Send an email and call your Senators. It's easy to email your Senators at the source.

Clip Source: action.environmentaldefense.org

TODAY: National Action and Call-In for Conservation

Join 30 wildlife, environmental and conservation groups in a National Action and Call-In for Conservation.

The Senate is now debating the 2007 Farm Bill. A vote is expected in the coming weeks.

But the Senate Agriculture Committee is considering a Farm Bill that MIGHT NOT include enough conservation funding.

Take action! First, email your Senators to support a Farm Bill that provides $6 billion in new funding for conservation programs.

Then, call Capitol Hill (202-224-3121). Tell your Senators you support more conservation funding for farmers.

A single call is worth more than 100 emails, so your call is well worth it

Tags: agriculture, politics, farmers, farm bill, environmentalism

Does the Indian government really believe this stuff?

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 23:07:48 GMT

clipped by: mbthorman
clipper's remarks: Sounds good at first reading, but then note the 200 meter isolation. This is nothing considering that both wind caried pollen and insect carried pollen will inevitably cross over a small area such as 200 meters. Contamination of nearby natural crops cannot be assured!

Clip Source: www.thehindu.com

The field trials of Bt brinjal developed by Mahyco will be carried out under the direct supervision of the Director IIVR and would have to comply with the Supreme Court directions stating that all trials should have a lead scientist’s name who would be responsible for all aspects of the trial including regulatory requirements, an isolation of 200 metres would be maintained during field trials and before bringing the GM material from the green house for conduct of open field trial, the company should confirm that there has been no contamination. The two year trial will also include a flavour analysis of the product as it is a food crop.

Tags: genetically modified, crops, government, health, safety, technology

Higher grocery bills

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:37:12 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: There is so much more info at the source. I recommend reading the entire article.

Clip Source: www.chron.com

In the Houston area, grocery prices rose 0.9 percent in July, on the heels of a 0.4 percent increase in June, according to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A basket of groceries that cost $100 in July 1984 and $183 a year ago would cost nearly $190 today.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans reported paying significantly more per week — between $8 and $20 — for groceries, according to a survey by America's Research Group. That's up from 53 percent in February and March.

Part of the rise in price is increased demand. About 14 percent of the U.S. corn crop is going to produce ethanol as an environmentally-friendly alternative and gasoline supplement.

Higher fuel costs translate to higher food prices because very little food gets eaten in the same part of the world where it is grown,

In addition to more corn going to ethanol, growing wealth in China and other developing nations means those countries have more money to buy food.

Tags: environment, agriculture, corn, ethanol, farming, shopping, consumerism

Smart Guides for eating

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:28:50 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: The guides are .pdf, so I couldn't clip them. The Smart Plastics Guide looks helpful.

Clip Source: www.iatp.org

Healthier Food Uses of Plastics

Plastics are widely used to store and package foods and beverages. In IATP's latest Smart Guide, we offer tips for parents and children on how to avoid environmental and health risks from plastic packaging of food. The Smart Plastics Guide is the latest in a series of consumer guides put out by IATP. Other guides report on meat and dairy, produce and fish.

Tags: health, plastics, food, environment, agriculture

MONSANTO PATENTS ASSERTED AGAINST AMERICAN FARMERS REJECTED BY PATENT OFFICE

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:42:50 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud
clipper's remarks: One study of the matter found that, "Monsanto has used heavy-handed investigations and ruthless prosecutions that have fundamentally changed the way many American farmers farm. The result has been nothing less than an assault on the foundations of farming practices and traditions that have endured for centuries in this country and millennia around the world, including one of the oldest, the right to save and replant crop seed."

Clip Source: www.pubpat.org

NEW YORK – July 24, 2007 -- The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has rejected four key Monsanto patents related to genetically modified crops that PUBPAT challenged last year because the agricultural giant is using them to harass, intimidate, sue - and in some cases literally bankrupt - American farmers. In its Office Actions rejecting each of the patents, the USPTO held that evidence submitted by PUBPAT, in addition to other prior art located by the Patent Office's Examiners, showed that Monsanto was not entitled to any of the patents.

Monsanto has filed dozens of patent infringement lawsuits asserting the four challenged patents against American farmers, many of whom are unable to hire adequate representation to defend themselves in court. The crime these farmers are accused of is nothing more than saving seed from one year's crop to replant the following year, something farmers have done since the beginning of time.

Tags: monsanto

The 2010 Biodiversity Pledge

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:19:11 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken

Clip Source: www.countdown2010.net

Governments worldwide have promised to save biodiversity by 2010. Countdown 2010 helps them move from words to action.

The 2010 Biodiversity Pledge

The choices we make in our lives — the food we eat, the way we live in our homes, and how we transport ourselves – have great potential to cause environmental damage and threaten biodiversity. Making better choices in these areas could improve the environment and slow the loss of biodiversity. Sign the 2010 Biodiversity Pledge here, and get active!

Biodiversity – the web of life on earth – is essential to the quality of human well-being, and it is a crucial element in sustaining the social, economic and spiritual dimension of all societies worldwide. Yet, biodiversity continues to decline. Political commitments have been made to stop this trend by 2010. Further steps need to be taken to honour this commitment and to translate it into action.

Please check three commitments you personally will undertake.

Tags: environment, biodiversity, pledge, sustainability

Sustainable Food

Thu, 31 May 2007 15:54:30 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad

Clip Source: www.worldchanging.com

Principle 18: Sustainable Food

Nothing is more personal than food. It forces us to make decisions every day that have real and immediate impact, which means learning about what we're eating and figuring out how to make good choices is essential. As environmental issues move to the forefront of public consciousness, the meaning of a good choice doesn't just have to do with a food pyramid or a nutrition label, but with knowing where your food came from, how it got to you, and who was involved in that process.

Food is one of the primary subjects with which we deal when talking about backstory, since it's one of the most accessible means of understanding the life of an item prior to its arrival in your hand. In many ways, food is also one of the best and easiest places to push for a change in that backstory, whether calling for different conditions for the producers, demanding a change in a product's contents, selecting a new source, or deciding to grow your own.

Tags: sustainable food, sustainability

How to tap into the bounty nearby

Tue, 22 May 2007 16:06:49 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: More resources at the source.

Clip Source: www.mercurynews.com

Here are some resources to inspire you to eat what's local:

www.eatlocalchallenge.com

A blog that offers insight and testimonials on eating locally produced foods.

www.eatwellguide.org. Plug in your ZIP code to find farms, restaurants, stores, markets, and bed and breakfasts that feature sustainable and humanely raised food.

www.localharvest.org. Pinpoints farmers markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area.

Books

"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, A Year of Food Life" by Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver

"Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables" by John Peterson

"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

"Real Food: What to Eat and Why" by Nina Planck

"The Slow Food Revolution" by Carlo Petrini in conversation with Gigi Padovani

Tags: books, farming, agriculture, eating, food, environment, produce

Reasons to buy local produce

Tue, 22 May 2007 15:45:26 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: Buying local also means the food is grown because it tastes good and not because it ships well. More reasons in the article, I recommend reading it.

Clip Source: www.daily-times.com

Local produce fresher and safer; promotes economic growth

By Lisa Meerts The Daily Times

Eating locally grown foods does more than provide a tasty and nutritious meal. It also supports the local economy, saves farm land from development and builds community.

Guillermo Payet, president of Local Harvest, a national organization that connects growers with consumers, said food grown and sold locally supports the economy by keeping money circulating within the town. It promotes environmentally sound farming practices because people

see the farms and know whether they damage the environment.

But when the farm exists 5,000 miles away, no one knows the difference.

Farmers also earn the most money when they sell directly to a customer rather than going through a middle man.

Ultimately, as gas prices rise, it will make economic sense to eat locally grown foods rather then spend money on fuel shipping it up from Chile or other countries,

Tags: agriculture, agribusiness, farming, food, eating, environment, farms, health

Saving the family farm

Sun, 13 May 2007 22:29:35 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: Check out the National Family Farm Coalition for more information about each of these policies. Eat better to live better.

Clip Source: www.nffc.net

U.S. farm and food policy must change in order to reverse the economic devastation currently faced by our nation’s family farmers and rural communities. In addition, our international trade policy must recognize each nation’s right and responsibility to make their own decisions about how to develop and protect the capacity to grow food, sustain the livelihood of food producers, and feed the people in its own borders.

The following is an outline of policies that the NFFC is pursuing. Family farmers and their allies are working together to:

(1) Enact farm policy (the Food from Family Farms Act)

(2) Restore competition to the farm and food sector

(3) Negotiate Fair Trade Agreements

(4) Promote Food Security and Food Safety

(5) Hold US Government Agencies Accountable

(6) Minimize the risks of Genetic Engineering

Tags: nffc, farming, agriculture, society, environment, family, food