by Marion Nestle, PhD, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University
I was a member of the FDA Food Advisory Committee when the agency approved production of genetically modified foods in the early 1990s.
At the time, critics repeatedly warned that widespread planting of GM crops modified to resist Monsanto’s weed-killer, Roundup, were highly likely to select for “superweeds” that could withstand treatment with Roundup. Continue reading
Posted in Food Politics, Pesticides & GMOs
Tagged GMOs, industrial food system, pesticides
By Margaret Riche, EcoCentric
According to many family farmers, there is an atmosphere of fear in rural America today. The threat of litigation looms, carried on the wind, by bird and by bee, in the form of Monsanto’s genetically engineered seeds. When these patent-protected drifters settle on a neighbor’s non-GE field, in effect contaminating their crops, unwitting farmers are suddenly at risk for legal retribution from the biotech giant. Continue reading
by Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network
Spring has sprung, and farmers across the country are preparing for planting season. One of their biggest headaches will be dealing with the millions of acres of cropland that have been infested with superweeds and with new generations of superbugs. These superpests have evolved as the direct — and inevitable — consequence of Monsanto’s aggressive promotion of its genetically engineered “RoundUp-Ready” and insecticidal seed packages over the past 15 years. Continue reading
Posted in Children's Health, Men's Health, Pesticides & GMOs, Women's Health
Tagged GMOs, industrial farming, pesticides
By Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network
As if the disaster of RoundUp resistant superweeds sweeping our farmland weren’t enough, Monsanto is now preparing to launch an even greater disaster: a new soybean engineered to be resistant to the older, more toxic weedkiller, dicamba. The seed — which Monsanto plans to market in 2014 if approved — will also come stacked with the company’s RoundUp Ready gene, and is designed to be used with Monsanto’s proprietary herbicide “premix” of dicamba and glyphosate. Continue reading
Posted in Children's Health, Men's Health, Pesticides & GMOs, Women's Health
Tagged GMOs, industrial farming, pesticides
By Tim Schwab, researcher at Food & Water Watch
The American Standard Champion 4 toilet is something to behold. The simple perch, elegant design, and accelerator flush valve make it, I’m told, a superior vessel for waste evacuation. And the technical department at American Standard has made some convincing videos to prove their point, demonstrating the Champ’s flawless devouring of 24 golf balls, 8 large hot dogs, or 100 cotton balls. Continue reading
By Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network
As reported in this week’s UK Guardian, Nina Federoff spoke about threats to science at a meeting of 8,000 professional scientists. The former Bush 
Administration official and GMO proponent described her “profound depression” at how difficult it is to “get a realistic conversation started on issues such as climate change or genetically modified organisms.” I too have agonized over our inability to talk seriously about climate change. Continue reading
Posted in Pesticides & GMOs
by Sarah Zimmerman, GRACE communications
There is no expression of love more classic than a dozen red roses. Every Valentine’s Day, more than 100 million roses are sold in the United States. Since the Language of Flowers developed in the Victorian Era, they have signified passionate, romantic love, over time becoming one of the most iconic images of February 14th.
by Scott Edwards, co-director of the Justice Project at Food & Water Watch
Whenever I hear the name Monsanto I can’t help but think about one of the greatest environmental crimes in the history of the United States. Back in 1935 Monsanto bought out a small chemical company located in Anniston, Alabama, a struggling town of about 22,000 poor and working class people. Monsanto spent the next 36 years using Anniston as its manufacturing headquarters for PCBs, an industrial coolant. Tragically, the company was also recklessly poisoning the local community, environment and its own workers with hundreds of tons of this highly toxic material. Continue reading
Posted in Pesticides & GMOs
by Anna Ghosh, western region communications manager for Food & Water Watch
High levels of arsenic in apple juice imported from China and other countries with lax food safety standards was one of the biggest, and scariest, stories of 2011. Now, just a couple weeks into 2012, we’re faced with another imported juice scare.
This week, the FDA sent a letter to the juice industry about the fact that the fungicide carbendazim was found in several samples of orange juice concentrate coming from Brazil. In 2007, 32 percent of orange juice consumed in U.S. was imported, up from 23 percent in 1993. Top importers are Brazil and Mexico.It’s heartening, in this instance, that the FDA is doing its job and testing imported orange juice for toxic pesticide chemicals. But it’s impossible for the under-funded, under-staffed agency to police the tidal wave of food and beverage imports that flood our ports every day. Continue reading
By Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch
‘Tis the season to reflect on the past year and hold high expectations for the blank slate that awaits in January. Here’s one resolution for all you consumers hoping to improve your health and the environment: Starting in 2012, avoid genetically engineered foods [also known as GMOs].
It won’t be easy. By some estimates, 70 percent of processed food contains engineered ingredients. That’s why we need lawmakers and grocery retailers to turn over a new leaf in the coming year and support our right to know what we’re eating. Continue reading
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