Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Organic Bytes #169 Health, Justice and Sustainability News
April 15, 2009

from the  Organic Consumers Association
http://www.organicconsumers.org

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In This Issue

* Breaking News of the Week: OCA Under Attack
* Alert of the Week: Safeguard Organic Standards Tell the NOSB to
Strengthen Organic Standards
* Grassroots Victory of the Week: Mars Takes a Step Forward Towards
Sustainability -- Urge Them to Go Further
* Political Plunder of the Week: Tell Obama Not to Appoint Former Monsanto
Lawyer on White House Food Safety Panel
* Web Video of the Week: The Psychological Benefits of Gardening
* Quote of the Week
* Headlines and Articles of the Week

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Breaking News of the Week
OCA Under Attack

For the second time in a month, sophisticated hackers have attacked the OCA
website. The previous attack forced us to delay putting out Organic Bytes
for a week. We're not sure whether these cowardly cyber-criminals are
agents of Monsanto or one of our other "profits before people" adversaries,
but we are sure of one thing: nothing will stop OCA from speaking out and
mobilizing for health, justice, and sustainability. Even though OCA's
tireless web team have one again foiled the latest assault, these attacks
are costing us valuable time and money. We need your financial support to
help us strengthen our defenses and ward off future attacks. Please make a
tax deductible donation to OCA today.

Donate
http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.cfm
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Alert of the Week
Safeguard Organic Standards Tell the NOSB to Strengthen Organic Standards

Twice yearly, the National Organic Standards Board holds public meetings to
hear from the public and make recommendations to the USDA National Organic
Program. The next meeting is May 4-6, 2009, in Washington, DC. The Organic
Consumers Fund, the voice for organic consumers in the Nation's Capitol,
will be submitting written and oral comments to the NOSB and we would like
to have your input. Please go to the OCA Forum to let us know what you
think about the following issues that the NOSB will be discussing.
http://organicconsumers.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=2635

Biodiversity-- Biodiversity should be prioritized in organic system plans.
Maintaining healthy, biologically diverse farms is essential for the
long-term sustainability of our food system and ecosystem. Currently,
biodiversity is being neglected by the USDA National Organic Program and
many organic farmers, inspectors, and certifiers.

Food Packaging--
Carbon dioxide, and other inert atmospheric gases or packaging aids that
create an appearance of freshness even after food has spoiled. should not
be allowed in organic products. The NOSB Certification, Accreditation and
Compliance Committee is considering allowing this loophole, under the
premise that inert atmospheric gases are not processing aids because they
have no functional effect in the food, but merely modify the environment in
which the food is packaged.

Personal Care Products--
Personal care products labeled or marketed as organic should meet USDA
standards. Unlike organic foods, many personal care products are falsely
labeled as "organic." The USDA has not used its enforcement power to go
after shampoos, cosmetics and other personal care products that mislead
consumers by improperly using the term "organic" in their name, branding
and marketing claims.

National Organic Program Peer Review Board--
The overwhelming majority of organic farmers, producers, and certifiers are
playing by the rules, but a single example of organic fraud can crumble
consumer confidence in organic certification. We need a professional,
well-funded and independent NOP Peer Review Board, as required by law, so
that respected members of the organic community can monitor and police
violations of organic standards.

Nanotechnology-- Nanotechnology is the radical new technology of
manipulating matter at the sub-molecular, atomic level. Nano-technology is
being used increasingly in numerous areas of agricultural production and
food production and handling. The UK's Soil Association has banned the use
of nano-materials in organic, but the USDA NOP and NOSB have not yet acted,
and it is unclear whether current regulations would prevent nanotechnology
from entering the organic marketplace.

Learn more and Take Action
http://organicconsumers.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=2635

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Grassroots Victory of the Week
Mars Takes a Step Forward Towards Sustainability -- Urge Them to Go Further

Last week, Mars, Incorporated announced a commitment to source 100,000
metric tons of cocoa certified by the Rainforest Alliance annually for use
in Mars products. Over 40 percent of the world's conventional chocolate
(i.e. non-organic and non-Fair Trade) comes from Africa's Ivory Coast,
where the International Labor Organization and US State Department have
reported widespread instances of child slavery. Exploitation of cacao
farmers and farm workers is the norm in the chocolate industry. While the
OCA recognizes Mars¹ progress towards sustainability with Rainforest
Alliance certification, OCA and partners like the International Labor
Rights Forum, have long urged Mars for stronger labor standards, organic
certification and a commitment to source GE Free sugar.

Contact Mars, Incorporated today and urge them to solidify their commitment
to sustainability and transition their product line to certified organic
and Fair Trade, as well as commit to GE Free sugar.

Learn more and Take Action
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27046

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Political Plunder of the Week
Tell Obama Not to Appoint Former Monsanto Lawyer on White House Food Safety
Panel

President Obama announced on March 14th the creation of a White House Food
Safety Working Group to improve and coordinate the governments approach to
the nationwide food safety crisis. Included in President Obama's short-list
of working groups members is Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto executive
who has a long history of lobbying for Monsanto and fast tracking
Monsanto's controversial rBGH while at the Food and Drug Administration.
Taylor is a case study of the "revolving door," having worked within the
USDA and FDA, as well as Monsanto.

Take action now. Tell President Obama and Secretary Vilsack to appoint true
champions for food safety, not shills for Monsanto.

Learn more and take action
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27042

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Web Video of the Week
The Psychological Benefits of Gardening

Spring has arrived and 80 million Americans are making plans for this
year's gardens. There are numerous obvious benefits of growing at least a
portion of your own organic food, but very little has been written about
its psychological benefits. In Geoff Lawton's new DVD "Establishing a Food
Forest the Permaculture Way", we learn how gardening provides food for the
soul, as well as the body.

Watch
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17524.cfm

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Quote of the Week

"The ambition for broad acres leads to poor farming, even with men of
energy. I scarcely ever knew a mammoth farm to sustain itself; much less to
return a profit upon the outlay. I have more than once known a man to spend
a respectable fortune upon one; fail and leave it; and then some man of
more modest aims, get a small fraction of the ground, and make a good
living upon it. Mammoth farms are like tools or weapons, which are too
heavy to be handled. Ere long they are thrown aside, at a great loss."

Source: Abraham Lincoln, Sept 30, 1859, Wisconsin State Fair

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Headlines and Articles of the Week

1) Food Fight : The Food Safety Bill Is Cause for Concern, Not Panic:
"Over the past several weeks, blog posts and alternative media sites were
riddled with panic over H.R. 875, the new bill introduced in the House over
food safety regulations. H.R. 875 cannot survive in its current state nor
is it ever likely to gain widespread support..." Learn more
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17492.cfm

2) The Carbon Tax - A Moral Issue
"The disagreement as to the most effective remedy to confront the climate
change crisis may seem like just another controversy among Washington
energy wonks. It is, in fact, a vital moral question that could help decide
whether our planet's fate is life or death..." Learn more
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17514.cfm

3) A Solar Revolution May Be Coming to Your Town
A new "feed-in tariff" is boosting home solar paneling in cities like
Gainesville, FL. Under this tariff system, the local power company is
required to buy renewable energy from independent producers, no matter how
small, at rates slightly higher than the average cost of production. This
means anyone with a cluster of solar cells on their roof can sell the power
they produce at a profit. Learn more
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17509.cfm

4) New Study: More Bad News About Plastic Containers
"New research analyzing mineral water held in bottles made from
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) raises questions about whether
contaminants might leach from PET into the water where they mimic
estrogen's effects..." Learn more
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17505.cfm

5) Big Food Is Copying Big Tobacco's Disinformation Tactics, How Many Will
Die This Time?
"By any definition, the tobacco industry script had been deadly -- and
successful for them because they forestalled government action. They had
convinced the public that tobacco wasn't as bad as it really was. They
fought off lawsuits. They got government to delay many (actions). We simply
didn't want the food industry to be able to get away with some of those
same tactics..." Learn more
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17516.cfm