The GMO Maelstrom of 2011

In the whirlpool of activity surrounding the Organic Consumer Alliance’s (OCA's) incendiary accusation that the CEOs of Whole Foods (WF), Stonyfield Farm, and Organic Valley (OV) collectively caved in to Monsanto, I received communications from both Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farms asking for fair airtime on their side of the story. And indeed, this is not a black and white portrait of American business gone awry, but a complex and troubling portrayal of what is happening in America: to our food, our information systems, and our business-as-usual politics. My prayer is that the American people will use their collective economic clout to push back, make themselves heard, and insist on a safe food supply. We are entitled to it. To that end, I thank OCA’s Mr. Cummins for drawing national media attention to an issue that has received far less coverage and visibility than it should.
Stonyfield Farms, Organic Valley and 21 other significant players in the organic community (Whole Foods Market NOT amongst them) have written an open letter denouncing this latest move by the USDA. It’s admirable, and something I believe we should all be getting on board with. The letter is reprinted in full at the end of this article.
But some questions remain unanswered. According to foodandwaterwatch.org, special interest groups spent ½ billion dollars over the course of a decade to promote their agenda in political campaigns and congressional lobbying. The expenditures aimed for the prevention of regulation and labeling of genetically engineered foods, even as the vast majority of Americans want to be protected from these dangerous substances masquerading as nourishment. If my math is correct, this amounts to $50 million per year. Based on the Organic Trade Association’s industry statistics, 2009 marked sales of $26.6 billion for the organic industry. The fabulous four (WF, United Natural Foods, OV, and Stonyfield) collectively earned over half of that figure. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Whole Foods earned over $9 billion in revenues last year; UNFI nearly $4 billion; Organic Valley came in with approximately $600 million; and Stonyfield Farm with approximately $350 million. This is called major economic clout. By comparison, Monsanto weighed in with about $10.5 billion. The bio-industrial behemoth has certainly met its match in terms of economic power, so why is it that it took ferocious –and perhaps somewhat misguided- whistle blowing to bring this issue to a much-needed head? This is the question that troubles me most. The organic coalition could and should have gathered its forces before the awakening of the 3-headed monster, and for some reason, they stayed under the national radar. Yes, both Stonyfield and Organic Valley have won well-earned nods for sustainable business practices, but what was going on behind closed doors in the organic business community? Back in 2002 I attended the Baum Forum on the Future: A Growing Concern at the New School for Social Research in New York City. It was a two-day conference with breakout sessions that were both inspirational and frightening. Gary Hirshberg was there, along with Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Marion Nestle, and many scholars and scientists who had studied the politics of global hunger, GMOs, and human health. While I do not remember all the names of all the players, I do recall certain points with utmost clarity. One panel discussed the notion that we grow enough food to feed everyone on the planet, but that business and politics collaborate to make sure that can’t happen. Another panel discussed the fact that an entire generation (my son’s) was being put at risk for dying before their parents because of illnesses almost never before seen in children; illnesses that would be preventable with a whole foods, untainted diet. Last, but by no means least, a message was conveyed in no uncertain terms that while Americans were distracted by “the war on terror”, mega-corporations were enacting backroom deals to completely change the face of organics in our country. A younger, more idealistic, and less rich Gary Hirshberg was present that day, and he spoke quite passionately on the subject. I was so overwhelmed by the weight of information that was shared at the conference that I wept: with anger, with sorrow, and with fear for our children and grandchildren, and the future we are creating for them.
Which brings us back to the present. There is no benefit from mud slinging or finger pointing, but I do want answers. I want to know if the organic business community is going to bring its ample muscle to bear on our USDA, our congress, and our government to clean up the mess it has allowed to gestate. I want to know if these businesses will hold themselves accountable for their part in what has been a shameful chapter in our country’s history. And most of all, I want to know if they will fight to protect ALL of our children from what is starting to look like a steady road to human extinction. Certainly their billions should buy them some time with our congressional leaders.
The organic coalition letter follows:

"WE STAND UNITED IN OPPOSITION TO GE ALFALFA
January 31, 2011
We stand united in opposition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to once again allow unlimited, nationwide commercial planting of Monsanto's genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa, despite the many risks to organic and conventional farmers. Last spring more than 200,000 people submitted comments to the USDA highly critical of the substance and conclusions of its draft EIS on GE Alfalfa. Instead of responding to these comments and concerns, including expert comments from farmers, scientists, academics, conservationists, and food safety and consumer advocates, the USDA has chosen instead to listen to a handful of agricultural biotechnology companies.
USDA's decision to allow unlimited, nationwide commercial planting of Monsanto's GE Roundup Ready alfalfa without any restrictions flies in the face of the interests of conventional and organic farmers, preservation of the environment, and consumer choice. USDA has become a rogue agency in its regulation of biotech crops and its decision to appease the few companies who seek to benefit from this technology comes despite increasing evidence that GE alfalfa will threaten the rights of American farmers and consumers, as well as damage the environment.
The Center for Food Safety will be suing on this decision.
In the coming months, we will be seeing USDA proposals to allow unrestricted plantings of GE sugar beets, and GE corn and soy crops designed to resist toxic pesticides, such as 2-4D and Dicamba, highly toxic pesticides that pose a serious threat to our health and the environment. To win these critical and difficult battles, the entire organic community, and our allies in the conventional food and farming community, will have to work together.
Now is the time to unite in action. We need to work together to restore sanity to our food system, stop the deregulation of GE crops and join together against the forces that are seeking to silence hundreds of thousands of Americans.
As we move forward, we are united in opposing genetically engineered organisms in food production and believe that pressure to stop the proliferation of this contaminating technology must be focused on the White House and Congress. The companies responsible for this situation are the biotech companies whose GE technology causes genetic drift and environmental hazards that are not contained as the deregulation of genetically engineered alfalfa goes forward. The organic community stands together with consumer, farmer, environmental and business interests to ensure practices that are protective of health and the environment.
We urge you to join us today.
Sign up to receive action alerts:
Consider making a donation to the legal effort ahead:
Let the White House know that you do not support the deregulation of GE alfalfa:
Sincerely,
Christine Bushway, Organic Trade Association, Jay Feldman, Beyond Pesticides, Michael Funk, United Natural Foods Inc (UNFI), Elizabeth Henderson, NOFA Interstate Council, Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm, Liana Hoodes, National Organic Coalition, Kristina Hubbard, Organic Seed Alliance, Faye Jones, Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Service, Robby Kenner, Robert Kenner Films, Andrew Kimbrell, Center for Food Safety, Russell Libby, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners (MOFGA), Ed Maltby, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA), Robyn O’Brien, Allergy Kids, Keith Olcott, Equal Exchange, Michael Pollan, Author, Maria Rodale, Rodale Inc., Eric Schlosser, Author, Robynn Schrader, National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), Corinne Shindelar, Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA), George Siemon, Organic Valley, Michael Sligh, Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), Megan Westgate, Non-GMO Project, Maureen Wilmot, Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), Enid Wonnacott, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT)"