Rajiv Shah, Rich Global Agribusiness, Taxpayer Money, & Michelles Organic Garden

[WhiskeyGirl]

“Obama Supports Food Inc.'s World Domination and All We Get Is the White House Garden?”

By Alexis Baden-Mayer, Esq.

Organic Consumers Association, October 23, 2009

With far fewer resources, the organic movement is generating the science to support an alternative view. Organic agriculture can feed the world, turn back climate change and make food production more resilient to droughts and floods. Organic agriculture can do it with biodiversity instead of biotech, greenhouse gas sequestration instead of emissions, natural pest management instead of toxic pesticides, humus-rich compost instead of fossil fuel fertilizers or sewage sludge, more family farmers and better conditions for farm workers.

The question of which agriculture model will dominate food production is a question we only have one opportunity to answer. Once a seed or animal variety is extinct or contaminated with foreign genes, we will never get it back. In an age when a billion people are stuffed while a billion people are starved, most people on the planet suffer from either poor nutrition, exposure to toxic ingredients, diet-related diseases, or all three. Agriculture is a life and death issue for all of us.

So, which side is the Obama Administration on? The first answer to that question is, well, what is the president saying?

In announcing his Innovation Strategy, President Obama said, "From biotechnology to nanotechnology, from the development of new forms of energy to research into treatments of ancient diseases, there is so much potential to change our world and improve our lives."

The First Lady champions organic, while the President promotes biotechnology (a.k.a. genetic engineering) and nanotechnology, two untested technologies whose ubiquitous appearance in food and cosmetics has driven concerned consumers to organic in droves.

According to the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America, "Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are one of the most dangerous and radical changes to our food supply. These largely unregulated ingredients [are] found in 60-70% of the foods in the US."

Last December, a report by the National Research Council found serious gaps in the government's plan for determining if nanomaterials pose a risk and called for an effective national plan for identifying and managing potential risks.  In a March 2009 commentary, a Lloyd's of London analyst drew parallels between the global financial meltdown and risks from nanomaterials. The financial collapse reflected "blithe acceptance of complex products that many didn't understand." With regard to nanomaterials, he commented that "the importance of getting to grips with and quantifying complex sources of risk has never been more obvious."

President Obama and the biotech industry gets the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. While Iowa Governor, he was a leading advocate for Monsanto, genetic engineering, and factory farming. He was recently caught in the act of trying to promote biotechnology as the answer to world hunger.

The First Lady and the sustainable agriculture movement get the Deputy Secretary. Kathleen Merrigan is a stellar organic advocate who is working hard to facilitate local food systems through the Know Your Farmer program. But, as the political director of the Organic Consumers Association, I have to admit, it doesn't look like Bush Administration policies that weakened organic are unlikely to be overturned quickly. Concentration is increasing in the organic dairy industry, with bad-actor brands like Horizon expanding factory farm-style feedlots, but Merrigan doesn't want to admit there's any such thing as a "factory farm." She also says she has no plans to address blatant fraud in the organic cosmetics industry where brands like "Jason: Pure, Natural & Organic" advertise themselves as “organic” without being USDA certified.

TAKE ACTION!

Tell President Obama and the Senate that you oppose Islam Siddiqui and other proponents of chemical agriculture that have been nominated to determine food policy for his administration. Click here to take action. Over 100,000 messages were sent to Obama opposing Secretary Vilsack. As of October 26, 2009, 44,721 letters have been sent opposing Michael Taylor and Obama's other Monsanto men (and women).

Read more here -http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/10/29/18627143.php

Where is the hope and change?  Another step to global soylent green?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Information on organic -

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19436.cfm

[WhiskeyGirl]

From the OP article -

Directly under Shah is Roger Beachy who is steering the direction of US agricultural research at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Beachy is a long time Monsanto collaborator who directed an institute established by Monsanto and academic partners with a $70-million pledge from the corporation. It's effectively a Monsanto front.

Shah’s senior adviser for energy and climate is Maura O'Neill. O'Neill ran a public-private life sciences venture called Explore Life, dedicated to drawing biotech companies to the Seattle area where the Gates Foundation is based.

Shah has brought in Rachael Goldfarb to work for him as counselor. At the Gates Foundation, Goldfarb was special assistant to Tachi Yamada, president of the foundation's global health program.

Shah’s team has already awarded $11 million in Coordinated Agricultural Project grants to four research universities to study “plant genomics and ways to improve the nutrition and health values of important crops.” Expect more GMO tomatoes, potatoes, barley, soybean, and trees. And be on the lookout for new, GMO legumes embedded with cholesterol and diabetes drugs.

What happened to a good old fashioned diet that worked? 

More big global business advocates in the Obama administration?