These recent actions prove that when the public is informed about what they’re consuming they will demand healthier products. It should be noted that once this story broke into the mainstream, it took less than one month for the public outcry to reach enough critical mass to affect change. And it proved that even large conglomerates will quickly change their policies when enough people demand it.
While there are some terribly harsh realities in the world – caused both by humankind and by nature – the resilience of the human spirit is always remarkable and inspiring. For every harmful deed there are many more acts of compassion, and ultimately this supports my continued faith in human nature.
Last week we posted an open (hearted) letter to the farmers and seed growers who were part of the group (OSGTA) that sued Monsanto. As many of you know, Monsanto has garnered quite the reputation for bullying small organic farmers, filing suit against them, litigating them to no end, and bankrupting them. Witnessing this for years, the organic and commercial seed farms, co-ops and farming groups did not want to be next.
We know the system is broken. And we know that you are trying, however desperately, to stitch a portion of democracy and justice back together again, with us. So, really, this is our case—sane America’s lawsuit. We are writing today to let you know that we feel the pain of today’s decision.
With the world in uproar over Monsanto and all the horrifying information about our food sources, it is unfortunate that the vast majority of us are simply not in a position to be self-sufficient when it comes to raising our own food. Modest gardens are more of a pastime than a means of feeding an individual, a family, or the masses. Just over 200 years ago, 90% of Americans were farmers. Today, most farms are corporate run and have reduced that figure to around 2%.
According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a quarter of the world’s known plant species—some 60,000 to 100,000 species—are threatened with extinction. And even though plants may not receive as much attention as endangered animals, they are essential. Among their many attributes, plants are a vital source of food, they can help stabilize the climate, and they also provide shelter, medicines, and fuel.
People everywhere are beginning to recognize the crucial link between humanity, the crops that sustain us, and their embattled seeds. We are on the cusp of a seed saving renaissance—and not a moment too soon.
Our food is being taken over. Genes and living things are being patented—the greatest theft of the commons in history. Industrialized food is unsustainable. Organic food cannot be industrialized. Don’t try to fool yourself. If you buy food labeled as organic, but have no idea where it comes from, then you’re eating ersatz organic.
In an exciting act of grassroots resistance to Monsanto and their GMOs that are ravaging the planet, activist Adam Eidinger has infiltrated a Monsanto shareholder meeting and posted the video up on Youtube. Eidinger discusses the negative impact of GMO crops, Roundup, and other Monsanto creations on human health and the environment.
The hardest part to all of this is simply remembering that you’re a human being that requires nutrients, not chemicals. You have the ability to choose real food over poison, and it can be just as enjoyable and infinitely more rewarding. You’re a human, start eating like one.
We are encouraging supporters of farmers’ rights to grow food without fear and intimidation to assemble outside the courtroom in a peaceful manner to support the farmers in their claims, recognizing that these injustices affect us all and that this case is deserving of the court’s time and attention.
In fascinating and accessible terms, ‘The Future of Food’ illuminates the major issues ultimately affecting us all — some surreal, some futuristic, many frightening. Yet, ‘The Future of Food’ is a hopeful film, featuring insightful and moving interviews with farmers, agriculture and business experts and policymakers. It sees a future in which an informed consumer can join the revolution by demanding natural, healthy food sources that insure environmental integrity.
Food independence is of critical importance these days as more people become aware of how delicate our food system really is and how detrimental GMO and factory foods are. In Irvine, California, residents have turned the land directly beneath electrical line easements into an edible park that helps to feed over 200,000. This is a fine example of how re-tooling our cities into sustainable communities can positively impact many people while saving money and resources.
One of the greatest things we can do is get rid of the fear of “What will people think [of me]?? It doesn’t matter, they’ll think something different tomorrow. We have to let go of that fear.” Sometimes the biggest war is between the program of the head against the openness of the heart. Fear looks to the external, very limited. As Icke shows us, realizing who you really are and releasing your fear allows you to take back your power.
Local dairy farmer and co-founder of Family Farm Defenders, John Kinsman, talks with The Center for Media and Democracy’s Foods Rights Network about his life long, front-lines activism for food freedom. With the gracious calm of a true hero, Mr Kinsman shares stories about his fight against Monsanto, GMO, the USDA and much more.
