Multinational Corporations move to Dominate Organic Market

[MellowOne]

Multinational Corporations Move to Dominate the Organic Market
Food Inc. swallows organics
Multinationals move to corner niche market
By Carly Weeks
CanWest News Service, April 17, 2006
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=15471e4c-6c19-452d-af5e-750d61a01888

OTTAWA - Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart and the corporate owners of cigarette giant Phillip Morris Companies Inc. might seem an unlikely match for organic and natural food.

But these large corporations, which have been accused of contributing to obesity, cancer-related deaths and the destruction of independent businesses, are swiftly taking over the organic industry in Canada.

Some say the entry of organic food, ranging from apples to milk to hamburgers, into mainstream retailing means the industry is finally getting the recognition and sales it deserves.

But others are concerned that corporate empires will wipe out small, independent farms, rely heavily on imported food from countries with suspect standards, and rapidly erode the principles upon which organic food production as built.

[valerief]

1. Within the past year, Congress has lowered the standards for

organic foods. I'm sure it's something they lobbied for.

[MellowOne]

3. Why does the government have to destroy everything sacred to us?

Congress voted to weaken the national organic standards that consumers count on to preserve the integrity of the organic label," said Ronnie Cummins, National Director of the Organic Consumers Association. "The process was profoundly undemocratic and the end result is a serious setback for the multi billion dollar alternative food and farming system that the organic community has so painstakingly built over the last 35 years.

[MellowOne]

2. more on the subject

ALERT: INDUSTRY SNEAK ATTACK ON ORGANIC STANDARDS- USDA ANNOUNCES BRIEF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

The USDA has announced a very short public comment period (ends May 12, 2006) on a proposal to amend the National Organic Program (read the proposal here) in a manner that would weaken organic standards. The USDA's actions were requested by a very small handful of Republican members of Congress. Take action now and tell the USDA you support strong organic standards!

In late 2005, despite receiving over 350,000 letters and phone calls from OCA members and the organic community, Republican leaders in Congress attached a rider to the 2006 Agricultural Appropriations Bill to weaken the nation's organic food standards in response to pressure from large-scale food manufacturers.

This rider was voted on in conference committee. Here is a list of the members of that committee who pushed this rider through:

Sen Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)

more at: www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm

[madrchsod]

4. organic foods? ya right

unless one buys it at a farmers market or a roadside stand ,one would be hard pressed to ever find out if the food one bought was really organic..hard to find organic veggies in the middle of the winter