Tillamook County Dairy Farmers Give rbST, Monsanto The Boot

[hatrack]

"On Monday, the dairy farmers of the Tillamook County Creamery Association voted to ban rbST, a growth hormone that boosts milk production, from their herds. The vote wasn't close—83 to 43, in a co-op with 147 total members. In many ways, however, the outcome represented a chance for David to dance in Goliath's end zone. On one side: most of Tillamook's butter barons, anxious milk drinkers and the Physicians for Social Responsibility. On the other: this week's Rogue, monster agrotech company Monsanto.

Last May, the Tillamook co-op's board voted unanimously to phase out rbST, a genetically engineered Monsanto product whose full name is recombinant bovine somatotropin (mmm—bon appétit!). The move was intended to calm consumer fears about genetic engineers tinkering with the food supply. Some critics think rbST leaves cows more prone to bacterial infections, causing farmers to use more antibiotics and, in turn, increasing antibiotic resistance in humans. Others worry that milk from treated cows hikes the risk of breast cancer in women by throwing hormone levels out of whack.

Even though none of this has been proven conclusively, most industrialized countries don't allow farmers to use the hormone. "We don't want to overstate the science," says Rick North, a Portland doctor with Physicians for Social Responsibility. "But there's a significant amount of data, and a lot of unanswered questions."

While North's group played a key role in channeling consumer concerns about rbST (by, for example, peppering dairy farmers with postcards relaying criticism), Monsanto mounted a full-court press to keep Tillamook in line. Monsanto's lobbying campaign eventually crossed the line between corporate hardball and outright roguery. After the Tillamook board stood firm in a January vote, sticking to an April 1 deadline for all co-op members to drop the drug, a D.C. lawyer named James Miller showed up last month to drum up opposition. No one will admit to paying Miller: not Monsanto, not those Tillamook farmers who wanted to keep using the hormone. But Miller's firm, King & Spalding, has serious Monsanto connections. A former King & Spalding lawyer, for instance, later joined the FDA and played a role in a number of rulings favorable to Monsanto. Miller hasn't responded to any press or public inquiries. He did, however, write up a change to Tillamook's bylaws, which would have prevented the co-op from banning any FDA-approved substance."

EDIT

http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=6041

[bahrbearian]

1. I knew there was a reason I only ate Tillamook cheese,

now if I could only get their milk.

[havocmom]

2. Good for the Dairy Farmers!

While there has yet been no conclusive proof that the hormone doesn't cause problems in humans, there is no proof IT DOESN'T cause problems.

If components of jet fuel shows up in human milk, it is a safe bet anything put in the cows deliberately will show up in their milk.
Growth hormones are powerful things. Do we really wanna pump kids full of them?

And the antibiotic issue is a major concern, or should be. With all the antibiotics in use out there, we are inadvertently tinkering with genetics of bacteria. By killing off the weaker ones with our drugs, we are allowing the gene pool to have ever increasing percentages of really tough ones. Gee, that sounds like a really BAD idea.

[Me.]

3. Another Small Victory

Harry Reid one minute, dairy farmers the next, followed by dems asking for an inquiry into Gannon etc. Every day now there is something which adds to the hope we will get our country back.

[soothsayer]

4. down with monsatan!!!!!

[ewagner]

5. Well.....maybe

I worked in the dairy industry when BGH first came out. There was a public uproar and, as a result, creameries collected pledges from their patrons (farmers) that they wouldn't use BGH. They all signed and they all used. I swear I didn't visit a single farm that wasn't using it....

The bottom line for the farmer was more milk and more milk = more $$$.

The creameries looked the other way...

They may have pledged but I wonder if they'll abide by it?

[jpak]

6. Monsanto also sued Oakhurst Dairy (Maine) over its BST-free labeling

on its milk products.

http://nofany.org/hottopics/monsantovsoakhurst.htm

These guys will stop at nothing.

[Wilms]

7. Monsanto the Monster

Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Monsanto's Modus Operandi (M.O.):
http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Monsanto-Roundup-Glyphosate.htm


Less to wonder why Chavez is in trouble:
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/581/581p17.htm


Oh, and thanks to Bremer:
http://www.rense.com/general59/newiraqlawoutlaws.htm

[theoceansnerves]

8. great news

although i would have liked to read at least a little bit somewhere about concern over the welfare of the cows...