Food Working Group proposal for Mon GA, Jan 30
BishopZ
would like to bring to Monday's GA.
=========================
I propose delivering this letter to the Austin City Council:
With the letter we will include:
1. An example of the type of resolution we recommend they pass
2. A list of Local Small Businesses & Organizations that support labeling
3. An information kit about the issue
===== Letter to City Council =====
Dear Neighbor,
We trust this letter finds you in good health and spirit. We would
like to alert you to an amazing opportunity. Through our recent
outreach and research endeavours, we have identified an issue which
unites all of Austin.
While in the past, we have not been as neighborly as we could have or
should have been, please accept this package as an olive branch, to
suggest new and better future.
We have included an (1) an example of the kind of resolution you could
pass, (2) a collection of the nearly 100 state and local businesses
and organizations which support this issue, and (3) an information kit
about the issue itself.
It is a rare opportunity to initiate a growing movement with such
broad support. This issue touches people deeply across demographics
and political parties, and your quick action to close this gap between
current law and popular opinion will place Austin first and in concert
from a growing national movement.
We are suggesting the Austin City Council take two weeks to adapt the
provided sample resolution, check our facts, and let us know when the
resolution has been scheduled for a vote.
In respect and congratulations,
Occupy Austin General Assembly
========= The Legal Recommendation ====
We want a resolution that GMOs should be labeled inside the City
Limits, we are happy to help draft something specific, but wanted to
give you the leeway to negotiate the specifics. We have provided the
2012 California ballot initiative to use an example.
Specifically, we are not asking the City to allocate any money to
enforcement. We are simply asking for a resolution that matches public
opinion. We do not particularly care how severe the penalties are.
This is an education issue, not a regulation issue, and the Austin
community has a right to know which foods will give their children
allergies.
Keep it simple.
=====Local Business Support ====
These businesses and organizations have already publicly stated their
position in support of GMO labeling:
+ Grocers:
Whole Foods,
Wheatsville Coop,
SFC Farmer’s Market
+ Non-Profits:
Allergy Kids Foundation,
Sustainable Food Center,
Institute for Responsible Technology,
Capital Area Food Bank of Texas
+ Political Organizations:
Bastrop County Commissioners Court,
Sierra Club,
Austin Earth Day,
Young Austin Democrats
+ Food Producers:
Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance,
Earth Balance,
Zico Coconut Water,
Beanitos,
Windsor Park Community Gardens
+ Health Practitioners:
Natural Health Center of Texas
In 2002, the Texas Task Force on Genetically Modified Foods was
appointed to study the issue. It was comprised of leading academics,
scientists and regulators. The taskforce strongly recommended labeling
in Texas. In the 10 years since their report, no significant
legislation has been passed or even considered, at either the state or
municipal level.
The taskforce included:
John R. Asbury, MD, Temple, TMA Council on Public Health
Jill M. Aslakson, Austin, policy director, Texas Healthcare &
Bioscience Institute
James M. Atkins, MD, Dallas, TMA Council on Scientific Affairs
Fuller W. Bazer, PhD, College Station, executive associate dean,
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University
Alecia A. Hathaway, MD, MPH, Fort Worth, TMA Council on Public Health
Edward A. Hiler, PhD, vice chancellor and dean, Agriculture and Life
Sciences, Texas A&M University
Reggie James, Austin, director, Consumers Union, Southwest Regional Office
Raymond C. Lewandowski Jr., MD, Corpus Christi, TMA Council on
Scientific Affairs
Donald Patman, Waco, president, Texas Farm Bureau
Susan Combs, Austin, commissioner, Texas Department of Agriculture
Rep. David Swinford, Austin, chair, House Agriculture and Livestock,
Texas House of Representatives
Tom A. Vestal, PhD, College Station, associate professor & extension
specialist, Department of Agricultural Education, Texas A&M University
Karen Batory, MPA, Austin, director, TMA Division of Public Health and Quality
Barbara James, BSN, RN, Austin, director, TMA Science and Quality Department
Gayle Harris, Austin, director, TMA Public Health Department
Hella Wagner, Austin, senior administrative assistant, TMA Division of
Public Health and Quality
The Sustainable Food Center’s statement on Genetically Modified Organisms:
Sustainable Food Center believes that communities can achieve food
security without the use of Genetically Modified Organisms, and that
not enough is being done to educate consumers and producers about the
risks. Aggressive industry practices and bias towards genetic
engineering technology by governmental agencies and educational,
research, and extension institutions have led to increased use of
GMOs, even as a growing body of data confirms the negative impact of
GMOs on ecosystems, human and animal health, agricultural production,
rural economies and vulnerable societies. Sustainable Food Center
advocates for stricter testing requirements, stronger regulatory
standards, and accurate labeling for Genetically Modified Organisms.
Without full implementation of these changes, the use of GMOs will
continue to undermine community food security and sustainability of
food systems.
===== Information Kit ====
Main Information Points:
+ Over 70% of the corn grown in the US is grown from genetically
engineered seeds from Monsanto, and it is estimated that 80% of food
in most grocery stores contain genetically modified ingredients. GMOs
can cause severe allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance, immune
suppression and cancer, especially in children.
+ The GMO Corn made by Monsanto is classified by the EPA as an
Insecticide. Monsanto also makes potatoes altered with bacteria genes,
“super” pigs altered with human growth genes, tomatoes altered with
fish genes, and fish altered with cattle growth genes.
+ Over 10 years ago, the Task Force on Genetically Modified Foods here
in Texas strongly recommended Labeling to all Texans. In the 10 years
since this taskforce reported back, nothing has been done; no
legislation on this issue has been passed or even considered at the
state or local level.
+ National polls show that between 93 and 96% of the entire US agrees
with this issue. http://JustLabelIt.org
+ Similar initiatives are moving forward in Seattle, California at the
State level, and nationally through Dennis Kucinich (Dem MN). Over 40
nations across the planet require GMOs to be labeled, including:
nearly all of Europe, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, China, Australia and
Russia.
+ The major opponent to labeling here in the US has been Monsanto,
whose former employees have been top officials at the FDA in every
administration from Reagan to Obama.
+ Austin is home to Whole Foods who has been very active on this issue
on the national level. Recently, their recommendations were once again
dismissed by the FDA. Whole Foods commonly frames the issue as a labor
rights issue for organic farmers victimized by Monsanto's business
practices.
+ This is an education issue, not a regulation issue.
US Polling Data (JustLabelIt.org):
93% believe GE foods should be labeled (10/10,Thomson Reuters PULSE™
Healthcare Survey, “National Survey of Healthcare Consumers:
Genetically Engineered Food”)
96% believe genetically modified foods should be labeled (6/11, MSNBC)
95% of consumers believe GE foods should be labeled (11/08, Consumers
Union, “Food-Labeling Poll: 2008,” p. 13)
94% believe genetically modified food should be labeled (9/10, Washington Post)
93% of the American public wants the federal government to require
mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods (6/11, ABC News)
Whole Food's recent blog post about the FDA
http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2011/01/no-regulations-ge-alfalfa/
Whole Foods Market has been a staunch supporter of non-GE foods in the
marketplace. We have taken a strong and visible stance on
biotechnology in agriculture, and will continue to do so.
We believe that GE food should be clearly labeled, and that the USDA
and FDA’s policies on GE foods are not consistent with our consumers’
expectations.
Since 1992, before GE crops were even commercialized, we have been
educating and advocating on this issue, and we will continue to pursue
our right to sell non-GE food.
We are proud to be a founding leader of The Non-GMO Project, which
works to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO choices through
an industry-wide product standard. (Genetically engineered and
Genetically Modified Organism — GMOs — are used interchangeably.)
We are committed to sourcing our store brand products to avoid GE
ingredients, and we will continue to fight for strong organic
standards that do not allow the use of GE crops.
We support the National Organic Standards, which prohibit GMOs in
organics, and we champion informed consumer choice with regard to
GMOs.
Our 365 Everyday Value® and Whole Foods Market™ brand products are
sourced to avoid ingredients grown from genetically engineered seed,
and our partnership with the Non-GMO Project will enable us to verify
and label these products.
Other Articles:
GMO info-graphic
http://www.allergykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Infographic-Real-Food-ecomom1.jpg
(Austin Daily Herald) “Currently 60-70 percent of our food in the U.S.
is genetically modified. Children’s foods are the number one GM
containing products.”
http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/11/05/labels-would-help-shoppers-avoid-genetically-modified-foods/
GMO’s Linked to Organ Failure (Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/monsantos-gmo-corn-linked_n_420365.html
Revolving Doors: Monsanto and the Regulators
http://www.psrast.org/ecologmons.htm
The Amazing Revolving Door - Monsanto, FDA & EPA
http://www.rense.com/general33/fd.htm
Bastrop County Commissioners Court Resolution in support of labeling GMOs
http://www.saynotogmos.org/images/resolution.jpg
Bastrop County Commissioners Court letter to the FDA
http://www.saynotogmos.org/images/FDAletter.jpg
Austin Parents Call for Removal of GE Foods from School Lunches
http://www.saynotogmos.org/uoct03a.htm#school_lunch
Dr. Don Huber taking about the dangers of glyphosate and Roundup-Ready crops:
http://vimeo.com/22997532
A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health
http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm#headingA11
Just the Science, a summary of 114 reports on the health risks of GMOs
http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/labelgmos/pages/34/attachments/original/GM-Crops-just-the-science.pdf?1321839924
