READ MORE: Zoe Weil interviews Alexis Baden-Meyer via Treehugger
Posts Tagged food
“In an interview at the Green Festival in San Francisco on April 9, Alexis Baden-Mayer, OCA Campaign Director, explained the strategy behind the Millions Against Monsanto Truth-in-Labeling Campaign.
“Over 90% of Americans want GE-tainted foods labeled. Why? So that we can avoid buying these foods. This is a major reason why millions of us are buying certified organic products, which preclude the use of GE ingredients, as well as toxic chemicals and animal drugs. Since the politicians in Washington apparently prefer to listen to Monsanto rather than their constituents, we need to put our efforts where we currently have the most power, in our local communities, especially at the retail grocery store level, where 50 million of us are regularly buying certified organic and so-called ‘natural’ foods.
“What most green consumers don’t understand yet, is that most of the so-called “natural” processed foods and animal products (which make up 2/3 of the sales of Whole Foods Market) that we are still buying are GMO-contaminated. Either they contain GMO ingredients like soy, corn, canola, cottonseed oil or sugar beet sweetener, or else the animals have been force-fed fed a steady diet of GMO grains and drugs.”
Whole Foods or Whole Hypocrisy? via Ronnie Cummins – Counter Punch / Organic Consumers Association
“Last August, Federal Judge Jeffrey White issued a stinging rebuke to the USDA for its process on approving new genetically modified seeds. He ruled that the agency’s practice of “deregulating” novel seed varieties without first performing an environmental impact study violated the National Environmental Policy Act.
How has the Obama USDA responded to Judge White’s rebuke? By repeatedly defying it, most recently in February, when the agency moved to allow farmers to plant the engineered seeds even though the impact study has yet to be completed. Its rationale for violating the court order will raise an eyebrow of anyone who read Gary Taubes’ recent New York Times Magazine piece teasing out the health hazards of the American sweet tooth: the USDA feared that the GMO sugar beet ban would cause sweetener prices to rise. Thus the USDA places the food industry’s right to cheap sweetener for its junk food over the dictates of a federal court.
In early April, the USDA made what I’m reading as a second response to Judge White, this one even more craven. To satisfy the legal system’s pesky demand for environmental impact studies of novel GMO crops, the USDA has settled upon a brilliant solution: let the GMO industry conduct its own environmental impact studies, or pay other researchers to. The USDA announced the program in the Federal Register for April 7, 2011 [PDF].”
USDA moves to let Monsanto perform its own environmental impact studies on GMOs via Tom Philpott – Grist
“This weekend, the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center will host Green Festival on April 9-10. Green Festival is a combination of two powerhouse organizations: Green Americaand Global Exchange. Founded in 1982, Green America is committed to creating economic power while striving for a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. Global Exchange is a 22-year old international organization that focuses on social, economic, and environmental justice, with a strong awareness for human rights. When these two organizations team up for Green Festival, you better be prepared for a rocking green and sustainable weekend!”
Come Celebrate Green Festival’s 10th Year Anniversary! via Natalie Safra – Examiner.com
“Get ready, because the San Francisco Green Festival is this weekend, April 9-10 at the San Francisco Concourse and Exhibition Center. Discounted tickets are still available online. The deadline for you to purchase your discount online tickets is Friday April 8th at 5pm PST. You can also purchase your tickets at the box office on Saturday and Sunday.
Admission has always been free for members of Global Exchange, Green America, festival volunteers, or those under 18. A five dollar discount is available for students with ID, seniors, bike riders with use of bike valet, and those who use public transportation.”
Don’t miss the Green Festival in San Francisco April 9th and 10th 2011 via Annabel Ascher – Examiner.com
“Red, white, or green? You can go for all three, at least at this weekend’s celebration of all things sustainable. Jon Frey’sbiodynamic vineyard will be pouring away — alongside 190 other exhibitors — at Sat/9-Sun/10′s Green Festival.
If the extensive alphabetical list of vendors gives an apt portrayal of Green Fest’s floorplan, Frey will shack up alongside From War to Peace, a husband-wife jewelry team that creates fashion from dismantled nuclear missile systems. One booth over, Frontier Angel Soap will leave passer-bys sweet-smelling and squeaky clean. Displays of sustainable goodies in other aisles of the Concourse Exhibition Center? Eco-friendly river rafting, passively-powered thermal art, and rolfing, a holistic system of soft tissue massage created by Dr. Ida Rolf.”
Choices, choices at this weekend’s Green Fest via Emily Appelbaum – Pixel Vision – SFBG Arts & Culture
“The rundown: Hey San Francisco, it’s time to walk your talk. Sure, you say you’re green friendly, but are you wearing your vegetables, or writing onrecycled turd paper? Saturday’s Green Festival brings together some of the country’s greenest artisans, small businesses, and nonprofits, with plenty of healthy foodstuffs for good measure. Never fear, your options are more extensive thangreen magma and Chia juice; they include Indian food from Colorado, pie from Uhuru Pies in Oakland, vegan corn dogs and garlic fries from Gourmet Faire, tamales from Donna’s Tamales, and much more. You can also talk sustainable seafood with the watchdogs at Monterey Bay Aquarium, sign up for an urban farming class with BioFuel Oasis, or high-five PETA for their Tempeh District gag.”
Saturday’s Green Festival: Crunchy. The Food: Less So via SFoodie
“This festival dedicated to sustainable progress has been going strong for a decade now, backed by a shifting American mindset, especially in progressive SF. This year’s Green Festival features presentations by over 125 authors, inventors, politicians, innovators and visionaries.”
“The largest sustainability event in the world celebrates 10 years, one million attendees at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center April 9 – 10. This one-of-a-kind weekend experience offers opportunities for community members to meet their favorite authors, actors and community leaders; shop more than 300 eco-friendly exhibitors; participate in educational workshops; enjoy live music and local vegetarian cuisine; and sample organic chocolates, wine and beer.
Green For All is a “Pay it Forward, Get it Back” non-profit ally at this year’s event. Our panel, on April 9th at 3:30 p.m., is focused on the local food movement, community agriculture and food security.”
Pay it Forward, Get it Back: 10th Annual Green Festival Features Green For All Fellows via Green For All