Whole Foods bowing to Monsanto
Did any of you read this article or one similiar?
Whole Foods Market Caves to Monsanto
Submitted by Anne Landman on January 28, 2011 - 3:09pm
After 12 years of battling to stop Monsanto's genetically-engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation's organic farmland, the biggest retailers of "natural" and "organic" foods in the U.S., including Whole Foods Market (WFM), Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farm, have agreed to stop opposing mass commercialization of GE crops, like Monsanto's controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa. In exchange for dropping their opposition, WFM has asking for "compensation" to be paid to organic farmers for "any losses related to the contamination of his crop." Under current laws, Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs) are not subject to any pre-market safety testing or labeling. WFM is abandoning its fight with biotech companies in part because two thirds of the products they sell are not certified organic anyway, but are really conventional, chemical-intensive and foods that may contain GMOs and that they market as "natural" despite this. Most consumers don't know the difference between "natural" and "certified organic" products. "Natural" products can come from crops and animals fed nutrients containing GMOs. "Certified Organic" products are GMO-free. WFM and their main distributor, United Natural Foods, maximize profits by selling products labeled "natural" at premium organic prices.
https://www.prwatch.org/spin/2011/01...caves-monsanto
Re: Whole Foods bowing to Monsanto
Yes, I read about this, by way of an article by Organic Consumers Association:
https://www.organicconsumers.org/art...icle_22449.cfm
I think it's an outrage.. but in spite of how they market themselves, WF is not the liberal health-centric store that seems.
I love their variety and the fact that they do carry a fair amount of organic and "natural" foods.. but they have displaced (or absorbed) a lot of smaller, locally owned stores that I think may have had more integrity, and who truly care about the environment, truly healthy life styles, organic farming, etc.
I think that for them, the buck is more important than biodiversity, organic food farming, sustainability, etc.. at least this move certainly indicates that they are more than willing to compromise with the "devil". Monsanto is such a horrible corporation for so many reasons.
Scott.
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by forveterans49:
Did any of you read this article or one similiar?
Whole Foods Market Caves to Monsanto
Submitted by Anne Landman on January 28, 2011 - 3:09pm
After 12 years of battling to stop Monsanto's genetically-engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation's organic farmland, the biggest retailers of "natural" and "organic" foods in the U.S., including Whole Foods Market (WFM), Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farm, have agreed to stop opposing mass commercialization of GE crops, like Monsanto's controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa. In exchange for dropping their opposition, WFM has asking for "compensation" to be paid to organic farmers for "any losses related to the contamination of his crop." Under current laws, Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs) are not subject to any pre-market safety testing or labeling. WFM is abandoning its fight with biotech companies in part because two thirds of the products they sell are not certified organic anyway, but are really conventional, chemical-intensive and foods that may contain GMOs and that they market as "natural" despite this. Most consumers don't know the difference between "natural" and "certified organic" products. "Natural" products can come from crops and animals fed nutrients containing GMOs. "Certified Organic" products are GMO-free. WFM and their main distributor, United Natural Foods, maximize profits by selling products labeled "natural" at premium organic prices.
https://www.prwatch.org/spin/2011/01...caves-monsanto
Re: Whole Foods bowing to Monsanto
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by forveterans49:
Did any of you read this article or one similiar?
Whole Foods Market Caves to Monsanto
Submitted by Anne Landman on January 28, 2011 - 3:09pm
After 12 years of battling to stop Monsanto's genetically-engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation's organic farmland, the biggest retailers of "natural" and "organic" foods in the U.S., including Whole Foods Market (WFM), Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farm, have agreed to stop opposing mass commercialization of GE crops, like Monsanto's controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa. In exchange for dropping their opposition, WFM has asking for "compensation" to be paid to organic farmers for "any losses related to the contamination of his crop." Under current laws, Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs) are not subject to any pre-market safety testing or labeling. WFM is abandoning its fight with biotech companies in part because two thirds of the products they sell are not certified organic anyway, but are really conventional, chemical-intensive and foods that may contain GMOs and that they market as "natural" despite this. Most consumers don't know the difference between "natural" and "certified organic" products. "Natural" products can come from crops and animals fed nutrients containing GMOs. "Certified Organic" products are GMO-free. WFM and their main distributor, United Natural Foods, maximize profits by selling products labeled "natural" at premium organic prices.
https://www.prwatch.org/spin/2011/01...caves-monsanto
If Whole Foods has truly been battling Monsanto for 12 years, then why do they use genetically-modified ingredients in nearly all of their own prepared foods? The last time I ate there, I was hard-pressed to find anything that didn't contain canola or soy oil, or some form of corn. It appears that Whole Foods merely wants to appear anti-GMO to appease their customers, while simultaneously selling those same customers deli foods full of cheap GMO-laced ingredients. If they were really against GMOs, they would not allow them in their stores.
Laurel Blair, NTP
www.dynamicbalancenutrition.com
Re: Whole Foods bowing to Monsanto
Please support Community Market!
They may lose a bit of their market share with the new super-sized Whole Foods a few miles from them at Coddingtown.
Community Market has served us well for many years; show them you're a savvy, conscientious shopper.
Oliver's Market on Stony Point Rd @ 3rd St. is another fine locally owned choice for healthy food & home care and personal care products.
Oliver's and Pacific Mkt. have other locations in eastern Santa Rosa.
In Sebastopol - Fircrest and Pacific Markets give you more locally owned grocer options.
:dcngbrocli:
Peace,
Colleen Fernald
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by hales:
Yes, I read about this, by way of an article by Organic Consumers Association:
https://www.organicconsumers.org/art...icle_22449.cfm
I think it's an outrage.. but in spite of how they market themselves, WF is not the liberal health-centric store that seems. ...
Scott.
Re: Whole Foods bowing to Monsanto - RESPONSE
After reading this article, we wrote to Whole Foods this morning, and within 2 hours got a response from them.
Know your facts!! Here's what they wrote:
Thank you for being passionate about genetically engineered (GE or GMO) crops and for expressing your concern about the availability of non-GMO foods. We are very passionate about this too and are extremely upset that our position has been distorted out there.
Don’t be fooled by the OCA (Organic Consumers Association) as it often twists the truth which confuses consumers. This time, OCA is misleading you by implying that we have “surrendered” to Monsanto and “cut a deal” for co-existence and that we’ll receive “compensation.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Whole Foods Market, along with the National Cooperative Grocers Association, the National Organic Coalition, the Organic Trade Association, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Farms, United Natural Foods and many others in the organic community, were trying to secure protections for organic farmers so biotechnology companies for the first time would be held accountable if GE crops polluted non-GE crops and would be forced to pay for the damages. (No money would ever go to us!) We were also pushing for measures to protect seed purity so that non-GE alfalfa supplies could be maintained.
Unfortunately, none of those protections were approved as, to our utter disappointment, the USDA decided to completely deregulate GE alfalfa without restrictions. This means farmers will now be able to plant Roundup Ready GE alfalfa beginning as soon as this spring without having to take into consideration its potential to contaminate neighboring organic and other non-GE alfalfa fields intended to be sold in markets demanding non-genetically engineered products. This is a huge loss for organic and non-GE farmers and consumers who want to have access to non-GE foods.
For the OCA to widely spread misinformation and lies about Whole Foods Market and other organic companies by saying that we are joining forces with the biotechnology industry (Monsanto) is beyond ludicrous--especially at a time when we all need to come together to support our goal of ensuring the availability of non-GE foods in the marketplace. To help clarify our overall position, we think it is helpful to see how Megan Westgate, Executive Director of the NON-GMO Project, describes the coalition efforts:
Leading up to the ruling, a broad coalition of organic organizations and companies were working around the clock in an attempt to influence the USDA’s decision. The USDA had already made it clear that alfalfa would be deregulated, but hope remained that there might be some way to soften the blow. Organic Valley, Whole Foods and Stonyfield Farm, along with many others in the organic community, were doing everything in their power to secure protections for organic farmers so that if their fields were contaminated once the GMO alfalfa was released, biotechnology companies for the first time would be held accountable for their pollution and would be forced to pay for the damages. These groups were also pushing for measures to protect seed purity so that non-GMO alfalfa supplies could be maintained. Unfathomably, these tireless organic organizations are now being criticized for their efforts. In total denial of the incontrovertible fact that the USDA was never even remotely considering a full ban on GMO alfalfa, some are suggesting that these group’s efforts to make the most of a bad situation *somehow* (though no one is very specific on how, exactly) signals corruption, and are even calling for boycotts. HOW ON EARTH is taking this out on 1200 organic family farmers going to help anything?! This is divisiveness we cannot afford.
You can read the full article here: https://www.nongmoproject.org/2011/0...ight-together/
Additionally, you may have seen strange accusations saying that Whole Foods Market has agreed to sell genetically engineered foods. We haven’t agreed to anything! This is another attempt to twist the facts. The reality is that no grocery store in the United States, no matter what size or type of business, can claim they are GMO-free. While we have been and will continue to be staunch supporters of non-GMO foods, we are not going to mislead our customers with an inaccurate claim (and you should question anyone who does). Here’s why: the pervasive planting of GMO crops in the U.S. and their subsequent use in our national food supply. 93% of soy, 86% of corn, 93% of cotton, and 93% of canola seed planted in the U.S. in 2010 were genetically engineered. Since these crops are commonly present in a wide variety of foods, a GMO-free store is currently not possible in the U.S. (unless the store sells only organic foods.)
Since the U. S. national organic standards do not allow the use of GMO ingredients and practices in the growing or production of organic foods, choosing organic is one way consumers can avoid GMO foods. The other is through labeling, of which we are strong supporters. Here is a look at some of the other things we have done on the non-GE front over the past couple of decades:
• We have advocated for mandatory labeling of GMO foods since 1992, even before they were made commercially available.
• We were founding members of the Non-GMO Project, which works to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO choices through an industry-wide product standard to create a non-GMO labeling program that can be fully substantiated.
• Our 365 Everyday Value® and Whole Foods Market™ brand products are sourced to avoid GMOS, and our partnership with the Non-GMO Project will enable us to verify and label both natural and organic products. In fact, we have enrolled our store brand food products in this pioneering product verification program, which ensures the sustained availability of non-GMO choices through an industry-wide product standard. These include products that natural as well as those that are organic.
• Beyond our stores, we have publicly advocated for clear labeling of GE food and shared our concerns that the USDA and FDA’s policies on GE foods are not consistent with our consumers’ expectations.
We will continue to work aggressively on this issue because we believe that GMO food ingredients should be clearly labeled, and that consumers who want to avoid them should have an actionable way to do so. While the USDA’s decision will make our work more difficult, we are as committed as ever to ensuring that non-GMO food remains available and we will continue to advocate for our farmers and for our shoppers on this issue.
Thank you for the opportunity for us to present the more complete picture on Whole Foods Market and our position on non-GMO foods. If you’d like to take action, we encourage you to write to Washington to express the importance of preserving organic and non-GE farming. Simply click this link and follow the directions:
https://ota.capwiz.com/ota/issues/al...ertid=24747501.
Kind regards.
Allen Culp
Associate Store Team Leader
Whole Foods Market
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by hales:
Yes, I read about this, by way of an article by Organic Consumers Association:
https://www.organicconsumers.org/art...icle_22449.cfm
I think it's an outrage.. but in spite of how they market themselves, WF is not the liberal health-centric store that seems.
I love their variety and the fact that they do carry a fair amount of organic and "natural" foods.. but they have displaced (or absorbed) a lot of smaller, locally owned stores that I think may have had more integrity, and who truly care about the environment, truly healthy life styles, organic farming, etc.
I think that for them, the buck is more important than biodiversity, organic food farming, sustainability, etc.. at least this move certainly indicates that they are more than willing to compromise with the "devil". Monsanto is such a horrible corporation for so many reasons.
Scott.
Re: Whole Foods bowing to Monsanto
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by plondon:
Additionally, you may have seen strange accusations saying that Whole Foods Market has agreed to sell genetically engineered foods. We haven’t agreed to anything! This is another attempt to twist the facts. The reality is that no grocery store in the United States, no matter what size or type of business, can claim they are GMO-free. While we have been and will continue to be staunch supporters of non-GMO foods, we are not going to mislead our customers with an inaccurate claim (and you should question anyone who does). Here’s why: the pervasive planting of GMO crops in the U.S. and their subsequent use in our national food supply. 93% of soy, 86% of corn, 93% of cotton, and 93% of canola seed planted in the U.S. in 2010 were genetically engineered. Since these crops are commonly present in a wide variety of foods, a GMO-free store is currently not possible in the U.S. (unless the store sells only organic foods.)
I would argue that Whole Foods "agreed" to sell GMO foods when they put canola and soy oil in all of their prepared foods. How hard is it to find organic versions of these oils, or far better yet (as polyunsaturated oils should NEVER be heated), use some other kind of oil or fat that is not genetically modified and is heat stable? After all, Whole Foods makes a big show of how "health conscious" they are, so is it really that much to ask that they avoid exposing their customers to GMOs and rancid oils? It seems that they believe that not only is it too much to ask, but it is literally impossible. That's just absurd.
Contrary to what Whole Foods is trying to claim here, it would be extremely easy for a store to avoid selling GMOs without selling only organic foods. They would simply have to offer only organic versions of the crops that have been genetically modified. If Whole Foods really cared about the environmental and health effects of GMOs, they would have done that a long time ago. If anyone can afford to sell only organic corn, soy, canola, beets, crookneck squash, and cotton, it is Whole Foods. In fact, they would probably increase their customer base if they were to do so! Just because many industrially processed foods contain GMO crops doesn't make it impossible to avoid them.
Regardless of whether or not everything the OCA has said about Whole Foods is factual or not (I really don't know for sure), Whole Foods is still a dishonest company that cares about $$$ more than people.
Laurel Blair, NTP
www.dynamicbalancenutrition.com
Re: Whole Foods bowing to Monsanto
I'm glad that Whole Foods is willing to talk about their policies and that they still seem somewhat proactive about protecting organic farms from contamination (and aggressive legal practices?). I believe that they are doing some good things to improve their supply chains and to provide lower cost organic produce, too.. AND, I agree with Laurel Blair that they could do more. Living in an imperfect, competitive and mercenary word, I expect this.. I still am strongly partisan for smaller, organic farms, (and other businesses), who are strongly motivated to produce the highest quality vegetables, meats, prepared foods, and other products for the public.
The simple fact is that the front end costs of high quality organic foods are higher. The consumer also has to be responsible to find out what he/she is purchasing and make decisions based on the quality and variety they want, balanced by their budget. If they end up buying the WF 365 brand products, they may get a less expensive product, but they should read the fine print, to see if it contains GMO corn, flour, etc.. assuming that info is on there..
I am trying to buy a little less, but buy higher quality foods and to prepare as much of my own food as possible. When I go out, I try to patronize businesses that try to do the same.. higher quality, perhaps in smaller amounts, if necessary. Especially if they use locally sourced organic foods..
I want all products to be labeled, as to if it is GMO, or organic, and where it originates. The consumer should at least be given enough information to make informed decisions about what product they buy, and if they want to pay for shipping from Argentina or China, whether fish is farmed or wild, comes from a toxic area of the ocean, etc., whether the raw materials in their supplements or other products come from the US, Mexico or China.. as there may be substantial differences in quality control from different areas..
I appreciate this lively discussion and I applaud anything that Whole Foods does that results in clearer labeling, truth in advertising and protection and promotion of smaller farms, biodiversity, and organic agriculture. Large-scale commercial mono-culture has created a large benefit in providing high-volume, inexpensive food for the world, but the benefits have to be weighed against the devastating impacts of environmental degradation, public health concerns and global warming.. Smaller, more diverse farms, using organic agriculture, permaculture techniques, advanced irrigation technology for better conservation, etc.. may lead to a sustainable way of life that will allow our children's children to also enjoy the bounty of the earth.. not suffer the effects of greed and ignorance.
Thanks to all of you concerned people.. this dialogue is very good!
Scott.
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by DynamicBalance:
I would argue that Whole Foods "agreed" to sell GMO foods when they put canola and soy oil in all of their prepared foods. How hard is it to find organic versions of these oils, or far better yet (as polyunsaturated oils should NEVER be heated), use some other kind of oil or fat that is not genetically modified and is heat stable? After all, Whole Foods makes a big show of how "health conscious" they are, so is it really that much to ask that they avoid exposing their customers to GMOs and rancid oils? It seems that they believe that not only is it too much to ask, but it is literally impossible. That's just absurd.
Contrary to what Whole Foods is trying to claim here, it would be extremely easy for a store to avoid selling GMOs without selling only organic foods. They would simply have to offer only organic versions of the crops that have been genetically modified. If Whole Foods really cared about the environmental and health effects of GMOs, they would have done that a long time ago. If anyone can afford to sell only organic corn, soy, canola, beets, crookneck squash, and cotton, it is Whole Foods. In fact, they would probably increase their customer base if they were to do so! Just because many industrially processed foods contain GMO crops doesn't make it impossible to avoid them.
Regardless of whether or not everything the OCA has said about Whole Foods is factual or not (I really don't know for sure), Whole Foods is still a dishonest company that cares about $$$ more than people.
Laurel Blair, NTP
www.dynamicbalancenutrition.com
