Anti-Feminist Group Attacks Chipotle
Organic Lifestyle Comments Off on Anti-Feminist Group Attacks Chipotle
So I’m reading my emails and I see this one:
Chipotle Mexican Grill has been served with a federal grand jury subpoena following a series of dangerous outbreaks including E. coli and norovirus linked to its restaurants. .
The subpeona is part of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigation. Independent Women’s Forum’s Julie Gunlock, IWF’s Culture of Alarmism director, offered the following statement:
“I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the Food and Drug Administration for pursuing this investigation into the E. coli outbreaks at Chipotle restaurants, which sickened hundreds of people during the holiday season. This outbreak continues to be a serious safety issue for consumers and they deserve to know the full breadth of this problem.
“To regain the public trust, Chipotle needs to rethink its business practices, which include working alongside food alarmists, anti-GMO activists, the organic food industry, and other modern food system critics to frighten, distract and misinform the American public. The company has profited handsomely off their dubious claim that they provide a superior food product, all the while slamming their competitors as well as the American agriculture system–casting farmers as evil polluters and animal abusers and other large food chains as contributing to health issues in the United States.
“For too long Chipotle has been distracted from what any restaurant’s true mission should be: to provide safe food for their customers. Hopefully this investigation will shed light on Chipotle’s questionable marketing tactics and food safety practices and initiate changes for the better.”
Wait. Chipotle’s been working with “food alarmists, anti-GMO activists, and the organic food industry” against corporate farming and the chemical food industry? Isn’t that a good thing? Hasn’t Chipotle been trying to deliver an environmentally sustainable product? How come all of a sudden E. coli and norovirus are showing up at Chipotles? From what I know about Monsanto, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and all the other participants in the conventional food industry, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if those problems didn’t just happen by accident. Do I have any proof of this? Not a shred. It’s just that for the past 50 years, I’ve watched the chemical agriculture industry lie and cheat their way into profitability by claiming that organic food will kill you. But now that customers are flocking to Chipotle to get some decent food, suddenly these food supply problems show up, followed by press releases like the above from the Independent Women’s Forum.
So who is the IWF? I checked SourceWatch, a non-profit group that digs to find out who is behind the front organizations used to propagandize the American people. Here’s what SourceWatch had to say:
“The Independent Women’s Forum (IWF; not to be confused with the International Women’s Forum) is an anti-feminist organization predominantly funded by right-wing foundations, including the Sarah Scaife Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and the Koch brothers’ Claude R. Lambe Foundation. On its website, it describes its mission as being ‘to rebuild civil society by advancing economic liberty, personal responsibility, and political freedom. IWF builds support for a greater respect for limited government, equality under the law, property rights, free markets, strong families, and a powerful and effective national defense and foreign policy.’
“The IWF originally grew out of a group called ‘Women for Clarence Thomas,’ formed to support Clarence Thomas, then a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, against allegations of sexual harassment. It has vocally opposed the Violence against Women Act.
“In an editorial, the New York Times called the IWF ‘a right-wing public policy group that provides pseudofeminist support for extreme positions that are in fact dangerous to women.’ From 2003-2008, IWF was affiliated with the Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity.”
Get the picture?
ADDENDUM: Chipotle Mexican Grill has just been sued for allegedly misleading investors about its food safety controls. According to a civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Chipotle failed to disclose that its “quality controls were inadequate to safeguard consumer and employee health.” Sales at the restaurant chain have tanked since an E. coli outbreak sickened dozens of people late last year.
The lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of investors who acquired Chipotle shares from February 2015 to January 2016. It adds another headache for the restaurant chain, whose sales have slumped since an E. coli outbreak sickened more than 50 people in nine states in October and November.
Shares this week fell to their lowest level in more than two years. They are down 35 percent since the end of October.
You would think the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control would be on top of this, investigating who is responsible for the contaminations. But as far as I can tell, neither governmental body has made any moves to find out. I don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it’s almost as though the bacterial infections and viruses are ganging up on a food outlet that was particularly clean and enthusiastic about promoting sustainable, organic food.
***
CAMPBELL SOUPS TO LIST GMOS IN ITS PRODUCTS
Green America congratulates the Campbell Soup Company on its support of federal legislation to establish a single mandatory labeling standard for foods derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and its move to voluntarily disclose the presence of GMOs in all its foods in the absence of such a standard.
Green America also lauded Campbell’s for withdrawing its support from the efforts of groups working to oppose federal GMO labeling, such as the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
“This announcement is a major victory for consumers and sets Campbell’s apart from many of its industry peers; 92 percent of Americans support GMO labeling, so Campbell’s commitment to transparency in its ingredients will be warmly welcomed by U.S. consumers,” said Elizabeth O’Connell, director of consumer advocacy for Green America. “Campbell’s is going far beyond any of its competitors to support the people’s Right to Know what’s in their food.”
GMO labeling is now required in Vermont, where Campbell’s has introduced packaging that discloses if a product contains GMO ingredients. Campbell’s announced that if a federal labeling standard could not be agreed to, the company was prepared to label all of its U.S. products for the presence of GMO ingredients.
“Campbell’s decision to withdraw its support from anti-labeling efforts and voluntarily disclose its GMO ingredients on its packaging sets the company apart from other consumer packaged goods companies,” said Todd Larsen, co-executive director of Green America. “Other companies should take note of consumer preference and follow Campbell’s lead in disclosing GMOs.”
While there are no rules on how to label GMOs at the moment, to further consumer awareness, Green America believes that labeling should disclose which ingredients were genetically engineered, such as corn or sugar, not just the presence of GMOs. Green America encourages all companies to engage in ingredient-by-ingredient disclosure.
***
CONTAMINATED FRACKING WATER SOLD TO ORGANIC FARMERS
From the League of Conservation Voters:
News has surfaced that in recent months, more and more fossil fuel wastewater — water that’s been used in the extraction of dirty oil — is being sold to organic farms to use for irrigation, especially in drought-ridden California.
That means the fresh bowls of fruit or crisp plates of veggies you feed to your family or enjoy yourself may have been irrigated with water that’s laden with dangerous heavy metals and chemicals.
But this is the worst part: Right now, the USDA has ZERO protections in place that directly address the use oil wastewater to irrigate organic farms.
Using oil wastewater to irrigate crops is a short-term solution if there ever was one. In California, where the vast majority of our nation’s crops are grown, farmers are facing the impossible challenge of needing an abundance of water and having nearly none. That’s where Big Oil is happy to step in.
Oil companies like Chevron have been selling their wastewater to water-starved farms. For them, leftover water is a nuisance, and now, in the light of an epic drought, they can profit off of its disposal. But here’s the really upsetting part: Oil companies are the ones responsible for cleaning up the water before giving it to farmers, and when scientists have tested the water, they found multiple toxic chemicals still present — chemicals that could be seriously harmful to you and your family.
The USDA prohibits oil-based fertilizers from being used on organic crops, recognizing that organic standards and waste from fossil fuel extraction do not mix. But in what can only be called a major loophole, when it comes to irrigation, the USDA has confirmed itself that there is no accountability to be sure this water is safe, and no regulations to protect us. When it comes to food quality and safety, we should all be able to demand the highest standards. It’s time that the USDA updates its organic standards for the health and safety of our families!
***
TOP 10 ORGANIC BREAKTHROUGHS IN 2015
Last year, numerous studies revealed scientific breakthroughs on the environmental and human health benefits of organic food and farming — from improving soil health and supporting water quality, to reducing our exposure to pesticides and mitigating climate change.
“The amount and scope of cutting edge research last year showing that the benefits of organic are supported by science was very impressive,” said Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center. “A large body of the research shows that pesticides that are banned from use in organic can have serious negative impacts on the environment and humans. The good news is that by choosing organic you can contribute to a healthier world.”
The Organic Center lists the year’s 10 most important organic findings:
1. Pesticides negatively impact bees. Perhaps the most important topic was the impact of pesticides on pollinator health. Several studies showed the class of pesticides called neonicotinoids (“neonics”) has various negative impacts on bees. One study found even exposure to very low levels of neonics can adversely affect bees. Another study correlated increased use of neonics with honey bee losses. Another found that even when neonics aren’t sprayed directly on fields, they can impact bee health.
2. Organic culture improves soil. Key research studied organic’s benefits to soil health, particularly soil organisms. A long-term study showed organic farming is beneficial for soil organisms, with larger soil animals increasing to over 250 times the number found in conventional soils, and microorganisms up to 70 percent more plentiful. In addition, another study showed organic management improves nutrient availability and soil structure. Still another found microbial communities of “good” soil organisms can suppress “bad” pathogens. Thus, diversity can promote resistance to diseases.
3. Organic farming supports water quality. Researchers examining nitrogen runoff found organic cropping systems have less nitrogen pollution than conventional systems. Another study looked at water quality, and found organic methods can be used to reduce water pollution in U.S waterways. It showed nitrate contamination in water in conventional cropping systems was twice as high as that from organic systems.
4. Dietary exposure to pesticides can hurt reproductive health. While research has long demonstrated clear dangers of pesticide exposure from living and working in agricultural areas, few studies have explored the health consequences of exposure to low-level pesticide residues in a conventional diet. Researchers at Harvard University published findings showing dietary exposure to pesticides can lower sperm quantity and quality in men. After taking into account confounding factors such as weight and smoking, researchers found that men exposed to the highest levels of pesticide residue through fruit and vegetable consumption had almost 50 percent fewer sperm and more abnormally shaped sperm when compared to men who consumed the least amount.
5. Roundup may be carcinogenic. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the pesticide Roundup (prohibited for use in organic farming), has been touted as a pesticide posing few risks to humans. New groundbreaking research suggests it might not be as benign as previously thought. One study suggested that low-level exposure to Roundup over a long period could cause kidney and liver damage in rats. The doses used in the study were low enough to prompt researchers to note that the results of the study potentially have significant health implications for animal and human populations. Similar research results were cited in a recent study published by the World Health Organization, calling glyphosate’s risk level as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
6. Organic farming has higher yields than previously thought. Several recent studies tackled the myth that organic farms have lower yields than conventional. One study showed that farms under organic soil management systems can produce yields equivalent to conventional systems. It also found organic farming reduced weeds by up to 47 percent and increased total soil nitrogen by up to 7 percent. Another study synthesizing information from over 100 studies and over 1,000 observations, found similar results, showing the yields of organic crops are higher than previously thought.
7. Eating organic food reduces your exposure to pesticides. One large-scale study involving 4,000 participants from across the U.S. confirmed that choosing organic does, in fact, reduce exposure to pesticides. Another study on children’s exposure to pesticides showed eating an organic diet reduces the exposure to some pesticides in young children, and that an organic diet was associated with lower levels of commonly detected pesticide metabolites for all children.
8. Commonly used pesticides negatively impact children’s health. The health effects of pesticide exposure in children was studied. One study showed an association between early exposure to organophosphate pesticides and respiratory symptoms consistent with childhood asthma. Another study linked pesticide exposure and decreased mental ability in children, including neurocognitive abilities. One study linked exposure to pesticides during child development to ADHD symptoms.
9. New research shows organic farming promotes a wide diversity of organisms on the farm. One study showed organically farmed lands had more beneficial predatory insects and spiders than conventional farms. Not only did researchers find that these beneficial insects controlled on-farm pests, they showed the impact reached beyond the organic farms, improving adjacent forest patches as well. Another study confirmed that the presence of organic farms increases the amount of biodiversity on surrounding conventional farms.
10. Organic farming helps mitigate climate change. Agriculture accounts for 35 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but an important study supports the idea that conversion to organic agriculture may be a climate-change solution. The study showed organic farming methods could mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Practices such as replacing chemical fertilizers with organic manure and using crop residues as forage for cattle were found to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase storage of carbon in the soils.
***
ORGANIC SOILS CAN HELP MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE
Drought and excessive heat in recent years have cut the world’s grain production by about 10 percent, a team of researchers has found. The team also found that the effects of droughts were more severe for crops produced in developed countries than in underdeveloped countries.
Dry spells caused losses of nearly 20 percent in North America, Europe and the Australasia region, but only 12 percent in Asia and 9 percent in Africa. They found no significant effects from droughts in Latin America.
One reason for the discrepancy, the researchers theorized, is that developed nations tend to grow more uniform crops, which may be more vulnerable to drought, while underdeveloped countries grow diverse patches of plants that may have greater resilience.
That may be so, but those of us familiar with organic farming may see another reason. Farmers in the developed world use conventional agriculture that depletes the soil of organic matter. In less developed countries, farmers often return manures and other organic matter to their soils. Organic matter is spongy and holds water. Many studies have shown that organically managed soils are more drought resistant than those managed with agricultural chemicals.
###
