Whole Foods Market Caves to Monsanto

Submitted by PRWatch Editors on

WholeFoodsMarketAfter 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 asked 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.  (A typographical error in the second sentence of this story was subsequently corrected.  We regret this minor error.)

Main Source: 
CounterPunch, January 28, 2011
Topics: 
Agriculture
Food Safety
Environment

Comments

Gray Matter replied on

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!! Write to Organic/Whole Food suppliers and tell them that IF THEY DO NOT OPPOSE MONSANTO, YOU WILL NO LONGER BUY THEIR PRODUCTS!! GMOs DO in fact make people sick! I personally have to buy organic because of my sensitivity to additives etc. I always buy organic foods but I had tried a product that I knew is definitely a GM Food because I was curious, and I was violently ill for days. Meats from animals that are injected with artificial growth hormones are the same way with me. The average person cannot tell the difference because they are slowly conditioned over long periods of time to get used to the garbage that they are putting in our foods... However, if you switch to all natural, organic, free range meat for a while, then try to eat some of the non-natural meats, you will DEFINITELY taste the difference!! AND I guarantee you, you too will become violently ill from the GMO foods! Switch to Organic and All Natural foods for 6 months then try to eat some of the non-organic and you will definitely see what I mean. Once you do, convince everyone you know to try the same thing. If you love your family, care about your own well-being too, you would try this experiment and get others to as well! After all, what harm would it do you to at least TRY!!

Dorothy K Dean replied on

Don't cave to Monsanto. I will NOT spend my money on anything genetically engineered. Might have to stop shopping at Whole Foods as I find out more.

Veronica Washington replied on

I strongly oppose the strangle hold Monsanto has on Soy bean production. I know they are trying to acquire exclusive rights to other crops as well. If you cave into them I will stop shopping in your stores.

Sunrise Chic replied on

How is it that this company has so much power to do this to local companies and farms, is sickening. I guess monopolies are no longer illegal or should I say it's illegal to those who can't afford to pay the right officials. I will boycott Whole Foods myself!

Anonymous replied on

Who can you go to if your boycott Whole Foods? The thing to do, according to the article, is only buy "certified organic" food at Whole Foods or elsewhere.

Monopolies have been recognized as a threat to society for nearly two centuries, but because the people running our country are sold out to the corporations, we will never get reform. If you want to take action in this matter - don't blame Whole Foods; blame MONSANTO and ask for that company to be dismantled. Remember that Whole Foods FOUGHT Monsanto. So should everyone else.

See Michael Parenti's "The Face of Imperialism" to get a good idea why our lives suck so much in this day and age.

Anonymous replied on

I read ACRES USA an organic farming magazine.Every month they have the (dirt on Monsanto and the ins and outs of their lawers and executives that go through USDA's revolving door. The Secretary of Farming is a (rotater) from Monsanto. Monsanto is totally involved in advising on laws that support Monsanto to their benefit. Monsanto does not care about long term results. The game is all about short term profits. Ugly results of their gmo's are beginning to show up. In Iowa 100,000 acres of GM corn was lost due to a glyphosate resistant corn root worm.According to Greenpeace,who released a new report titled "Australia's wheat scandal:The biotech takeover of our daily bread. CSIRO approved the worlds first human feeding trials of GM wheat to Australians. International GM labeling in over 100 countries may happen; Check out farmfutures.com

alleycat replied on

I am thinking ...as consumers we do have collective power, simply (.......) by not purchasing, but in this case - eating is necessary, and so the next thought approaches with force...what do you call it, when humans (animals as well) are forced to consume a poison laced food, or a poison laced air. Would that not be called a genocide? Yes, it may take decades for us to die, yet there is no time limit on the act of genocide...I don't think. One entire species does not have to die instantly to be called genocide, right?
I started to look into the factor of how many chemicals in our food supply have NOT been tested, are un-tested? There are tens of thousands of them.
We are being killed - period. I looked it up - it's called genocide.

Anonymous replied on

We may not like the described shady overpricing practices for the marketing of "natural" foods, but then all you have to do is only buy "certified organic" and according to the article you will be alright.

It isn't just up to Whole Foods to fight Monsanto on their own, and I'm alarmed at the number of people here who have said they would stop shopping at Whole Foods to punish them for "caving" to Monsanto. How many people who said they would boycott Whole Foods have written angry letters to their legislators telling them that Monsanto Must Die?

Focus the blame where it belongs: on MONSANTO and their heedless march to control the world's food supply. Here is a corporation worth destroying completely. If you want to boycott anything, START WITH ALL MONSANTO PRODUCTS - so, no more U.S. Corn because it can no longer be trusted. no more corn chips for TV viewers, sorry.

alleycat replied on

you bet!
nothing with corn or soy( because it's ALL monsanto and friends - general mills for example)
No meats from warehoused animals. I get to know the people who grow my foods and meats. It's expensive, but getting sick is even more so.
I'm in my 60s and the ONLY person I know that is healthy (no matter what age) - no "personal doctor" no over counter meds - nothing. I find that pitiful, and meeting with friends is very boring because all they talk about is what the doctor said and their limitations...frankly, i'm sick of that

Crimson replied on

I completely agree with you on this. Monsanto is a monster trying to rule the entire food industry. Whole Foods, and other stores can only do so much to keep their food safe. It's like going up against the government, (on anything) it's only a matter of time before they win and you lose big time. This is America for us with a totally failed FDA, and citizens dying by the masses of cancer. I know i'm not the only one making the connection here right? What I have always wondered though is if Monsanto employees eat corn products, and EVERYTHING else that they contaminate to death? I mean it just doesn't seem like they would actually feed this poison to their kids by choice. It seems to me that they've even left themselves and their kids with no other options, imagine...

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