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

Anonymous replied on

Whole Foods has done more to improve the food in our country than our government. NO, I DO NOT work for them but I was involved in campaigns for years that targeted improvements for small to mid scale organic farmers as well as clean meat producers and I can say that this story is about as complete as a slice of swiss cheese. Forget the names of the companies who spent millions to fight a giant, monsanto. Think about the fact they have been fueled by politicians that many of us, have elected into office. Yes obama too! Cry me a tear in your prius....

Their animal wellfare program is one of the best we knew of and was being developed and driven by Whole Foods, not by demand from customers or the government. It is the right thing to do. What have any of you done to make changes or have your voice heard about the poisoning of our food system and GMO crop tolerance? Click a like button on facebook or anonymously sign some petition online?! Look at the problems and quit pointing at companies that you all love to hate. Did any of you drive today? Are you watching television? What did you and your kids eat today? Look at your choices. Just choosing organic is no longer enough. Companies like Monsanto can own the meaning the word organic these days...I feel sorry for you if you think otherwise.

The problem with our food system is that nobody wants to get involved on any level that requires commitment or time and effort. I became exhausted as well at my job so I changed professions. That said, I am still driven on a local level to keep improving things but I just realized how many people in the US truly do not care enough to do anything about the situation and how hard it is to change things on any scale beyond micro. That is why I only direct my efforts into our small local system. I encourage you all to do the same as this is really your only hope of taking the fish genes out of your tomatoes.

sdk replied on

As sad as it sounds he is telling the truth, no one wants to get involved or do their part to make a difference. By the same token, I have to remind myself daily in my struggle to inform people that Americans have been programmed non stop via, media, music, movies, etc. to be numb to the truth. The sad truth of it all is, people are not going to wake up until something terrible happens to disturb their current way of living. In the meantime anonymous...just know that you are not alone, and we have to keep the faith on the fact that the good will prevail over evil in the end.

John W Beck replied on

WFM employs a lot of good people. It is still a company who cares more for making gobs of money over much else. I worked in a few of their stores here in Massachusetts that were the local 'wholefoods' chain called Bread & Circus WFM bought out. Myself, I have had it with that company. They pay a lot of lip service to the words "organic" and "natural", but when push comes to shove the word they care most about it "profit".

Their "human slaughter" program is bogus. They sing lullabies to the animals before they bash their heads in instead of just smacking them dead? How kind. WFM started this "Meatopia" event where eating meat was celebrated, strongly encouraged and a few well paid chefs were brought in to cook the best darn bbq steak you ever had. Despite one of WFMs main managers being vegan himself, that company makes millions selling meat. They want to move as much of it as they can. If they dress it up as "humanely slaughtered" meat and charge a few more bucks a pound, wahoo!

WFM cares a lot less about the food and much more for how they can market it and charge you a premium for apples that were kissed by golden butterflies. That smaller chain Bread & Circus they bought out? It had stronger standards than WFM, and as soon as WFM bought them, those standards vanished. Stronger standards not as friendly to higher sales as slick advertising campaigns and heavy greenwashing.

woodsprite53058 replied on

Yes - given all that you have said, it IS still a cave in. and seeing that Whole Foods is one of the biggest and they have power to do so much - for shame!!!.

Brandy Dunn replied on

Honestly people.... If these companies have given into Monsanto then they should no longer be able to have natural, organic or certified organic printed on anything that has their name on it. If something is not certified organic it means it was sprayed or grown in some way with lethal chemicals. Most all of these chemicals come from Monsanto. The chemicals they say are safe, but yet are killing us, our children, our land and livestock.

Chemistry Ph.D. replied on

>> . . .lethal. . .

Yes, weed killers kill weeds. Humans working with weed killers need to be careful about exposure, but then working with any substance in large quantities can be hazardous. (Given the right conditions, wheat dust from a flour mill can explode.) Extensive testing has shown that the weed killer acts only on a biological process found in broad-leaf weeds. Beneficial insects, animals, human beings, etc., do not have an equivalent biological process and are unaffected.

Please prove that said chemical is killing human children or livestock, or be called out as a liar.

Anonymous replied on

How about the fact that India has burned Monsanto's fields due to the tumors it creates in lab rats in less than 2 years. Apparently they don't even want insects to eat it. Russia has banned monsanto's genetically modified foods because of the same reason that India burned their fields. I am not a liar and you can google it or just watch the news. I hope Mitt Romney doesn't make president because he is in monsanto's back pocket, only out for the "kick back" he will get. If you think cigarette smoking causes cancer and won't smoke because of that...well you better look at the food you eat because you will end up with tumors AND cancer if you eat these foods.

Anonymous replied on

Are u kidding me?! U really think Obama isn't in monsanto's pocket? If so, ur a fool! Read this: http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/index.cfm. People need to stop trusting this gov of ours. I'm so sick of hearing people worship Obama. Our gov is just as much to blame as monsanto!

Anonymous replied on

can you tell me what exactly causes the food to be bad , is it the herbicides and pesticides or the fact that they are genetic engineered or both . please explain I 've heard so much negative stuff but not the exact reason.

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