Whole Foods Market Caves to Monsanto

Sounds like a $hill for WFM. I too have friends who work at Whole Foods and asked my friend who runs the produce section at one of the local WFM why organic and non-organic produce are next to each other. Especially egregious is when they spray the veggies and the organic are then tainted w/residue from the non-organic, chemically-treated produce. HELLO!! To which he replied, that his directive is to put both organic and non-organic produce together so as not to highlight the fact that there is a majority of non-organic produce which WFM sells w/much of this GMO. This is not a topic up for discussion he was told. Most of this produce is often imported from other countries where our banned pesticides are sold and then used on produce exported to our country. I also don't buy that WFM has lower organic prices than anyone else. Every so often, and rarely at that, do they have a loss leader and sell produce for pennies less than other organic outlets such as Vitamin Cottage or Sunflower Market. BTW, there is nothing positive or healthy about 'sustainable farming'. It's just a buzzword and propaganda sound bite that WFM and others are promoting to take the onus off of commercial fisheries where such egregious practices are in place. Raising fish in pens, so to speak, is analagous to raising cattle on grain, pumped full of anti-biotics, and keeping them penned up. Wild fish, which is available, less invasive, and healthier for the fish, environment, and hence us is far better than damaging practices that lessen a fish's Omega 3 content, use dyes to color the meat, and allow the fish to ineffectively filter out impurities in the water. They cannot keep up w/the effluent waste that is generated in these fish pens. Also, their prepared foods may taste good, but GMO canola oil, which is an industrial-grade machinery oil, is used in all their soups, grape leaves, which traditionally use olive oil, and for frying purposes. I asked the deli mgr why this inferior oil is used and she said WF mgmt is only allowing them the use of canola oil as it's cheaper and they can buy it in bulk. They used to use olive oil in some of their prepared foods, but no more, she said.

As far as myself and others are concerned, WFM has sold out and we refuse to shop there anymore. Granted, they have some fine fish and meat selections, but I can get those from my neighborhood fish monger whose prices are competitive and his fish actually fresher, plus I'm supporting a small local business where I'd much rather spend my money. As a family, we spend appx $700-800 a month, and about 25% of that goes to Whole Foods, but no longer.