Eat Your Heart Out, USA—Russia Rejects GMOs!

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Catherine J. Frompovich
Activist Post

If ever there were a war on for one’s allegiance about food philosophies, the U.S.’s apparent main political adversary, Russia, probably would win it hands down. Why? Well, Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is quoted as saying, “If the Americans like to eat GMO products, let them eat it then. We don’t need to do that; we have enough space and opportunities to produce organic food.” [CJF emphasis added]

Hear that Monsanto? Let’s see if one of your employees can get into the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia like with the U.S. FDA (Michael Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner of Foods) [1] and at the U.S. Supreme Court (Justice Clarence Thomas) [2].

Furthermore, Russia is on record as not importing any GMO products, so I guess any agricultural trade sanctions that the West may levy against Russia relative to the Ukraine incident may not affect them as some politicos may think, hope, or intend.

Back in September of 2012, NaturalNews published “Russia’s small-scale organic agriculture model may hold the key to feeding the world” wherein this was pointed out:

Thanks to government policies there that actually encourage autonomous family farming, rather than cater to the greed of chemical and biotechnology companies like they do here in the states, the vast majority of Russians are able and willing to grow their own food on privately-owned family plots known as “dachas.”

In the USA, homeowners have had their food gardens destroyed by local authorities. Here are some examples:

• Homeowners Forced to Uproot 17 Year Old Edible Garden (But Cheap, Plastic Flamingos Approved)
• Woman Sues City of Tulsa For Cutting Down Her Edible Garden

The difference in food policies between the USA and Russia relative to family farms is this: In the USA family farms systematically are being wiped out. Don’t believe that? Well, how about checking out these stories:

• The Family Farm Is Being Systematically Wiped Out Of Existence in America
• Monsanto: The Enemy of Family Farmers
• Monsanto takes gloves off in legal fight with the Nelsons

According to The Motley Fool, Monsanto “…has filed 145 lawsuits against farmers who’ve improperly reused its patented seeds, or on average about one lawsuit every three weeks for 16 straight years.” [3] All while the U.S. Supreme Court denies family farmers the right to self-defense from Monsanto lawsuits. (Source)

So what are the GMO labeling laws in Russia? According to Nation of Change blog “Breakdown of GMO Labeling Laws in Each Country”

Russia – Requires mandatory labeling of nearly all GE foods and a labeling threshold of 0.9-1% GMO content. [So what does Russia get about GMOs that the U.S. FDA doesn’t?]

According to GMO Inside.org’s “Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Laws Map,” 64 countries require it.

Where is the GMO standoff in the USA going?

What appears to be a stand-off regarding GMOs in the USA has acquired an interesting twist of social consciousness and it relates to what’s known as “socially responsible investing.” Food Democracy Now is mainstreaming what they call “Divest Monsanto Now” or “Tell Wall Street it’s time to dump Monsanto.”

According to information I received from FDN,

For decades millions of American’s have innocently profited from Monsanto’s toxic chemicals, GMOs and corruption of our democracy through investments in major mutual funds like Fidelity, Vanguard and State Street. Combined Fidelity, Vanguard and State Street own 15% of Monsanto’s, totaling $9.6 Billion in stock.

In the past week, since we launched our divest Monsanto campaign, hundreds of Food Democracy Now! members have called their financial advisors to demand that they divest from Monsanto’s stock. We need your help to make sure that it becomes tens of thousands of investors across America.

Power of the Purse

This short YouTube explains what Divest Monsanto Now is about. Also, check with your financial adviser to find out if any of your mutual funds, etc. are invested in Monsanto stock and, if so, FDN suggests you divest Monsanto stock from your portfolio. Such actions taken by consumers employ what’s known as the “power of the purse.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ovCrpTcfF3M#t=6

Holding their feet to the fire.

Then there is accountability due from those who made promises to get votes during presidential elections. In his 2007 stump, Mr. Obama made this very vocal promise:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqaaB6NE1TI&feature=player_embedded#t=16

So what did President Obama do to keep that promise? He signed the Monsanto Protection Act (HR933)!

Have American voters been had? You decide.

Notes:

[1] http://www.naturalnews.com/037678_michael_taylor_monsanto_fda.html
[2] http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_20437.cfm
[3] http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/02/13/monsantos-gmo-seeds-may-no-longer-be-invincible.aspx

Resources:

Russia Rejects GMOs, Will Grow Organic Food Instead
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/posts/russia-rejects-gmos-will-grow-organic-food-instead/

Food: The Ultimate Secret Exposed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMwXlikoFrM&feature=player_embedded#t=18

Gary Null Production Movie: Obama Signs the Monsanto Protection Act – Seeds of Death (1 hr 20 mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B_XtCcMeWrw#t=14

Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies. Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting.

Two of Catherine’s more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process (2008).