Supreme Court Favors Consumers in First-Ever Case on Genetically-Engineered Crops

Posted by geri via GNN

Friday, 25 June 2010

The United States Supreme Court announced its decision Monday in Monsanto v. Geerston Farms, the first genetically modified crop case ever brought before the high court. As a result, the ban on planting Roundup Ready Alfalfa still stands, until and unless future deregulation by federal agencies occurs. The Center for Food Safety calls it a “major victory” for conventional farmers and consumers.

In a 7 to 1 vote, the court ruled on 3 issues and held that any further attempt to commercialize Roundup Ready Alfalfa (RRA), which has been engineered to survive weed killer, may require an Environmental Impact Study that would be subject to legal challenge. The Court further recognized that the threat of transgenic contamination is harmful and onerous to organic and conventional farmers and that the injury allows them to challenge future biotech crop commercializations in court.

(Photo by KConnors, via Morguefile.com)

Following the ruling, more than 50 U.S. lawmakers called on the U.S. Agriculture Department to keep Monsanto’s biotech alfalfa out of farm fields. The lawmakers said the biotech alfalfa presents too great a risk to conventional and organic agriculture to ever allow it.

“While the decision is complicated, given that it overturns a ban on the planting of RRA, this Court opinion is in many ways a defeat against Monsanto,” wrote CFS’s Executive Director, Andrew Kimbrell. “Especially because despite the ruling, it is still illegal to sell or plant genetically modified alfalfa.”

Monsanto asked the Supreme Court to rule on three main issues: (1) to lift the injunction on GMO alfalfa; (2) to allow the planting and sale of GMO alfalfa; (3) to rule that contamination from GMO crops not be considered irreparable harm.

The court only ruled on the first request which it did affirm by stating that the injunction was overly broad and should be overturned. However, the Court ruled in favor of The Center for Food Safety on the other two issues, which in many ways are more important because the fact remains that the planting and sale of GMO alfalfa remains illegal.

The justices ruled that an injunction against planting was simply unnecessary since, under lower courts’ rulings, Roundup Ready Alfalfa became a regulated item and illegal to plant. In other words, the injunction was “overkill’ because our victory in lower federal court determined that USDA violated the National Environmental Protection Act and other environmental laws when it approved Roundup Ready alfalfa. The court felt that voiding the USDA’s decision to make the crop legally available for sale was enough.

The High Court did not rule on several arguments presented by Monsanto about the application of federal environmental law. As a result, the Court did not make any ruling that could have been hurtful to National Environmental Policy Act or any other environmental laws. In addition, the opinion supported the Center’s argument that gene flow is a serious environmental and economic threat. This means that genetic contamination from GMOs can still be considered harm under the law, both from an environmental and economic perspective, another huge victory for CFS.

All you ever needed to know about Fast Food

Breakthrough Drug Could Help Gluten Sufferers with Celiac Disease

[not that I want to be taking a drug just to eat some gluten, but for my “Splurge Day” it could be awesome! – Corey]

Posted by geri by Good News Network

Sunday, 14 March 2010

For millions of gluten sensitive sufferers, eating even a microscopic amount of gluten — foods laced with wheat or other grains — frequently leads to illness.

A new drug called Larazotide Acetate, developed by a University of Alberta doctor, has been called ‘revolutionary’ for its promise to help such people to lead a normal life.

Larazotide Acetate was shown in three clinical trials to reduce the effects of gluten in up to 85% of subjects with celiac disease. The pill may offer patients the freedom to eat out at restaurants, or go to a friends house for dinner without getting sick from gluten contaminated food.

A fourth clinical trial is slated for later this year, and the drug could be made available by 2012.

(Compiled from reports in both CTV.com or Celiac.com)

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New SunChips Bag is 100% Compostable

Posted by geri via GNN

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Frito Lay will roll out the world’s first 100% compostable chip bag in Canadian retail outlets beginning in March.

The new SunChips packaging will be made from more than 90% renewable, plant-based materials, and as a result, the bag will completely break down into compost in a hot, active compost pile in approximately 14 weeks.

Frito Lay is planning to launch its new 90% plant-based, 100% compostable bag in the U.S. to coincide with Earth Day 2010.

Beginning in 2009, you may have noticed the SunChips bags already sporting a unique sound, the new sound of environmentally friendly plant-based materials that are not as soft at room temperature.

The renewable material used to produce the SunChips 100% compostable bag is a plant-based PLA material, a versatile polymer made from starch — the result of four years of research and testing. PLA ensures the product in the bag maintains the quality and freshness Canadian consumers expect.

“Having designed packaging with the environment in mind, SunChips’ certified compostable packaging will help raise awareness of the environmental importance of composting,” said Susan Antler, Executive Director of the Compost Council of Canada. “We hope the introduction of initiatives such as the compostable SunChips bag will encourage and make it easier for Canadians to participate in composting This will hopefully also spur the industry to continue to develop and enhance the technology needed to create packaging from renewable resources.

The SunChips’ compostable packaging has been certified through the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), the only internationally recognized labeling program. As such it presents the opportunity for incorporation into waste management programs destined for composting, provided the local infrastructure is both available and capable of including this packaging material within their system. In the months ahead, SunChips will be working with local composting initiatives to ensure the packages are included in green bin programs as much as possible.

The green SunChip bags will appear in the 225g & 425g size bags, with the balance of the product line transitioning to the compostable packaging in August 2010.

“As we embark on a new decade, environmental initiatives are more important than ever,” says Tony Matta, Vice President of Marketing, Frito Lay Canada. “Every step counts as we strive to shrink our footprint on the planet and the SunChips 100% compostable chip bag is one small step towards a greener future.”

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Bob’s Red Mill CEO Gives 20 Million Dollar Company to Employees

Posted by geri via GNN

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

A CEO this week gave his entire company to the workers who’ve made his natural food company the success that generates revenues exceeding $20 million a year.

Founder of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, Bob Moore, turned 81 on Monday, Feb. 15 and announced the news to his employees in Milwaukie, Oregon.

With everyone at his birthday celebration and on behalf of his partners in the business, Bob announced that through the creation of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Bob’s Red Mill is now an employee-owned company.

“We believe our employees are the finest people in the natural foods business, and by offering our current and future employees an ownership in the company we will continue to retain and attract the best.”

“It’s been my dream all along to turn this company over to the employees,” said Mr. Moore. “I get to spend every day with our many loyal and long-time employees who will now share in ownership, and it just thrills me to know they will be joined by many new faces over the years.”

“The partners could have sold this company many times for a lot more money, but to them this company is about so much more than the money,” said Operations VP Dennis Vaughn. “I’m just proud to wear the Bob’s Red Mill logo because anywhere I go in this country people say nice things about the company.”

“Bob is basically passing the entrepreneurial torch on to his employees and is instilling in us that hard work provides rewards,” said Roger Farnen, a Quality Assurance Manager.

Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods produces more than 400 products, including a full line of certified gluten free products and an extensive line of certified organic products.

(Read more at OregonLive.com)

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What Could Be Better than Renewable Energy from Chocolate?

Posted by geri via GNN

Monday, 15 February 2010

Who knew the same delicious brown bean that creates chocolate can also generate clean green power? Cocoa bean shells left over after the chocolate processing are now being used as biofuel. You might wonder where this is happening. West Africa? Brazil?

Actually, it’s in New Hampshire, which is the home of chocolatier Lindt USA. Lindt recently announced a partnership with Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) for the burning of cocoa bean shells to produce electricity from one of the three 50MW boilers at PSNH’s Schiller Station power plant in Portsmouth, near the Lindt factory.

(Continue reading at the Triple Pundit)

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For all the #vegetarians out there!

Yes, That is a T-Bone Steak from Carman Ranch – local, organic, grass fed! We went in with a friend and split 1/4 of a cow. It will be a great winter having this great beef!

No, I did not eat the entire thing, just put it all on my plate for effect. I am not sure why I take pictures of my food, other than the fact I LOVE food. This steak was so tender it could be cut with a fork. To cook, I cooked some onions and garlic in olive oil and butter, seasoned it with Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute and some fresh ground pepper, seared both sides in a pan with olive oil, then cooked for 8 minutes each side in oven at 500 degrees with the onions/garlic on top.

New Evidence that Dark Chocolate Helps Ease Emotional Stress

 

 

Friday, 20 November 2009

The “chocolate cure” for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial published online in the Journal of Proteome Research. It found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed. Everyone’s favorite treat also partially corrected other stress-related biochemical imbalances.   Beneficial substances in dark chocolate may also reduce risk factors for heart disease and other physical conditions, according to growing scientific evidence. Until now, however, there was little evidence from research in humans on exactly how chocolate might ease emotional stress. In the study, scientists identified reductions in stress hormones and other stress-related biochemical changes in volunteers who rated themselves as highly stressed and ate dark chocolate for two weeks. “The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams [1.4 ounces] during a period of 2 weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers,” the scientists say. (Read the detailed science report from ACS’ Journal) Share This!

List of most recent items we received + $25 coupon for SPUD organic produce delivery. They lowered their prices!

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Ben & Jerry’s Hubby Hubby Ice Cream

Via JMG. In honor of same-sex marriages beginning today in Vermont, ice cream makers Ben & Jerry have temporarilyrenamed one of their most popular flavors.

“The legalization of marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont is certainly a step in the right direction, and something worth celebrating with peace, love – and plenty of ice cream,” Ben & Jerry’s CEO Walt Freese said in announcing the sugary switch. Ben & Jerry’s, which has long backed liberal causes, plans to rebrand “Chubby Hubby” as “Hubby Hubby” for 30 days to show support for Vermont’s new law. The move is mostly symbolic, as Burlington-based Ben & Jerry’s isn’t changing labels on “Chubby Hubby” pints sold in stores.

Free Hubby Hubby will be handed out by Ben & Jerry’s trucks “across Vermont” today. Too bad they won’t be shipped to retail, that’s a real collectors’ item right there.

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