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This past year I have become very aware about food — and of the importance of eating nutritous foods in order to stay healthy. I eat as much organic food as I can, especially when it’s on sale. I will also spend the extra amount of money when my budget allows in order to support the organic farmer. Organic farmers go through a great deal more scrutiny than conventional and genetically modified (GMO) foods and it costs them alot more to grow organic.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that some organic farmers are against Prop 37, the ‘Right to Know’ Proposition we will vote on this November!
I had been reading some earlier articles that organic farmers are not happy when their neighbor plants GMO foods next door to them because it can ‘drift’ into their field and contaminate their organic crops. Now why on earth would they be against labeling foods? Well, let me tell you, not all organic is what we think it is.
I don’t know about you but when I think about an organic farmer, I picture some hippie famer working out in his/her field, not some huge agri-business pretending to be all about the planet and healthy food. Once again my bubble has burst. There are, in fact, many conventional corporations selling organic foods because it has become profitable to do so.
Normally I wouldn’t care, but these same so-called organic companies are paying big bucks to defeat Prop 37. Now that just plain stinks. For example, Coca Cola owns Odwalla, a juice I used to buy. (I emphasize “used to” becuase I will not spend another dime on it.) They just donated over $62,000 to make sure you and I do not have the right to know what we are eating. Pepsi -Co owns Tostito’s Organic Corn Chips, Tropicana Organic Orange Juice, and Naked Juice. They spent over $90,000! Kellogg’s tossed in $33,000. I’ll bet that you’ve eaten their organic brands: Bear Naked, Morningstar Farms, and Keebler Organic.
Several years ago I distinctly remember watching a show on the Food Network about two guys starting the Bear Naked Granola business right out of their kitchen. It went on to say how the worked 24 hours a day and went to mom-and-pop grocery stores all over New York to sell their healthy, organic granola. Now I find out that Kelloggs bought them out in 2008 to the tune of $60 million dollars.
I really don’t care that these 2 guys made some serious money. What I do care about is that Kelloggs pretends to promote healthy eating when in fact they really don’t care about anything except their bottom line. They are like a crack dealer deciding to sell vitamins on the side — not to try to do the right thing but just as a way to increase the bottom line.
Well Mr. Kelloggs and Mr. Pepsico and all your slimy friends, I am on to you — and I will tell everyone and anyone exactly what you are up to. Nothing makes me angrier than someone pretending to be something they’re not — and that includes corporations.
Here are the names of other corporations that make my Hall of Shame list who parade themselves to be organic and turn around giving big bucks to prevent its customers from knowing what’s in their other products:
Smucker’s Organic Peanut Butter
I saved the worst one (so far, it’s only August) who gets a double ‘slimy’ award and that’s Bimbo Bakeries, who owns Earth Grains. They gave $17,000 and another $7,000 through their subsidiary Sara Lee. I can tell you this broad defintely no longer likes Sara Lee!
Oh, and the next time you see the word ‘natural’ on some box of healthy whatever, buyer beware — but I will save that story for another day.
This just came in! Compliments of the California Right to Know Campaign: There are now $10 million dollars being spent to fight Prop 37. These companies are throwing around huge amounts of cash, just because they do not want us to know what’s in their food products! Yet they claim gmos are safe. If that’s true whats the big deal to label them? They already give us the sodium, sugar, calories, and saturated fat content on the package. So, seriously, what is the big deal? Other states are watching this proposition and are rooting for us to win, so they will do the samething. This will be one of the biggest fights we will have this year, the right to know what’s in our food!
Details regarding the new contributions against Proposition 37 are below.
Please get involved. Find out how by going to w ww.CaRighttoKnow.org. Or you can contact me!
thanks Inge. You are welcome to pass out Literature at the artwalks anytime.
Thank You Double Eye ( I always picture Marty Feldman when I see your name)
Are you at Fullerton or Santa Ana?
I’m sure you know Double-Eye. I’ll tell you who he is privately. Answer – Santa Ana. OCCUPY Santa Ana.
Now I know. Thanks Vern.
HE’S MIGUEL PULIDO??????
Here’s another good related story today from Truthout via Alternet: http://truth-out.org/news/item/10887-why-a-major-food-organization-is-teaming-up-with-monsanto-and-friends-to-block-your-right-to-know-whats-in-your-food
Great piece, Inge. Good research.
Thanks Vern. I am learning from the best you and Greg. 🙂
*Excellent……outing the prune keepers….
Bimbo is awesome how dare you say it’s unhealthy