We wanted to thank everyone for standing with family farmers vs. Monsanto during their day in court on January 31^st. Incredibly, more than 55 family farmers and plaintiffs traveled to New York to take part in the initial phase of the potentially landmark case Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) et al v. Monsanto.

The hearing in Manhattan Federal District Court was centered on Monsanto’s motion to dismiss the case and Federal Judge Naomi Buchwald heard arguments from attorneys on both sides. Farmers were encouraged by Judge Buchwald’s familiarity with the case and her announcement that she would make a decision in the next 60 days, no later than March 31^st.

Click here to watch a short video to hear farmers, plaintiffs and citizens speak about their shared fight against Monsanto to reclaim our seed heritage.

Already more than 100,000 farmers and citizens have signed a pledge to stand with America’s farmers in this important struggle to reclaim their basic rights to plant crops on their land and grow food without the fear and threat of intimidation by Monsanto’s abusive patent infringement lawsuits.

If you haven’t already done so, please click here to say, “I stand with Farmers vs. Monsanto”.

We want to give special recognition to the farmers and plaintiffs who traveled to be a part of this historic day and thanks to members of the Occupy Wall Street Food Justice working group, Occupy Farms, Occupy Big Food, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association and all those who have helped spread the word of support for the family farmers and plaintiffs.

We believe that together we can win!

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM (Photo credit: live w mcs - multiple chemical sensitivity)

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Ten Ways Monsanto and Big Ag Are Trying to Kill You – And the Planet

Energy-intensive industrial farming practices that rely on toxic chemicals and genetically engineered crops are not just undermining public health, they’re destroying the planet.

Here’s how:

#1 Generating Massive Greenhouse Gas Pollution (CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide) and Global Warming, While Promoting False Solutions Such as Industrial Biofuels, So-Called Drought-Resistant Crops, and Genetically Engineered Trees

#2 Polluting the Environment and the Soil-Food Web with Pesticides, Chemical Fertilizers, and Persistent Toxins, Including Dioxin

#3 Draining and Polluting Wetlands and Aquifers, Turning Farmland into Desert

#4 Poisoning Wells and Municipal Drinking Water, Lakes, and Rivers

#5 Chopping Down the Rainforests for Monoculture GMO Crops, Biofuels and Cattle Grazing

#6 Increasing the Cost of Food, While Reducing Nutrition and Biodiversity

#7 Spawning Pesticide-Resistant Superbugs and Weeds, and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

#8 Generating New and More Virulent Plant, Animal and Human Diseases

#9 Utilizing Wasteful Fossil Fuel-Intensive Practices and Encouraging the Expansion of Natural Gas Fracking and Tar Sands Extraction (Which Destroy Forests, Aquifers, and Farmland)

#10 Stealing Money From the 99% to Give Huge Subsidies to the 1% Wealthiest, Most Chemical and Energy-Intensive Farms and Food Producers

It’s not enough to stop eating genetically engineered food. If we want a liveable planet we’ve got to boycott all factory farmed food and make the Great Transition from energy and chemical-intensive agriculture to a relocalized and organic system of food and farming. The World According to Monsanto is a recipe for disaster. Monsanto and Big Ag contaminate every link in the food chain, threatening the very foundation of life: living nutrient-rich soil, clean water, resilient crops, healthy animals, stable climates, and diverse food sources. The good news is that agro-ecological and organic methods can reverse this threat and sustain food production for future generations, but we don’t have much time to turn things around.

Take Action

Learn more:

“What About the State of Our Planet, Mr. President?” By Will Allen and Ronnie Cummins

The Farm Bill: Subsidizing Pollution, Junk Food, and the Richest 1%

Support the OCA and the OCF

In 2012, whether we’re talking about getting antibiotics out of animal feed or labeling GMOs, we’re fighting harder than ever. With the 2012 California Ballot Initiative, and GMO labeling legislation gaining momentum in Vermont, Washington, Connecticut, Hawaii and other states, we have a real chance to hit Monsanto with the skull and crossbones they fear so much – mandatory labels on genetically engineered food. We also plan to step up our efforts to strengthen organic standards and significantly expand the market for organic food and products, especially those produced locally and regionally.

Please be as generous as you can during our January and February fundraising drive.

Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible)

Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our efforts in California)

Urgent Action Needed to Label GMOs in Your State!

Sixteen states are currently considering legislation to label GMOs. Please contact your state legislators to encourage them to support or introduce GMO labeling bills.

Take Action by Choosing Your State!

All eyes are on Washington state this week, as we try to get two GMO labeling bills passed out of the Senate and House agriculture committees this week. Public support is strong and last week’s hearings were packed, but Monsanto lobbyists are trying hard to kill the bills.

Take Action in Washington State!

The California legislative effort to label genetically engineered fish suffered a setback when a bill to label genetically engineered salmon failed 9-7 in committee earlier this month. The sad truth is that California politicians appear to care more about what Monsanto and corporate agribusiness want than the 90% of their constituents who have expressed their view over and over again that they want labels on genetically engineered food.

This is why OCA, Food Democracy Now, Mercola.com, the Sierra Club, Center for Food Safety, Pesticide Action Network, and LabelGMOs.org, along with our allies in the organic business community have united to put a citizen Initiative on the ballot in November 2012 that will require labels on all genetically engineered foods and food ingredients, and outlaw the common practice of labeling or advertising hundreds of GMO-tainted processed foods as “natural” or “all-natural.”

Learn More and Take Action in California!

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January 24: Join the OCA Protest at Monsanto‘s Annual Shareholders Meeting

What if Monsanto had to pay for its corporate crimes?

It is inevitable that one day Monsanto will be held responsible for the enormous human health and environmental damages arising from the so-called “responsible” use of its toxic pesticides, chemicals, and mutant genetically engineered seeds. If the Biotech Bully of St. Louis were to be held liable for its 100-year legacy of corporate criminality – carcinogenic chemical food sweeteners, Agent Orange, dioxin, Bovine Growth Hormone, poisonous herbicides, seed monopolization, and genetically engineered crops, the company’s shareholders would no doubt see the value of their Monsanto stocks plummet to zero.

Following up on two protests at Monsanto’s headquarters in 2011, OCA returns to St. Louis for the 2012 Monsanto shareholders’ meeting on January 24!

Please join OCA, Pesticide Action Network, and Harrington Investments (a socially responsible investor’s group) in St. Louis to support a shareholder resolution to examine the financial risks associated with genetically engineered crops. While an OCA representative is speaking inside the shareholders meeting, another group of us will be outside, peacefully picketing.

Come to St. Louis to Make Monsanto Pay! Contact Mike Durschmid (mikedvegan AT gmail.com) to join in, or RSVP on Facebook and share with your friends.

And this just in: Activists in Maui, Hawaii, in solidarity with our St. Louis action, will be peacefully protesting outside Monsanto’s Hawaii HQ location on 3555 Mokulele Hwy on the same day. For more information or to RSVP, visit the Facebook event here.

Learn more

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Prep Time:  20 Min    |   Cook Time:  30 Min   |   Ready In:  50 Min   |   Serves 4

October Is Non-GMO Month!

2011
- The year Monsanto added sweetcorn, sugar beets and alfalfa to the list of GMO crops that already included field corn, cotton, canola, soy, and papaya – without regulations to protect organic farmers from contamination and no labels to respect consumers’ right to know.
- The year Monsanto couldn’t hide its failure any longer, as its GMO crops toppled over and were strangled in the fields, attacked by the very insects and weeds they were genetically engineered to resist.

October 2011
- When the non-GMO movement in the US got reenergized, reorganized and started a new strategy to win!

October 2011 is Non-GMO Month, and we can make it the biggest month of action this issue has ever seen in this country. What can you do to make that happen?

Would you collect a thousand signatures? Would you walk from New York City to the White House? Would you join a Millions Against Monsanto Rally for the Right to Know on World Food Day?

What would you do to win our right to know about genetically engineered food?

Get involved:

California – Ongoing – LabelGMOs.org
Northern CA
Southern CA

NYC to DC – Oct 1-16 – The Right2Know March

Austin, TX – Oct 2 – Rally for Real Food

Nationwide – Oct 15 & 16 – Millions Against Monsanto World Food Day Events

New Events on the Millions Against Monsanto World Food Day Map!

This World Food Day, October 16, 2011, is going to be the biggest single day of action for labels on genetically engineered food in U.S. history.

New events are being posted to the Millions Against Monsanto map on a daily basis.

Zoom in to see what’s happening in your town

Many of the Millions Against Monsanto events are of national importance. In Pleasanton, CA, activists are rallying at Safeway headquarters. Like most supermarkets, most of the food sold in Safeway contains unlabeled genetically engineered ingredients. Act in solidarity with the Pleasanton rally by sending a letter to Safeway, letting them know that 9-out-of-10 shoppers want genetically engineered foods labeled.

Another way to participate no matter where you are by posting a photo of yourself with your wittiest anti-GMO slogan in the Virtual Rally for the Right to Know About GMOs on Flickr.

We incorporate genetic information from the food we eat – new study

Wednesday, 21 September 2011 14:12

Plant RNAs Found in Mammals

Wednesday, 21 September 2011 15:40

Plant RNAs Found in Mammals
Cristina Luiggi
The Scientist, September 20, 2011
http://the-scientist.com/2011/09/20/plant-rnas-found-in-mammals/

*MicroRNAs from plants accumulate in mammalian blood and tissues, where they can regulate gene expression.

MicroRNAs from common plant crops such as rice and cabbage can be found in the blood and tissues of humans and other plant-eating mammals, according to a study published today in Cell Research. One microRNA in particular, MIR168a, which is highly enriched in rice, was found to inhibit a protein that helps removes low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from the blood, suggesting that microRNAs can influence gene expression across kingdoms.

“This is a very exciting piece of work that suggests that the food we eat may directly regulate gene expression in our bodies,” said Clay Marsh, Director of the Center for Personalized Health Care at the Ohio State University College of Medicine who researches microRNA expression in human blood but who was not involved in the study.

MicroRNAs are, as the name implies, very short RNA sequences (approximately 22 nucleotides in length) discovered in the early 1990s. They are known to modulate gene expression by binding to mRNA, often resulting in inhibition. With the recent discovery that microRNAs circulate the blood by hitching a ride in small membrane-encased particles known as microvesicles (see our July 2011 feature on microvesicles, “Exosome Explosion”), there has been a surge of interest in microRNAs as a novel class of biomarkers for a variety of diseases.

Chen-Yu Zhang, a molecular biologist at Nanjing University in China, was studying the role of circulating microRNAs in health and disease when he discovered that microRNAs are present in other bodily fluids such as milk. This gave him the “crazy idea” that exogenous microRNAs, such as those ingested through the consumption of milk, could also be found circulating in the serum of mammals, he recalled.

To test his hypothesis, Zhang and his team of researchers sequenced the blood microRNAs of 31 healthy Chinese subjects and searched for the presence of plant microRNAs. Because plant microRNAs are structurally different from those of mammals, they react differently to oxidizing agents, and the researchers were able to differentiate the two by treating them with sodium periodate, which oxidizes mammal but not plant microRNAs.

To their surprise, they found about 40 types of plant microRNAs circulating in the subjects’ blood—some of which were found in concentrations that were comparable to major endogenous human microRNAs.

The plant microRNAs with the highest concentrations were MIR156a and MIR168a, both of which are known to be enriched in rice and cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli. Furthermore, the researchers detected the two microRNAs in the blood, lungs, small intestine, and livers of mice, in variable concentrations that significantly increased after the mice were fed raw rice (although cooked rice was also shown to contain intact MIR168a).

Next, the researchers scoured sequence databases for putative target genes of MIR156a and MIR168a and found that MIR168a shared sequence complementarity with approximately 50 mammalian genes. The most highly conserved of these sequences across the animal kingdom was the exon 4 of the low-density lipoprotein receptor adapter protein 1 gene (LDLRAP1).

LDLRAP1 is highly expressed in the liver, where it interacts with the low-density lipoprotein receptor to help remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL), aka “bad” cholesterol, from the blood.

The researchers hypothesized that MIR168a could be taken up by the epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, packaged into microvesicles, and secreted into the blood stream, where they can make their way to target organs. Once in the liver, MIR168a binds to LDLRAP1 mRNA, reducing the protein levels and ultimately impairing the removal of LDL from the blood.

To test this hypothesis in vitro, the researchers transfected synthetic MIR168a into a human epithelial cell line and collected the secreted microvesicles. When they added these microvesicles to a liver cell line called HepG2, they found that while it did not change the levels of LDLRAP1 mRNA, it did decrease the levels of the actual LDLRAP1 protein.

Likewise, the LDLRAP1 protein level decreased in the livers of live mice 3 to 7 days after eating fresh rice or being injected with synthetic MIR168a—significantly increasing LDL in the blood. When the researchers injected the mice with an RNA sequence that bound to and neutralized MIR168a, the protein and LDL levels returned to normal.

“This microRNA inhibits this protein and increased the plasma LDL levels,” Zhang said. With higher levels of circulating cholesterol, “it can possibly increase the risk of metabolic syndrome,” he added. But more importantly, this research points to a “new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diseases,” based on the enhancement or inhibition of exogenous microRNAs.

Although the team has still a long way to go in elucidating the mechanisms by which plant microRNAs can regulate gene expression in humans, these initial results promise to increase the understanding of how specific ingredients in food can mediate health and disease, Marsh said.

Indeed, Zhang suspects that this is just one example of many. With time, “I’m confident other people will find more exogenous plant microRNAs that can pass through the GI tract and also have effects on the host physiology,” Zhang said.

L. Zhang, et. al., “Exogenous plant MIR168a specifically targets mammalian LDLRAP1: evidence of cross-kingdom regulation by microRNA,” Cell Research, doi:10.1038/cr.2011.158, 2011.

GE Crops in Midwest National Wildlife Refuges – Survey

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has allowed farming of genetically engineered soybeans and corn on several National Wildlife Refuges in the Midwest Region. The Service’s Midwest Region (Region 3) is home to a rich diversity of natural resources spread across 8 states: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Center for Food Safety is concerned that, among other things, the Fish & Wildlife Service made the approval without considering the risks to the environment or wildlife posed by cultivating genetically engineered crops in these refuges. National Wildlife Refuges are important places for wildlife and serve as wintering and breeding habitat for migratory waterfowl, among other restorative purposes. Genetically engineered crops have no place in wildlife refuges, and we need your help to stop it.

We are looking for information from members who live near or visit National Wildlife Refuges in these states. NWRs are a great place for birding and other outdoor recreation.  If you have visited, or reside near a National Wildlife Refuge in the Midwest Region, or if you are an organic farmer near a Refuge we could use your help. In your email, please tell us: 1) Where you live, 2) Which refuge(s) you visit or farm near, and 3) The last time visited for each refuge.  Reply to Sylvia at swu@icta.org or call 415-826-2770. Please contact us by Thursday, September 15, 2011.

Thank you,
The Center for Food Safety

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chemical formula C₃H₅NO

Acrylamide — a chemical suspected of causing cancer — forms in some foods when they’re fried, baked, toasted or roasted at high temperatures. Acrylamide forms from sugars and an amino acid naturally found in plant-based foods when exposed to high heat. Although high levels of acrylamide cause cancer in laboratory animals, there is insufficient evidence about the risks to human health, if any, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Chemical Use Type

Describes the most common use(s) for a pesticide active ingredient. If there is more than one use for the chemical, the most common use is listed first.

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