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	<title>EcoSalon &#187; agriculture</title>
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		<title>From Cheap to Chic, 10 Holiday Gifts That Respect the Earth</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/10-holiday-gifts-that-respect-the-earth/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/10-holiday-gifts-that-respect-the-earth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Susan Chaityn Lebovits</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CSA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fair trade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gifts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ipod]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reusable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tumblers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegetarian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zipcar]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=28723</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Spread the holiday cheer and hold your moral ground with these gifts]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>No matter how you celebrate this holiday season, chances are you’ll probably be giving a gift or two. We’ve compiled a few suggestions that will allow you to spread the cheer and hold your moral ground, from the obvious to outlandish.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/charger.jpg" alt="charger" width="196" height="241" /></p>
<p>Your iPod can run off the grid with this <a href="http://www.novothink.com/products/nt02/">solar powered iPod Case Charger</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Zipcar.jpeg" alt="Zipcar" width="176" height="90" /></p>
<p>Give someone Wheels When They Need Them with a <a href="http://www.zipcar.com/gift/give/">ZipCar membership</a>.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28725" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/travel-mug.jpg" alt="travel mug" width="157" height="157" /></p>
<p>Great for hot and cold beverages, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RMGVU8/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&amp;pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&amp;pf_rd_t=201&amp;pf_rd_i=B002PIBGOY&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_r=0CSNE7MN2FHAHQK6XFGH">this tumbler</a> will save a lot of trees and CO2 used to produce coffee cups. To emphasize your point, toss in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=gold%20tone%20coffee%20filter&amp;tag=coffeedetecti-20&amp;index=kitchen&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325">gold tone coffee filter</a> to cut down on the paper ones that get pitched each day.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28726" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Tea-Tumbler.jpg" alt="Tea Tumbler" width="157" height="157" /></p>
<p>Your favorite tea lover can <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-12-Ounce-Stainless-Steel-Tumbler-Infuser/dp/B00004S1CV">brew on the run</a> with this combination tumbler-infuser.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28731" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Local-Harvest.gif" alt="Local Harvest" width="297" height="52" /></p>
<p>Green those meals with a <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/">CSA Membership</a> (Community Supported Agriculture). This site will find the closet farm throughout the U.S. for you to purchase from.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28732" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Smart-Strip.jpg" alt="Smart Strip" width="196" height="196" /></p>
<p>Rid friends and family of energy vampires with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Strip-LCG5-Technology-Protection/dp/B000L9635G">Smart Strip Power Strip</a>.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28740" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/solar-charger1.jpg" alt="solar charger" width="225" height="176" /></p>
<p>Power small electronics like a GPS or cell phone, with the <a href="http://www.solio.com/charger/explore-solio/what-is-solio.html">Solio Solar Universal Charger</a>.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28742" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Utensils1.jpg" alt="Utensils" width="187" height="187" /></p>
<p>Get your colleagues to ditch the plastic utensils in the office kitchen with <a href="http://www.nubiusorganics.com/To-Go-Ware-RePEaT-Utensil-Set-Hijiki-P1454.aspx">reusable bamboo tableware</a> that works great on the go. Utensil holders give plastic bottles a second shot at a useful life, and an opportunity to stay out of our landfills. Made out of RPET (recycled PET plastic).</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-28744" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Chico-messenger-tote1-150x150.jpg" alt="Chico messenger tote" width="150" height="150" /></p>
<p>Chico has taken the reusable shopping bag one step farther with <a href="http://www.chicobag.com/p-38-chicobag-messenger-repete.aspx">The Messenger</a>, a super hip bag that folds into a small pouch.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-28745" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/microfinance1-150x150.jpg" alt="microfinance" width="165" height="165" /></p>
<p>Instead of a gift card to the local mall, try the gift that keeps on giving with <a href="https://www.microplace.com/gifts?cid=giftscom75green&amp;f=Green&amp;filters%5Bsocial_focuses%5D%5BGreen%5D=1">Microplace.com</a>, a Microfinance organization that serves a range of focuses from Fair Trade to women.</p>
<p>Main image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/4085081401/">alan_cleaver2000</a></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>EcoMeme: Gene Flow and GMOs</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/ecomeme-gene-flow-and-gmos/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/ecomeme-gene-flow-and-gmos/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lora Kolodny</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Automotive High School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EcoMeme]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foodie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GMO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[modified]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slow food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=27653</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
You gonna eat that? Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that once planted in the wild, genetically modified organisms, such as bio-engineered fruit, grain or vegetables can change native, wild plant neighbors&#8217; DNA. In the future, food activists worry, you might not even have a dietary choice.
A flurry of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/frankenfoods.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-27673" title="frankenfoods" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/frankenfoods.jpg" alt="frankenfoods" width="455" height="341" /></a></p>
<p>You gonna eat that? Research published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> found that once planted in the wild, genetically modified organisms, such as bio-engineered fruit, grain or vegetables can change native, wild plant neighbors&#8217; DNA. In the future, food activists worry, you might not even have a dietary choice.</p>
<p>A flurry of news stories, blog posts and Tweets have “cropped up” in recent weeks around this study and related events. Even teenagers are dialed into the debate over the merits and dangers of GMOs, says Jenny Kessler, who founded and directs the Garden Program at <a href="http://autohs.com">The Automotive High School</a> in Brooklyn, New York.</p>
<p>Kessler teaches English, ESL and a class called “Food, Land and <em>You</em>.” Through this coursework or participation in the Garden Program, Automotive students learn about farming and industrial agriculture and gain hands-on experience cultivating and cooking food.</p>
<p>“Some of my students agree with economist Jeffrey Sachs that genetically modified crops should be used to alleviate world hunger now, since they can grow on depleted land in bad conditions,” Kessler says, “but most are concerned that GMOs aren’t tested enough before they enter our mainstream food supply. Or they worry that modified seeds and cross-pollination will make natural products scarce and expensive, or even extinct.”</p>
<p>The Garden Program group (as seen on <a href="http://flickr.com/autogarden">Flickr.com/autogarden</a>) wishes for &#8211; after a personal visit from Anna Lappe or Michael Pollan &#8211; better information about the effect of modified crops on human and plant health, and to inspire Americans to buy more locally produced food.</p>
<p><strong>Basic reading:</strong></p>
<p>“A report by a team from the United States and China appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, [where] researchers point out that gene flow between crops and their wild relatives is common and difficult to contain. They note concerns that wild plants could, as a result, gain genetically engineered resistances. And these could affect the natural balance in their environment.” -<a href="//www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2009-10-26-voa4.cfm”"><em>VOA Special English Agriculture Report transcript</em></a></p>
<p>“While disease-resistant crops have been a boon to commercial farmers, ecologists worry there might be certain hidden costs associated with the modified crops. There is concern in the ecological community that, when the transgenes that confer resistance to viral diseases escape into wild populations, they will (change) those plants…and impact the biodiversity of plant communities where wild [plants] are native.” -<a href="http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2009/10/28/the-hidden-cost-of-genetically-modified-foods.html"><em>US News And World Report feature</em></a></p>
<p>“Bayer CropScience AG is responsible for financial damage sustained by Missouri farmers when their rice crops were contaminated by genetically modified seeds, the growers’ lawyer told a federal court jury in St. Louis…Testing of one of the ‘LibertyLink’ [rice] strains at Louisiana State University was completed in 2001. While there has never been a specifically identified contamination event…studies suggest an event of cross-pollination with ordinary rice or a mixing of regular and genetically modified seed occurred then.” -<a href="//www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&amp;sid=aT1kD1GOt0N0”"><em>Bloomberg news story</em></a></p>
<p>“The number of people affected by food shortages is starting to rise again. Is the solution a new biotech version of the Green Revolution, or a green Green Revolution based on organic farming?” -<a href="”"><em>BoingBoing.net opinion, discussion</em></a></p>
<p>“The debate over genetically modified crops has flared up in India, where critics have stalled the commercial release of insect-resistant eggplant, despite recent approval from the country’s biotechnology regulatory committee.” -<a href="//www.scienceline.org/2009/11/04/will-eggplant-be-the-world%E2%80%99s-next-gm-crop/”">Scienceline.org news feature</a></p>
<p>“This week the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, called for an extra £2bn to be spent on research into global food security. In order to achieve the estimated 50% increase in food crop production that will be required by 2050, the society is calling for a grand plan that involves developing&#8230;crop varieties using conventional breeding and genetic modification.” -<a href="//www.smallcapnews.co.uk/article/FuturaGene_getting_to_the_root_of_crop_technology/7720.aspx”">Small Cap News profile of the company Futura Gene</a></p>
<p><strong>Further resources: </strong></p>
<p>”..Say No to GMOs” <a href="http://www.NaturalNews.com/027243_GMO_soy_food.html">Natural News blog opinion</a></p>
<p>The website of <a href="http://truefoodnow.org/">The Center For Food Safety (CFS)</a> a D.C.-based organization that lobbies for slow food, organic and sustainable farming practices, and against “harmful food production technologies.”</p>
<p>Food activist <a href="http://www.smallplanet.org/">Anna Lappe’s website</a></p>
<p>Economist <a href="http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/1804">Jeffrey Sachs’ official bio</a>, including recent news by and about him</p>
<p><a href="//www.changemakers.com/gmo”"> Changemakers.com GMO competition page</a> soliciting “solutions that educate consumers about what they&#8217;re eating, and the effect their food choices will have on the environment and society”: includes profiles of the winning ideas (via Ashoka.com)</p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This is the second installment of <a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/tag/ecomeme/">EcoMeme</a>, a column featuring eco news, tech and business highlights by new EcoSalon writer and columnist Lora Kolodny. </em></p>
<p>Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/liangjinjian/3699806518/">liangjinjian</a><em><br />
</em></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ag-Caustic! Battling Toxic Compost Giveaways in San Francisco</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/ag-caustic-battling-toxic-compost-giveaways-in-san-francisco/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/ag-caustic-battling-toxic-compost-giveaways-in-san-francisco/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luanne Bradley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biosolids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compost]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fertilizer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[garden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[giveaways]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy metals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Gavin Newsom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mulch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pathogens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PCB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pharmaceuticals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollutants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Utilities Commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[San Francisco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sewage sludge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toxic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=25380</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
At first, it seems extremely eco-friendly, the biannual Compost Giveaway Events every fall and spring in San Francisco hosted by the city&#8217;s Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).
Residents are offered free compost to produce soil for community and school gardens and local backyards. It&#8217;s the green and organic thing to do.
The problem is the mulch isn&#8217;t made [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-25384" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/compost.jpg" alt="compost" width="456" height="331" /></p>
<p>At first, it seems extremely eco-friendly, the biannual Compost Giveaway Events every fall and spring in San Francisco hosted by the city&#8217;s <a href="http://sfwater.org/home.cfm">Public Utilities Commission</a> (SFPUC).</p>
<p>Residents are offered free compost to produce soil for community and school gardens and local backyards. It&#8217;s the green and organic thing to do.</p>
<p>The problem is the mulch isn&#8217;t made of food scraps and manure but a combination of <a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/sludge.cfm">toxic sewage sludge</a> from waste water treatment, green waste, yard waste and wood chips.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sewage_sludge">What&#8217;s in sewage sludge?</a> Stuff that&#8217;s foul and harmful to people and other living things.</p>
<p><a href="http://ga3.org/campaign/SF_sludge/8e6knws2yj3j6ijn?">The True Food Network</a>, which is leading a petition drive against the latest giveaway argues sewage sludge is shown by the Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0303-03.htm">EPA</a>) to contain heavy metals, pathogens, pharmaceuticals, PCB&#8217;s, flame retardants and endocrine disruptors. In addition, organic pollutants are present in sludge samples, such as polybrominated diphenal ethers (PMDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, DDT degradation products, chlordadanes, synthetic musk products, triclosan and tributytin.</p>
<p>&#8220;Residents may be led to believe that the city’s sludge compost is organic,&#8221; says the network. &#8220;The USDA’s National Organic Program’s (NOP) regulations, however, strictly forbid the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer or soil amendment, no matter if it is composted or otherwise treated. This compost is by no means organic.&#8221;</p>
<p>The <a href="http://truefoodnow.org/">Center for Food Safety</a> and the <a href="http://www.riles.org/">Resource Institute for Low Entropy System</a>s filed a petition with <a href="http://www.sfgov.org/site/mayor_index.asp">Gavin Newsom</a>, San Francisco’s Mayor and Ed Harrington, General Manager of SFPUC, asking them to immediately and permanently suspend the sewage sludge compost giveaways for the fall. Residents are asked to join the <a href="http://ga3.org/campaign/SF_sludge/8e6knws2yj3j6ijn?">letter writing campaign</a> to protect the health of its gardeners.</p>
<p>Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/latchkey/3666473654/">SfLatchkey</a></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cadbury Adds Palm Oil to Its Chocolate</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/cadbury-adds-palm-oil-to-its-chocolate/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/cadbury-adds-palm-oil-to-its-chocolate/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:00:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Caitlin Fitzsimmons</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cadbury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greenwash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[palm oil]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=20666</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
As the recession cuts deeper into the profits of big food companies, many brands are downsizing their portions in a bid to cut costs. In some cases, they are also downgrading their ingredients. But as chocolate giant Cadbury is discovering &#8211; you mess with your iconic brands at your peril.
Cadbury&#8217;s current advertising campaign involves eyebrow [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/cadbury.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-20701" title="cadbury" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/cadbury.jpg" alt="cadbury" width="455" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>As the recession cuts deeper into the profits of big food companies, many brands are downsizing their portions in a bid to cut costs. In some cases, they are also downgrading their ingredients. But as chocolate giant Cadbury is discovering &#8211; you mess with your iconic brands at your peril.</p>
<p>Cadbury&#8217;s current advertising campaign involves eyebrow gymnastics from two children. Meanwhile, it has made some eyebrow-raising changes to the formulation of its popular Dairy Milk block in Australia and New Zealand. The new chocolate block is smaller, contains fewer cocoa solids (you know, the part that actually makes it chocolate) and it contains environmentally destructive palm oil. It now finds itself at the centre of a PR storm, having incurred the wrath of shoppers, foodies and environmentalists alike. Whittakers, a rival chocolate brand in New Zealand, is taking advantage of the furore with this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuJTB0HmMU" target="_blank">comparative shopping ad</a>.</p>
<p>The first change is simple &#8211; the 250g block now weighs just 200g. The packaging has been redesigned and the squares of chocolate shrunken so the block actually appears to be the same size. Chocolate lovers are furious at the resizing and the fact that the price has not dropped accordingly and have formed a protest site, at <a href="http://www.choclovers.org" target="_blank">choclovers.org</a>, and have been spreading the message <a href="http://twitter.com/chocloversunite" target="_blank">via Twitter</a> and a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=177268260706" target="_blank">Facebook protest group</a>. Cadbury says in the FAQ on its website (<a href="http://www.cadbury.com.au/About-Cadbury/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx" target="_blank">Australia</a> and <a href="http://www.cadbury.co.nz/About-Cadbury/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx" target="_blank">New Zealand</a>) that it has actually reduced the wholesale price but it&#8217;s up to retailers whether to pass it on.</p>
<p>Product resizing is annoying for consumers but nothing new &#8211; and given that <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16076842/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/" target="_blank">people eat more when the serving sizes are bigger</a>, it might not be such a bad thing for the public health. It&#8217;s the second change that is more concerning from an environmentalist&#8217;s point of view.</p>
<p>Cadbury has reduced the amount of cocoa solids from 26% to 21% and added nasty vegetable fats &#8211; specifically palm oil &#8211; to compensate. The company claims that it&#8217;s done this, not to save costs as you might think, but to improve the customer experience.</p>
<blockquote><p>We have done this for a number of reasons. Primarily it is because our consumers have been telling us that we could improve their enjoyment of our chocolate by making it slightly softer to bite. Vegetable fat helps deliver this softness whilst at the same time maintaining our chocolate’s great taste.</p></blockquote>
<p>As a chocolate lover myself, I&#8217;m not so credulous that I believe that Cadbury has done this for my benefit. I know a bit about food and chocolate and there is no doubt that palm oil is a poor substitute for the real thing. I am pretty sure most chocolate fans would feel the same way &#8211; despite what Cadbury&#8217;s &#8220;independent research&#8221; might show. I&#8217;m probably not their market, though &#8211; I tend to go for more quality brands such as <a href="http://www.greenandblacks.com/" target="_blank">Green &amp; Black&#8217;s</a>, the organic brand now owned by Cadbury, and <a href="http://www.lindt.com" target="_blank">Lindt</a>.</p>
<p>However, there are millions of people who <em>do</em> buy Cadbury chocolate so the formulation of their products is part of a bigger problem. The forests of southeast Asia have been ravaged by deforestation, spelling disaster for wildlife such as orangutans and tigers and for the climate. Palm oil production is one of the leading causes of this &#8211; both <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/southeast_asia_palm_oil.php" target="_blank">historically</a> and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/18/indonesia-peat-palm-oil" target="_blank">currently</a>.</p>
<p>The main customers of palm oil are food manufacturers looking for cheap fats &#8211; though demand is also rising because of its utility as a biofuel. The rainforest of the Congo could be next, with <a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0710-drc_china_palm_oil.html" target="_blank">China set to establish a giant palm oil plantation in the African country</a>. It is ironic that Cadbury&#8217;s last big advertising campaign involved a gorilla.</p>
<p>Cadbury claims:</p>
<blockquote><p>We are Board members of the <a href="http://www.rspo.org/" target="_blank">RSPO</a> [Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil] and purchase <a href="http://www.greenpalm.org/site/" target="_blank">Green Palm certificates</a> that independently certify the fact that the palm oil we purchase has come from sustainable sources.</p>
<p>The RSPO has a set of standards, its Principles &amp; Criteria, that define practices for sustainable palm oil production. These include the use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers, the responsible development of new plantings and environmental responsibility and the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity.</p></blockquote>
<p>All well and good, except that the <a href="http://forest4climate.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/palm-oil-its-covered-in-greenwash/" target="_blank">RSPO is widely regarded as greenwash</a> &#8211; members have to do little more than pay a membership fee. Even the bible for big business, the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124761243738541901.html" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal reports that it&#8217;s a problem</a>. The Green Palm Certificates, meanwhile, allow backers to <a href="http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/8130/Cost_versus_conscience.html" target="_blank">invest in sustainable production without necessarily using the product</a>. Even if Cadbury could be certain that it is buying palm oil from sustainable sources, which is dubious, it is still creating new demand for palm oil. Replacing existing palm oil for a &#8217;sustainable&#8217; alternative is one thing, but it does not help matters if it is additional consumption.</p>
<p>No one seems convinced &#8211; and the backlash is huge. In most recent news, the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2585908/Zoo-bars-Cadbury-products" target="_blank">Auckland Zoo has stopped stocking Cadbury</a>, in the name of the orangutans.</p>
<p>Image via <a href="http://treehugger.com">Treehugger</a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Must Be Organics!</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/must_be_organics/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/must_be_organics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sarah Irani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[wellness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[best organic foods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conventional produce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[essential organic foods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[produce]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ecosalon.com/wellness/Must_Be_Organics</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I understand: organic is expensive. And although I&#8217;m a big proponent of organic foods, I admit I don&#8217;t buy everything organic myself. But some foods are bigger pesticide sponges than others, and if you&#8217;re easing your way into organics, it&#8217;s good to know which ones they are.
Here&#8217;s my personal list of must-be-organics:
1. Salad greens (lettuce, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/peppers.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-18806" title="peppers" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/peppers.jpg" alt="peppers" width="455" height="342" /></a></p>
<p>I understand: organic is expensive. And although I&#8217;m a big proponent of organic foods, I admit I don&#8217;t buy everything organic myself. But some foods are bigger pesticide sponges than others, and if you&#8217;re easing your way into organics, it&#8217;s good to know which ones they are.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s my personal list of must-be-organics:</p>
<p><strong>1. Salad greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc).</strong> The leaves are sprayed directly. Enough said.</p>
<p><strong>2. Strawberries.</strong> Because they grow close to the ground, they&#8217;re more likely to attract pests and be sprayed more often. Plus, conventionally-grown strawberries are terrible for the workers&#8217; health.</p>
<p><strong>3. Peaches.</strong> Conventionally, peaches are heavily sprayed and their delicate skin absorbs the sprays more than fruits that are peeled.</p>
<p><strong>4. Meat.</strong> I don&#8217;t eat meat, but if I did, I&#8217;d get the good stuff. It&#8217;s more than just your health at stake, <a href="http://ecosalon.com/An_Unacceptable_Risk" target="_blank">but the environment at large</a>.</p>
<p><strong>5. Milk.</strong> Picture this: dairy cows fed with pesticide-laden grains, kept in crowded, filthy conditions and then pumped with antibiotics and Bovine Growth Hormone. Ewww. (The same goes for butter, cream, cottage cheese, etc.)</p>
<p><strong>6. Potatoes. </strong>Because they grow in the ground, they absorb everything from the soil, including the chemical fertilizers and fungicides used to grow them conventionally.</p>
<p><strong>7. Peanuts and peanut butter.</strong> Peanuts are well known as a &#8220;soil cleaner&#8221; among organic gardeners. This means they&#8217;re great for absorbing toxins in the soil, and can be used for preparing a plot of conventional land for next year&#8217;s organic crop. Peanuts used for this purpose must then be destroyed. Conventional peanuts, laden with toxins, are not healthy. This would explain why I used to get headaches every time I ate peanuts as a kid.</p>
<p><strong>8. Tomatoes.</strong> Again, they&#8217;re thin-skinned.<br />
<strong><br />
9. Grapes, raisins and wine.</strong> Conventional grapes are heavily sprayed many times throughout their growing season.<br />
<strong><br />
10. Corn and Soy products.</strong> Conventional corn and soy is nearly always genetically modified these days. It&#8217;s best to avoid these products; the easiest way to do this is to eat fresh, whole foods and steer clear of the middle aisles of the grocery store.<br />
<strong><br />
11. Anything imported (produce or dry goods).</strong> Because agricultural chemicals that are banned in the USA are often still sold in other countries. You&#8217;ll have to do your homework on these products, as some are okay.</p>
<p><strong>12. Bell peppers.</strong> Again with the delicate skins.</p>
<p>Read more about organics at <a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/Dirty-Dozen-Foods">The Daily Green</a>.</p>
<p>Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53772260@N00/2913096980/">phigonggoi</a></p>
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		<title>World Hunger: Climate Change, Food Waste and Elegant Solutions</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/world-hunger-solutions/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/world-hunger-solutions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:00:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vanessa Barrington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemicals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNEP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water supply]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[world hunger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=11793</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
We may be facing unprecedented world hunger caused by environmental degradation.
According to recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) prices may increase by 30-50 per cent within decades causing those living in extreme poverty to spend up to 90 per cent of their income on food.
Climate change &#8211; its impact on water supply, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/grain-fields.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11910" title="grain-fields" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/grain-fields.jpg" alt="grain-fields" width="455" height="298" /></a></p>
<p>We may be facing unprecedented world hunger caused by environmental degradation.</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=562&amp;ArticleID=6084&amp;l=en" target="_blank">recent report</a> from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) prices may increase by 30-50 per cent within decades causing those living in extreme poverty to spend up to 90 per cent of their income on food.</p>
<p>Climate change &#8211; its impact on water supply, encouragement of invasive insects and plants and fueling of epidemics diseases &#8211; is the key reason that worldwide agricultural yields will fall.</p>
<p>The report talks about the need to change the way crops are grown, subsidized, and distributed but it also points to two surprising and elegant solutions.</p>
<p>Surprising, because they haven&#8217;t been talked about much before. Elegant, because both cannot only help feed a growing population, but also help slow global warming.</p>
<p><strong>Solution 1: Addressing food waste</strong></p>
<p>Over half the food produced today is wasted or discarded. In the US these losses are as high as 40-50 percent, with up to one quarter of all fresh fruits and vegetables in the US lost before they ever get to your refrigerator. In Australia, it is estimated that food waste makes up half of that country&#8217;s landfill. Almost <a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/24_of_groceries_get_trashed_and_8_other_insanities/" target="_blank">one-third</a> of all food purchased in the United Kingdom every year is not eaten.</p>
<p>Not only is this a tragedy for the world&#8217;s hungry, but it must be stopped because food decaying in landfills emits methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.</p>
<p>In addition, 30 million tons of fish are discarded at sea every year. Over one-third of the world&#8217;s cereals are being used as animal feed. (This is expected to rise to 50 per cent by 2050.) And we are growing grains to feed our autos instead of our bellies. The report suggests that salvaging the discarded fish alone could support a 50 percent increase in aquaculture.</p>
<p>The research also draws out the possibility of producing biofuels from discards like straw and nutshells instead of growing crops to produce them.</p>
<p><strong>Solution 2: Increasing organic crop production in developing countries</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.syngenta.com/en/media/pdf/inthemedia/FAS20080928_e_MikeMack.pdf" target="_blank">Spin</a> from agribusiness continues to promote the idea that <a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/soy-powerful-how-monsanto-pushes-genetically-modified-soybeans-on-unwilling-consumers/">genetically modified organisms</a> and large doses of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are the only ways to feed a growing population.</p>
<p>But a survey of 114 small-scale farms in 24 African countries found that yields more than doubled where organic, or near-organic practices were used, with the in-yield jumping to 128 per cent in east Africa. Organic practices outperformed both traditional methods and chemical-intensive conventional farming. Organic methods improved soil fertility and helped the soil retain water and resist drought more effectively.</p>
<p>Since conventional farming methods also contribute more to global warming than organic methods, due to their reliance on petroleum inputs, and <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1036065820070710" target="_blank">growing research</a> suggests that organic farming can feed the world, we need global cooperation and financial investment in promoting organic farming worldwide.</p>
<p>And of course we need to deal with food waste. There have been many suggestions here at <a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/1_3_of_My_Groceries_Go_in_the_Trash_Here_Are_the_6_Things_I_m_Doing_to_Stop_That/">EcoSalon</a>, but it can&#8217;t only be left up to individuals.</p>
<p>Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chazoid/2701456026/">iChaz</a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Soy Lecithin and the GMO Secret</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/soy-lecithin-and-the-gmo-secret/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/soy-lecithin-and-the-gmo-secret/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vanessa Barrington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[wellness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GMO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soy lecithin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soybeans]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=11191</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Take a look through your cupboards. Read the ingredient labels on your organic and natural food products (and your conventional ones). You&#8217;ll likely see soy lecithin on a large proportion of labels. You probably don&#8217;t know that the soy lecithin in your organic food is most likely from non-organic genetically modified soybeans.
Doesn&#8217;t the National Organic [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ice-cream-sandwich.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11298" title="ice-cream-sandwich" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ice-cream-sandwich.jpg" alt="ice-cream-sandwich" width="455" height="367" /></a></p>
<p>Take a look through your cupboards. Read the ingredient labels on your organic and natural food products (and your conventional ones). You&#8217;ll likely see soy lecithin on a large proportion of labels. You probably don&#8217;t know that the soy lecithin in your organic food is most likely from non-organic genetically modified soybeans.</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/EcoSalon/favicon2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><strong>Doesn&#8217;t the National Organic Rule prohibit the use of both non-organic ingredients and GMOs?</strong></p>
<p>It does, but there is one important thing to know about this rule&#8230;.foods can be labeled organic if they contain at least 95% organic ingredients. The other 5% can be non-organic. Furthermore, if a product is not available in organic form, it might be on a list of exceptions to the rule. Organic soy lecithin was not available when the National Organic Rule was written, so it made the list. <a href="http://www.clarksongrain.com/2006Ingredients_files/page0001.htm">Organic soy lecithin</a> is available now, but manufacturers have no incentive to switch as long as it is still allowed under the organic rule (and it&#8217;s cheaper). The USDA is currently considering comments on a proposed change to the rule. A decision is expected in the spring.</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/EcoSalon/favicon2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><strong>Why is it in my food?</strong></p>
<p>In industrial applications soy lecithin acts like egg yolks and has similar emulsification properties. In fact, egg yolks also contain lecithin, but now that soy lecithin is available it is rarely used. Soy lecithin is what makes margarine and peanut butter spreadable, chocolate coatings smooth, batters pourable, ice cream creamy. It also facilitates mixing and prevents spattering during cooking, and extends the shelf life of foods.</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/EcoSalon/favicon2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><strong>How is it made? </strong></p>
<p>It&#8217;s a byproduct of soybean oil that is extracted during processing. We&#8217;ve already talked about the <a href="http://www.ecosalon.com/not-soy-fast/">heavy processing</a> soy protein goes through before it ends up in countless foods. Soy lecithin is extracted from soy oil in a similarly industrial manner. First, water is added to the oil and put in a centrifuge to separate the lecithin from the oil, then it is generally bleached with hydrogen peroxide. The product is then dried and sometimes it is further refined with acetone.</p>
<p>Add to this the fact that nearly 90% of the soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified and heavily sprayed with pesticides, and you have to wonder if you should be eating it.</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/EcoSalon/favicon2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><strong>What can I do?</strong></p>
<p>Eat unprocessed, whole foods for the most part, and seek out food manufacturers who are doing the right thing and switching over to organic soy lecithin without being forced by a rule change. This is unconfirmed, but there a few chocolate brands I&#8217;ve read about on the internets that use organic soy lecithin, but you still need to read the labels because they may not use it in all of their products. These include Lake Champlain, Dagoba, Endangered Species Sjaaks, Sweet Earth, and Green and Black&#8217;s.</p>
<p>Please comment if you know of other food companies/products using organic soy lecithin.</p>
<p><strong>Sources:</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.soyconnection.com/">United Soybean Board</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/gmo-soy-lecithin-out-of-certified-organic-food.php">Treehugger </a><br />
<a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/lecithin.html"><br />
Weston A Price Foundation</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/lecithin1.php">Soy info Center</a></p>
<p>Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicafm/1592626962/">jessicafm</a></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bees Told to Buzz Off from Clementine Orchards</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/bees-told-to-buzz-off-from-clementine-orchards/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/bees-told-to-buzz-off-from-clementine-orchards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Caitlin Fitzsimmons</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citrus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clementine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seedless]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=10005</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
One of my favourite winter fruits is the clementine &#8211; it&#8217;s small and sweet, easy to peel, packs a punch with the vitamin C and it typically doesn&#8217;t have any pesky seeds.
Wait a minute! The only reason it doesn&#8217;t have seeds is because the orchard keeper has kept bees from pollinating the fruit. A seedless [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10344" title="bee" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/bee.jpg" alt="bee" width="455" height="473" /></p>
<p>One of my favourite winter fruits is the clementine &#8211; it&#8217;s small and sweet, easy to peel, packs a punch with the vitamin C and it typically doesn&#8217;t have any pesky seeds.</p>
<p>Wait a minute! The only reason it doesn&#8217;t have seeds is because the orchard keeper has kept bees from pollinating the fruit. A seedless clementine &#8211; or any other variety of mandarin citrus such as a tangerine &#8211; <a target="_blank" href="http://www.beesource.com/pov/traynor/bcapr2003.htm" target="_blank">attracts such a premium</a> that growers in California want legislation to <a target="_blank" href="http://westernfarmpress.com/mag/farming_beekeepers_mandarin_growers/" target="_blank">force beekeepers to move away</a> or reduce hive density. The beekeepers would prefer the farmers netted their orchards instead. Neither side seems willing to budge.</p>
<p>The other reason bees are a pain for clementine growers is that they like to be able to spray their crops for pests and they&#8217;re not allowed to if there are bees nearby. As an environmentalist, I&#8217;m not so keen on pesticides and don&#8217;t think that&#8217;s such a bad thing.</p>
<p>The only reason that growers want seedless fruit is because consumers prefer it but if seeded varieties were the norm, then I believe consumer attitudes would soon adjust.</p>
<p>I like seedless clementines as much as the next person, but I&#8217;ll put up with the seeds if it keeps the bees happy, and not just because I like honey. Bees are an essential part of our eco-system and most agriculture (with the exception of clementines, bees are unambiguously welcomed by most farmers). Without <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecosalon.com/Save_the_Bees_5_Ways_to_Help_Stop_Colony_Collapse_Disorder/">bees</a> we would lose a huge variety of wildlife and an estimated <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecosalon.com/Save_the_Bees_5_Ways_to_Help_Stop_Colony_Collapse_Disorder/">one third of our food crops</a>.</p>
<p>If ornery clementine growers were the only problem bees had to contend with it wouldn&#8217;t really matter. Yet the fact is that the humble <a target="_blank" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5604401.ece" target="_blank">honey bee is under severe threat</a> on both sides of the Atlantic and we could have less than a decade to save them. So they need all the help they can get and if that means seeds in my clementines then so be it.</p>
<p>If you are in California, you could consider writing to your local lawmakers and outlining your concerns &#8211; it&#8217;s the California Department of Food and Agriculture that is <a target="_blank" href="http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=38839" target="_blank">making the decision</a>. Also see <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecosalon.com/Save_the_Bees_5_Ways_to_Help_Stop_Colony_Collapse_Disorder/">5 ways to help stop Colony Collapse Disorder</a> to take further action.</p>
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		<title>Soy Powerful: How Monsanto Pushes Genetically Modified Soybeans on Unwilling Consumers</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/soy-powerful-how-monsanto-pushes-genetically-modified-soybeans-on-unwilling-consumers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/soy-powerful-how-monsanto-pushes-genetically-modified-soybeans-on-unwilling-consumers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vanessa Barrington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[wellness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genetically modified organisms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GMO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monsanto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=10000</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Currently, residents of the United States and Canada consume genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in around 70% of the foods they buy in grocery stores. By comparison, consumers in the European Union nations, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and other countries are able to avoid GMOs because their governments require mandatory labeling on foods that contain [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/tractors.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10052" title="tractors" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/tractors.jpg" alt="tractors" width="455" height="278" /></a>Currently, residents of the United States and Canada consume genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in around <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thecampaign.org/" target="_blank">70% of the foods</a> they buy in grocery stores. By comparison, consumers in the European Union nations, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and other countries are able to avoid GMOs because their governments require mandatory labeling on foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients.</p>
<p>According to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_food_safety/006531.html" target="_blank">Consumers Union</a>, 95% of consumers in the U.S. want products containing genetically modified organisms to be labeled. Yet, in 1996 the FDA ruled that genetically modified foods were not substantially different from others and need not be labeled. Then, in January 2009 as the Bush administration headed out the door, the outgoing FDA ruled that it wouldn&#8217;t require the labeling of genetically modified meat or fish.</p>
<p>What&#8217;s going on here? We&#8217;re told that the free market works because of the rational behavior of informed consumers. How can consumers make intelligent choices when the information they need is deliberately held back by government influenced by powerful corporations?</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve talked about the power seed giant <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecosalon.com/the_world_according_to_monsanto/" target="_blank">Monsanto</a> exerts on our government before. Did you know that Monsanto&#8217;s hydra-like tentacles of influence extend across the globe? Let&#8217;s explore how the company was able to introduce its GM soybean technology to Brazil.</p>
<p>There was a point in the early part of this century when Monsanto wasn&#8217;t doing too well. It couldn&#8217;t sell its products in Europe. Nobody wanted them. Americans were getting anxious about consuming foods made from GM seeds. Monsanto needed a new market. A big new market. We&#8217;ve already talked about how the soy industry in Brazil has led to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecosalon.com/the-soy-juggernaut-does-your-smoothie-contain-slavery/">slavery</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecosalon.com/deforestation-and-eco-impacts-of-soy-agriculture/." target="_blank">deforestation</a>. The soy industry in Brazil has also had a big impact on Monsanto, essentially saving the company from ruin.</p>
<p>According to a policy brief from <a target="_blank" href="http://http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2111" target="_blank">Food First</a>, and other sources, Monsanto used illegal tactics to push their GM technology on Brazilian farmers and then strong-armed the Brazilian legislature to make the technology legal.</p>
<p>Brazil had a ban on planting of GM seeds in effect since 1998, but it was one of the only holdouts in South America. Brazil&#8217;s neighbor, Argentina, was a large producer of GM soy. Monsanto encouraged farmers in Brazil to plant its &#8220;roundup ready&#8221; GM soybeans that were illegally imported from Argentina in defiance of the ban. Monsanto knew that once its seeds were in the ground they would be able to make a case for intellectual property rights. Armed with their patents, the company&#8217;s lawyers went to the courts to solidify its new Brazilian market.</p>
<p>By arguing that Brazil was impeding its legal right to collect royalties on its intellectual property (the seeds), Monsanto made its case and GM soy was legalized in Brazil in 2003. Still, the essential companion to Monsanto&#8217;s Roundup-ready GM soy, the herbicide Roundup, was not legal yet. In 2004, a congressman from southern Brazil pushed through a series of federal amendments legalizing the herbicide. This same congressman purchased a large farm from Monsanto for one-third of the market price. The Brazilian government is investigating the congressman for corruption.</p>
<p>You may be thinking that you&#8217;re not eating GM soy because you buy organic. But if you eat organic food that contains soy lecithin (and you probably do since its in everything) check back in two weeks when we wrap up our soy series with a piece about soy lecithin. We&#8217;ll explore why the organic rule allows small amounts of non-organic ingredients in organic products and learn that it&#8217;s not that simple.</p>
<p>Want to learn more about the drama behind GM foods? Check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gmfoodnews.com/monsanto.html" target="_blank">this link</a> to news articles from different sources that will give you a good idea of Monsanto&#8217;s trials, successes, machinations, and manipulations over the past few years.</p>
<p>Image: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/72486075@N00/1342194706/">Mike138</a></p>
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		<title>Not Soy Fast</title>
		<link>http://www.ecosalon.com/not-soy-fast/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ecosalon.com/not-soy-fast/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Vanessa Barrington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[wellness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[processed food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegetarian]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ecosalon.com/?p=9084</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Soy: It&#8217;s everywhere. It&#8217;s eaten in copious amounts by bodybuilders, as a meat substitute by vegans and vegetarians, and unwittingly in a wide variety of processed foods by most people.
We&#8217;ve been told that soy is good for us and the fact of lower incidences of cancer and heart disease in Asian populations is cited as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-9130" title="soy-burger" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/soy-burger.jpg" alt="" width="393" height="294" /></p>
<p>Soy: It&#8217;s everywhere. It&#8217;s eaten in copious amounts by bodybuilders, as a meat substitute by vegans and vegetarians, and unwittingly in a wide variety of processed foods by most people.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve been told that soy is good for us and the fact of lower incidences of cancer and heart disease in Asian populations is cited as proof. The truth is <strong>there is no historical precedent for the amount of soy we consume in modern processed foods.</strong> Though soy did originate in Asia, it is used sparingly in Asian cuisines and more often in its traditional forms, like miso, tofu, natto, and tempeh.</p>
<p><strong>According to the United Soybean Board&#8217;s own website, soy protein (processed soy) serves as a functional ingredient in the following foods and for the following applications:</strong></p>
<p>Baked Goods &#8211; used to hold moisture, extend shelf life, improve texture and mouthfeel, and improve manufacturing, handling, and machine ability.</p>
<p>Breakfast Cereals &#8211; used to boost protein value and quantity.</p>
<p>Pasta &#8211; to boost nutritive value, especially in school lunches.</p>
<p>Beverages and Toppings &#8211; to whiten coffee creamers, emulsify, provide texture, and add protein content.</p>
<p>Meat, Poultry and Fish Products &#8211; to enhance moisture holding, texture, cohesion, yield, shelf life, and nutrition.</p>
<p>Dairy-Type Products (scary in itself) &#8211; soy protein lowers cost, improves nutrition and reduces allergenic response.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a quote from the Soybean Board website: &#8220;Processed and whole meat products can be improved by adding soy protein, which provides the product flexibility and cost stability consumers demand.&#8221;</p>
<p>Now, from the list of uses above and this quote, it looks to me like soy protein is a mighty functional food for the food processing industry. How did so many consumers become convinced that soy protein is a functional food for them?</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-9129" title="soy-protein" src="http://www.ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/soy-protein.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="338" /></p>
<p><strong>Nearly 60 percent of the foods sold in supermarkets and natural food stores contain soy. </strong>Much of this is disguised in cookies, crackers, burgers and other meat products. It&#8217;s also a main ingredient in protein bars, meat substitutes, and any number of other foods.</p>
<p>Why is the food industry putting soy in everything?</p>
<p>If we look at how soy protein is made, it might give you some idea.</p>
<p>After soy vegetable oil is made, there is a lot of soybean meal left over. This defatted soybean meal is mixed with an alkaline solution to remove the fiber, and then washed in an acid solution to separate out the protein. The protein curds are then dipped into another alkaline solution and spray-dried at extremely high temperatures. Then it is spun into protein fibers using textile industry technology.</p>
<p>The food industry has figured out a way to utilize a highly processed <strong>industrial byproduct</strong> by putting it in food to extend shelf life, yield, and nutritional content. And then they&#8217;ve funded a lot of studies and spent a lot of advertising dollars to convince us that this substance is <strong>good for us.</strong></p>
<p>You&#8217;ve seen some of the conflicting research (summarized below). You&#8217;ll have to decide for yourself which studies you believe and what dietary decisions are right for you.</p>
<p>Personally, I&#8217;m sticking to real food as close to its natural state as possible and avoiding processed foods of all types. And when I eat soy, it will be in small quantities in its traditional forms. Check back on Friday for a recipe using tempeh, a fermented soy product that originated in Indonesia.</p>
<p>Here is a brief summary of the claims made on either side of the bean pod along with some links to help you do your own research. The truth usually lies somewhere in between.</p>
<p>The &#8220;Soy is good!&#8221; camp: Soy contains isoflavones that prevent cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and more. Soy&#8217;s phytochemicals protect against heart disease. Men who drink two servings of soymilk every day are 70% less likely to develop prostate cancer. Soy is a low fat form of protein. Soy lowers bad cholesterol. Soy prevents breast cancer. Soy builds strong bones.</p>
<p>The &#8220;Soy is bad!&#8221; camp: Soy doesn&#8217;t lower cholesterol as much as we first thought. The estrogens in soy can lead to breast cancer. Soy can decrease sperm count and libido. Soy can prevent ovulation. Soy can cause thyroid problems, constipation and other digestive problems. Soy is a common food allergy.</p>
<p>Further reading:</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/soy_story.html" target="_blank">Mothering </a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.soyconnection.com/soyfoods/product_overview.php" target="_blank">Soybean Board</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://http://www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss/healthbenefitsofsoy.aspx" target="_blank">Woman to Woman</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Is_Soy_Milk_Better_Than_Cow___s_Milk__a799_f0.html">Steady Health</a></p>
<p>Images: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/3784781/TVP-the-Miracle-Product-no-RNYer-should-be-without/">Obesityhelp</a></p>
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