[Germany] Bans Monsanto GMO Corn

Been a long time... And this news is a pretty old now. I'm catching up on old emails. But still good news. --ianna.

re-posted from Action Spark

Germany Bans Monsanto GMO Corn, posted by Kyra, 04/14/09

Germany just recently joined a number of other European countries who have banned Monsanto GMO (Genetically Modified) corn from being grown in the country.

Monsanto corn has until now been the only GMO crop grown somewhat widely in Europe, the EU having been wary of GMO crops overall since their introduction to the global food market. This is definitely a win for the the movement against spreading GMO crops.

GMO’s are problematic for many reasons. First off, many people have psychological barriers to the idea of eating a tomato with genes from an elephant. There’s just something a bit strange about the idea. For some people this is a religious matter based on humans meddling with God’s work. However there are also major health concerns regarding GMO’s, and huge political battles being waged over the way companies handle and patent them. It is the case that we do not know how GMO crops will affect the environments they are introduced to on any kind of long term basis, nor how fiddling with our foods genetic makeup could affect the health of humans consuming it. While hybrid species are often capable of growing back into natural or heritage varieties, it is unlikely that GMO plants be able to rid themselves of genes not related in anyway to their species. Is there any research suggesting that GMO plants could be reintroduced into the environment and returned to their original strain over time?

The main argument against GMO’s is that there isnt enough conclusive evidence to show they are not harmful. It is also the case that many companies have taken advantage of genetic modification to patent and charge exorbitant prices for different disease resistant strains of GMO crops, such as Monsanto’s corn. It is possible for these companies to sue farmers living next door to GMO crop sowing neighbours if some of the seed blows over into their field and takes root.

Companies also often make these seeds so that they cannot reproduce on their own.Thus farmers are obliged to buy and rebuy seeds each year, making more money for the companies, but strangling the workers of the agricultural sector across the globe.

To read a brief BBC article on the recent banning of Monsanto corn, go here.

[SF Bay Area] Activists de-shelve Israeli products at Trader Joe's

re-posted form BigCampaign.org

US activists de-shelve Israeli products from national grocer, 06/25/09

Press release, Don't Buy Into Apartheid, QUIT (Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism), South Bay Mobilization and BDS BayArea

On Saturday, 20 June, activists gathered at Trader Joe's in Oakland and San Francisco, US to demand that the company stop carrying Israeli goods.

Protesters removed Israeli products from the shelves in order to show customers which products they should not buy. They also met with the store managers and asked them to notify their headquarters that they no longer wanted to carry Israeli herbs, couscous and cheese. Similar actions were held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Seattle, Washington; and Sacramento, California. The activists were inspired by campaigns to de-shelve Israeli products in Wales and France.

"Trader Joe's is a company with an excellent reputation for bringing a diverse array of high-quality foods from around the world to US consumers. As Trader Joe's consumers, we are part of a growing movement of people globally who are calling on businesses to be consistent in following ethical business practices," said Yasmin Qureshi, an organizer of the Don't Buy Into Apartheid national network.

The group chose 20 June for its kickoff action because it is World Refugee Day, a day recognized worldwide to spotlight refugees displaced by war and persecution. Of the 11 million refugees in the world today, over seven million are Palestinian refugees displaced as a direct result of the founding of the State of Israel, many displaced for more than 60 years. It is for this reason that Don't Buy Into Apartheid calls on to Trader Joe's to discontinue the sales of Israeli Couscous, Dorot frozen herbs, as well as Pastures of Eden Feta cheese.

"Consumer boycotts played an important role in bringing about the end of apartheid in South Africa," said Sunaina Maira, Associate Professor of Asian American Studies at University of California-Davis. "Corporations with ethical business practices can stop funding injustice and occupation by refusing to sell products made in states that enact racial discrimination and violations of human rights law, such as Israel. The State of Israel was created in 1948 through policies of ethnic cleansing and apartheid, and still continues to violate countless United Nations resolutions. Consumer boycotts are an effective, nonviolent strategy to pressure states to comply with international law."

The manager at one Trader Joe's told the activists, "If you convince our customers to stop buying these products, we will stop carrying them." The group handed out coupons for customers to give to the cashiers asking the store to stop carrying Israeli products.

In 2005, a broad coalition of Palestinian groups issued a call for the international community to place boycott, divestment and sanctions on Israel based on its illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and discriminatory laws.

Don't Buy Into Apartheid's letter to Trader Joe's was signed by more than 35 organizations and 135 individuals. The campaign has gained more than 600 members in one month. Trader Joe's will join them in supporting social justice and racial equality by removing Israeli products from its shelves until Israel agrees to cooperate fully with international law.

[resource] Barnivore Vegan Alcohol Directory

suggested by Lewis, re-posted from Barnivore.com

Is Your Booze Vegan?

It might seem weird at first, but your favourite drink might have more than just alcohol in it.

Brewmasters, winemakers, and distillers may include animal ingredients in their products directly, or they might use them in the processing and filtration.

These ingredients don't usually show up on the label, so the only way to find out is to ask.

The Barnivore Vegan Alcohol Directory is here to help.

Our 680 entries have been checked and double checked by the Barnivore community and are gathered here for you to enjoy, and maybe submit a check of your own.

VISIT: http://www.barnivore.com/

[LA] Revolutionary Autonomous Communities' Food Program going strong after a year and five months

reposted from APOC Conference list

Revolutionary Autonomous Communities' Food Program

The Revolutionary Autonomous Communities has created a food program where we are empowering ourselves and others to become self-sustainable.

The Food Program is a mutual-aid project where people themselves are organizing and distributing food in their own neighborhoods. This is not charity, we do not believe that change will happen this way. This is self-empowerment, where working class neo-colonies are feeding themselves, and organizing to feed themselves.

Since the first week of November, 2007, RAC has distibuted much needed grocieries to the needy workers of the area. Last week 200 people standing in line received food packages.

You can join us every Sunday at 1:30 PM. Meet at the SE Corner of Wilshire and Parkview in MacArthur Park.

RAC Mission Statement:

We feel that this system is killing our people by what the corporations feed us or don't feed us. At the same time there is an abundance of healthy food that goes to waste. They would rather let food go to waste than allow the prices of food in the market to drop. Then they disconnect people (all indigenous and colonized people) from the land, which a free and independent people need to survive. They centralize power and resources in the hands of the few, this is how they keep oppressed people dependent on a white-supremacist, patriarchal, capitalist-imperialist system.

RAC's Food Program is a way that we can work with supporters and other organizations to feed healthy food to our communities. We want people to connect with each other, to pick up and distribute the food amongst themselves. We will support, help connect people and to supply whatever resources we can. Through this process our goal is to connect our communities and to take them back. Our overall goal is to regain our necessary connection to the land. We need land to survive, and the land belongs to us, not the colonizer. We want to relearn how to live off the land and how to truly be self-sustainable.

We're Still Here, We Never Left

Support our Food Program.

Help Pick Up Food.

Help Distribute Food in Your Neighborhood.

Donate to our Community Mutual-Aid Program.

Get Organized!

Take Back Our Communities and Take Back the Land!

All Power THROUGH the People!

-Revolutionary Autonomous Communities


E-mail RAC:
rac@lists.riseup.net

To donate to the RAC Food Program:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3639082

RAC Blog:
http://revolutionaryautonomouscommunities.blogspot.com/

Radio RAC LA
Tuesdays 9PM-12AM
http://killradio.org/