Court Rules Monsanto Guilty of Chemical Poisoning in France
A French court has declared Monsanto—the American biotechnology giant driving growth of genetically engineered crops around the world, and the world’s largest seed company—guilty of chemical poisoning of a French farmer, Reuters reports.
The case involved Paul Francois, a cereal farmer who said that after inhaling Monsanto’s Lasso weedkiller (which has since been banned in France) in 2004, he suffered neurological problems including memory loss, headaches and stammering. He blamed Monsanto for not providing adequate warnings on the product label.
The court’s decision—in the first case of its kind in France—is significant because in the past, like with many health consequences from industry or pollution, farmers have been unable to prove a direct link between illnesses and exposure to pesticides. (“It’s like lying on a bed of thorns and trying to say which one cut you,” is how another farmer, who couldn’t pinpoint a specific incident that led to his bout with prostate cancer, described the burden of proof—quote taken also from the Reuters story.)
“I am alive today, but part of the farming population is going to be sacrificed and is going to die because of this,” Francois, 47, told Reuters.
He and other farmers suffering from illness set up an association last year to make a case that their health problems should be linked to their use of crop protection products.
The agricultural branch of the French social security system says that since 1996, it has gathered farmers’ reports of sickness potentially related to pesticides, with about 200 alerts a year.
But only about 47 cases have been recognised as due to pesticides in the past 10 years. Francois, who suffers from neurological problems, obtained work invalidity status only after a court appeal.
The ruling has potential to give leverage to other health claims against pesticides. (Or not. Stay tuned.)
Truck full of dogs crammed into tiny cages and bound for Chinese restaurants is intercepted by animal lovers.
Crammed into tiny cages, unable to stand and deprived of food and water, these dogs endured terrible suffering on a truck bound for a chain of restaurants. The harrowing pictures show the cruel conditions in which 1,500 of the animals were found when the truck was stopped at a toll gate by highway police and animal rescue volunteers in Chongqing, south-west China. The truck was stacked high with cages, each containing several dogs in pitiful condition.
The animals were moved to a nearby farm by volunteers from the Chongqing Animal Protection Association who gave them food, water and emergency treatment. Sadly some of the dogs were already dead and rescue workers were unable to save other who were dying.
Volunteer Xiao Lu said: ‘When they [the dogs] saw us they were groaning, but some were so exhausted and dying that they didn’t even have the strength to make a sound. He said: The dog peddler said his truck was only loaded with 700 dogs, but there are at least 1500.
Dog continues to be a popular meal in the Far East, with many in China favouring the meat, particularly during the winter. The incident comes just months after police in Thailand rescued more than 1,000 dogs that were being transported to Vietnam. The dogs were being taken across the Mekong river in Laos as prices for stray dogs and pets in rural Thai villages can reach as much as $33 an animal.
11 COUNTRIES WHICH STILL EAT DOG MEAT
Eleven countries around the globe still eat dog meat. They are: China, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Polynesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Arctic and Antarctic and two cantons in Switzerland.
China: Although the Chinese were the first to domesticate the dog and keep them as pets, dog meat has been a source of food from at least the time of Confucius, and possibly even before.
Indonesia: Eating dog meat is usually associated with people from the Batak Toba culture, who cook a traditional dish named saksang that is like a dog-meat stew.
Mexico: Dogs were historically bred for their meat by the Aztecs. These dogs were called itzcuintlis, and were often pictured on pre-Columbian Mexican pottery.
Philippines: In the capital city of Manila,the law specifically prohibits the killing and selling of dogs for food except in certain circumstances including research and animal population control.
Polynesia: Dogs were historically eaten in Tahiti and other islands of Polynesia at the time of first European contact in 1769.
Taiwan: Dog meat in Taiwan is particularly eaten in the winter months, especially black dogs, which are believed to help retain body warmth.
Korea: Gaegogi literally means ‘dog meat’ in Korean. Gaegogi, however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, bosintang. The distaste felt by dog lovers, particularly from the West, has made this dish very controversial.
Switzerland: According to a Swiss newspaper report in 1996, the Swiss rural cantons of Appenzell and St. Gallen are known to have had a tradition of eating dogs, curing dog meat into jerky and sausages, as well as using the lard for medicinal purposes.
Vietnam: Dog meat is eaten throughout Vietnam. To many Northerners, it is a popular, if relatively expensive, dinnertime restaurant meal.
Arctic and Antarctic: Dogs have historically been an emergency food source for various peoples in Siberia, Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland. Sled dogs are usually maintained for pulling sleds, but occasionally are eaten when no other food is available.
Unhealthy Food Subsidization is Ruining Our Health
With rates of obesity, diabetes, and nearly every other major health problem rising each year, why has the United States decided to heavily subsidize junk food? Farmers around the country choosing to grow healthy crops like chard, broccoli, and spinach simply do not have the government funding that those growing massive amounts of corn and soy beans (of which above 90% of each are genetically modified) do. Does the U.S. government really think that fruits and vegetables are not as important as grains which are used mostly for processing harmful food items? It may be time for a policy change.
Between 1995 and 2010 over $260 billion was spent by American taxpayers in agricultural subsidies. Most of that money is put into commodity crops such as corn and soybeans, but the money is far less than well spent. While corn alone took in a whopping $77.1 billion from the government between 1995 and 2010, taxpayers spent $262 million subsidizing apples during the same time period. It just so happens that apples are really the only significant federal subsidy of fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact, if these agricultural subsidies went directly to consumers for the purchase of food, America’s 144 million taxpayers would each be given $7.36 to spend on junk food and only 11 cents to buy apples each year. This equates to about 19 Twinkies but less than a quarter of one healthy apple.
The U.S. government continues to be a major player in the national food business, with subsidies continuing to grow. The worst part is that the crops being subsidized are almost always genetically modified and pose a health risk to the environment and humankind.
Corn may be the crop utilized most poorly in the country. The corn being produced is actually specifically created for purposes of adding certain ingredients (many of which are toxic) into the food supply. One such ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, which has been found to contain mercury and cause cancer, and resides in many products such as ketchup, cereals, and beverages. Shockingly, it has nearly replaced sugar in all sodas and soft drinks.
Then there is corn starch, corn gluten meal, hydrolyzed corn protein, and corn syrup which can all be found in snacks like cookies. Lastly, corn is used to feed conventionally fed animals to prompt weight gain and hasten their slaughter weight. Unfortunately, these animals’ digestive systems are not meant to digest corn, causing the animals to be fed antibiotics.
In addition to corn lies soybeans, another crop heavily subsidized by the U.S. government. Today, the U.S. produces at least 75% of all soybeans grown worldwide, with an increase of about 10 million acres produced between 2007 and 2011. Total subsidies for soybeans between 1995 and 2010 totaled $24.3 billion, making it 3rd on the list of top products subsidized. Unfortunately this heavily subsidized crop is no less genetically modified than corn, with nearly 93% of US soybeans being genetically modified in order to resist powerful weed-killers.
These genetically modified crops pushed by the government are said to reduce pesticide usage and be completely safe according to U.S. government agencies. But more than enough evidence has shown these touted benefits to be false claims, and the heavily subsidized, genetically modified junk food pushed on the population has only been shown to be a threat to your health.
Eating in season: Kale with pumpkin seeds
The super food kale is in season in fall and should be in your weekly veggie rotation. Learn how to prepare it with toasted pumpkin seeds for an easy side dish.
Do you know where your açaí comes from?
Chances are, a small boy scaled a tall palm tree to harvest your açaí. But that’s just part of the story.
The Irish Potato Famine was caused by a disease called potato blight that swept through Ireland’s farms, hitting the single strain of potatoes grown by most farmers. Up until the 1960s, the most popular banana in the world ate was the Gros Michel. It was all but wiped out by a fungal disease when we were forced to switch to the Cavendish. Here are 6 foods we could lose in an outbreak.
Truce: Homeless Feedings Moved To City Hall — Arrests Stop
A trucehas been declared in the battle between homeless-feeding activists and Orlando City Hall.
After 27 arrests, the anti-poverty group Orlando Food Not Bombs has moved its twice-weekly feedings out of Lake Eola Park. At Mayor Buddy Dyer’s invitation, the group is now distributing food to the homeless and hungry in front of City Hall.
“I told them they could feed there with no restrictions as long as they didn’t feed at the park,” Dyer said. “I think it’s a good compromise.”
