Dear Michelle O, You Need More Pesticides. Love, Big Ag
Published March 31, 2009 @ 10:58AM PT
The highlight of my weekend was a letter forwarded to me by a friend. It was written by an organization called the Mid America CropLife Association (which counts Dow, DuPont, Monsanto, and Syngenta among its members). They were horrified that Michelle Obama was making her new White House garden organic and wanted to let her know all about the wonders of chemical ag.
My favorite part? "Much of the food considered not wholesome or tasty is the result of how it is stored or prepared rather than how it is grown. Fresh foods grown conventionally are wholesome and flavorful yet more economical." Oh yeah, just because we dumped pesticide all over your food doesn't make it less good for you. And please, don't worry about the environmental impact of how your food was grown.
What shocked me the most about the reactions to this letter I heard was how surprised people were that a little family garden was so threatening to the chemical ag industry. What's it to them if Michelle doesn't want to feed her family pesticides (or "crop protection products" as they refer to them)? Unfortunately, the reaction to Michelle's organic garden shown in the letter is very normal. Friends who are active in pushing for support of sustainable ag by the American government (and state governments) tell me all the time how lobbyists show up to pressure legislators to NOT make ANY statements that organic might be superior to "conventional" (toxic) agriculture. And one friend who's been quite active and successful in making changes in Washington got a threatening email from Monsanto's lawyer.
In my own experience, I've been contacted by the Corn Refiners' Association's PR firm to request that I stop saying that there is mercury in high fructose corn syrup. I know that one recent film about food made sure it had at least 3 sources to back up every single statement in the entire film, in anticipation of lawsuits. I'm just waiting to see what happens once my book (Recipe for America: Why Our Food System is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It) comes out. I don't expect to sell more than a few thousand books, but it seems to me that no threat is too small to these huge corporations. They've got the money and the resources to go after anyone who suggests that perhaps the food they make and the way they produce it aren't so good for us.
(Photo credit: Mikebaird on Flickr)
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Comments (16)
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Author
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Jill Richardson is a writer in southern California. She writes on the blog La Vida Locavore and her first book, Recipe for America, will be published in summer 2009.
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That is messed up. The fact that anyone could care about money that much more than they care about honesty and health is rather disturbing.
Posted by Lianne Lavoie on 03/31/2009 @ 11:11AM PT
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I hope she plans to remain organic. There is so much more data to support organics and sustainability than chemical warfare on fruits and vegetables. The idea is tend to the garden and not just throw it out there. It takes a little more effort but that's the idea. It is not a hurry up task, but an activity where you nurture something then share it with others in your life. It's a gift. Hope the don't come spray it covertly with pesticides!
Posted by Bev Veals on 03/31/2009 @ 09:16PM PT
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I knew once she said the words "local" and/or "organic," Big Ag would cry a river of complaints. They have the money, the lobbyists, and the resources to do so. I hope that Michelle Obama, and the Obama administration, remember that these "associations" and "trade groups" represent the interests of company shareholders (i.e. Monsanto's shareholders, among others), not the interests of the public.
Posted by D W on 04/01/2009 @ 09:46AM PT
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If Michelle Obama, or anyone else, wants to grow and consume organic food, then that's great. But I don't understand the need to constantly vilify industrial agriculture. It is not possible to grow enough food to feed the world's current population by purely organic methods. Large scale agriculture (including use of pesticides, biotechnology, etc) is necessary in order to grow enough food for the worlds ever-expanding population.
I know many people who work for Monsanto and some of their connected lobyists. Yes it's a business with financial incentives, but they aren't a bunch of evil lowlifes sitting around trying to poison America. They are good people who believe that everyone deserves the right to eat, and understand that people in the world WILL starve without mass-produced agriculture.
Of course they're concerned about their image in the media when they're constantly made out to be a bunch of diabolical villains with nothing but bad intentions.
Posted by Greg Osterman on 04/03/2009 @ 01:01AM PT
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It is not possible to grow enough food to feed the world's current population by purely organic methods. Large scale agriculture (including use of pesticides, biotechnology, etc) is necessary in order to grow enough food for the worlds ever-expanding population.
That's actually NOT true.
Posted by Jill Richardson on 04/03/2009 @ 02:16AM PT
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Jill: link, please? Or more details?
And even if we can feed everyone, we'll need more land to do it. Which will necessitate clearing out even more natural ecosystems and devastate the environment even more. Organic food isn't nearly as good for the environment as it's made out to be.
Oh, and the food probably isn't even any healthier. (http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4019?popular=true)
Posted by Jeff Konecki on 04/03/2009 @ 12:24PM PT
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That's actually misinformation. There have been many studies that have proven that food grown without chemicals can reach and even exceed the level that are done with chemical and herbicides.
Posted by Felipe Tendick-Mat... on 04/03/2009 @ 12:40PM PT
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As for your comment Jeff it makes complete sense. If you're going to go down that path then we should start talking about population control... I think you are under the impression that growing healthy food requires more land than those using chemical pesticides and herbicides, this is just not true. As for the link you supplied, I read it and I'm not at all impressed. You'll also note that it's an opinion piece and not actually backed up by any sort of evidence. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that chemicals will leech onto plants and the root systems. One thing that almost all people tend to ignore is the effect on the soil ecosystem. I do agree with some of the comments made by the opinion piece though, it is a fad and some people are truly getting ripped off.
There are plenty of scholarly articles out there that will prove my point. You should also direct your attention to other countries that have not allowed GM foods and chemically dependend crops into their agriculture systems.
One last point, you can still find excellent food that doesn't have a organic label and get the same product. It just takes a lot of research that most consumers aren't willing to do. I've called farms and found out their methods. I've also found some wonderful farmers markets that I can have a whole box full of fresh produce for as little as $14 a week. (that's a deal in Chicago)
I hope you continue to look towards healthy food choices and understand that Food today isn't the same as it was 50 years ago. I'm not going to say that you'll figure this out quickly, it took me 6 months of intensive research to get to the point i'm at today and I still feel like a novice.
Posted by Felipe Tendick-Mat... on 04/03/2009 @ 12:56PM PT
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Link with proof: http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=5936
Posted by Jill Richardson on 04/03/2009 @ 11:09PM PT
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Wrong...industrial agricultural methods aren't sustainable. We need to return to backyard gardening and locally sourced organic soil building. It's well known that healthy, nutrient-dense plants aren't as attractive to pests as unhealthy ones.
Posted by Diane Rose on 04/04/2009 @ 12:52AM PT
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I love how the article you site states that "for animals it requires that they have not been kept healthy through the use of antibiotics". This is not true. Caws are still provided antibiotics, but are not milked or slaughtered for a given time afterwards so that the drugs are out of their system. They are not fed the antibiotics all the time to PREVENT illness, but used as we use them, to fend off an infection should the immune system not be able to naturally.
As to the land-space to people ratio: if you have a lawn, you are wasting the space that could be used for your own food prduction.
check out square-foot gardening: http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
Posted by Erin Ferguson on 04/08/2009 @ 07:36AM PT
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Thought folks would like to know that USDA is starting the 36 month transition of a garden area on the northeast corner of the USDA property right on the National Mall to be certified organic. The intent is to demonstrate to the public on a micro scale how farmers manage their land and crops to become certified, and to inspire individuals to consider growing their own food as well.
Be well
Posted by Valerie Frances on 04/03/2009 @ 01:17PM PT
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It is true, studies HAVE been done proving that organic CAN feed the world. (I'm out of town so don't have access to my filing cabinet.) But I take issue with the O's hypocritically planting an organic garden when they very well know about HR875, Monsanto's dream bill. It smacks of a smoke screen. The bill was written by the spouse of a Monsanto man; it would spell the death of independent farming.
Did you know that 80% of all food found in stores is at least partly GMO? And that GMOs are NOT safe? And that Monsanto wants all the world to buy their GMO seed? That they FORCED Iraqui farmers to destroy ther own indiginous seed as part of our 'relations' there? That there are Harmonising Bills in other countries and that they are forcing small farmers out of business there?
Did you know that over a million Indian farmers have quit and others committed suicide? That 60% of Polish farmers have been bankrupted by their version of this bill? Look at the postings on this very site re. stopping NAIS and see what I mean!
Read "Seeds of Deception" or Genetic Roulette" on the issue of the non-safety of GMOs. Go to www.mercola.com and read the links he has in there, covering HR875. It's a nightmare!
Posted by emily matthews on 04/03/2009 @ 01:25PM PT
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Greg,
While I'm certain your friends that are working at Monsanto aren't villains sitting around table planning the planet's demise, I am clear that the bottom line is always at the forefront of their thinking and marketing AND there is nothing inherently wrong about that. Monsanto is after all a corporation who's goal is to sell as much "product" to as many farmers as possible to maximize profits to the benefit of employees and shareholders. The issue that I have is that Monsanto itself has openly stated that they DO NOT guarantee both the safety of their products or that they will not mutate and produce unsafe offspring. Google Millions Against Monsanto for the exact quote from the Monsanto rep and more data on the subject. The additional fact that the FDA (whom Monsanto charges with the responsibility of making certain that their products are safe for consumption and distribution) is filled with previous Monstanto employees, folks that have been heavily lobbied and/or stand to personally gain from Monsanto sales. I personally don't support the sales of GMO "Frankenfood" until there is unbiased research that is followed for several generations before it is open field tested. I also think it's a crime that Americans don't have the choice of having GMOs labeled. This again is BioAg big dollars at work to keep us in the dark about their potentially dangerous products. The only way to avoid this is to consume organic and local. I'm thrilled that Michelle Obama is bringing consciousness to this issue by going organic.
Posted by Bianca L on 04/03/2009 @ 05:39PM PT
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Sorry I think they (Monsanto) ARE villains!
Posted by emily matthews on 04/06/2009 @ 02:35PM PT
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OMG! So the hungry should be fed chemicals, is that what you are saying? I don't beleive that for one minute! you eat what you want and I will stick with organic and see who has a healthier life.. good luck!
Posted by Amber Thrasher on 04/04/2009 @ 08:42AM PT
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