Kenya bans importation of all GMO foods (video)

In a groundbreaking act, Public Health Minister Beth Mugo of the Kenyan government has advised that Kenya has completely banned the importation of all genetically modified (GMO) food into the country, until exhaustive tests on health effects are complete.

Stressing that the decision was taken from genuine concern for Kenyans' health, the move by the Public Health Minister follows a directive by the ministry for GMOs to be banned, until the necessary information about their impact on health can be verified... read more and listen to Mugo's speech.

Monsanto Co. wants to take over Mexico's heartland with GM corn

If their requests are approved by outgoing president Felipe Calderón, Monsanto Co. and DuPont will be planting 2,500,000 hectares (more than 6 million acres) of transgenic or GM maize in the heartland of Mexico.

According to ETC Group, the consequences will be devastating for the heart of the center of origin and diversity for maize, and also globally. 

Mexico is considered to be the global repository of maize genetic diversity, as scientists have identified thousands of peasant varieties of maize.

Should Monsanto's applications be approved, this would mark the world's first commercial-scale planting of GM varieties of a major food group, in it's center of origin.Basically this would wipe out all biodiversity, and all the various local varieties of maize, developed over around 7,000 years... read more and find out how you can help/sign petition.

4 questions voters should ask about Proposition 37

Zack Kaldveer, Assistant Media Director of the Yes on 37 Ca Right to Know campaign, had a 45 minute interview the other day about GMOs and labeling. The director immediately cut a 2 minute segment and put it up on YouTube, as it asks the right questions.

On Tuesday, November 6, Californians can make the decision to vote yes or no on Proposition 37 - the initiative to make labeling of GMO products mandatory.

Here are four questions that Kaldveer asks you, before you cast your vote:

1. Since when have the pesticide and junk food corporations ever spent $45 million to save you money, improve your health or protect the environment?

2. When it comes to your health and the health of your family, who do you trust? The pesticide and junk food corporations, bank-rolling the No on 37 campaign?

Or groups like the California Nurses Association, The Breast Cancer Action Fund and the American Public Health Association?

3. Who do you trust to protect the environment? Companies like Monsanto and Dupont, who brought us DDT and Agent Orange?

Or do you trust Prop 37 supporters, like the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the California League of Conservation Voters.

4. Who do you trust when it comes to whether you have the right to know what's in the food that you eat? Companies like Monsanto and Dupont and the pesticide and junk food corporations, bank-rolling the No on 37 campaign?

Or Prop 37 supporters, like Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America and Public Citizen.

What we are being asked is to trust, in all of these areas, corporations that have a long history of deceiving the public, polluting the environment, and endangering public health, and disregarding the support that the Prop 37 has from organizations that have dedicated their lives and decades to improving our health and fighting for peoples' rights over corporate profit.

All Proposition 37 is asking for is a simple label, as is currently required for 3,000 other ingredients. This would come at no cost to the consumer, but would inform the purchaser of the content of the food, so that they can make an informed choice of what to feed their families.

Prop 37 was put on the ballot by a million Californians, just like you

No on 37, embodied by Big Pesticide and the junk food companies, has spent a whopping $45 million to try to prevent you knowing what is in your food.

On the other hand, the California Nurses Association says: "Nurses see people suffering from serious diet-related diseases every day. The potential danger of genetically modified foods is why CNA supports Prop 37."

The Los Angeles Times says: "Such labeling wouldn’t result in significant increases in food costs, no matter what the industry tries to tell you. After all, food companies regularly change their labels in one way or another."

Ken Cook, president of Environmental Working Group and a Californian resident said, “Makers of sugar-laden cereal and soda companies once tried to label their products as beneficial to children’s well-being."

"Federal regulators forced them to drop their bogus health claims. Now these same companies are pouring millions into defeating Prop 37, even though the label would actually be true and useful to consumers who want more information about their food. If their products were made with genetically engineered ingredients, then they’d be labeled as such. No more, no less.”

For more information visit: www.carighttoknow.org/ and read more by Zack Kaldveer here.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/336206#ixzz2BLJY8yZy

Halloween: GMOs are a Trick and not a Treat

We could all become Genetically Modified Zombies and Halloween would be 365 days a year. Vote Yes on Proposition 37...

For more information visit http://www.carighttoknow.org/

LA City Council unanimously endorses 'Yes on 37' for GMO labeling

Citing concerns over pesticides and contamination of organic fields, the Los Angeles City Council has unanimously endorsed Proposition 37, the California ballot initiative for labeling of genetically modified food.

Supporters rallied in front of the Los Angeles City Hall on Wednesday, as the LA City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting Proposition 37, the California Right to Know ballot measure that would call for labeling of genetically engineered foods in California.

This measure would allow California to join 61 countries where labeling of genetically modified food is mandatory. It would also ensure that foods containing GMOs or genetically engineered ingredients will be prohibited from being marketed as "natural." ... read more.

Bill Maher on Prop 37, GMOs, Monsanto, Just Label It

Political comedian, Bill Maher discusses GMOs and Proposition 37 with Gary Hirshberg of Just Label it, on "Real Time with Bill Maher."

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/335222

Op-Ed: Does 'No on 37' campaign back their spokesman’s extreme views?

On Monday, the Yes on 37 campaign called on opponents to Proposition 37 to clarify whether they share the extreme and dubious scientific views of their spokesman, Dr. Henry I. Miller.

Miller is a researcher at the right-wing Hoover Institute and is featured as the spokesperson in TV ads currently blanketing California, for the "No on 37" campaign. These TV ads have appeared countless times on television, to millions of Californians, with Miller arguing that Proposition 37 is "illogical"... read more.

Vote Yes on 37: Don't let the pesticide companies buy your vote

Big Pesticide is currently spending $1 million per day on TV and radio advertising to confuse California voters about Proposition 37, which simply requires clear labeling to tell us what is in our food.

Despite it being evident that labeling of GMO products is essential, and the fact that the large majority of Californians are demanding this labeling, the world's largest pesticide companies are currently spending $1 million per day to confuse voters.

The truth is that all that money can buy plenty of confusion among listeners and viewers, but it cannot buy the actual facts about Proposition 37 ... read more.

South African consumers win GM labelling victory

The African Centre for Biosafety reports that South African consumers have just won a hard-earned victory, regarding the labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods.

GM crops have been grown in South Africa since 1999. However most consumers are largely unaware that their staple food, maize (or corn), has been genetically modified. GM soya and cotton are also grown in South Africa, and a significant amount of foodstuffs on the supermarket shelves now contain GM components or ingredients... read more.  

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: 'No on 37' misleading public

The "No on 37" campaign, opposing the proposition to label GMOs in California, has once again hit trouble for misleading the public. This time from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The latest critique to the "No on 37" campaign comes in the form of a press release from the world's largest organization for food and nutrition professionals, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

This press release states that the "No on 37" campaign "misled" the public in its ballot argument, printed in the Secretary of State's Official California Voter Information Guide...  read more.

Indiana farmer taking Monsanto to Supreme Court

Vernon Hugh Bowman, a 74-year-old soybean farmer, will have his day in court against Monsanto in the US Supreme Court next year. Bowman was originally sued by Monsanto Co for alleged patent infringement for the use of a genetically modified soybean crop.

Under the company's licensing contract, farmers can only use the product to harvest one round of crops. However, Monsanto sued Bowman because they say he is at fault for planting a second harvest. However, this second harvest came from commercially-purchased "commodity seeds" from a grain elevator that contained, in part, the Roundup Ready GMO seeds.

Apparently you can sell "second-generation" seeds to grain elevators for use as "commodity seeds," and Monsanto doesn't require that there be any restriction on the sale... read more.

Review: The film 'Genetic Roulette' — gambling with our lives on GMOs

Jeffrey M. Smith of the Institute of Responsible Technology has brought out another excellent film on the dangers of genetically modified food.

Digital Journal reported on the Jeffrey M. Smith movie, "The GMO Threat", in August on this year.

Smith's latest film, "Genetic Roulette", features interviews with patients, doctors, and parents. It explains how consuming genetically modified food can lead to numerous health implications, including diabetes, cancer, heart attacks, allergies, autism, asthma, premature aging, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, infertility and other reproductive disorders.... read more and watch preview.

YouTube censors video exposing Whole Foods on GMOs (video)

A group calling itself "Organic Spies" released a video two days ago, revealing "GMO lies" at so-called, totally local and organic Whole Foods stores. YouTube swiftly banned the video.

Natural News keeps up with the news on health, food and GMOs in general, and have today reported on an important story about Whole Foods, a US-based business, allegedly selling good, healthy, non-GMO food.... read more and watch the banned video!

GM crop technology backfires as farmers need more pesticides

A newly-released, peer-reviewed study reveals that the cultivation of genetically engineered crops has increased pesticide usage by hundreds of millions of pounds.

On top of this, Reuters reported today that the pesticide problem will intensify if the new round of GMO crops is approved.

According to Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, who is a senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network, this newly released study “shatters one of industry’s long-standing myths” that GMOs reduce pesticide use... read more.

Russian researchers plan public GMO study on rats

Following the conclusion of the recent study in France on the effects of GMO food on rats, Russia suspended imports of GMO products. Now they are planning their own, more public, study into the effects of feeding GMOs to rats.

Digital Journal recently reported on the trial by scientists from France's Caen University, where they tested the effects of GMO food on rats over a lifetime period of two years. Results showed mammary tumors and organ damage to the rats after they were fed a diet of genetically modified (GM) NK603 maize produced by American chemical giant Monsanto.

After the report was published in Food and Chemical Toxicology, Russia immediately suspended imports of GMO products pending further investigation into GMOs.... read more.

'Yes on 37' new advert — Your child & Monsanto's 'Pesticide Corn'

The 'Yes to 37' campaign has produced another advertising video, which asks whether your children are eating Monsanto's 'Pesticide Corn'.

A new research study recently raised questions about the health risks of Monsanto's genetically engineered corn.

Due to this research, the Yes on 37 campaign have released a new ad on Friday, which highlights the fact that California children may be eating Monsanto's new GMO sweet corn, without their parents actually knowing it... read more and watch ad.

After GMO rat study: Russia suspends imports, France investigates

Following the recent rat study on NK603 GMO corn, Russia has suspended imports of Monsanto corn, while France continues investigations into the possible dangers of GMOs to human health.

On Tuesday this week, Russia suspended the import and use of Monsanto's genetically engineered corn, following the scientific study released on September 19 on rats fed with this corn, which caused serious health problems, including tumors and organ failure... read more.

Video: Telebriefing on animal feeding trial on GM corn & Roundup

The results of a two-year feeding trial were released yesterday, with details of tumors and mortality in rats, and a telebriefing conference was held which has now been released as an audio file.

As reported in Digital Journal yesterday, this is the first study of its kind, it is peer-reviewed, and was published in the American journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology.

The animal feeding trial was set up to study the lifetime effects of exposure to NK603 Roundup tolerant GM maize, and also to Roundup, the world's best-selling herbicide and weedkiller... read more and listen to telebriefing conference.

'No on 37' — False advertising on the radio, against GMO labeling

The "No on 37" campaign against labeling of GMO products has been advertising on the radio. This advertising is littered with falsehoods, and "Yes on 37" offer the facts.

Proposition 37 comes up for voting in California in November this year and is intended to make it mandatory to label products that contain GMOs or genetically modified products. The "No on 37" campaign is pushing big money from Monsanto and "Big Pesticide", in an attempt to stop this from happening.

This week the "No to 37" campaign is running radio adverts, which consist mainly of falsehoods. California Right to Know wish to point out these falsehoods, and tell consumers the truth.. read more.

Results of first animal feeding trial on GM maize & Roundup

This is the first study of its kind, it is peer-reviewed, and will be published in the American journal, Food and Chemical Toxicology. The results are not reassuring.

The first animal feeding trial, set up to study the lifetime effects of exposure to NK603 Roundup tolerant GM maize, and also to Roundup, the world's best-selling herbicide and weedkiller, has been completed... read more.