I’m not sure how many of you are reading today on Christmas Eve, but for those that have time, here’s a note (not a very cheery one to go with the Christmas season, though, sorry) from Ana Sofia Joanes, Director of the movie, FRESH. I hope you’ll take a minute to sign the petition after you read this:
The Associated Press just uncovered a series of confidential commercial licensing agreements that give around 200 smaller companies the right to insert Monsanto’s genes (resistant to their Roundup herbicide) in their corn and soybean plants.
This means that Monsanto will OWN and CONTROL roughly 95 percent of all soybeans and 80 percent of all corn grown in the U.S. Monsanto is blocking competition in the seed industry, forcing farmers into growing genetically modified crops, and all the while increasing seed prices. Now, when farmers buy bags of seed from obscure brand names, they are paying for Monsanto’s seeds.
These practices are at the core of the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice to determine if Monsanto is violating anti-trust laws.
Sign the FRESH petition to the Department of Justice: break up the food monopoly to free our farmers:
http://action.freshthemovie.com/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=617
This could be the first step towards the government taking long-needed action to help break the corporate control in our farming and food system.
For farmers to survive and thrive, we need the government to take action that restores real competition to the farm economy – not the current situation where a few corporations in the grain, seed, dairy and livestock sectors hold excessive control.
In 2010, the Department of Justice will hold public hearings to discuss anti-trust issues in agricultural production. We want our voice to be heard in this process.
FRESH will deliver your signature and comments to the Department of Justice.
Sign the FRESH petition: free our farmers by busting corporate control of our food system.
http://action.freshthemovie.com/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=617
Ana Sofia Joanes
Director, FRESH
- Have you seen these other Food Movies? If not, you should! At least watch the trailers…
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
HeatherM 12.24.09 at 7:44 am
Merry Christmas Kelly,
I did sign the petition.
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Soli 12.24.09 at 8:25 am
Signed.
Merry Christmas, and I am thankful for eating next to no corn or soy in my diet now. (Though I suspect since a lot of the holiday dinner tonight is not locally sourced there’s a chance that corn got in. sigh.)
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Chef Nancy 12.24.09 at 8:56 am
Kelly, Merry Christmas and thank you for posting this news. Everyone who eats food needs to be fighting this AND National animal ID as well. There are not enough of us small farmers to carry the load by ourselves. We need every person to only vote for elected servants who understand the food freedom movement and will stop this usurption of our God given right to eat healthy food. Another web site folks will want to go to and support is: http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org , this is a small non-profit led by a savvy attorney ( a good one;o) who is also a small rancher/farmer in Texas. Judith McGeary knows what and who she’s fighting and has made all sorts of headway on our behalf to hold off the wolves.
Now, I’m off to make the cresent roll recipe you posted and celebrate the birth of my King, Happy Holi day to you and yours!
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Karen@Cook4Seasons 12.24.09 at 10:35 am
Thank you, Kelly. Sobering and compelling. I have signed the petition and am hosting a showing of FRESH in support of our farmers market in a few months.
> Chef Nancy: could you check the link you sent? It wasn’t working when I tried it.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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KitchenKop 12.24.09 at 10:38 am
Thanks to all of you who have signed already!!!
We’re getting ready to head out soon, Merry Christmas everyone!
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