Whole Foods Market Caves to Monsanto

Sad, very sad....Monosato are bullies

Why does a company, which potentially does EXTREME harm to people and the environment, have to AGREE to sanctions? Are they not subject to the law, just like everyone else? Why does a company like Whole Foods, which we THINK to be socially responsible, make deals with such companies? I think I know why: it's because WFs is a COMPANY. And more than that, contrary to the image too many people hold dear, it's a CORPORATE company, whose ONLY REAL interest is in MAXIMIZING PROFITS.

That they have defended farmer's rights and the principals of pure and organic foods is just PR aimed at building a certain clientelle, NOT because any of those values were ever really heartfelt. CORPORATIONS DON'T HAVE HEARTS!

The best, and really the ONLY way to influence a corporation to promote, protect and defend HUMAN values, is with our wallets and our feet. Knowing what I know now, I will play Whole Foods off against Von's and Ralphs and the other SoCal grocers that I MUST patronize, just to eat.

If we don't like what a company is doing, we MUST deny them our business, and even better, make a sign and stand out front of their stores and encourage others to do the same thing.

This deal with Monsanto is OBSCENE. ASKING Monsanto to compensate farmers for contaminating their crops won't work. Their whole strategy is to OWN EVERYBODY'S crops! I think that EVERY FARMER must SUE them to remove their artificial genes, or else pay MILLIONS per case. Their methods are egregious, and evil.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/organic-valley/were-still-doing-what-weve-always-done-which-doesnt-include-surrendering-to-mons/178612515507950

and

http://www.stonyfield.com/blog/2011/01/29/the-organic-community-must-come-out-swinging-at-the-right-opponents/

I guess they can't call it "Whole Foods' anymore.

This article is taken without a single fact being checked from a blog by Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association. Immediately after the USDA decision, he focused the blame solely upon these three businesses. Organic Valley and Stonyfield get all their milk from the CROPP cooperatives, the oldest organic coop in the US. They have very high organic standards, and high standards for humane treatment and Organic Valley products get very high marks from the Cornucopia Institute for their products. There are around 1600 small organic farmers who stand to lose big if this kind of irresponsible journalism continues. They never had any intention to stop fighting, in fact Organic Valley spent 6 years doing just that, with a large financial support of the Center for Food Safety. This article doesn't come close to the truth. Losing organic farmers and organic producers at this point in time is a CRAZY plan, which only plays into MONSANTO's hands!
I don't even shop at a Whole Foods, but know that they had all their in-store products tested by the NON-GMO Project. See independent article here: http://www.naturalfoodlist.com/4243/on-getting-divided-and-conquered-how-biotech-firms-are-winning-the-war-via-social-media/
http://www.naturalnews.com/027495_Whole_Foods_GMOs.html

If anyone is interested, please check these links for an alternative perspective. I hate to see organic acreage lost at this point in the battle:
http://www.nongmoproject.org/2011/01/29/team-organic-will-never-surrender-to-monsanto-now-we-continue-the-fight-together/
http://fairfoodfight.com/2011/02/01/cummins-vs-whole-foods-organic-smacktalk/
http://berlinnaturalbakery.com/blog/index.php/2011/02/02/gmo-wars-united-we-stand-divided-we-fail/
These are the minutes of the USDA meeting the supposed sell outs attended: http://berlinnaturalbakery.com/blog/index.php/2011/02/02/gmo-wars-united-we-stand-divided-we-fail/
And this letter lays out what these folks were asked to comment on, the "coexistence" that was spun to mean selling out (consider, again, that gmo corn, soy, and canola are already coexisting in REALITY with non-GMO varieties, albeit not well at all, and I'm FOR a total ban, but this was the ONLY discussion allowed at this point)
http://agriculture.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=1293