Organic Bytes
Newsletter #839: Neonics on One Corn Seed Can Kill a Quarter-Million Bees!

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SAVE THE BEES

Bees Are Dying

By Alexis Baden-Mayer, Political Director at Organic Consumers Association:  

Because of Bayer’s business model: genetically modified seeds soaked in bee-killing neonic insecticides.

In the 1980s, Bayer invented synthetic neonicotinoid compounds that could be applied to the seed of a plant and remain effective for the plant’s entire lifespan.

By 2004, Bayer had agreements with the top genetically modified seed companies to coat their seeds with massive amounts of neonics.

By 2007, 80 percent of the corn seed sold by market-leader Pioneer (Monsanto’s rival-cum-partner) was treated with Bayer’s clothianidin-based Poncho.

By 2008, Colony Collapse Disorder was a worldwide problem.

Today, nearly all corn seeds and about half of soybean seeds are coated in neonics.

Bayer takes advantage of the fact that, in the US, seed treatments aren’t regulated as pesticides. Seed treatments used to be measured in overall neonic use, but the US Geological Survey started leaving them out in 2014.

That’s crazy, because just one corn seed can hold enough neonics to kill a quarter-million bees!

This is what’s causing honey bee colony losses. In the 2022-2023 season, commercial beekeepers saw a mortality rate of 48.2 percent in their hives, almost as bad as the 2020-2021 season with the highest loss rate ever reported (50.8%).

What began with the collapse of bee colonies has become a full-on insect apocalypse that scientists say is “tearing apart the tapestry of life”, devastating bird populations, harming deer and rabbits, impacting human health and threatening the future of foods that rely on pollinators.

The U.S. agricultural landscape is now 48 times more toxic to bees than it was 25 years ago and crop yields for apples, cherries and blueberries are already being reduced by a lack of pollinators.

New York State made history in 2023 when Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Birds and Bees Protection Act to ban neonicotinoid (neonic) coatings on corn, soybean and wheat seeds.

The National Caucus of Environmental Legislators has stepped up to address the crisis with legislation to restrict the use of bee-killing neonic insecticides . Across the country, bills to ban, restrict or regulate neonics have been introduced in 23 states and passed in Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Most of these laws target home lawn and garden use, but the victory in New York is inspiring action targeted at the larger problem of agricultural use.

In 2024, Vermont is the state to watch, with lawmakers there considering a ban.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your State Legislators to Ban Neonic Seed Treatments!

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

Monarch Butterflies Wintering in Mexico Drop to Second-Lowest Level Ever Recorded

Paige Bennett writes for EcoWatch:

“Experts say the endangered insect numbers fell by 59% this year, blaming pesticide use and climate change for the reduction. 

The estimated number of monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico for winter has reached its second-lowest level ever for the 2023 to 2024 overwintering season. The estimate, based on the size of the butterflies’ hibernating forest area, has dropped by about 59% from the previous year, according to officials.

Monarch butterflies face three primary threats, including habitat loss for their breeding and overwintering; the use of pesticides, which can be toxic to the butterflies or can kill their food source, milkweed; and climate change, which can shift their migratory patterns. By the 2022 to 2023 overwintering season, the World Wildlife Fund reported a 22% drop in the amount of overwintering monarch butterflies in Mexico.

According to WWF, monarch butterflies once covered about 45 acres of forested land in Mexico during their 1996 to 1997 overwintering season. Last year, they covered 5.5 acres. With the 59% decline, the 2023 overwintering season saw the butterflies covering just 2.2 acres, The Associated Press reported. The lowest coverage ever recorded was 1.65 acres from 2013 to 2014.”  

Read more

GLYPHOSATE

American Academy of Pediatrics Advises Avoiding GMO Foods Due to Glyphosate Residues

By Claire Robinson, GM Watch:

“The AAP report authors, three eminent pediatricians, note that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen and may be an endocrine (hormone) disruptor in humans. They also point out the link between high urinary levels of glyphosate in pregnant women with an increased risk of premature births. They add that other herbicides used on GM crops – dicamba and 2,4-D – are “possible” carcinogens, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Given all these facts, the authors consider what advice pediatricians can give to families in a climate of public mistrust of GMO foods. They note that contrary to many people’s belief, the prevalence of GMOs in the food supply is restricted. Even though GMO-containing food products are widely found in the food supply in the United States, they originate from a relatively narrow list of 10 genetically engineered crops. Most US products derived from these GMO crops are to be found in ultra-processed foods and animal feed. Because of this, “The AAP urges transparency of information about food products to help families make informed decisions,” Dr Jaclyn Lewis Albin, one of the report’s authors said in an AAP news release.

According to the AAP report, going organic is a good approach where families can afford it: “A major benefit of organic food is that it substantially reduces dietary exposure to pesticides. Studies show that consuming a primarily organic diet reduces the body’s pesticide burden by about 90%.”

Make Your State the First to Ban Monsanto’s Roundup Weedkiller!

INDIGENOUS ROOTS

Listen to Plants, Says Indigenous Forager and Activist Linda Black Elk

Kate Nelson writes for Civil Eats:

“How can we improve our relationship with plants, animals, and the natural environment around us?

On an individual level, it is about getting out there, introducing yourself to the natural world, and being willing to speak and listen. Plants do communicate with us if we take our time and approach them in a respectful way. For example, one spring day I noticed chickweed had started randomly growing right outside my kitchen door, which seemed so strange because it had never grown there before. Then I found out I had a thyroid issue. Chickweed has historically been used for thyroid regulation, so I realized that plant was communicating with me, being like, “Here I am. You need me.”

I do think plants come to us when we need them. But if you don’t recognize that plant, you might not know that it’s trying to communicate with you. I always recommend starting with dandelions and learning about their place in the world, since everyone knows what a dandelion looks like. They are a gateway plant, because they’ve been so vilified by Western culture yet they are an amazing food and medicine. Building these relationships opens us up to listening to the world around us instead of just constantly thinking about consumption.

Can you explain how you see foraging as an act of resistance?

In this society, food and medicine are expensive and inaccessible for a massive portion of the population. We are purposefully kept ignorant about and in fear of plant foods and medicines; we are indoctrinated into this idea that they are somehow dangerous or inferior.”  

BIODYNAMICS

The Beauty of Self-Sustaining, Biodynamic Agriculture

Dr. Joseph Mercola reports:

“It’s like organics on steroids – this certification goes way beyond to guarantee the highest quality food, as well as greater nutritional density and concern for the environment.

Biodynamic agriculture is a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, initially developed by Austrian scholar Rudolf Steiner,2 Ph.D., (1861-1925). Today, it meets both organic and regenerative certification standards, and then some.

Biodynamic farming provides superior crops both in volume and increased density of nutrients. Biodynamic farms are also completely self-sustaining — something that cannot be said even for most organic farms. For example, biodynamic standards do not simply require farmers to use organic animal feed. Most of the feed must actually originate from the farm itself.

And, while an organic farmer can section off as little as 10% of the farm for the growing of certified organic goods, 100% of a biodynamic farm must be in compliance with biodynamic standards to qualify for certification.

In addition to that, 10% of the land must also be dedicated to increasing biodiversity. This could take the form of forest land, wetland or insectary, for example.

Biodynamic farming also has all of the features associated with regenerative agriculture, such as crop rotation, the use of cover crops and so on.

Having animals integrated on the farm, with a focus on animal welfare, is another core principle of biodynamic farming. In short, the farm is viewed as a living, self-sustainable whole, and biodiversity of both plants and animals are integral parts of that.”

Read why Biodynamic Agriculture is the answer everyone’s looking for

HEALTHY LIVING

DIY Pantry

By Kris Bordessa, National Geographic author/certified master food preserver:

“If you’re ready to begin stocking your kitchen shelves with homemade versions of your favorite store-bought go-tos, you’re in the right place! So many of our favorite staple foods can be made at home with just a few simple ingredients.

You can see all of my DIY pantry recipes here, but take a minute to discover some of my (and my readers!) favorite tips and tricks below.

Our dependence on prepared foods, packaged in plastic and paperboard, is a learned habit. It didn’t happen overnight, though. It took several generations for us to shift from cooking at home almost exclusively to the ready-made versions of those same recipes. I’m here to help you start cooking at home from scratch!

How to Switch from Boxed and Canned to Homemade
8 Must-Know Kitchen Skills
Easy Recipes to Replace Supermarket Products
Cooking with Dry Beans

Learning to make condiments, dips, spreads, and snack recipes from scratch will cut your grocery bill and reduce the amount of single-use plastic that enters your home.

Bar none, the easiest and most surprising pantry staple you can make at home is mustard. But there are plenty of other contenders! From sweet syrups to homemade crackers, salad dressing to pickles, you can make some of this stuff at home.

30+ Condiments to Stop Buying and Make at Home
100+ Granola Recipes: Bars, Bites, Breakfast”

To learn even more, check out Kris Bordessa’s fabulous website, Attainable Sustainable

SUPPORT OCA & RI

Stop the War on Organics

In response to the growing popularity of organics and regenerative agriculture, powerful elements of the global elite, spearheaded by Bill Gates, the World Economic Forum, Silicon Valley lab-meat entrepreneurs, multinational corporate agribusiness, and GMO/precision agriculture/Big Data firms, have declared outright war on organics and animal agriculture. These advocates of shutting down the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of organic and regenerative (certified or de facto organic) small farmers, pastoralists, and rural villagers proclaim, without evidence, that organic and regenerative practices cannot feed the world.

Conflating small farms and traditional grazing with factory farms and feedlots, and nutrient-dense whole foods with highly processed foods and “food-like” substances, the cheerleaders and profiteers of high-tech agriculture have literally declared war on indigenous knowledge and practices, organic and regenerative agriculture, holistic grazing, and agroforestry.

The agro-technocrats claim that organic and small farmers use up too much land, that indigenous and traditional practices spur deforestation, that organic productivity (without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and GMO seeds) is inefficient; and that growing food hydroponically in containers without soil and gene-editing should be allowed to be labeled as “organic.”

They say that genetically engineered lab meat and dairy, grown in industrial vats, must become the norm. Most recently these warriors against organic (including misguided vegans and climate zealots) have announced that animal agriculture (the livelihood for a billion small farmers and rural villagers) should be abolished entirely in favor of fallowing and “rewilding” 75% of agricultural lands.

OCA promises to join our allies, U.S. and worldwide, to work to stop the War on Organics. But we need your help and active participation to win this battle. If you can afford it, please give us a donation today!

Make a tax-deductible donation to Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Make a tax-deductible donation to Regeneration International, our international sister organization

Click here for more ways to support our work

MISLEADING MARKETING

Fact Check Funder Publicis Pays $350 Million for Role in Opioid Epidemic

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola:

“Story at-a-Glance:

The Publicis Groupe, one of the world’s largest PR firms, recently agreed to pay a $350 million settlement over claims that its false and misleading marketing of opioids contributed to the lethal opioid epidemic in the U.S.
Accusations against Publicis Health, Purdue’s PR firm, included creating the marketing materials that convinced doctors to overprescribe OxyContin, placing illegal advertisements for OxyContin in the electronic medical records of patients, creating training materials for sales reps on how to combat doctor’s objections to the drugs, developing strategies to counter opioid guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and creating marketing strategies to “humanize” the OxyContin brand and counter negative press about addiction risks
The $350 million settlement will be divided among 50 states, with the highest settlement amounts being allocated to California, Florida and Texas. Publicis does not admit wrongdoing or liability as part of the settlement
Publicis, which is now paying its way out of legal trouble over the false marketing, is a funder of censorship. Publicis provided seed money to launch NewsGuard, and is officially partnered with NewsGuard “to fight the ‘infodemic’ of misinformation about COVID-19 and its vaccines”
Publicis is also a partner of the World Economic Forum, which is leading the call for a “Great Reset.” In fact, Publicis appears to be coordinating the global effort to suppress information that runs counter to the technocratic narrative about COVID-19, its origin, prevention and treatment

BAN PFAS

EPA Proposes Adding PFAS To Hazardous Waste Cleanup Law

Shannon Kelleher reports for The New Lede:

“Federal regulators today announced a proposal to update the definition of hazardous waste in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to include a class of chemicals known as PFAS, a move designed to help ensure cleanups of these so-called “forever chemicals” at hazardous waste facilities.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s proposed rules will also add nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to a list of substances in the act that are considered in assessments of facilities used to treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste. The updates will strengthen protections for communities located near the 1,740 hazardous waste facilities across the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in a statement.

“Today’s announcement by the EPA will ensure that quick action can be taken to clean up PFAS and will send a powerful signal to industry to be good stewards of their PFAS wastes,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at The Environmental Working Group nonprofit in a statement.”  

ROOTED IN REGENERATION

March Summit at White Oak Pastures

The Rooted in Regeneration Summit, hosted by the Center for Agricultural Resilience at White Oak Pastures in Blufton, GA, March 14-16, is a groundbreaking event bringing together leading minds in the field of regenerative agriculture. This summit aims to foster discussions, share knowledge, and promote practices that enhance environmental sustainability, humane animal husbandry, and community empowerment. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to hear from distinguished speakers, participate in hands-on demonstrations, and engage in meaningful conversations about creating a more sustainable and regenerative future.

Keynote speakers include Organic Consumers Association’s political director Alexis Baden-Mayer, as well as Will Harris, Tre’ Cates, Melissa K. Norris, Yadi Wang, Ryan Slabaugh, Julia Johnson, Amy Milliron, Blake Alexandre and Trenton Tye.

Register Here

HEALTH ISSUES

Ultra-Processed Foods Tied to Cancer, Diabetes, Dementia, Depression and Early Death

By Mikaela Conley, U.S. Right to Know:

“Hundreds of scientific studies provide strong evidence that consuming ultra-processed foods is linked to early death and serious diseases, including cancer, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, depression, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and chronic kidney disease.

Food companies heavily market (and profit from) ultra-processed foods, and they also formulate these foods as addictive – with added sugars, fat, chemical additives, and other attributes that make the foods highly palatable and easy to overeat.

Over the last 20 years, Americans have continued to increase their consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Today, more than half of our calories come from UPFs. In this post, we provide an overview of ultra-processed foods – what they are, how much we eat, and key news coverage.

We are producing a series of fact sheets on the most serious health risks from consuming ultra-processed foods. The first fact sheets in the series cover early death, increased risk of cancer, and obesity and weight gain.”

Read about The NOVA food classification system, a commonly used framework around the world to categorize processed foods