From the Cornucopia Institute:

After an extensive audit and investigation of alleged improprieties at  the USDA’s National Organic Program, the federal Office of Inspector  General (OIG) made public their formal report, dated March 9,  echoing criticisms made by the OCA and our allies – that under the Bush administration, the USDA did an inadequate job of enforcing federal organic law.

Since 2002, when the USDA adopted the federal organic regulations, the  agency has been plagued by inadequate funding as well as a cozy relationship with large corporations that dominate organic sectors such as dairy and body care.

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J.E.M. Ag Supply v. Pioneer Hi-Bred, 534 U.S. 124 (2001) granted large biotech corporations like Monsanto extensive patent protection over genetically modified seeds. This case was authored by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former General Counsel for Monsanto.

In Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms, No. 09-475, the U.S. Supreme Court will review an appellate court decision ruling that the USDA illegally approved Monsanto’s GM sugar beets without determining whether organic  farmers, consumers or the environment would be adversely effected.

Justice Thomas has an obvious conflict of interest and should recuse himself, but he has decided to reserve his power to rule on the GM  sugar beet case.

As one blogger put it, "Fox, meet henhouse."

Please sign OCA’s petition to Justice Thomas

Corporate Crime Reporter: OCA Exposes Intimidation Tactics of the ‘Organic Mafia:’

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) carries a big public interest stick. It can mobilize the 850,000 people in its network to pressure  corporations and governments. The goal: clean, safe, organic foods and products for America. One way that OCA raises money is by charging for ads on the group’s popular web site, organicconsumers.org.

Two companies had purchased logo space on the OCA web site – Organic  Valley and Nature’s Path. Until last year. That’s when the groups dropped their sponsorship. Under pressure from Whole Foods Market and United Natural Foods – the two companies that dominate the organics market in the United States…

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Ronnie Cummins talks with Host James Moore about the climate  catastrophe and how organic agriculture and green technology can help  us survive the 21st century.

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In January, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom hired Tony Winnicker away from his post as the Communications Director for the SF Public Utilities Commission where he served from 2004-2010, creating PR for city programs including their now infamous toxic sludge giveaway program to unsuspecting backyard gardeners and schools. But as the San Francisco Bay Guardian reports this week, Mayor Newsom’s press secretary still doesn’t know anything about sludge. 

"Winnicker said he was not aware that San Francisco’s well-tested biosolids were being mixed with those of other areas, and that Newsom would defer to SFPUC experts on how to handle the situation." 

If the SPFUC’s own people don’t know about the hundreds of toxic chemicals and pathogens in the sludge they’re spreading all over the Bay Area, how can Mayor Newsom tell the public that it’s safe?

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Visit the Organic Consumers Association booth at the San Francisco Green Festival, April 10th & 11th, 2010 where we will be shedding more light on the national problem of toxic sewage sludge, organic labeling fraud, and the Whole Foods/UNFI "greenwashing" phenomenon.

In its latest film the Ecologist Film Unit (EFU) travels to Peru to  investigate a host of unreported environmental and social costs –  including pollution and health problems, overfishing, and impacts on  ecosystems and wildlife – arising from the production of fishmeal and  fish oil, principal ingredients in farmed salmon feed.

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