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Vandana Shiva and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Double Feature

Al Jazeera News marked the end of the decade by interviewing two activists: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, cofounder of Earth Guardians, and Dr. Vandana Shiva, activist, author, founder of Navdanya and a member of our sister organization, Regeneration International’s steering committee.

The two activists may be worlds—and decades in age—apart, but they’re on the same page when it comes to defending Mother Earth against corporate crime and corruption.

Nineteen-year-old Martinez, who’s been campaigning against climate change since he was six years old, emphasizes the need to see Indigneous communities not just as victims of the climate crisis, but as integral to finding solutions because, as he says:

“Indigenous communities have carried the knowledge and wisdom of how to live in balance with nature and the planet for generations.”

Shiva agrees with Martinez that there’s no crisis more urgent than climate change. She blames the crisis on chemical-industrial fossil-fuel-based farming, and proposes this solution: ecological biodiverse farming.

Referring to Bolivia President Evo Morales’ historic Law of the Rights of Mother Earth, Shiva says “that’s the future, that’s the Green New Deal—to live better without fossil fuels, without chemicals, without poisons.

Watch the Al Jazerra News interviews with Vandana Shiva and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

SIGN UP for the Regeneration International newsletter

SIGN THE PETITION: Consumers for a Regenerative Green New Deal


red colored chickens in a wire cage on a factory farm or CAFO
END FACTORY FARMS

Doesn’t Add Up

The next time somebody tells you how industrial factory farming is a critical part of the economy—all those jobs, right?—you can point them to a new study that says otherwise.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have determined that U.S. farms cost the economy more in health and environmental damage than they contribute to the economy.

According to an article in Forbes, the study focuses on particulate pollution, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is the cause of 90 percent of the 100,000 premature deaths attributed every year to air pollution. 

Among industrial factory farms, poultry farms (like the one Costco is building in Nebraska) are the biggest offenders. 

The study adds to the litany of reasons to end factory farming—and that’s without even including the health costs associated with eating factory farm meat, or the economic costs of other forms of pollution, such as greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on the climate.

Read ‘Animal Agriculture Costs More in Health Damage Than It Contributes to the Economy’

Make a tax-deductible contribution to our End Factory Farms campaign


blue and white bottle of Monsantos glyphosate herbicide ROUNDUP on a store shelf
MILLIONS AGAINST MONSANTO

Utterly Shameless

The Monsanto-Bayer Protection Agency is at it again. This time, your taxpayer-funded regulatory agency is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to defend Roundup weedkiller.

The Wall Street Journal reported on December 20, 2019, that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “working with” the DOJ, filed court papers in support of Bayer’s attempt to reverse a California jury’s award of $25 million to cancer victim, Edwin Hardeman.

The EPA’s determination to protect Monsanto profits to the detriment of human and ecosystem health defies any reasonable explanation.

In fact, the more the evidence against glyphosate piles up, the more the EPA digs in its heels.

In December alone, GM Watch reported these new facts:

GMO-based agriculture with its intensive use of pesticides has had a devastating impact on Argentina’s amphibian populations.

France’s national health agency, ANES, is so concerned about the health hazards of glyphosate, that the agency has withdrawn 36 glyphosate products.

And then this, the report that should be enough to ensure a worldwide ban on glyphosate: Glyphosate and Roundup are proven to disrupt the human gut microbiome.

When will Roundup and other poisons like it be banned for good?

When enough of us raise hell, and hold our politicians accountable—or vote them out.

Read: ‘Trump’s EPA Goes to Bat for Bayer as Company Fights $25-Million Verdict in Roundup Cancer Case’

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Ban Monsanto’s Roundup Weedkiller

TAKE ACTION: Make a tax-deductible donation to our Millions Against Monsanto campaign


2020 with a light bulb and plant over a field of grass in front of a city scape
ESSAY OF THE WEEK

2020 Vision

The end of the modern era is at hand, writes Ronnie this week:

“As most of us realize, even as we repress this thought in order to maintain our sanity, we are fast approaching ‘the point of no return,’ whereby our 21st Century Climate Emergency and societal meltdown begin to morph into global catastrophe.
 
“Even in the midst of enjoying a break over the holidays and celebrating with our family and friends, it’s hard to avoid thinking about the ‘Emergency’—and the climate criminals, indentured politicians and climate deniers who have dragged us to the precipice.”

Are we doomed? 

Or could 2020 be the year the grassroots rise, and the Regeneration Revolution takes hold?

Read Ronnie’s essay of the week: ‘2020 Vision: A New Year’s Regeneration’ 


drop of milk splashing into a ripple
ACTION ALERT

Raw Deal?

States are allowed to write their own laws governing the sale of raw milk. But thanks to a 1987 ordinance passed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), all milk sold across state lines, even between two states where raw milk sales are legal, must be pasteurized.

We think that’s wrong. So, on September 26, the Organic Consumers Association will join our allies at the Real Food Consumer Coalition, the Organic and Natural Health Association and the American Grassfed Association to bring the truth about raw milk to Congress.

Want to help? We’re calling on all raw milk farmers and drinkers to join us in educating their members of Congress about the benefits of raw milk. 

TAKE ACTION: Register for our pre-lobby-day training webinar on September 17, at 8 p.m EDT

TAKE ACTION: Join our lobbying team in Washington, D.C., on September 26

Learn more about this upcoming event on raw milk and why it matters


american grassfed logo
TRUTH & TRANSPARENCY IN LABELING

Coming Soon!

The words on the milk carton say “pasture-raised” or “grassfed.” But can you trust that the cows that produced your milk (or butter or yogurt) weren’t also fed grain, or even GMO grain, at some point?

As the market for organic and grassfed milk soars, so does the potential for brands to mislead consumers. That’s why the American Grassfed Association (AGA) has created new standards specifically for grassfed dairy products—standards that certifiers will soon begin using in order give consumers clarity and peace of mind when trying to sort through the often-confusing landscape of consumer product labeling. (AGA has offered a separate grass-fed meat certification program in the U.S. since 2009).

What does it mean if your milk or butter is certified to AGA standards? In a nutshell, it means the cows that produced those products were fed a strict diet based on open pasture, animal health and welfare, no antibiotics, no added hormones. The AGA standard includes detailed directions for the minimum number of days that cattle must spend outside each season, based on climate and geography.Feeding grain in any form, even as a carrier for mineral and vitamin supplements, is strictly forbidden. Producers must consult regularly with veterinarians on their “written herd health plans.” If an animal becomes sick, and requires antibiotics, its milk can’t be mixed with the other grassfed milk.

The new AGA standards are based on the simple premise that healthier cows produce dairy products that are healthier for humans. Launched last month and endorsed by OCA, the standards still in the implementation phase—so you won’t see them on dairy products yet. But the AGA says look for them soon.

Read OCA’s press release 

Read ‘Buying Grassfed Dairy About to Get Easier’

Heath benefits of grassfed milk