Newsletter Post Script: Food

If you're a current subscriber to our every-other-month newsletter, herbalYODA Says! you would have received the July issue this morning.  Later today our subscribers will get this update.

Food issues must be on most everyone's agenda of concern as several news items directly related to the most recent issue of hYS arrived this morning.

Just four companies control 84% of the nation's beef and 70% of its pork, one company controls 40% of our milk supply, another holds patents on 80% of our corn, and just five chains sell 50% of the nation's groceries — and this recent report goes on to suggest this concentration is at the root of problems in the rural economy.

Corporate ownership in the natural food market place has grown exponentially over the last decade
http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/services/corporate-ownership.html

You can read more about 'plant sterol' hype in food and drugs, much from GMO sources
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/07/please-explain-this-to-cargill.html

And how GMO corn just might alter sea life -

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/07/corn-and-dead-zones-in-gulf.html

"Another Look at Livestock's Contributions to Global Climate Change

The Organic Center reports on a paper issued by the World Watch Institute (Livestock and Climate Change: What if the key actors in climate change are cows, pigs, and chickens? by Robert Goodland, and Jeff Anhang) that estimates livestock accounts for over 51% of worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — a share more than four-times larger than the recent, official estimate (11.8%) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Although the report's findings are far outside the current mainstream projections, it's written by two experienced analysts working for the World Bank, and they identify eight key differences they have with the FAO projections.

The most significant, which accounts for over one-third of the difference, is something they term "overlooked respiration by livestock." Other factors they identify include overlooked land use changes, undercounting animal numbers, and misclassification of certain emission sources.

The report reinforces the growing consensus that much more work is needed to develop accurate estimates of agricultural sources of GHG emissions, a necessary first step in crafting policies to cost-effectively reduce emissions."
(source: Frontier Natural Products)

Important to consider also is the development of a new campaign against GMO food

NON-GMO CAMPAIGN
Coming in October 2010, the first NON-GMO Month
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/07/non-gmo-campaign.html

In Europe, all products containing more than 0.9% GMO are labeled by the government. In the U.S. and Canada, on the other hand, government has done nothing to inform consumers about which food and products contain GMOs.

It is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 75% of the processed foods in the average grocery store.

Many people are concerned about the potential health risks of products made using the relatively new technology of genetic modification.  The Non-GMO Project respects your right to know what’s in the food you’re eating and the products you’re buying.

Where consumers can learn more http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/

But some good news is that later this summer I'll be able to offer organic Chia seed in bulk for about $18/pound plus shipping in addition to all the other good organic, bulk items offered in our Natural Store.  CHI Members receive a discount on all their orders.

Stay tuned!