Head USDA Scientist Questions Organic Safety?

Roger Beachy, as director of the USDA’s newly formed National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is the lead researcher for the USDA.  He was appointed to his post by President Obama in October 2009.  Before taking this position he was the founding president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri where he’d worked since 1998.  From 1991 to 1998 Beachy was the department head of the Division of Plant Biology at The Scripps Research Institute.  From 1978 to 1991 he was a biology professor at Washington University in St. Louis.  Sounds like a qualified scientist right?


While at Washington University, Beachy worked on the Monsanto sponsored project that resulted in the first genetically modified food crop.  On the project tomatoes were modified for resistance to disease by adding genes from flounder.  The world’s first Frankenfood.

Beachy’s notoriety lead to his position at The Scripps Research Institute where he again worked on formulating plant genetics so they would be resistant to disease.    Scripps has worked hand-in-hand with Monsanto for years.  The Dansford Plant Science Center is funded by Monsanto and it’s mission is to, “improve the human condition through plant science.”  In other words it is charged with developing more GM produce.

What does this tell us about Roger Beachy?  That from 1978 until being appointed to the USDA in 2009, Beachy was an employee of Monsanto, the company responsible for introducing e coli into our food system.  Thirty-one years as an employee of a company that he is now responsible for making policy over.  Another trip through the Monsanto revolving door.

Just how dangerous are Beachy’s genetically modified Frankenfoods?  The US government has set up a web site (foodsafety.gov) to educate Americans about food borne microbials.  The site also tracks food illness outbreaks and recalls, most of which are the result of genetically tampering with food.  Among the recent outbreaks traced back to GM foods are the spinach e coli contamination in 2006, 2009’s Salmonellosis in peanut butter scare and just this week a massive recall of products containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein.

This week, Beachy is attending an international conference in Guadalajara, Mexico sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.  When Beachy was asked by Tom Philpott of Grist Magazine, “Would NIFA be funding research for organic ag?”  Beachy’s reply stunned all in attendance.
Beachy arrogantly said, “I’m concerned about the safety of organic food.”  It also sent his his chief counsel, Rachel Goldfarb, scrambling to clean up the mess.  She immediately cut him off saying, “This is just the sort of thing he should not be discussing without approval,” which ended the conversation.

Check out Philpott’s first-hand account of the exchange HERE.

The irony and absurdity of the very scientist who developed the lethal genetic modification of produce calling the safety of organic farming into question is the Mount Everest of hypocrisy.  If you would like to share your displeasure with Mr. Beachy you can contact him via e-mail at rbeachy@nifa.usda.gov, by phone at (202) 720 – 4423, fax to (202) 720 – 8987 or snail mail to:
Roger Beachy
United States Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 2201
Washington, DC 20250.

Don’t Tax Sugar; Stop Taking Bribes!

Dear politicians, stop trying to legislate morality.  You’re not qualified.

Health study after health study tells us that sugary drinks are one of the primary causes of childhood obesity.  There is no refuting this fact.  Recently, one study came out and suggested the only way to stop children from consuming so many sugary beverages is to put a tax on them so their parents can no longer afford them?
Would it work?  Most likely.  Is it right?  Not even close, in fact it is criminal.  For the record I am against virtually all taxes.  I’m tired of having people steal money from me to fund something I have no input over.  Besides, the problem is a lot more complex than “sugary drinks are too cheap.”

First off, the phrase “sugary drinks” is not at all accurate.  If soft drinks were sweetened with actual sugar there likely wouldn’t be an obesity epidemic in this country.  They are sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), a man-made sweetener developed by the chemical company Monsanto.  It is a chemical that is far more dangerous than alcohol or marijuana could ever hope to be.

So why is it legal?  One word: bribery lobbying.  Monsanto and their ilk throw enough money at our government to cure the budget deficit.  Why do they spend so much money on bribery lobbying?  Because they know their products are lethal.  Our politicians know these products are lethal too but they, whether Democrat or Republican, do not care.  Politicians only care about power and money.

From the lowliest mayor in the tiniest town all the way to the top our politicians are crooked.  They would gladly trade the lives of our children for a few extra green backs.  In fact they do it everyday.

So, politicians,  if you want soft drinks to cost more do not tax us for your transgressions.  How about paying the $7.5 billion in this year’s budget set aside for farm subsidies to the farmers they are intended for.  Currently this money only goes to farmers who produce untested genetically modified foods for big multi-national agricultural corporations.  In other words farm subsidies do not go to farmers, they go to Monsanto.
In effect what companies like Monsanto are doing is money laundering.  They take the $7.5 billion the US government gives them out of our paychecks and they hand it right back to individual politicians in the form of campaign contributions or bribes lobbyist gifts.  The politicians pocket that $7.5 billion.

So instead of strapping the American people with yet another tax how about canning the Monsanto moles the President has appointed to run the USDA and FDA (Tom Vilsak, Michael Taylor, Roger Beachy, et al).  Oh and maybe follow legitimate scientists recommendations of banning GM foods like HFCS at least until their effects have been studied.  Do this and soft drink manufacturers will have to go back to sweetening their beverages with actual sugar, while though still not great, it is far better than HFCS.  Not only will the price of soft drinks go up but child obesity go down.

White House Kitchen Garden a Facade?

First Lady Michelle Obama in the Garden

The White House has certainly touted it’s Kitchen Garden, even going so far as to having it featured as the “theme ingredient” on a special Iron Chef:America.  I am sure the first lady is passionate and devoted to the sustainable, local and/or organic lifestyle.  Mrs. Obama certainly seems sincere in her concerns for the enviroment and in rescuing our children from the obesity epidemic created by agribusiness juggernauts like Monsanto and their foot soldiers, the fast food industry.

I do not, however, believe her husband cares about these issues.  After all his actions suggest an ambivalence reminiscent of his predecessor.  Supposedly, pandering to big business is the realm of Republicans but President Obama has dangerously littered the government with agribusiness pawns.

Despite being given a list of 12 quailfied candidates (known as the sustainable dozen) for key positions in his administration, the President has made numerous suspect appointments to bureaus charged with protecting the public’s welfare.  No, suspect is not the right word, nefarious is more accurate.  The conflict of interest created by these appointments is borderline criminal, not unlike naming John Dillinger Secretary of the Treasury.

Take the President’s choice to head the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack.  Vilsack has long been a champion of genetically modified (GM) corn and other grains.  Genetically modifying corn to be more resistant to herbicides was a process developed by Monsanto in the 1970’s.  But, as science has since proven, GM corn is the root cause of every e coli outbreak on record.  Ever.
Vilsack has such a notorious reputation for being a puppet for agribusiness mega corporations that a satirical PSA was actually commissioned by environmentalists.  That’s right, environmentalists are opposed to this Democrat.  Here’s the video:



After being pummled by his own supporters for selling out the USDA to Biotech, Obama did throw them a bone.  The President named Kathleen Merrigan, director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Program at Tufts University (and one of the sustainable dozen)  as his Sustainable Foods Czar.  Sure it is just a token gesture and the position is largely meaningless but it calmed the masses.  At least for a while.

Another one of President Obama’s appointments was naming Michael Taylor as special assistant to the FDA Commissioner for food safety.  Taylor will actually be making laws that affect the profitability of Monsanto, the primary client of his employer prior to joining the Obama administration.  Before working for Monsanto, Taylor was part of the George H W Bush administration, again making policy for the FDA.  Prior to that stint with the FDA, Taylor worked for Monsanto.  His resume is the very definition of “conflict of interest.”
Green publication The Huffington Post has called Taylor, “The person who may be responsible for more food-related illness and death than anyone in history,” here’s what else they had to say:

If GMOs are indeed responsible for massive sickness and death, then the individual who oversaw the FDA policy that facilitated their introduction holds a uniquely infamous role in human history. That person is Michael Taylor. He had been Monsanto’s attorney before becoming policy chief at the FDA. Soon after, he became Monsanto’s vice president and chief lobbyist.

Now Barrack Obama is not the first President to turn the keys to the nation’s safety over to Monsanto.  As mentioned above the first President Bush also employed Michael Taylor despite an obvious conflict of interest.  President Bill Clinton had a troubling number of his advisors moving into lucrative positions with Monsanto once his term was over, like Marcia Hale an assistant to the President for intergovernmental relations.  It’s certain that the so-called “Monsanto revolving door” is not one of Obama’s promised changes.

The President naming the head of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, Lisa Jackson, to lead the EPA  has raised an eyebrow or two.  Jackson does not have documented ties to big business like Taylor or Vilsack.  At the same time she has shown an alarming familiarity with lobbyists even going so far as to hire corporate lobbyists like Nancy Wittenberg to work on her staff.

While most feel Jackson’s tenure with the NJDEP was marred in ineffective leadership and finger-pointing, some environmentalist groups insist that her lack of production was not her fault.  Apparently the one thing that both sides agree on is that Jackson accomplished nothing during her term.

As his Surgeon General, President Obama has picked Alabama physician Regina Benjamin.  Dr. Benjamin was given the assignment of helping Americans get healthier.  Her work with rural, impoverished patients in the heart of Katrina country is quite noble.  But the well documented fact that she accepted $10,000 from Burger King just before joining the Obama regime is understandably curious.

The money was purportedly for serving on a nutritional advisory panel with the fast food giant.  There is something peculiar about the nation’s top doctor being on the payroll of a company that produces the Angry Whopper, a sandwich with 1120 calories (657 from fat), 175 mg of cholesterol, 73 grams of total fat, 25 of which are saturated, three are the heart disease causing trans fats.  Oh, and let’s not forget that virtually everything Burger King sells incorporates Monsanto’s Frakencorn into it, the bugers, the buns, even the soft drinks.

Though the national media have tried to potray these appointments as positive moves, farm-to-table advoactes do not share in the enthusiasm.  Sure there are a handful of White House orchestrated blogs like Obama Foodorama whose job is to spin these Presidential missteps, but most have found the business-as-usual appointments disconcerting.

If the White House Kitchen Garden inspires others to plant their own then that is outstanding.  Surely growing the vegetables that are used in the White House does slightly lower the burden on the over-taxed citizenry.  The first lady is setting a wonderful example.  And while it is a quaint idea, from the outside looking in it appears to be just another parlor trick.  Clearly the President’s stance on the enviroment lacks transparency.

FDA’s Michael Taylor Promotes Himself

On Jan. 13, 2010 Michael Taylor, who was only recently hired as Food Safety Czar by President Obama, has now promoted himself to the new title Deputy Commissioner for Foods. He created this position to head his newly created Office of Foods for the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

According to an FDA press release Taylor’s new mission is, “to develop and implement a prevention based strategy for food safety, plan implementation of new food safety legislation, and ensure that food labels contain clear and accurate information on nutrition.” The web site also goes on to suggest that Taylor is a nationally recognized food safety expert. Of course legitimate nationally recognized food safety experts point out that he is anything but.

As part of Taylor’s credentials the press release cites his previous experience in the FDA and USDA. It also attempts to add authenticity by mentioning that he has served on several National Academy of Sciences expert committees. What it fails to mention is that he has spent most of the past 30 years as a lawyer and lobbyist for the nefarious Monsanto Company. It was Monsanto’s genetically modified corn process that introduced humanity to e coli. And they used your tax dollars to do it.

So while the FDA’s web site tries to convince people that Michael Taylor is the right person to have governing their food safety, the reality is that he is likely just securing more amnesty and tax dollars for Monsanto. That, after all, was the result of the his previous tenures in public service.

The Huffington Post has called Taylor, “The person who may be responsible for more food-related illness and death than anyone in history,” and that tends to be the consensus throughout the food safety world. Only the future knows how many more Americans will have to die before Taylor is done. One thing is for sure, no good will ever come of this.

Attack of the Killer Corn!

I think we have all seen this ad:

The gist of this $25 million PR campaign by the Corn Refiners Association is that since the public doesn’t know the specific dangers of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) then there must not be any.  The commercial even goes so far as to call HFCS natural.  Syrup is a processed food therefore by definition can not be natural.
The ad also states that it is no worse than sugar.  No worse than sugar?  First off sugar is pretty bad.  Secondly it is far worse than sugar.
The amount of research that proves HFCS is harmful to humans can be measured in volumes. The data reveals that this unnatural, processed food-product causes and/or contributes to several serious diseases.  Let’s examine some of the evidence.
From knowthelies.com:

In a recent chemical analysis of eleven carbonated soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), researchers from Rutgers University found very high levels of reactive carbonyls.

Reactive carbonyls, which have been linked to tissue damage and complications of diabetes, are elevated in the blood of people with diabetes. A single can of soda, however, has five times that concentration of reactive carbonyls. Old-fashioned table sugar, on the other hand, has no reactive carbonyls.

From Health Mad:

Since HFCS’s widespread introduction in the 1980’s North American obesity rates have skyrocketed. Obesity has been linked to many heath issues including heart disease and many forms of cancer. When HFCS is ingested, it travels straight to the liver which turns the sugary liquid into fat, and unlike other carbohydrates HFCS does not cause the pancreas to produce insulin; which acts as a hunger quenching signal to the brain. So we get stuck in a vicious cycle, eating food that gets immediately stored as fat and never feeling full.

Nancy Appleton, PhD, clinical nutritionist & author of Lick the Sugar Habit:

Consumption of fructose causes a significant increase in the concentration of uric acid; after ingestion of glucose, no significant change occurs. An increase in uric acid can be an indicator of heart disease. Furthermore, fructose ingestion in humans results in increases in blood lactic acid, especially in patients with preexisting acidotic conditions such as diabetes, postoperative stress or uremia. Extreme elevations cause metabolic acidosis and can result in death.

From Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy:

Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply

The Corn Refiners Association bills itself as a national trade association representing the corn milling industry but being based in Washington DC (where the are no mills) it is clear that what they are is a lobbyist group.  They do not represent farmers, millers or even unions as their name suggests.  They represent large agri-business corporations.  According to their own web site they lobby on behalf of:
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) – ADM has cost the American economy billions of dollars since 1980 and has indirectly cost Americans tens of billions of dollars in higher prices and higher taxes over that same period. At least 43 percent of ADM’s annual profits are from products heavily subsidized or protected by the American government. Moreover, every $1 of profits earned by ADM’s corn sweetener operation costs consumers $10, and every $1 of profits earned by its ethanol operation costs taxpayers $30. ADM is a partner of Monsanto.
Cargill, Incorporated – Cargill has recalled more than 20 million pounds of beef and poultry products tainted with E. coli and Listeria bacteria, respectively since 2000. This recalled meat has been linked to foodborne illness outbreaks, miscarriages, and several deaths. Cargill is a partner of Monsanto.
The list goes on – Corn Products International, Penford Products Co., and Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas, Inc.  All huge agri-businesses with ties to Monsanto.  Kind of blows that wholesome farmland image the Corn Refiners Association tries to portray.
Now take a look at this HFCS parody ad from Aaron Woolf, Curt Ellis, and Ian Cheney, creators of the documentary film KING CORN, then visit www.kingcorn.net