Whole fraud: exposing the myth of so-called 'natural' foods - Electronic Cabinets and Enclosures

That rumor is untrue. However, it hasfocused attention once again on the critical issue of foodlabeling. WFM, and all of us in the organic community, must put anend to labeling fraud in the "natural" products sector, by passinglaws that will require brands and supermarkets to clearly label allgenetically engineered ingredients on their products. Growing awareness has created a strong organic movement Millions of health-minded Americans, especially parents of youngchildren, now understand that cheap, non-organic, geneticallyengineered, industrial food is hazardous. Not only does chemical-and energy-intensive factory farming destroy the environment,impoverish rural communities, exploit farm workers, inflictunnecessary cruelty on farm animals, and contaminate the watersupply, but the end product itself is inevitably contaminated.

Routinely contained in nearly every bite or swallow of non-organicindustrial food are genetically engineered ingredients, pesticides,antibiotics and other animal drug residues, pathogens, feces,hormone-disrupting chemicals, toxic sludge, slaughterhouse waste,chemical additives and preservatives, irradiation-derivedradiolytic chemical by-products, and a host of other hazardousallergens and toxins. If common sense weren't enough, scientists warn us that a publichealth Doomsday Clock is ticking. Big Biotech and Big Ag are theroot cause of 80 million cases of food poisoning every year in theUS, as well as an epidemic of allergies, reproductive disorders,food-related cancers, heart attacks, and obesity. Within a decade,these diet- and environment-related diseases - heavily subsidizedunder our Big Pharma/chemical/genetically-engineered/factory farmsystem - will likely bankrupt Medicare and the entire U.S.

healthcare system. Likewise millions of green-minded consumers understand thatindustrial agriculture poses a terminal threat to the environmentand climate stability. A highly conscious and passionate segment ofthe population is beginning to understand that converting tonon-chemical, non-genetically engineered, energy-efficient,carbon-sequestering organic farming practices, and drasticallyreducing food miles by relocalizing the food chain, are essentialpreconditions for stabilizing our out-of-control climate andpreparing our families and communities for future energy andresource shortages. Millions of us - consumers, farmers, activists - now realize thatunless we act quickly, global warming and climate chaos will soonseverely disrupt industrial agriculture and long-distance foodtransportation, leading to massive crop failures, food shortages,famine, war, and pestilence. Even more alarming, acceleratinglevels of greenhouse gases (especially from cars, coal, cattle, andrelated rainforest and wetlands destruction) will soon push globalwarming to a tipping point that will melt the polar icecaps andpossibly unleash a cataclysmic discharge of climate-destabilizingmethane, now fragilely sequestered in the frozen arctic tundra.

Thanks to this growing consumer awareness - and four decades ofhard work - the organic community has built up a $30-billion"certified organic" food and products sector that prohibits the useof genetic engineering. The rapidly expanding organic/naturalproducts sector - organic (4% of total retail sales) and natural(8%) - now constitutes more than 12% of total retail grocery sales,with an annual growth rate of 10-15%. Even taking into account whatappears to be a permanent economic recession and a lower rate ofgrowth than that seen over the past 20 years, the organic andnatural market will likely constitute 31-56% of grocery sales in2020. This consumer-driven movement, under relentless attack by thebiotech and Big Food lobby, and with little or no help fromgovernment, has managed to create a healthy and sustainablealternative to America's disastrous, chemical- and energy-intensivesystem of industrial agriculture. Millions of organic consumers arenow demanding food and other products that are certified organicand non-GE, as well as locally or regionally produced, andminimally processed and packaged.

The myth of "natural" remains a threat As impressive as this $30-billion Organic Alternative is, itremains overshadowed by an additional $50 billion in annualspending by consumers on products marketed as "natural." Recent polls indicate that many green-minded consumers remainconfused about the qualitative difference between products labeledor advertised as "natural," versus those labeled as organic. Manybelieve that "natural" means "almost organic," or that a naturalproduct is even better than organic. Walk down the aisles of any Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, orany upscale supermarket and look closely. What do you see? Rowafter row of attractively displayed, but mostly non-organic"natural" (i.e. conventional) foods and products.

By marketingsleight of hand, these conventional foods, vitamins, private labelitems, and personal care products become "natural" or "almostorganic" (and overpriced) in the "natural" supermarket setting. It's no wonder - and no accident - that consumers are confused.Companies selling these products are simply telling us what we wantto hear, so they can charge a premium price. In fact, all these "natural," "all-natural," and "sustainable,"products are neither backed up by rules and regulations, nor athird-party certifier. Most "natural" or conventional products -whether produce, dairy, or canned or frozen goods - are produced onlarge industrial farms or in processing plants that are highlypolluting, chemical-intensive and energy-intensive. Test these so-called "natural" products in a lab and what will youfind? Pesticide residues, Genetically Modified Organisms, and along list of problematic and/or carcinogenic synthetic chemicalsand additives.

Trace these "natural" products back to the farm or factory and whatwill you find? Climate destabilizing chemical fertilizers,pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and sewage sludge - not tomention exploited farm workers and workers in the food processingindustry. Of course there are many products in WFM, Trader Joe'sand other natural food retailers that bear the label "USDAOrganic." But the overwhelming majority of their products are not. Perhaps this wouldn't matter if we were living in normal times,with a relatively healthy population, environment, and climate.Conventional products sold as "natural" or "nearly organic" wouldbe just one more example of of chicanery or consumer fraud. But we are not living in normal times.

Demanding that natural and conventional products and producers makethe transition to organic is a matter of life or death. Andstanding in the way of making this great transition are not onlyFortune 500 food and beverage corporations, Monsanto, and corporateagribusiness, as we would expect, but the wholesale and retailgiants in the natural products sector as well. The full transformation to organic begins with us We cannot continue to hand over 88% of our consumer dollars toout-of-control, biotech, chemical-intensive, energy-intensive,greenhouse gas- polluting corporations and "profit-at-any-cost"retail chains such as Wal-Mart. We must not allow the "natural" sector to degenerate into a"green-washed" marketing tool that merely disguises unhealthy andunsustainable food and farming practices. We must not allow"natural" to become a green shield for Monsanto and the biotechindustry in their quest to take over global agriculture.

Instead, we must demand that the "natural" sector move our nationtoward an organic future. How - and how quickly - can we movehealthy, organic, and "natural" products from a 12% market share,to becoming the dominant force in American food and farming? This is a major undertaking, one that will require a majortransformation in public consciousness and policy. But it is doable. And absolutely necessary. The first step - before we overthrow Monsanto, Wal-Mart, and FoodInc.

- is to put our own house in order. That means shopping forcertified organic products. What does certified organic or "USDA Organic" mean? Certifiedorganic means the farmer or producer has undergone a regularinspection of its farm, facilities, ingredients, and practices byan independent third-party certifier, accredited by the USDANational Organic Program (NOP). The producer has followed strictNOP regulations and maintained detailed records.

Geneticallyengineered ingredients, synthetic pesticides, animal drugs, sewagesludge, irradiation, and chemical fertilizers are prohibited. Farmanimals, soil, and crops have been managed organically. Food can beprocessed using only approved methods. Ingredients must be on the"allowed" list. If every one of us pays close attention to the labels on our food -choosing certified organic over "natural" - we can increase demandfor organic, sustainable, healthy foods.

Step two? Demand that your local and state legislators passlabeling laws so that all so-called "natural" products move in a"transition-to-organic" direction. Tell your elected officials thatyou have the right to know what is - and isn't - in your food. If we all work together, the U.S. will be well on its way tosolving three of the nation's most pressing problems: deterioratingpublic health, climate change, and the energy crisis.

Don't be fooled. Stop buying so-called "natural" products unlessyou have no other choice. Buy certified "USDA Organic" productstoday and everyday. Your health and the health of the planet are atstake. And please join the rapidly growing campaign in Californiaand other states to force mandatory labels on GE foods and to makeit illegal to label or advertise GE-tainted foods as "natural" or"all natural.".

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