SENATE VOTE SATURDAY MAKES~MONSANTO~ABOVE LAW / GOV

http://www.prisonplanet.com/senate-passes-monsanto-protection-act-granting-monsanto-power-over-us-govt.html

Senate Passes Monsanto Protection Act Granting Monsanto Power Over US Govt

Anthony Gucciardi
Prison Planet.com
March 24, 2013
In the typical slippery nature of Monsanto’s legislation-based actions, the biotech giant is now virtually guaranteed the ability to recklessly plant experimental GM crops without having to worry about the United States government and its subsequent courts. The Monsanto Protection Act buried deep within the budget resolution has passed the Senate, and now nothing short of a presidential veto will put an end to the ruling.
In case you’re not familiar, the Monsanto Protection Act is the name given to what’s known as a legislative rider that was inserted into the Senate Continuing Resolution spending bill. Using the deceptive title of Farmer Assurance Provision, Sec. 735 of this bill actually grants Monsanto the immunity from federal courts pending the review of any GM crop that is thought to be dangerous. Under the section, courts would be helpless to stop Monsanto from continuing to plant GM crops that are thought even by the US government to be a danger to health or the environment.
Senate Passes Monsanto Protection Act Despite Outcry
It is a lobbyist-created recurring nuisance that has been squashed in previous legislation thanks to outcry from not only grassroots but major organizations. Last time we saw The Center for Food Safety, the National Family Farm Coalition, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists all come out against the Monsanto Protection Act from the 2012 Farm Bill.
This time, there was a swift resistance I thought might be enough, however sadly the Senate acted so quickly on this and almost entirely ignored the issue that it has now passed despite thousands of fans signing the old petition I linked to in my previous articles on the subject. The old petition by Food Democracy Now detailed the effects of the bill:


“If approved, the Monsanto Protection Act would force the USDA to allow continued planting of any GMO crop under court review, essentially giving backdoor approval for any new genetically engineered crops that could be potentially harmful to human health or the environment.”
That said, now a new petition exists telling Obama to veto the bill. The reality is that the bill is actually seen as a positive one by most politicians, which is where Monsanto lobbyists were so deceptive and slippery as to throw in their rider (the actual Monsanto Protection Act into the bill). This makes it very unappealing to veto the bill, but also we must remember that Obama actually promised to immediately label GMOs back in 2007 when running for President.
In case you don’t believe me, here’s the video:

Ushering In a New Era of Activism
The simple fact is that this bill will likely not be vetoed by Obama, and instead Monsanto will get what they wanted. That said, this ushers in an entirely new era of activism. Monsanto has decided to push the envelope in a way that is unprecedented, fighting the US federal courts. I expected to see almost immediate legal action taken that will certainly hit the headlines, leading to even more people to become aware of what’s really going on with this company and therefore their dinner.
Sometimes in order to truly have an intellectual revolution on a subject, the people need to see exactly what they are facing. With the truly blatant and downright arrogant Monsanto Protection Act, it’s now clearer than ever.
This post originally appeared at Natural Society
This article was posted: Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 8:04 am

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/03/24/whole-foods-brilliant-cross-contamination-plan.aspx


Whole Foods' Brilliant Cross-Contamination Plan

By Jacob Roche | More Articles
March 24, 2013 | Comments (7)
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Earlier this month, Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFM ) made a big decision -- it's giving its suppliers five years to either source non-gentically modified (GM) ingredients or clearly label any products that contain genetically modified ingredients. Whole Foods is so far the only major grocer to make this requirement, and it may prove to be yet another key differentiator between the company and its more conventional rivals.

California residents may be reminded of last year’s Proposition 37, a ballot measure that would have required similar labeling for any foods with GM ingredients, statewide. The measure failed, contradicting polls that consistently show that huge majorities of Americans support GM labeling, but the vote was close -- 53.1% to 46.9%. There's a lot of debate over why the measure failed, but one thing is for certain -- a lot people are interested in what goes into their food, and Whole Foods isn't necessarily just preaching to the choir.

Everything gives you cancer
During the Prop 37 campaign, some comparisons were made with 1986's Proposition 65, which did pass and required warning labels on products containing chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects. Unfortunately, it turned out that that was pretty much everything, and now almost any place you go has signs out front warning that the building contains cancerous chemicals. They're so commonplace that no one really pays attention to them now. I've lived in more than one apartment with a warning sign not far from my front door.

The same problem exists for GM labeling. About 75% of all packaged food contains ingredients that come from genetically modified organisms, and the worry with Prop 37 was that the labels would be so commonplace that consumers would stop noticing them.

The easy solution is to buy organic food, which legally can't contain genetically modified ingredients. This is what makes Whole Foods' labeling decision a key differentiator. Customers won't necessarily have more information -- Whole Foods already labels non-GMO products on its own. But conscious consumers may not connect the lack of a "non-GMO" label with the presence of GMOs, and by making suppliers label their own GM products, Whole Foods can highlight the stores' large selection of organic products, including its own Whole Foods 365 Organic line. Because organic products tend to carry a higher margin, this move could prove to be as profitable for the company as it is helpful for consumers.

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