END CORPORATE CONTROL OF YOUR FOOD!!

Reprinted from an e-mail I received 3/22/2010 from FOOD DEMOCRACY NOW!

End corporate control of your food!

The evidence is in: America’s food system is broken. Every week we read about record-breaking food safety recalls, a spiraling childhood obesity epidemic, and the continued loss of independent family farmers. All of these problems can be traced back to one thing: excessive consolidation by Big, Corporate Food. But change may be on the way.

Recently, the Departments of Justice and Agriculture held their first joint workshop here in Iowa to gather evidence of antitrust violations in food and agriculture.¹ We were encouraged by the workshop, the first of five to be held this year,² but also concerned that the same companies that have caused these problems were well represented on the panels, while the family farmers most negatively impacted by corporate food monopolies were only given the opportunity to speak after public officials had left the building.

Even though these workshops are an important first step, real family farmers must have a seat at the table. It will take all our voices to ensure that the Justice department holds giant agribusiness accountable. Please join us and tell the Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that it’s time to break up America's corporate food monopolies before they do more harm.
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/bust_up_big_food/124?akid=112.1503.l1fnze&t=7

The aisles of most American grocery stores give an overwhelming illusion of choice when it comes to our food. A closer look, however, quickly reveals that most of the meat, grain, milk — and even the grocery stores themselves — are all owned and controlled by just a few corporations.

The figures are startling:

• A single company (Monsanto) controls the seeds of 93% of soybeans and 80% of the corn grown in the U.S.³
• 4 companies (Tyson, Cargill, Swift & National Beef Packing Co.) control 83% of the beef packing industry⁴
• 4 companies (Smithfield, Tyson, Swift & Cargill) control 66% of the pork packing industry

For too long now, food and agricultural production has been consolidated into the hands of a few agribusiness giants. These companies dictate to us how our food is produced, how much farmers are paid for their crops and livestock and how much consumers pay for food.

Food Democracy Now! participated in last week's workshop. We heard Attorney General Eric Holder talk about the “reckless deregulation that has restricted competition in agriculture” and promise that the Dept. of Justice, under his watch, was committed to “vigorous enforcement” of U.S. antitrust laws. But given the power of the companies on the other side, we know that the change we need will not come easily. We must stand together and make our voices heard in favor of a fair and democratic food system!

Please support Secretary Vilsack and Attorney General Holder as they move forward. Join them today in pushing for real enforcement of U.S. antitrust laws and an end to America’s food monopolies. It only takes a moment. And after you've signed the petition, please ask your friends and family to do the same.
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/bust_up_big_food/124?akid=112.1503.l1fnze&t=9

Thank you for participating in food democracy –
Dave, Lisa and The Food Democracy Now Team

We need to keep the pressure on! Please donate to Food Democracy Now today – whether it’s $5 or $50. We rely on folks like you to keep us going. Thank you!

P.S. The next hearing will be in Normal, Alabama on May 21st 2010, and will focus on the poultry industry, followed by a hearing on the notoriously concentrated dairy industry in Madison, Wisconsin on June 7th. We’ll be sure to keep you informed.

Sources: 

1. US pledges to probe, bust agribusiness monopolies, Reuters, March 12, 2010
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/125?akid=112.1503.l1fnze&t=12

2. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Public Workshops, Agriculture and Antitrust Enforcement Issues in Our 21st Century Economy http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/94?akid=112.1503.l1fnze&t=14

3. Monsanto’s dominance draws antitrust inquiry, Patented seeds are go-to for farmers, who decry their fast-growing price, The Washington Post, November 29, 2009 http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/95?akid=112.1503.l1fnze&t=16

4. 2007 Concentration of Agricultural Markets report, compiled by Mary Hendrickson and William Heffernan of University of Missouri Department of Rural Sociology.

CONFUSED ABOUT YOUR DIET, RAW OR OTHERWISE?

As alot of you know, I have been following a 75% raw diet for the last two years. I started slowly and increased it over time. My goal is to become 100% raw, but I have no deadline at this point to accomplish 100% and I'm OK with that right now.  Living a raw food lifestyle is a choice and a commitment which can sometimes be difficult, but not impossible. It just takes planning. Too many of us are constantly on the go from the moment we awake until we drop like a stone in bed at the very latest hours. We eat on the go, we talk to our children on the go, we even work on the go. We need to take some time to slow down and literally smell the roses!

Lots of us make choices everyday with our homes, our cars, our jobs; we rarely do that with our bodies and our diets. We make choices everyday to eat what we eat, but don't think about it. It's mindless and "easy". But think of your doctor bills and dentist bills, health insurance and co-pays. Those are not easy to digest especially if you are one with ongoing health issues.

What I'd like you to do is really think about what you eat for a day, even write it down. Then, make a choice and a commitment to change just ONE thing you eat that is not healthy for you, either eliminating it or replacing it with something healthy. Choose something you actually like, such as a piece of fruit, some nuts or seeds or even a carrot and back it up with a reason why: Because it takes good, it's good for me, it's pure, it's simple and easy. Do that for one month and you won't go back to eating that "other" food again, whatever it WAS. Then do it again the next month, and again the month after that.

I'd like to introduce you to Nomi Shannon. She is THE RAW FOOD GOURMET and one of my heroes. She has practiced living and teaching the Raw Food Lifestyle for over 22 years, has won many awards and has helped thousands of people. She puts into perspective in an easy, loving, honest format the information you will need to change the way you think about food. Please join Nomi for a four month coaching program LIVE! You can ask questions, read her newsletter, join a fourm with other like-minded people and get started right away. Check out her website through this link for more information and how to sign up for this program.




Think positive and change will come!
Peace, love and light,
Raindrop