Seattle P-I: A new Washington label, “salmon safe,” can be used by farms that are adhering to practices to keep the state’s streams hospitable to the fish. Launched and verified by the Stewardship Partners, the label means farms watch their water use, erosion control, animal management, pesticide and fertilizer use, management of sensitive areas and preservation of biological diversity. We love the motive, but we’re wondering if at some point whether apples won’t be covered with so many stickers they’ll have to come in a box.
Washington Post: The USDA has retroactively approved for human consumption LLRICE601, the genetically modified, herbicide-resistant strain of long-grain rice that accidentally contaminated shipments to Europe and may have cratered the U.S. export industry. And yet Bayer says it has no plans to sell the variety, so apparently it’s just a cover-your-ass-from-liability move.
Houston Chronicle (via AP): HoneyBaked Foods, Inc., has recalled almost 47,000 pounds of cooked ham and turkey products for possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
St. Louis Dispatch: An overly feel-good story about Rob Horsch, longtime Monsanto ag-biotech proponent, who is now senior program officer for agricultural development. at the Gates Foundation. Horsch claims to have “been through the wars” over GMOs and won’t push biotech on any African farmers who don’t want it, but we wish the reporter would have asked him harder questions, such as how many tons of seeds with “terminator” genes have already been “donated” to African countries.
L.A. Times: Researchers at Texas A&M have genetically modified the cotton plant to produce edible seeds.
Sacramento Bee*: The Bee thinks the runaway popularity of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” has to do with Michael Pollan’s broadside to Big Organic. It also mentions that Pollan and Whole Foods’ John Mackey will face off in February in Berkeley. Woot!
New York Times*: An excellent article on the uneasy relationship between the American Diabetes Association, which struggles to raise money and preach health without crossing lines or demonizing foods, and food companies like Burger King that will pay for its endorsement.
Washington Post: Laurie David (wife of Larry and a producer on “Inconvenient Truth”) has a hair-raising piece about why the National Science Teachers Association turned down 50,000 free DVDs of the climate-change documentary starring Al Gore for classroom use. They didn’t want to alienate Exxon Mobil and others, whose funds and classroom materials they already depend on. (!!!) This vile scenario is straight out of another documentary, the admittedly one-sided, but most motivating Corporation. [Thanks Jack.]
The Province: Organic products seem to us to be becoming the new celebrity tie-in opportunity. This article’s about Jo Wood, Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood’s wife, who has an organic skin care line; the action star Jackie Chan has just launched one too.
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