Whole Foods Market Caves to Monsanto

Submitted by PRWatch Editors on

WholeFoodsMarketAfter 12 years of battling to stop Monsanto's genetically-engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation's organic farmland, the biggest retailers of "natural" and "organic" foods in the U.S., including Whole Foods Market (WFM), Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farm, have agreed to stop opposing mass commercialization of GE crops, like Monsanto's controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa.

In exchange for dropping their opposition, WFM has asked for "compensation" to be paid to organic farmers for "any losses related to the contamination of his crop." Under current laws, Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs) are not subject to any pre-market safety testing or labeling. WFM is abandoning its fight with biotech companies in part because two thirds of the products they sell are not certified organic anyway, but are really conventional, chemical-intensive and foods that may contain GMOs and that they market as "natural" despite this. Most consumers don't know the difference between "natural" and "certified organic" products. "Natural" products can come from crops and animals fed nutrients containing GMOs. "Certified Organic" products are GMO-free. WFM and their main distributor, United Natural Foods, maximize profits by selling products labeled "natural" at premium organic prices.  (A typographical error in the second sentence of this story was subsequently corrected.  We regret this minor error.)

Main Source: 
CounterPunch, January 28, 2011
Topics: 
Agriculture
Food Safety
Environment

Comments

Anonymous replied on

F-

yankee2 replied on

Why does a company, which potentially does EXTREME harm to people and the environment, have to AGREE to sanctions? Are they not subject to the law, just like everyone else? Why does a company like Whole Foods, which we THINK to be socially responsible, make deals with such companies? I think I know why: it's because WFs is a COMPANY. And more than that, contrary to the image too many people hold dear, it's a CORPORATE company, whose ONLY REAL interest is in MAXIMIZING PROFITS.

That they have defended farmer's rights and the principals of pure and organic foods is just PR aimed at building a certain clientelle, NOT because any of those values were ever really heartfelt. CORPORATIONS DON'T HAVE HEARTS!

The best, and really the ONLY way to influence a corporation to promote, protect and defend HUMAN values, is with our wallets and our feet. Knowing what I know now, I will play Whole Foods off against Von's and Ralphs and the other SoCal grocers that I MUST patronize, just to eat.

If we don't like what a company is doing, we MUST deny them our business, and even better, make a sign and stand out front of their stores and encourage others to do the same thing.

This deal with Monsanto is OBSCENE. ASKING Monsanto to compensate farmers for contaminating their crops won't work. Their whole strategy is to OWN EVERYBODY'S crops! I think that EVERY FARMER must SUE them to remove their artificial genes, or else pay MILLIONS per case. Their methods are egregious, and evil.

Cubicle.Jockey replied on

We need more stores like PCC!

Beverly replied on

i intend to boycott all 3 of these "natural" foods corporations & encourage others to do the same. is there no safe place left for organics?

Nancydah replied on

I will never give up opposing GMO foods, or Monsanto. Monsanto is the true, insidious evil doer...and might just be the harbinger of the end of the human population. Agent Orange killed my father, who survived Viet Nam....Monsanto is pushing its way into 3rd world countries, patenting (which is the most bizzare notion ever) thousand of seeds every day....while using us as their laboratory to play out their evil science experiments. Evil...pure evil.

Anonymous replied on

LIES!!!!
whole foods even has a nonGMO education month as well as a new labeling system for vendors to get there products tested for gmos.
this is ALL propaganda . John Mackey would shoot himself before giving into the likes of GMOs

Anonymous replied on

I contacted Whole Foods, and they denied an agreement with Monsanto. In fact, I doubt Monsanto would open a door for future litigation from farmers.

Anonymous replied on

Whole Foods has been telling us about GMOs for years, they're even working on 3rd party verified labeling of non GMO conventional products. I got an email from them in january or february urging customers to contact their congress folks and the usda and say they opposed the GE alfalfa move. then the stupid OCA attacks them and organic valley and who ever else tried to stop the usda. and now counterpunch jumps on the same bandwagon? really sad folks. really sad.

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