After some thorough investigation into the public proclamations and actual regulatory statutes pertaining to the USDA National Organic Program, I, Brendan Bombaci, have discovered some loopholes – either mistakenly or intentionally made – that can allow for GMOs to be in certified organic foods (as would hold up in a court of law, based on their verbiage). Please take the time to watch this video and get all of the information out of it that you can. Then, if you would like the document that this video was based on, find it under the article title “GMOs in USDA Organic Food” at www_kairologic_com. Sign the petition to the USDA to create transparency of these issues, by joining the Facebook page “GMOs in USDA Organics – Fight Back,” and following the link in the “about” section or occasionally posted on the ‘wall’.

The petition is also available here. https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/usda-national-organic-program-reveal-the-certified-organic-inclusion-of-gmos-in-public-relations.

***Furthermore, in addendum to the video:

USDA
2013 Guidance: Seeds, Annual Seedlings, and Planting Stock in Organic Crop Production. NOP5029. National Organic Program. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Created 4 March. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5102731. Accessed 12 April 2013.

From section 3.0: Background, “The USDA organic regulations at 7 CFR §205.204 require that organic producers use organic seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock. The regulations allow producers to utilize non-organic seeds and planting stock when equivalent organic varieties are not commercially available” [USDA 2013:1]. Under section 4.1.3, “The following considerations could be acceptable to justify use of non- organic seeds and planting stock as not commercially available. These considerations must be described by the operation in their organic system plan (OSP), pursuant to §205.201(a)(2), and approved by the certifying agent. [...b.] Quality Considerations: Examples may include, but are not limited to, germination rate of the seed; presence of weed seeds in the seed mix; shelf life and stability of the seeds; and disease and pest resistance. [...c] Quantity Considerations: Producers may provide evidence that quantities are not available in sufficiently large or small amounts given the scale of the operation” [USDA 2013:2].

Of benefit for consumers is that, under section 4.2: Recordkeeping for Organic Producers, “4.2.1 The following records should be maintained by organic producers: (a.) A list of all seed and planting stock, indicating any non-organic seeds or stock used, and the justification for their use including lack of equivalent variety, form, quality or quantity considerations” [USDA 2013:3].

***and:

USDA
2011 Instruction: Processing Requests for Temporary Variances. NOP2606. National Organic Program. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Created 22 July. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5087115. Accessed 12 April 2013.

From section 4.0: Policy, “Variances [such as weather damage and those "business interruptions"] will not be granted to allow for: (…2) The use of materials prohibited under §205.105″ [USDA 2011:1, emphasis added]. Materials, mind you, do not include the excluded methods provision, as § 205.105 has different categories for what is allowed and prohibited, including that for substances, that for methods, and that for ingredients. Helpfully, under section 6.0: Records, “NOP staff will maintain records of temporary variances granted on the NOP shared drive with a copy in the accredited certifying agents file under the relevant calendar year” [USDA 2011:2].

***Use the Freedom of Information Act contact, as shown in the video, to get any of this information as you see fit.

Duration : 0:16:24

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I am new to veganism and have been trying it out for a few months. Recently, I was informed at a health food store by another customer that in addition to being pesticide free, Organic Food is also farmed in a more ethical way, without the use of mistreated migrant workers. But, I also noticed that both organic and non-organic tomatoes came from the same place–California. So is there any truth to what I was told?

You have to know the source of where your food comes from. Different companies differ in their ethical or unethical ways’

John Kohler from https://www.youtube.com/okraw discusses why he eats primarily an organic raw food diet. This video is from the Raw Living Expo in Sedona AZ in Feb 2013.

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Duration : 0:5:29

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Eli details The Food Park Project at One Spark in Jacksonville FL, an exposition of brilliant arts and technologies. Food Park organizers will design a permaculture garden, train local people, and allow owners consume excellent Organic Food and medicines, and sell excess. Everybody wins when communities grow their own organic food. Vote for #659! Contact: www.thefoodparkproject.com View Val and Eli’s permaculture garden here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iSaRzjxL3E

Duration : 0:5:38

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Unquestionably, USDA certified organic pet foods are healthier than pet foods made from conventionally produced ingredients.  Unlike cheaper conventional pet foods, USDA certified organic pet foods contain no residues from pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or chemicals accumulated during manufacturing that may include a number of the toxic chemicals that are associated with conventional pet food processing.  Organic pet foods contain more nutrients–such as vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals–than non-organic pet food.  This is especially important, considering the depletion of nutrients that comes with heavy processing and the consequent need to supplement pet foods with mostly synthetic, low-grade nutrients in order to provide some level of nutrition to dogs, cats, or other pets.  So, USDA certified organic pet foods are a great way to provide your animal friend with safe, nutrient-rich food staples.  But beware: currently in the USA, only organic certification is regulated by law and any claim of organic status other than that of ‘(USDA) certified organic’ is not substantiated by an unbiased third party.

Organic dog foods are great if done right.  The best organic dog food is, of course, prepared fresh at home.  However, this may be challenging, given the time constraints of the modern world.  Although USDA certified organic dog foods are a great choice, there are big differences in quality among the many available choices.  Most of these differences stem from the quality of the ingredients used.  Although no low-grade ingredients, such as byproducts or other indefinable ingredients, can be included in USDA certified organic dog foods, a number of important nutritional distinctions arise from manufacturers’ choices of ingredients.  Some of these distinctions are highlighted below.

Organic dog food should not contain grains or flours as first, or primary, ingredients.  Dogs did not evolve to eat grains, whether raw or cooked.  Although cooking will render grains digestible by the dog’s gastrointestinal tract, cooking also destroys many constituent nutrients; often, the only thing left are empty calories with little or no substantive nutritional value.

The first ingredient in organic dog food should always be a clearly defined source of animal protein.  Don’t choose dog foods that contain ingredients listed as ‘chicken meals’ or ‘animal protein,’ as these cannot be reliably traced to their origin. Absent any known origin, it’s easy for manufacturers to use low quality sources of animal protein.  Moreover–and tragically, as recent history has taught us–if any contamination or tainting of unsourcable ingredients occurs, it becomes difficult to mount a quick and effective pet food recall to save animal lives if one can’t trace the ingredient in question to its source.  In the case of USDA certified organic dog foods, one needn’t worry because the USDA organic standards prohibit the use of obscure and unsourceable low quality ingredients.

Any choice of organic dog food should contain some fruits and/or vegetables.  However, plant matter should never make up more than 50% of the total contents of a given dog food product.  The percentage of plant matter in a given dog food should be more in the range of 30-40% of the contents by weight.  And it goes without saying that these ingredients should be organic as well, both to avoid contamination with toxins and increase the nutritional value and health benefits of any given USDA certified organic dog food.

The great thing about feeding your animal with whole food-based USDA certified organic products is that you shouldn’t have to worry about routinely supplementing whole foods with isolated nutrients because Organic Foods are generally much more nutrient-dense than conventional–or non-organic–pet foods.  In the case of a truly organic diet, you can supplement with nutrients simply on the basis of your own animal’s particular individual needs, and only when necessary.  Such occasional supplementation makes it possible for you to choose high-quality supplements for your dog instead of the typically low-grade vitamin-and-mineral mixes added by conventional pet food manufacturers to enable them legally to call their foods ‘balanced’ or ‘complete.’

Although choosing USDA certified organic pet foods over conventional varieties is just a first step toward better health and wellbeing for your animal, it’s a very important first step. So, be good to your animal; take that first step today!

Eric Taylor

http://discovercuencaecuador.com

Duration : 0:4:18

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Biology researchers at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, wanted to know if Organic Food is healthier than conventionally grown food. To test that, they fed one group of fruit flies an organic diet and a second group a conventional diet.

They found that fruit flies fed the organic diet recorded better health outcomes than flies fed the nonorganic diet. Researchers in the lab of SMU biologist Johannes Bauer found that fruit flies raised on organic foods performed better on various health tests. Flies on organic diets showed improvements on the most significant measures of health, namely fertility and longevity, said high school student Ria Chhabra, who led the study.

Read the article, http://bit.ly/11CAh02. See the scientific journal article, http://bit.ly/RGB8LJ.

Duration : 0:4:44

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A raw food diet emphasizes only the consumption of raw food. The reason more people are beginning to pursue a raw food diet is based on the premise that cooked food losing much of its essential vitamins an minerals during the cooking process and also that cooking food destroys enzymes necessary for the proper digestion and absorption of food.

The raw food diet consists of unprocessed fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and sprouts. There are different types of raw food diets such as those based only on fruits and vegetables, fruit only or those that include raw meat or animal products such as eggs along with fruit and vegetables. The choice of diet type depends largely on personal preference.

Why is a raw food diet preferable? Many people claim that a raw food diet has several health benefits such as better digestion, more energy, less health problems, weight loss and even slowing of the aging process. A raw food diet does offer a natural alternative to traditional dietary considerations. The main concern with a raw food vegan diet is the use of pesticides. It is best to buy organic when purchasing fruits and vegetables. People often choose to grown their own which of course, is a good option.

Although a raw food diet does appear to have some health benefits as studies have shown such as lower cholesterol and may reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease and cancer there are also other factors that should be taken into consideration. A raw food diet can create certain nutritional deficiencies such as protein, calcium and iron. A raw food diet may not provide an adequate supply of these and other necessary nutritional requirements. In addition those who eat raw meat as part of their raw food diet risk the illness through contamination by bacteria and/or parasites.

There have been many dietary claims to cure specific diseases or improve general health but it is important to consult your physician before making any changes in your regular diet especially if you have an existing health condition. People who are anemic, diabetic or have other health conditions may cause themselves unnecessary harm by completely changing their current diet. Children should not be put on a raw food diet or any other type of diet without the permission of their pediatrician. A child’s body needs certain vitamins and minerals for healthy development. Those nutrients can become deficient on certain types of diets that may negatively affect a child’s health and/or development. If the child is overweight it is best to consult with the pediatrician to develop a dietary plan that will assist the child in losing weight without jeopardizing health.

Weight loss should not be the only reason to institute a raw food diet into one’s lifestyle. The ultimate goal should be to improve overall health and well being. If you would like to embark convert to a raw food diet but are uncertain whether or not this lifestyle change would work for you it is best to make the change slowly. Start by adding more raw foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains into your diet while still maintaining your regular diet. As you increase the raw foods in your diet you can slowly decrease your old food habits. If you have any questions or concerns about the raw food diet consult with your physician or a dietician. They can help address any concerns you may have and work with you to adapt your diet to a healthier more productive way of eating to improve your health and quality of life. It is important however to keep in mind that no diet is a cure all. Changes toward developing a healthier lifestyle take time and depend on consistent efforts.

Bruno
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/is-a-raw-food-diet-right-for-you-742111.html

Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Consumer Reports’ director of consumer safety and sustainability, talks to the “CBS This Morning” co-hosts about antibiotics in Organic Food.

Duration : 0:2:42

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Season 7 Episode 6

No copyright infringement intended. All content belongs to it’s respective owners. I am not affiliated with Penn & Teller or Showtime.

Duration : 0:27:52

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