Choice of Vilsack risks agribusiness as usual? We'll see.
Vilsack pledged to promote Big Biotech abroad
Secretary Vilsack: Support Organics, Not Genetic Engineering
While the Obama Administration has certainly made several positive inroads during the first 100 days of office, from appointing organic champion Kathleen Merrigan to Undersecretary of Agriculutre and planting organic gardens at both the White House and USDA headquarters, the Administration has chosen to champion genetically engineered crops at home and abroad.
Upon returning from his recent visit to the G8 summit in Italy, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack pledged to promote Big Biotech abroad as part of Presiden Obama's foreign policy. Vilsack's comments came on the heals of President Obama's announcement that United States would "double support for agricultural development to over $1 billion so that we are giving people the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. ... This is not just charity though. These are future markets for all countries, and future drivers of growth." "Agriculture development," from the Administration's perspective means exporting the US' toxic industrial agriculture model, with genetically engineered crops at the center. President Obama's announcement coincided with the passage in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of S. 384, the Global Food Security Act, which forces genetic engineering upon the world's 1 billion subsistance farmers.
Take Action! Send Secretary Vilsack a letter and urge him to:
-Require mandatory labeling of all genetically engineered plants and animals,
-Promote truly sustainable and organic agriculture abroad, and
-Protect non-GE and organic farmers by assigning liability for injury caused by genetically engineered organisms.
Go further: Call Secretary Vilsack's office 202-720-3631 and let them know how you feel about YOUR Department of Agriculture is supporting Big Biotech!
source: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/t/6488/p/dia/action/public...
While the Obama Administration has certainly made several positive inroads during the first 100 days of office, from appointing organic champion Kathleen Merrigan to Undersecretary of Agriculutre and planting organic gardens at both the White House and USDA headquarters, the Administration has chosen to champion genetically engineered crops at home and abroad.
Upon returning from his recent visit to the G8 summit in Italy, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack pledged to promote Big Biotech abroad as part of Presiden Obama's foreign policy. Vilsack's comments came on the heals of President Obama's announcement that United States would "double support for agricultural development to over $1 billion so that we are giving people the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. ... This is not just charity though. These are future markets for all countries, and future drivers of growth." "Agriculture development," from the Administration's perspective means exporting the US' toxic industrial agriculture model, with genetically engineered crops at the center. President Obama's announcement coincided with the passage in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of S. 384, the Global Food Security Act, which forces genetic engineering upon the world's 1 billion subsistance farmers.
Take Action! Send Secretary Vilsack a letter and urge him to:
-Require mandatory labeling of all genetically engineered plants and animals,
-Promote truly sustainable and organic agriculture abroad, and
-Protect non-GE and organic farmers by assigning liability for injury caused by genetically engineered organisms.
Go further: Call Secretary Vilsack's office 202-720-3631 and let them know how you feel about YOUR Department of Agriculture is supporting Big Biotech!
source: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/t/6488/p/dia/action/public...
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