Science has NOT said GMOs are safe. Only scientists who are on the payroll of certain corporations claim the safety of GMOs.--Tom

 

Novakovic said. “GMO is probably the poster child for 
this sort of consumer rejection of things that science has said is safe.”




 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Laurel Hopwood <[log in to unmask]>
To: CONS-SPST-BIOTECH-FORUM <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tue, Oct 18, 2016 10:07 am
Subject: Farm Groups Denounce Dannon’s Anti-GMO ‘Marketing Flimflam’

Note: A group of us worked hard to move Dannon's towards not injecting 
the horrific rBGH (genetically manipulated bovine growth hormone) into 
their cows.
laurel hopwood. Email: [log in to unmask]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-17/u-s-farm-groups-denounce-dannon-s-push-toward-fewer-gmos
Farm Groups Denounce Dannon’s Anti-GMO ‘Marketing Flimflam’
  October 17, 2016
(edited)

Several major U.S. farm organizations said they are “troubled” by The 
Dannon Co.’s shift to using fewer genetically-modified ingredients, a 
move the company included as part of a pledge to offer more products 
from a sustainable food system.

A letter signed by groups including the National Corn Growers 
Association, American Farm Bureau Federation and American Soybean 
Association said the company’s move requires farmers to “abandon safe, 
sustainable farming practices that have enhanced farm productivity over 
the last 20 years” and represents a “major step backward” in a 
sustainable crop supply.

Dannon announced in April a pledge toward creating products from “more 
sustainable agriculture” and said it would label GMO ingredients on 
products by December 2017.

The accusations in the letter are “divisive and misinformed,” Dannon 
said in an e-mailed statement. The company believes its shift will 
increase choices for consumers and said it is working with farmers to 
improve soil health and water quality, among other practices.

“Regarding GMO crops, we believe the currently approved GMOs are safe,” 
Dannon said. “Furthermore, we believe that sustainable agricultural 
practices can be achieved with or without the use of GMOS. However, we 
believe there is growing consumer preference for non-GMO ingredients and 
food in the U.S. and we want to use the strong relationships we have 
with our farmer partners to provide products that address this consumer 
demand.”

The agriculture groups sent the letter partly to refute the nature of 
Dannon’s claim that eliminating GMOs in food production makes products 
more sustainable, said Chris Galen, a spokesman for the National Milk 
Producers Federation.

“In our view, your pledge amounts to marketing flimflam, pure and 
simple,” the agriculture groups said in the letter, which was addressed 
to Dannon’s Chief Executive Officer Mariano Lozano. “Though touted with 
great fanfare as a corporate commitment to sustainability and 
environmental improvement, in reality the Dannon Pledge amounts to a 
major step backward in truly sustainable food production. We doubt that 
you would discard years of productivity improvements by returning to 
1990s computer technology to run your business, or revert to 20-year-old 
transportation, processing or packaging tools.”

While Dannon’s pledge reflects a growing consumer interest toward 
transparency in what’s in their food and how it’s made, it is 
unsurprising that farm groups are reacting strongly, Andy Novakovic, 
professor of agricultural economics at Cornell University, said in a 
telephone interview. According to government data, 94 percent of U.S. 
soybeans and 92 percent of corn grown this season used 
genetically-engineered seed. “This hits them very close to home and it’s 
beginning to feel almost like a runaway engine that they need to address 
very strongly,” Novakovic said. “GMO is probably the poster child for 
this sort of consumer rejection of things that science has said is safe.”

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