Photo from http://educate-yourself.org/As I type this, I am sick to my stomach.
No, it’s not something I ate. It’s something I read, this headline:
Forbes Magazine named Monsanto the #1 company of the year for 2009
Makes me want to puke.
If you want to read the article yourself, you’ll have to Google it; I refuse to drive traffic to the Forbes Magazine website.
I read it, and then had to create an account to post a comment. Here’s what I wrote:
"Now you've done it. You made me create an account just so I can tell you how irresponsible and ill-informed your editorial staff is for writing such a ridiculous article. But you knew that, didn't you? I suspect this was done intentionally to stir up the organic/sustainable/locavore rabble and net you and you bedfellow, Monsanto, some free publicity. Am I right? If I'm not, then you're too gullible and greedy to continue operating in the publishing business. Please do us all a favor and open a PR or lobbying firm instead."
Yes, I’m done spewing. Now it’s time for some positive action. What can I – and you, too – do to channel this anger at Monsanto and Forbes Magazine into something productive? I've come up with a list of 11.
(If you don’t know why I feel so strongly about Monsanto receiving such positive publicity, please take the time to read this frightening Vanity Fair article: Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear.)
1. Watch Fresh, the Movie. And Food, Inc. And The Future of Food. Then get your friends and family to watch, too.
2. Donate money to DemocracyinAction.org to fund more community screenings of Fresh, the Movie.
3. Donate money to the Center for Food Safety to help them fight Monsanto in a Supreme Court case about genetically modified alfalfa.
4. Help pay Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser’s legal bills, which he incurred during his lawsuit against Monsanto.
5. Help pay North Dakota farmer Roger Nelson’s legal bills in his defense of Monsanto’s suit against him.
6. Send a letter to the USDA about its draft environmental impact statement and its preliminary determination to deregulate genetically engineered alfalfa. Public comments will be accepted until February 16, 2010.
7. Eat more Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, to support its stand against Monsanto over “rBST-free” labeling of ice cream.
8. Contribute to one of many farm support groups that help farmers who are being terrorized by Monsanto.
9. Write a letter to my/your U.S. Senators and Congressional representative and tell them how I/you feel about Monsanto and genetically modified food.
10. Learn more about how to avoid Monsanto-funded “Frankenfoods” by reading the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.
11. Use your buying power; every dollar you spend with local, Monsanto-free farmers, as well as the stores and restaurants that carry their food, is a vote against companies like Monsanto.
There. I feel better already.
