cross-posted at annnoyedomnivore.wordpress.com
There was very little to celebrate after these midterm elections, but a small bright spot emerged and was entirely due to the efforts of a few individuals. Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences, primarily, poured nearly $8 million into Maui to defeat an initiative that imposes a temporary ban on GMO crops. As Maui has a population of nearly 160,000, that’s a lot of money. The proponents were outspent 87 to one.
As usual, Monsanto used scare tactics and outright lies in order to defeat the initiative, which was also opposed by the Maui Chamber of Commerce. The SHAKA Movement, a citizens group that successfully gathered the 9,000 signatures to get the bill on the ballot, fought back with about $90,000, which it obtained through a crowdsourcing campaign called “Help Hawaii End GMO & Openair Chemical Experiments,” and such events as an ohana body prayer service, which asked participants for a $12 “love donation.” Given that the measure was failing by 19% when the first results emerged, it was a remarkable victory, and once again demonstrated the power of a single vote as the bill passed by 1,077 votes. The political will of such a small group was evident, especially considering that this measure was the first ever initiative attempt in Maui County, where the initiative power was granted in 1983.
And the bill itself is modest, calling for “a suspension of all GE operations and Practices within the County through a Temporary Moratorium Initiative until an Environmental Public Health Impact Statement analysis of the impacts stemming from GE Operations and Practices and their associated Pesticide use is provided and reviewed by City Council.” Focusing on pesticide use, the measure also states that “the citizens of Maui County have serious concerns as to whether testing of Pesticides, occurring in Maui County are causing irreparable harm to the people, Environment, and Public Trust Resources.” Concerns about “associated use and testing of Pesticides” have been mounting across the islands, as its citizens have been reporting higher incidences of breast cancer and infant mortality. A number of groups have been slowly building campaigns to fight the agricultural chemical companies, but up until now have not succeeded. And although this initiative bans GMO practices, it does so with the provision, as stated above, that should Monsanto prove GMO practices to be safe they may continue with their business. I don’t believe it’s possible to prove any such thing, but it is, still, a temporary ban.
Monsanto Hawaii is suing, of course, and immediately upon passage of the bill issued a statement. John P. Purcell, Monsanto Hawaii Business and Technology Lead vice president, said that “while we understand that people of Maui County have concerns about GMOs, we are confident in the safety of our products and our practices, that have been reviewed and approved by federal and state agencies.” That in itself is deceitful, as the federal government has done no research and generally rubber stamps any and all business decisions made by Big Ag. Purcell also hypocritically pretended to be concerned with the local economy and Maui residents without mentioning the impact this measure may have on the $14 billion in profits Monsanto made last year. They may have a case, however, based on “right to farm” acts. Kauai passed a measure last year regulating the use of pesticides, which was deemed invalid by a federal judge solely based on those acts.
Nevertheless, while Monsanto, Dow and other companies can and do throw millions against GMO labeling laws and bans, the Maui vote demonstrates clearly that if the citizenry is engaged, educated and motivated, they can defeat the giants. It signals a sea change in attitude across the country that may, at some point, force the federal government to become involved in the regulation of Big Ag.
Recipe of the Week
This is a very simple soup, but satisfying and delicious.
Potato and Kale Soup
1 bunch kale, washed, de-stemmed and chopped
5 russet potatoes, washed and chopped (don’t peel)
1 medium carrot, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups home made chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbls. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a soup pot and add onions. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and stir in for about 1 minute. Add potatoes, and stock and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes. At this point, puree the soup, add the milk and return to the heat. Add the kale and simmer until the kale is soft, about 10 minutes. Add copious amounts of fresh black pepper and salt to taste.