Intriguing Benefits Linked to Land Application of Manure from Organic Dairy Farms
USDA Budget Reinstates the Agricultural Chemical Use Survey The last data under the program were collected on apples and cotton in 2007. No data were collected in 2008, triggering a campaign to reinstate the funds led by the Center, the Union of Concerned Scientists, NRDC, and the Center for Food Safety. “The Organic Factor – Tilting the Odds Toward Healthy Development” The cover story in the May-June, 2009 issue of Organic Processing Magazine is entitled “The Organic Factor – Tilting the Odds Toward Healthy Development.” Written by the Center’s Chuck Benbrook, the article serves as an extended executive summary of the March 2009 “Critical Issue Report” entitled “That First Step: Organic Food and a Healthier Future.” The Executive Summary and full “That First Step” report on the Center’s website. More on Genes, Diet and Health
Women in rural Vietnam are exposed to pesticides 2-3 hours per day, triple the time period males are exposed, and 70% of those exposed display symptoms of chemical poisoning. __________________________________ The human body is about 18% carbon, wood is around 50% carbon, and soil organic matter is about 58% carbon. __________________________________ More than 40% of the 140 billion gallons of gasoline used in America annually contains ethanol.
75% of children in Great Britain cannot boil an egg
Kilograms of CO2 released per kilogram of food produced: Source: Janet Raloff, “The carbon footprints of raising livestock for food,” Science New web edition, February 15, 2009
Dr. Charles Benbrook "In William Kristol’s May 24, 2009 New York Times column “The Hidden Hunger,” he writes that the global economic crisis has set back efforts to ameliorate poverty and hunger in the developing world by seven years, quoting a World Bank study. This slippage is pushing an additional 44 million children annually into chronic hunger sufficient to permanent impair physical development of mental health. Such grim outcomes, impacting so many innocent children, demand the attention and resources of the world community. Many organizations and constituencies, the biotech industry among them, believe they have unique capacity to blaze the best path forward. As the debate goes on over the nature of the problem and possible solutions, I hope some attention will be paid to food security’s low-hanging fruit. ..." __________________________________ Consumers Union and Other NGO Letter on the Ohio Dairy Product Labeling RuleAn excerpt follows of an April 7, 2009 letter sent to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland from Michael Hansen, Consumers Union staff scientist, along with representatives of several other consumer and environmental groups. Access the full text of the letter on the Consumers Union website.
Dear Governor Strickland, We, the undersigned consumer and environmental groups, are writing about the revised dairy labeling rule in Ohio that would restrict labels on milk that comes from cows not treated with a synthetic bovine growth hormone, known as rbGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone, also known as rbST). The revised rule still restricts free speech and consumers’ right-to-know by prohibiting truthful and informative labels such as “rbGH-free” and “no artificial hormones.” The revised rule still contains Section C, which states that all claims about the composition of milk are false and misleading. We agree that certain claims, e.g. “no hormones,” or “hormone-free” are misleading as all milk contains hormones. But it is not misleading to say milk from cows not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) is “rbGH-free” or “artificial hormone free.” First, your Executive Order 2008—03S states, “This artificial hormone is a duplicate of the naturally occurring hormone found in cows.” In fact, as FDA has pointed out, rbGH is not identical to (or a duplicate of) the naturally produced bGH… Furthermore, research in Europe has clearly shown that antibodies can distinguish between Monsanto’s rbGH product and naturally produced bGH. Thus, since rbGH is a synthetic molecule that does not occur in nature, if a cow has not been treated with rbGH then it’s impossible for the milk of that cow to contain rbGH. By definition, such milk is “rbGH-free.” The claim “from cows not treated with rbGH” is permitted in this rule because it is not false and misleading. It logically follows that the claims “rbGH-free” or “rbST-free” cannot be false and misleading and so should be allowed as well. Prohibiting farmers, dairies and processors from making the truthful label claim “rbGH-free” interferes with their free speech rights under the first Amendment. We urge you to modify your milk rule to permit use of the claims “rbGH-free,” “rbST-free” and “no artificial hormones”… __________________________________ Excerpts from a Statement Approved May 8, 2009 on the Safety of Genetically Modified Foods Issued By: American Academy of Environmental MedicineAccess the full text and references According to the World Health Organization, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are "organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in such a way that does not occur naturally."1 This technology is also referred to as "genetic engineering", "biotechnology" or "recombinant DNA technology" and consists of randomly inserting genetic fragments of DNA from one organism to another, usually from a different species… Both the location of the transferred gene sequence in the corn DNA and the consequences of the insertion differ with each insertion. The plant cells that have taken up the inserted gene are then grown in a lab using tissue culture and/or nutrient medium that allows them to develop into plants that are used to grow GM food crops. Natural breeding processes have been safely utilized for the past several thousand years. In contrast, "GE crop technology abrogates natural reproductive processes, selection occurs at the single cell level, the procedure is highly mutagenic and routinely breeches genera barriers, and the technique has only been used commercially for 10 years." Despite these differences, safety assessment of GM foods has been based on the idea of "substantial equivalence" such that "if a new food is found to be substantially equivalent in composition and nutritional characteristics to an existing food, it can be regarded as safe as the conventional food." However, several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signaling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system. There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation as defined by Hill's Criteria in the areas of strength of association, consistency, specificity, biological gradient, and biological plausibility. The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies. Specificity of the association of GM foods and specific disease processes is also supported. Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation, including upregulation of cytokines associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation. Animal studies also show altered structure and function of the liver, including altered lipid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as cellular changes that could lead to accelerated aging and possibly lead to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A recent 2008 study links GM corn with infertility, showing a significant decrease in offspring over time and significantly lower litter weight in mice fed GM corn. This study also found that over 400 genes were found to be expressed differently in the mice fed GM corn. These are genes known to control protein synthesis and modification, cell signaling, cholesterol synthesis, and insulin regulation. Studies also show intestinal damage in animals fed GM foods, including proliferative cell growth and disruption of the intestinal immune system. Also, because of the mounting data, it is biologically plausible for Genetically Modified Foods to cause adverse health effects in humans... Therefore, because GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health and are without benefit, the AAEM believes that it is imperative to adopt the precautionary principle, which is one of the main regulatory tools of the European Union environmental and health policy and serves as a foundation for several international agreements… With the precautionary principle in mind, because GM foods have not been properly tested for human consumption, and because there is ample evidence of probable harm, the AAEM asks:
Organic Summit and ATO Just Around the Corner Save the Date for the Organic Center's 5th Annual Bay Area Celebration The Organic Summit 2009 - June 3rd - 5th, 2009 Stevenson WA All Things Organic- June 16th - 18th, 2009 Chicago, IL The Organic Center's 5th Annual Bay Area Celebration, "For the Health of Our World" - September 12th, 2009 Berkeley, CA Core Truths on the Major Benefits of Organic Food and Farming The Organic Center Features Jerry Garcia Artwork Do you or someone you know love The Grateful Dead? Do you enjoy beautiful original works of art? If so, select a giclee of Jerry Garcia original artwork and benefit The Organic Center. This unique fundraising initiative to benefit The Organic Center is made possible through the generosity of filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia and features the series, "In the Garden," by the late Jerry Garcia. Individual prints are $250, or get the full series for $1,000. To order your Jerry Garcia art, click here. Our Research –
Companies, foundations, or individuals can support work by The Organic Center on a critical issue, or in a specific area through our donor directed research program. Contact Dr. Benbrook for details.
For companies, The Organic Center's Mission Organic Affinity Marketing Partnership Program provides resources and tools to help educate your customers about the personal benefits of organic food and farming. Become part of an effort to grow the U.S. market for organic from 3 percent to 10 percent by 2010.
"The Scoop," is an electronic newsletter published monthly by The Organic Center. For a free subscription, visit www.organic-center.org. Backed by the world's leading scientists, physicians and scholars, The Organic Center is committed to two goals. TOC Board Chair: Michelle Goolsby, Consultant to Dean Foods The Organic Center FULL CONTENT OF FEATURED ARTICLES ARE BELOW Powerful New Evidence Suggests that Exposure to a Common Weed Killer can Trigger Insulin Resistance Just days after completion of the pesticide chapter in our March 2009 report “That First Step: Organic Food and a Healthier Future”, the prestigious open-access journal Plos One published a new, highly relevant report on the effects of chronic exposure to the herbicide atrazine. This triazine herbicide is the second most heavily used pesticide in the U.S. and is present in much of the drinking water in corn growing areas. Multiple studies have demonstrated atrazine’s ability to disrupt endocrine system functions and normal developmental processes. Now, a team of ten Korean scientists have shown that chronic, low-level exposures to atrazine in rats can lead to insulin resistance, obesity, and heightened risk of diabetes, especially when exposures to atrazine are coupled with high-fat diets. The paper begins with a provocative observation – “ATZ (atrazine)-usage and obesity maps [in the U.S.] show striking overlaps, suggesting that heavy usage of ATZ may be associated with risk of obesity.” Two groups of male rats were fed for 5 months, one treated with atrazine, and one not. Within each group, one-half the animals received a normal diet for the full five months, while the other half received the normal diet for three months, followed by two months on a high-fat diet (40% calories from fat). The atrazine was administered to the rats at 30 or 300 micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight per day, a dose rate roughly equal to 1-X and 10-X the current chronic Reference Dose of atrazine in humans. Multiple measurements were made of the impact of atrazine exposure on indicators of growth, blood glucose management, and damage to cells. Key findings include –
The authors noted that other studies have shown that atrazine exposure reduces weight gain in rats, but at doses 10-100 times higher than the dose levels used in the present study. The team suspects that earlier studies used doses of atrazine that were overtly toxic to the animals, triggering weight loss, whereas in their study, the relatively low dose led to mild damage to cells that “mimic the characteristic of the insulin-resistance state, and hence, leads to weight gain.” Source: Soo Lim et al., “Chronic Exposure to the Herbicide, Atrazine, Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Insulin Resistance,” Plos One, Vol. 4, Issue 4:e5186, April 2009. Intriguing Benefits Linked to Land Application of Manure from Organic Dairy Farms A team of USDA scientists working at the New England Plant, Soil, and Water Laboratory in Orono, Maine have reported preliminary results suggesting that manure from cows under organic management may replenish soil fertility and protect water quality more effectively than manure from conventionally managed cows. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to quantify the differences in manure from organic and conventional dairy farms. Remarkably, the team found that phosphorous was present in at least 17 different forms in the tested manure. In manure from organic farms, phosphorous was present in more complex, tightly bound chemical forms that result in it being released more slowly, a positive factor in increasing plant uptake and reducing losses to surface and ground water. The differences are likely most caused by differences in the animals’ diets. Cows on organic farms consume much more grass and forage-based feeds, leading to passage of nutrients in manure in a form that may be more easily taken up by plants. This increase in plant uptake is accompanied by reduced nutrient flows off cropland into the surface water system. Sources: Zhongqi He et al., “Solution and solid state P-31 NMR characterization of phosphorous in organic and conventional dairy manure,” poster “Technical Abstract,” Soil Science Society of America annual meeting, October 2008. IN THE NEWS Obama Administration USDA Budget Proposes Big Changes in Research Priorities If the proposed USDA budget for the newly established National Institute of Food and Agriculture is adopted, the organic research and extension initiative will receive $20 million in FY 2010 funds. There are 13 programs highlighted in the Institute’s budget and a total of $127 million in obligations across the 13 program areas. The organic initiative would account for 16% of the total budget as proposed in FY 2010, and is scheduled to receive a level of funding higher than 11 of the 13 program areas. Just one program will receive more money – the $50 million slated for the specialty crop research initiative. In FY 2008, the organic research and extension initiative received just $3 million, or 3% of total spending. Six other programs received more funding in FY 2008. Source: Department of Agriculture proposed Budget, pages 83-84. USDA Budget Reinstates the Agricultural Chemical Use Survey The Organic Center joined dozens of consumer, agricultural, and environmental groups in criticizing the Bush administration’s decision to shut down the long-standing National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) program of surveys on pesticide use. The last data under the program were collected on apples and cotton in 2007. No data were collected in 2008, triggering a campaign to reinstate the funds led by the Center, the Union of Concerned Scientists, NRDC, and the Center for Food Safety. In a letter dated May 7, 2009, Dr. Katherine (Kitty) Smith, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, wrote the Center’s Chuck Benbrook to report that the fruit crop survey will be carried out this fall, and the program will be fully reinstated in 2010. Editors Note: While a small program, the NASS chemical use surveys are the only source of credible, consistent data on pesticide use in the United States. These surveys date back to 1991 and are the foundation of nearly all public-sector assessments of pesticide use and risk trends and challenges. I have used them in dozens of projects. The decision by the Economic Research Service and NASS in 2007 to collect and report data separately on conventional and organic apple farms marked an important step forward, and will allow more in-depth assessments of pesticide use and risks on conventional and organic farms. Without these data, there would be no basis to counter PR from the biotech industry on the impact of GM crops on pesticide use, nor a dataset to track marked changes, for better or worse, in reliance on high-risk pesticides. "The Organic Factor - Tilting the Odds Toward Healthy Devleopment" The cover story in the May-June, 2009 issue of Organic Processing Magazine is entitled “The Organic Factor – Tilting the Odds Toward Healthy Development.” Written by the Center’s Chuck Benbrook, the article serves as an extended executive summary of the March 2009 “Critical Issue Report” entitled “That First Step: Organic Food and a Healthier Future.” The Executive Summary and full “That First Step” report on the Center’s website. The six ways, or mechanisms, through which organic food and farming can contribute to tilting the odds toward healthy development are: 1. Lay the groundwork for normal endocrine system regulation of blood sugars, lipids, energy intake, and immune system functions. 2. Establish and help sustain taste-based preferences in the child for familiar nutrient-dense and flavorful foods. 3. Largely eliminate dietary exposures to pesticides. 4. Triggering or reinforcing a sense of satiety, or fullness, thereby reducing excessive caloric intake at the end of satisfying meals. 5. Lessening or limiting the cellular and genetic damage done by reactive oxygen species (so-called free radicals), reducing the risk of diabetes and other diseases rooted in inflammation (e.g., arthritis, cardiovascular disease) and rapid cell growth (cancer). 6. Slowing, and perhaps even reversing certain aspects of neurological aging, leading to improved memory and retention of cognitive skills. The full text of the Organic Processing Magazine cover story has also been posted on the Center’s website – please help us distribute this article to those interested in the health benefits of a balanced diet including ample quantities of organic fruits, vegetables, and other foods. More on Genes, Diet and Health “Most of us believe that age related diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, adult onset diabetes, stroke, cancer, etc are the inevitable consequences of aging, but we are now finding out that this is not necessarily true. We actually have a lot more control over how we age than you might think. Healthy aging is mainly the result of how we ‘communicate’ with our genes -- through our diet, our lifestyle and the environment we bathe them in. Healthy habits nurture healthy genes. When most of us think of genes, we think of the ones that determine particular characteristics such as whether we have brown hair, blue eyes or long legs, or those that predict specific childhood diseases. These genes are ‘fixed’, but are only few in number. By far the vast majority are the thousands of genes that direct all of our biochemical processes and that render us susceptible to the many chronic diseases so many people are experiencing today. While we are each born with a set of genes -- a baseline set of conditions which we can't change -- we can change how they are expressed. This means that most genes in and of themselves do not create disease. Rather, the likelihood of developing disease and disability is determined by the way we live our lives and by the choices we make. You may have the genes for and be susceptible to heart disease or diabetes or arthritis, but that doesn't necessarily mean you will get those diseases. In other words, these genes do not cause disease per se unless they are thrust into a detrimental environment, one conducive to expressing these genes as chronic disease. There are multiple factors in your diet, environment and lifestyle that affect your genes and how you age. Many of these are within your control. Of all the factors, diet is the easiest to control and probably the most important determinant of how our genes are expressed.” Source: Dr. Frank Lipman, “10 Ways Your Food can Bring Out the Best in Your Genes,” Huffington Post, COMMENTARY Dr. Charles Benbrook In William Kristol’s May 24, 2009 New York Times column “The Hidden Hunger,” he writes that the global economic crisis has set back efforts to ameliorate poverty and hunger in the developing world by seven years, quoting a World Bank study. This slippage is pushing an additional 44 million children annually into chronic hunger sufficient to permanent impair physical development of mental health. Such grim outcomes, impacting so many innocent children, demand the attention and resources of the world community. Many organizations and constituencies, the biotech industry among them, believe they have unique capacity to blaze the best path forward. As the debate goes on over the nature of the problem and possible solutions, I hope some attention will be paid to food security’s low-hanging fruit. A recent report in the International Journal of Epidemiology projects that if obesity were largely eliminated, the world food supply could shrink 20%, or better yet, 20% of the world’s food supply could be re-directed to those in need. Studies in the U.S. show that a large portion of the food served to, or purchased by consumers is wasted as a result of spoilage or plate waste. The USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates that per capita food and beverage disappearance in the U.S. is 3,900 calories per day. Our average caloric intake each day is about 2,500 calories, suggesting that some 1,400 calories per day are never ingested, or 36% of the total food supply. Despite progress in chemical, biological, and cultural control of pests (insects, weed, plant diseases), experts still project that around 25% of the world’s food supply is lost to pests, much of it because of inadequate storage facilities in developing countries. Imagine if three simultaneous global campaigns could reduce by one-half each of the above sources of food waste and loss. The result would be an enormous increase in the global food supply – an increase of around 40%. Moreover, such campaigns would likely deliver results quickly and cost-effectively, with several associated benefits, especially in contrast to food security efforts banking on the use of genetic engineering to alter plant traits. Still, the majority of public and private agricultural development investment capital is invested in high-tech solutions that are unproven and often end up delivering far less than promised. The problem is that tapping this type of low hanging fruit is not patentable, sexy, or profitable for the major players in the global food and agricultural technology industries. Plus, changing human behavior and attitudes has always proven more difficult and ephemeral than building faster cars and computers, higher yielding corn and cattle, or stronger bridges, bricks, and mortar.
The Organic Summit - Chuck Benbrook will make a presentation on recent science on the nutritional quality of organic food during the “Organic Summit 2009” meeting, held June. All Things Organic - A session at 10:30 am through noon at “All Things Organic” on June 16th will assess “Current Research on the Environmental Benefits of Organic Farming.” At 1:30 that afternoon, Benbrook will serve on another panel addressing “Personal and Health Benefits of Organic: What We Know.” The Organic Center's 5th Annual Bay Area Celebration, "For the Health of Our World" Saturday September 12, 2009 6 - 9:30 PM at Clif Bar and Company, Berkeley, California Also on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 10 AM - noon, join us at Numi's Tea Garden, Oakland, CA, for an Open Forum Discussion: Strategies for Healthy Business Growth
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