Nestle Says Organic Is Lower in Nutrition – Say WHAT?

Recap of Triple Pundit article (source link at bottom)

“Nestle has a very pro-GMO (genetically modified organism) policy and has invested in GM-coffee research…in 2008, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of the Board of Nestlé S.A. asked policymakers in Europe to re-evaluate their opposition to GMO.

According to him “You have to be rational. There’s no way you can support life on earth if you go straight from farm to table.”

“Nestle owns San Pellegrino water, PowerBar energy bars, and Skinny Cow ice cream, appealing to buyers concerned with health and the environment…technically none of these brands are organic…Nestle’s profits of 34 billion in 2010 has nothing to do with organics.

“Nestle also claims that organic food is lower in nutrition. Several food companies like Nestle, Kraft Foods and Dole Foods actively propagate this notion.”

When I read stuff like this, I just shake my head.  No way to support life on earth from farm to table? Organic food is lower in nutrition? Genetically modified food is good?  WHAT earth does this guy live on ‘cuz it ain’t the same one I live on (should lunatics have their OWN planet?  I’m beginning to think so.)

Let’s see:  good ol’ Pete has no problem with using child slaves for his chocolate, screws with Mother Nature through GMO, pushes poison, kills babies with his baby formula scam…yeah, sounds like an evil person to me. Hey, isn’t this what the anti-christ supposed to be like…remember that from somewhere…says they’re doing good and helping the world (while they’re setting up to get REALLY ugly when they’re in power!) Oh wait, he’s already DONE that.

And now this junior anti-christ Swiss lunatic wants to mess with my coffee? No thanks, Pete…think I’ll keep my organic and BOYCOTT ALL NESTLE PRODUCTS!

Really gotta go find out what all Nestle sells…I don’t want them in my kitchen!  I don’t even want people like this on the same planet.

Posted by Janet Byers

Recapped Article by Akhila Vijayaraghavan, Triple Pundit (dot) com | September 6th, 2011 >> View Full Article

Fair Trade Towns – Good Idea or Hype?

Ran across this article and thought it a great idea. Awareness is getting stronger about Fair Trade (and I suspect corporations are behind a good deal of the hype and “bad press” about Fair Trade because they want to keep exploiting the poor while making themselves rich!)

When I found out that the coffee I drink every day is harvested on the backs of slaves, damages the environment, poisons not only the earth and the workers but ME because of the petrochemicals and pesticides in 99% of the world’s coffee…well, my morning cuppa java didn’t taste so good, ya know?

I’ve recently started drinking TRUE Fair Trade coffee…and it’s organic, shade grown, totally the BEST coffee I’ve ever had AND pays the coffee farmers 70% ABOVE the Fair Trade floor. Their farmers practice organic farming that is good for their environment and they don’t use petrochemicals or pesticides. I mean seriously, did YOU know you were drinking pesticides every morning? NO WONDER coffee used to taste so bitter to me…AND give me horrible headaches!

Visit Our Mission Coffee and learn the truth about YOUR coffee!

City mulls ‘Fair Trade’ moniker

Thursday, August 18th, 2011 By CLARK MASON

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Healdsburg could become the first “Fair Trade Town” in Sonoma County, part of an effort to promote fair labor practices and decent work environments in the production of imported food and goods.

Healdsburg City Council members this week expressed unanimous support for a resolution in support of the designation, which is intended to promote a fair wage and safe and healthy working conditions.

The idea is to make consumers more aware of the products they buy, avoid supply chains that rely on child labor and human trafficking, and guarantee fair wages to farmers and artisans.  >> Read Full Story

Is Starbucks Really Fair Trade or Are They Just Saying They Are?

There was a huge amount of pressure put on Starbucks for years to carry and brew Fair Trade coffee.  They finally gave into the pressure and started carrying Fair Trade whole bean coffee called “Estima.”  But that’s not brewing and selling primarily Fair Trade coffee, now is it?

I was in the Green Hills Starbucks (in Nashville) last week and asked the guy behind the counter:  “Can I get Fair Trade, organic coffee already brewed?”  His reply floored me:  “Not together you can’t.  We don’t sell both organic and Fair Trade together.  You can have one or the other…but we’re out.”  Weird how my friends (in many different states) decided to see if I was crazy when I say “they ALWAYS say they just ran out!”  So a bunch of them tested me on it and sure enough, they ALL got the same “we just ran out line.”

Ummmmm, so I can choose between toxic chemicals or slave wage coffee ‘cuz Starbucks is always mysteriously out when you request fresh brewed?  Yuck.

Well, when I read the Starbuck’s site, it would seem that they are leading the charge in the Fair Trade /Organic / Sustainable coffee market and that 84% of their coffee is now Fair Trade.   But I suspect they’re “sort of” lying…which means I don’t know if they’re telling the truth or not and it really bugs me!

I’ve noticed a trend in big companies…they use Fair Trade and Sustainable interchangeably…and I personally suspect that is smoke and mirrors, folks. If 99% of the world’s coffee is NOT Fair Trade…then are the “sustainable” farmers Starbucks talks about ACTUALLY getting fair wages and prices for their crops?

By the same token, if farmer’s in developing countries are pressured into using sustainable farming practices…which is probably more expensive for them (but maybe not — petrochemicals and toxic pesticides are actually quite expensive) but don’t get fair prices…will they continue these practices?

Fair Trade means the  farmers are paid a fair living wage for the coffee they grow. Sustainable means farming practices that are good for the environment…but doesn’t mean that farmers who use these practices get a fair price for what they produce!

I’ve come up with something in my head that makes sense to me…”Save the People, Save the Planet.”  PEOPLE are the ones hurting the planet and some are doing so because they see no other way to support their hungry children (and I would do anything for my child as I’m sure you would too.)  So if that means cutting down the rainforest because people will buy the wood, then cut they will.

BUT if you work on saving the people and providing fair prices and allow them the dignity of earning a fair living…then they will work to save precious resources too.  I mean seriously, does anybody THINK that people in poor countries WANT to wipe out the planet we all share?  Of course they don’t!  But they want to feed their kids too and a hungry baby’s cries are more immediate then a desert forming where a lush tropical jungle once stood.