If it is not already clear to you what stakes Big Ag has in biotechnology, here’s what is coming down the pike. There is a new “super alliance” recently formed, called the Alliance to Feed the Future. This new syndicate brings together huge megacompany members such as the Council for Biotechnology Information (whose members include BASF, DuPont, Dow, and Monsanto), with other huge food processing companies like the International Food Additives Council, American Soybean Association, CropLife America (whose website features stories such as “Benefits of Pesticides and Crop-Protection Chemicals“) the International Formula Council and the National Association of Margarine Manufacturer.
Now, according to their website, forty-eight of these huge coalitions have banded together to form the new group. It is a good name (if you are on their side), clearly appealing to the human pathos—the generosity of the human spirit and the craving to be a contributor towards a better future. I imagine many people will fall for this ploy. But not us! We know better.
We know that the reason they chose to locate in Washington D.C. was because they aim to target the movers and shakers of our society — the “opinion leaders, including those in the university sector, professional societies, journalists and government officials.” Their mission is to inform these leaders of “the real story of modern food production.” According to Dave Schmidt, President and CEO at the International Food Information Council and the coordinator of the Alliance to Feed the Future, there’s a misconception “present in popular media . . . and has blossomed in social media. . . that food processing or large-scale food production is bad.” I guess they realize how powerful the social media groups such as Twitter and Facebook can be to publish the truth about what they are really doing.
According to a press release published on their website, “In an effort to meet the world’s increasing food needs responsibly, efficiently and affordably, the members of the Alliance to Feed the Future share the common goal of building understanding and promoting the benefits of modern food production, processing and technology. The Alliance is currently comprised of 48 like-minded groups and continues to grow. Members span all sectors of the food value chain and include professional societies, commodity groups, industry and academia to coordinate via the Alliance to help multiply the effects of their individual and joint efforts to tell the true story of modern food production. “
This is going to be a formidable lobbying group in Washington. They are clearly gathering momentum to promote the use of biotechnology under the guise of “feeding the future.” The Solution? Become an activist. Get involved in any way you can. Write about this, tweet about this, use facebook . Try to reach as many people as you can. In addition, support your local farmers who are running biodynamic farms. Join the Weston Price Foundation and find the closest chapter to your home. We need to “feed the future,” but it has to be sustainable for the earth and for human health, the goal of which biotechnology has certainly not accomplished.
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