i would suggest that we shift our concern away from ms. craft and direct our concern toward the issues that underlie the strong responses to the november listserv news . . .If you would like to access a searchable archive of the all the previous Mich-Organic listserv postings copy this URL and paste in your browser address field http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html
it seems to me that one issue is what different organic groups want the word ?organic? to mean . . .
some organic groups want ?organic? to mean the usda/nop definition . . . in this case, there is nothing in the current federal rules and regulations that says that seeds from monsanto cannot qualify as organic . . .
other organic groups want ?organic? to mean less industrialized, more local, smaller scale . . . in this case, i think the discussion on this listserv would be benefited by people saying clearly ?here is what i want organic to mean, and here is why monsanto? does not fit into that definition . . .
while monsanto has come to represent all that some people see as bad about large scale highly industrialized agriculture, monsanto is just one of a number of global corporations that implement the highly industrialized agrifood system . . . i think it would help the discussion on this listserv if some of the participants could make clear what it is that makes those corporations different from other corporations whose involvement in organic food and agriculture is accepted . . .
cheers,
craig harris
craig k harris
department of sociology
michigan agricultural experiment station
national food safety and toxicology center
institute for food and agricultural standards
michigan state university
http://www.msu.edu/~harrisc/ <http://www.msu.edu/%7Eharrisc/>
From: [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 7:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: November Organic Listserv, Nov 19, 2010
I agree. The words "Organic" and "Monsanto" on the same page is appaulling!! COME ON MSU.... are they really that big of a research $$$$$$ patron at the college!!!! Don't insult us this way!! MONSANTO. DUPONT, BURPEE....ADM, etc. Save that marketing stuff for the junk mail. DOn't fill my box with ANYTHING produced by those companies. PLEASEEEEEEEEEE
-----Original Message-----
From: donald Dunklee <[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Fri, Nov 19, 2010 6:29 pm
Subject: Re: November Organic Listserv, Nov 19, 2010
Dear Danielle,
Why on earth would you even consider a seed from Monsanto for organic production?? Why add to this list? Appalling. Probably the most anti organic company in the world. Is this site funded by Monsanto in the background through the university? Just who are you working for to add this to the site??
Don Dunklee
On Nov 19, 2010, at 5:08 PM, Danielle Craft wrote:
Michigan Organic
Listserv
November 19, 2010
News
New Processing Tomato Variety From Monsanto
A new processing tomato variety from Monsanto Vegetable Seeds (http://www.monsanto.com/Pages/default.aspx) has nematode resistance. Check out a video about this new tomatoes variety at http://growingproduce.com/gptv/?vid=214.
Source: GrowingProduce.com
If you would like to access a searchable archive of the all the previous Mich-Organic listserv postings copy this URL and paste in your browser address field http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html