A coalition of 24 farmer- and rancher-led organizations has reportedly formed an alliance to “develop and implement a well-funded, long term, and coordinated public trust campaign for American agriculture.” The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) includes organizations from virtually all aspects of agriculture that share the goal of bolstering the image of farm production methods. According to a November 11, 2010, USFRA press release, the alliance’s initial focus will be to (i) “increase consumer, consumer influencer and thought leader trust and confidence in today’s agriculture”; (ii) “serve as a resource to food companies on the benefits of today’s agricultural production”; (iii) “work with leading health, environmental and dietary organizations to demonstrate the benefits of today’s agricultural production”; and (iv) “increase the role of U.S. farmers and ranchers as the voice of animal and crop agriculture on local, state and national food issues.” Convening earlier this year to discuss media…
Category Archives Other Developments
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has issued a report titled “Injustice on Our Plates: Immigrant Women in the U.S. Food Industry.” Based on interviews in early 2010 with 150 undocumented immigrant women working in the U.S. food industry in Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, New York, and North Carolina, the report highlights the dangerous conditions under which they often work and the sexual harassment and violence to which they are subject. According to SPLC, “Undocumented women are among the most vulnerable workers in our society today. They fill the lowest paying jobs in our economy and provided the backbreaking labor that helps bring food to our tables. Yet they are routinely cheated out of wages and subjected to an array of other abuses in the workplace. They are generally powerless to enforce their rights or protect themselves.” SPLC contends that laws protecting these workers are “grossly inadequate,” and workers’ ability…
An Ohio poultry facility linked to the latest egg recall over Salmonella-contamination concerns was reportedly the recipient of a $125 million investment by Austin “Jack” DeCoster, the man who owned the two Iowa farms linked to the August 2010 recall of 550 million potentially contaminated eggs. The Ohio Agriculture Department apparently indicated earlier this year that DeCoster was still an investor in Ohio Fresh Eggs. The latest recall involves nearly 300,000 eggs distributed in eight states. While no confirmed illnesses have been linked to the eggs, egg seller Cal-Maine, Inc. reportedly said “consumers who believe they may have purchased potentially affected shell eggs should not eat them.” According to a news source, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the August outbreak to at least 1,600 illnesses. DeCoster was called before a House oversight subcommittee in September and apologized for the incident, saying “We were horrified to learn that…
According to a new report from the U.K.-based Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a majority of the world’s largest companies, including those in the food and beverage sectors, have developed specific water policies, strategies and plans, with 39 percent reporting experience with disruption to operations from drought or flooding, declining water quality or increases in water prices. Titled “CDP Water Disclosure 2010 Global Report,” the study is based on responses from 175 large corporations that conduct water-intensive operations around the world. CDP contends that those most at risk are food and beverage companies, which, among those responding to the survey, had all set specific water-related targets for their businesses and were all able to identify whether their operations were located in water-stressed regions. According to CDP, “Demand for water is projected to outstrip supply by a staggering 40 percent by 2030, and an estimated half the world’s population are likely to live…
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) recently published the results of a seven-month foray into the Atlantic bluefin tuna trade, claiming that widespread corruption at all levels has decimated the species. Titled Looting the Seas, the exposé reflects the efforts of 12 journalists who followed the bluefin supply chain “from major fishing fleets and tuna ranches in the Mediterranean and North Africa, through ministry offices, to some of the world’s largest buyers.” Released before a November meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the report relies on interviews, court documents, regulatory reports, corporate records, and “an internal database used by regulators to track the trade.” According to its findings, the supply chain “at every step was riddled with fraud, negligence, and criminal misconduct.” The report specifically alleges that (i) “Fishermen blatantly violated official quotas and engaged in an array of illegal practices”; (ii) “National…
Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity has issued a November 2010 report claiming that “children as young as age 2 are seeing more fast food ads than ever before.” Titled Fast Food F.A.C.T.S.: Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score, the report purportedly evaluated “the marketing efforts of 12 of the nation’s largest fast food chains, and examined the calories, fat, sugar and sodium in more than 3,000 kids’ meal combinations and 2,781 menu items.” According to a concurrent press release, researchers relied on syndicated data from The Nielsen Company, comScore, Inc., and Arbitron Inc. to determine “that the fast food industry spent more than $4.2 billion on marketing and advertising in 2009, focusing extensively on television, the Internet, social media sites and mobile applications.” Among its key findings, the study claims that (i) “Unhealthy foods and beverages still dominate restaurant menus”; (ii) “The restaurant environment does not…
Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recently held its Ninth Forum on Consumer Protection in Berlin, where 300 participants discussed the alleged health risks of recycled materials used in food packaging. More specifically, the meeting focused on cardboard packaging made from recycled paper, which evidently contains mineral oils used in newspaper ink that can migrate “in relevant amounts into the packaged foods.” While acknowledging that a final assessment “is not yet possible,” BfR has cited animal tests suggesting that these mineral oil residues “are deposited in the liver and lymph nodes and could damage these organs.” It has thus recommended minimizing the migration of these oils into foods. “This concerns dry foods with a large surface such as rice, semolina, corn flakes and noodles,” states the BfR press release. “As a possibility, the BfR Forum discussed the use of liner bags, for example made of aluminum coated plastics, in…
In a recent FindLaw article, Cornell Law School Professor Sherry Colb addresses whether New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to prevent food stamp recipients from buying sugar-sweetened sodas and beverages violates any constitutional proscriptions. Titled “No Buying Soda with Food Stamps? Considering Mayor Bloomberg’s New Health Initiative,” Colb’s article concludes that arguments about equal treatment for the poor and consumer freedom in general hold no weight given the overwhelming risks to public health posed by “unhealthy, empty-calorie food.” She expresses confidence that food stamp recipients will experience measurable benefits by avoiding some unhealthy foods, which will convince public officials to expand such initiatives “to take on various industries that profit at the expense of human health.” Meanwhile, a New York Times article discusses what prompted a writer and former Rutgers professor to begin the “Candy Professor” blog, which apparently “dives deep into the American relationship with candy, finding irrational and…
Employees at 10 Minneapolis-based Jimmy John’s sandwich shops have reportedly voted against joining the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which has since alleged that the close election “was marred by misconduct.” According to The New York Times, “[U]nion supporters were predicting victory, noting that about 60 percent of the restaurants’ 200 workers had signed prounion cards asking the labor board to hold a unionization vote.” But when the National Labor Relations Board called the October 22, 2010, election, it reported that union backers fell short of a majority by three votes. With seven days to file objections, the Jimmy John’s Worker Union has charged MikLin Enterprise with 22 violations of the National Labor Relations Act, including bribery and intimidation. “We do not recognize these election results as legitimate and will continue to fight for our demands,” stated the group’s spokesperson in a press release. The vote was apparently IWW’s…
A corporate watchdog organization, Corporations and Health Watch, has issued a call for food industry critics who have been threatened with litigation for saying “anything critical about food,” to submit information about their experience to the organization. According to the group, corporations are using the food disparagement laws now in effect in 13 states “as leverage to silence their critics, frequently sending threatening letter[s] to those who speak out or those who publish [their critiques], threatening to sue under these menacing laws.”
