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Into the Den of DOW Chemical

May 14, 2015

Dupont Shareholder Meeting

May 13, 2015

I intended to speak for 2 minutes at the Syngenta shareholder meeting in Switzerland on April 28, 2015. Instead I got nearly 2 hours with 3 Heads of Departments at Syngenta. Two Heads of R&D for GMOs and Pesticides and one Head of Social Policy and Performance. All women, all Moms, all listened. Here is  my story:

 Some of the widespread uses Roundup. 

Almost everyone has heard of Roundup, the world's number one weed killer. Hundreds of millions of pounds are used every year in the USA alone. Globally, the active chemical ingredient glyphosate is sold in over 750 products by numerous chemical companies. It is sprayed on sidewalks, streets, along the sides of roads, on school playgrounds and city parks. It is also sprayed on the soil of our crops fields as a burndown before planting, on 80% of the genetically modified foods which are engineered to withstand Roundup, and as a desiccant (drying agent) on non-organic crops such as sugar, wheat, barley, dried peas, and beans.

Evidence of Glyphosate being used as a drying agent on wheat and other crops above.

Glyphosate does NOT wash off ( and yet it is sprayed on food)  and is claimed to target an enzyme which is NOT found in humans or animals. They refer to the shikimate pathway, which is found in humans and animals, in our gut bacteria.

Note: the glyphosate content of this product of Roundup ( average for sale in hardware stores) is 1%. Syngenta's product Traxion is 44.9% glyphosate and is used as a burndown on the soil in which grains are planted. This is extremely toxic. Canada is the primary source of grains for the USA cereals, beer barely, and animal feed. 400 ppm of glyphosate is allowed on grains. 0.1ppb of glyphosate has been shown to destroy gut bacteria in chickens.

See the full list of allowable levels of glyphosate on our foods at:http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=195f8b224b4d7d5ab8cfff3bf0f92f68&node=se40.24.180_1364&rgn=div8

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

A year ago the first ever citizen initiated glyphosate testing was made available through Moms Across America to American citizens. Supporters from across the country took the time to send in their samples and the results shocked the world.

The supporters who who made this investment in their health actually invested in the health of the world. The results have made a difference and we thank you forever more.

Americans had glyphosate levels 3X higher in their water, 10-12X higher in their urine than Europe and levels 1600-3200 X HIGHER levels in breast milk than has been shown to cause harm in numerous scientific animal and human cell studies. A wave of interest rose up about glyphosate around the globe.

Bloggers, online news reporters, organizations and film makers realized that unless we raise awareness and cause change to buying/eating habits and our chemical farming system, we are headed for an international crisis. Those who have already lost loved ones feel we are already in one. 1 out of 2 males and 1 out of 3 females are EXPECTED to get cancer in America. 1 out of 2 of our children have a chronic illness. We must stop the attack on our immune systems by this toxic chemical which has been shown to be an antibiotic ( kill good bacteria and promote growth of pathogenic bacteria and weaken immune system), chelator ( vitamin and mineral deficiency) and endocrine disruptor ( miscarriages, birth defects, infertility and sterility) and cause placental cell death.

We can all take action to raise awareness by having tens of thousands of water and urine tests exposing the levels of glyphosate in our nations around the world. 

Announcing:

World First Validated Public Testing Set to Increase Pressure for Ban on Glyphosate

Is the World’s Number #1 Herbicide in Your Body?

Roundup ( glyphosate) sprayed in backyards, streets, playgrounds, parks and our food.

   
   

Watch the inspiring promo video by Ed Brown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAEEDluI_s0

Get tested:  http://feedtheworld.info/glyphosate-testing-test-yourself/?ngo=Moms+Across+America 
$5 of every test goes to MAA to raise awareness about GMOs, when ordered from this link. Please share!

PRESS REALEASE:

The Feed The World project launched April 23,2015 with a World first, unique glyphosate test for the general public. The project with specific focus on women and children in the U.S. is offering the first ever validated public LC/MS/MS glyphosate testing for urine, water and soon breast milk. This could lead to a ban on the sale and use of glyphosate, the world’s number one herbicide.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announcement in March shocked the global biotech (GMO) industry by classifying their most profitable chemical – glyphosate – as a “probable human carcinogen” (1).

Henry Rowlands, Director of Feed The World (2) stated Thursday;

“Glyphosate is the backbone of our current agricultural system that supplies us with toxic food, water and air. We aim to ban glyphosate by allowing the public to inform themselves about what levels of glyphosate are found in their own and their family’s bodies. Feed The World will also give a platform to profitable, agriculture alternatives that allow farmers, businesses and governments to change direction towards a better non-toxic future for our children.”

The validated glyphosate testing method (2) sponsored by Feed The World will allow the general public to find out with certainty what levels of glyphosate are found in their bodies and in their tap water.

Previous small-scale pilot studies completed in 2014 showed that glyphosate is found in American women’s breast milk, urine and water, but due to the ELISA testing method used in these tests the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government regulators were able to ignore the results. Feed The World has commissioned and sponsored a new validated LC/MS/MS testing method which will increase the pressure on the EPA and other regulators to take serious action on glyphosate-based herbicides, and potentially ban glyphosate.

Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar (3), member of the House of Lords in the UK, stated;

"It is to the women of the world that we must turn if future generations are to be able to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Glyphosate is known to probably cause cancers and other life threatening medical conditions and yet it is to be found everywhere. As individuals we cannot know whether or not we or our children are affected. This remarkable project will enable the women of the world to discover whether glyphosate is in our bodies or water supply; to learn how to avoid further exposures and, finally, to join together to show that we will no longer tolerate glyphosate in our food, water, air."

Award-winning U.S documentary Director Ed Brown, who will be covering the Feed The World project from start to end said:

“You cannot look back or dismiss this information once you have learned it. To understand that this chemical could be found in almost every single person on this planet, and that it is a probably carcinogen makes this the single most important story of our time. That's why I have chosen to help tell it to the world, because it is the fate of our entire human race that is on the line.”

NGOs and mother bloggers from across the U.S. including the Organic Consumers Association (4) and Mamavation (5) have already signed up to promote the testing.

The Feed The World project also includes a Women and Children’s Bill of Rights (6) that will be presented to the U.S. Senate in October calling for a phasing-out and total ban on the sales of glyphosate-based herbicides before the end of 2018.

The creation of and validation process for the glyphosate testing method as well as the public testing for urine and water is performed by a very highly regarded laboratory in USA, whose identity will remain confidential until later in 2015, when they will publish the full method paper in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The public breast milk testing will also begin later in 2015.

Dr. Paul Winchester, Clinical Professor at the Division of Neonatology (7) , Indiana University School of Medicine and the Director of the neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) at St. Francis Hospital stated;

“Brave and concerned citizens will have to act if the real extent of pesticide contamination is to be known. We are being offered a chance to test ourselves for the most heavily used weed-killer in the history of mankind. RoundUp (Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide) is used to both kill weeds but also to desiccate crops prior to harvest. It is found in ground water, river water, rain, snow, soil, and food and the levels are rising. Is RoundUp in you? Is it in your baby? Is this weed killer imprinting our descendants’ DNA? These are the questions we hope you will help to answer. EPA won’t do it. Government won’t do it. Chemical companies won’t do it. Farmers won’t do it. Our Grocers won’t do it. If we don’t pee into a cup and pay for the analysis no one will. I hope you will help us find out the truth.”

The expected reaction to the project from the industry that produces glyphosate-based herbicides is that the levels found in humans are ‘safe’. However, Feed The World has provided a very clear information database(8) that identifies the many health and environmental dangers related to glyphosate, including evidence that glyphosate doses considered “safe” by industry and government regulators, have now been demonstrated to be “toxic”.

Dr. Michael Antoniou, Molecular Geneticist, London concluded:

“With increasing evidence that glyphosate may be toxic at very low doses through mechanisms such as disruption of endocrine (hormone) systems that in turn can lead to serious illness in all age groups, it is becoming ever more imperative to obtain wide-scale information on the levels of this substance in the human population at large.”

References:

(1) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/20/us-monsanto-roundup-cancer-

idUSKBN0MG2NY20150320

(2) http://feedtheworld.info

(3) http://feedtheworld.info/glyphosate-testing-test-yourself/

FAQ: What validated method is being used for this glyphosate testing?

Glyphosate (N-(phosphomethyl)glycine ) is directly analyzed using liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Water and urine samples are prepared for analysis by solid phase extraction using an ion exchange column. Extracted samples are injected to the LC-MS/MS and the analyte is separated using an Obelisc N column (SIELC Technologies, Prospect Heights, IL) through isocratic elution. Ionization of glyphosate is achieved using an electrospray ionization source operated in negative polarity. The analyte is detected by multiple reaction monitoring using a 13C- labelled glyphosate as internal standard. Quantification of the analyte is done by isotope dilution method using an eight-point calibration curve. The assay has a limit of quantification of 0.1 ng/mL.

The intra- and inter-day precision observed are 6-15% in concentrations that range 0.1-80 ng/mL. Recoveries for glyphosate range 70-80% at concentrations within the assay’s linear dynamic range.

(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_of_Mar,_31st_Countess_of_Mar

(5) https://www.organicconsumers.org/

(6) http://www.mamavation.com/

(7) http://feedtheworld.info/glyphosate-bill-of-rights/

(8) http://www.neonatology.iupui.edu/faculty/paul-d-winchester/

(9) http://feedtheworld.info/glyphosate/



Watch the inspiring promo video by Ed Brown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAEEDluI_s0

Get tested:  http://feedtheworld.info/glyphosate-testing-test-yourself/?ngo=Moms+Across+America 
$5 of every test goes to MAA to raise awareness about GMOs, when ordered from this link. Please share!

Press Contact:

Henry Rowlands

Director

Feed The World – www.feedtheworld.info

[email protected]

+359886699802

Moms Across America was shocked to learn that 10 doctors from various locations signed a letter demanding that Columbia University cut ties with Dr. Oz for misleading and endangering the public.

 This group of doctors are led by by Henry Miller, who is connected to tobacco and promoting DDT and GMOs, who has slandered environmental and food activists, and who has fraudulently represented himself work for Stanford University. The reality is that the building, owned by Hoover, where he sometimes works, is on the same plot of land.  He is not a professor at Stanford.

The doctors stated the following a few days after the Dr. Oz show that glyphosate (Roundup) has been declared a Class 2 " Probable Carcinogen" by the World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations. Class 2 is 1 step away from a definite carcinogen:

"We are surprised and dismayed that Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons would permit Dr. Mehmet Oz to occupy a faculty appointment, let alone a senior administrative position in the Department of Surgery," they wrote. Because of the publicity Oz gives to nonscientific and even potentially damaging nostrums, they added, "members of the public are being misled and endangered, which makes Dr. Oz's presence on the faculty of a prestigious medical institution unacceptable." 

Let's look at the reality. The reality is that Dr. Oz has been the only nationwide talk show host to be courageous and responsible enough to speak out about glyphosate and pesticides/herbicides (which GMOS are genetically engineered to withstand and therefore increase the exposure to children and people through our food. They do not wash off), which are made by some of the largest companies in the world.

The reality is that these companies make not only the toxic chemicals sprayed on our food which has been proven to lead to illness ( see our data page), but they make the chemical medications for diabetes, allergies, anxiety, and cancer medications etc that make us "better".  I say "better" because in the majority of these cases what happens is that we then have a litany of side effects which require more chemical medications to counter those side effects. Many also become dependent on medications for the rest of their lives, when simply changing their diet would, for many, remedy the symptoms and eliminate the root cause.

These same chemical medication brands give top dollar in advertising fees to media outlets, universities, community groups and lobbyists across the country. Therefore, it is not in those organization's best interest to say something disparaging about their donors. Many professors or doctors at said universities feel pressured to side with the chemical company donors in fear of loosing their job. Many news channels and universities shy away from sharing news that pesticides harm our children even though the American Academy of Pediatrics and intelligent people around the world KNOW this fact. Pesticides kill. Children should avoid them.

From the AAP:

"This statement presents the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics on pesticides. Pesticides are a collective term for chemicals intended to kill unwanted insects, plants, molds, and rodents. Children encounter pesticides daily and have unique susceptibilities to their potential toxicity. Acute poisoning risks are clear, and understanding of chronic health implications from both acute and chronic exposure are emerging. Epidemiologic evidence demonstrates associations between early life exposure to pesticides and pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, and behavioral problems. Related animal toxicology studies provide supportive biological plausibility for these findings. Recognizing and reducing problematic exposures will require attention to current inadequacies in medical training, public health tracking, and regulatory action on pesticides. Ongoing research describing toxicologic vulnerabilities and exposure factors across the life span are needed to inform regulatory needs and appropriate interventions. Policies that promote integrated pest management, comprehensive pesticide labeling, and marketing practices that incorporate child health considerations will enhance safe use."

We Moms say it is simply to be better safe than sorry. Avoid pesticides. This is increasingly difficult however, after discovering through our citizen funded testing that glyphosate is in our tap water, children's urine, breast milk, Pediasure feeding tube liquid and various cereals. The increase of GMOs has led to the increase of this herbicide containing glyphosate and Dr. Oz is one of the few in media who will address this issue.

We ask the doctors who are criticizing Dr.OZ to consider your Hippocratic Oath to first DO NO HARM. You are doing harm by condemning a person who has the courage to speak up on behalf of our children. SHAME ON YOU for being influenced by big chemical companies and slandering a truthful human being. You have an opportunity to rectify this. Do not have your legacy be one of slander and shame. Right this.

We ask our supporters to CALL these doctors and their employers and tell them your personal accounts with getting better by avoiding GMOs and pesticides and getting better when you eat organic. Ask them to retract their statement and stand up for the future of our children and the planet.

 This list of the 10 Doctors who attacked Dr. OZ  was researched by a volunteer mom who found public information. We apologize if there are any typos or inaccuracies, please alert us if you find any corrections or would like to make any additions ( ie: email addresses or fax numbers) at [email protected].

 Fran Murrell of MADGE, Dr. Antoniou, Dr. Perro, Zen Honeycutt in AU. Claire Bleakley, Zen Honeycutt and Jodie Bruning in NZ.

Glyphosate is the "active" chemical ingredient in Roundup. Roundup is sprayed on GMO foods, non organic foods as a drying agent, on the soil of non organic fields before planting and on back yard gardens, waterways, school, public roads, sidewalks and parks by the hundreds of millions of pounds per year. In 2013 alone,  the use of Roundup increase 73%.

Mothers have been seeing skyrocketing health issues. Despite our testimonies that our children get better when they avoid GMOs and glyphosate (Roundup) sprayed foods, our officials will only consider scientific studies, if anything.
Although it is unacceptable and infuriating that our leaders no longer listen to their mothers, we are glad for the scientists who are asking the right questions.

The new studies that have come out this week are groundbreaking and will have everyone listening not only to mothers, but to their own conscience, heart and soul...and they will know what needs to be done.

Over 80,000 people packed the aisles of the Natural Products Expo West in Anheim CA, shoulder to shoulder we could just barely get glimpse at the booths and talk to the vendors for a moment. Usually I video tape and interview the vendors but this year it was too noisy.  I took pictures and notes instead.

The theme of the largest health expo in the USA, NPEW. March 5-8th, 2015  literally jumped out at me over and over again for 4 days.

Our Health Matters and the gut has everything to do with it.

Signs of gut dysbiosis at the beginning stages of life showed up immediately. I was glad to see Natren address the need for a dairy free and vegan infant probiotic, but saddened by the thought of new mothers not only dealing with the loss of sleep, but with a child wracked with pain from allergies, leaky gut and gut dysbiosis.

It was almost like seeing an old friend when I stopped at the booth of MRM. This is the product my naturopath suggested to help seal my son's gut when he had gut dysbiosis, to take every morning, preceeding a raw organic green drink and a few vitamins he was lacking. While eating GMO free and mostly organic, he soon got better and experiences almost no allergic reactions today. His walnut allergy has dropped from a 19 to a 0.2.

I didn't know why then... why my children had multple food allergies when my husbad and I never did, or why they were vitamin deficient, or had perferations in their small inetstine,  but I know now. I know that GMOs are either genetically engineered to BE a pesticide or to withstand herbicides which destroy the healthy gut bacteria and allow the proliferation of the pathogenic bacteria, leading to gut dysbiosis and numerous health issues. I know an entire generation of children are being compromised only to line the pockets of huge corporation CEOs with profit. I know it because I see it with my own eyes and have hundreds of testimonials from mothers. 

The result of chemcial farming is a whole generation of children who need gluten free, nut free, dairy free, egg free,and soy free food in order to survive. We have suddenly found ourselves with a new "normal"...not being able to feed our neighbor's children during a play date and not being able to allow our children to eat any food when they go to a birthday party. Many of us know now however that in order to avoid toxic pesticides, it cannot be just gluten free or non GMO Project verified, it MUST be organic. We mother's struggle with being able to find allergen free, gluten free AND organic. I was grateful to find several brands making life easier for parents everywhere. This blog is not about marketing. I am not being paid to present these brands to you. I write, unpaid by any of these companies, to share SOLUTIONS.

I was happy to see Amazing Foods and The Sprouted Flour makes both organic and gluten free flours and mixes.

Several grain product companies offered organic ancient and sprouted grains, which mean less gluten, more vitamins and nutrients.

I was happy to see organic tamales! Yeay! GMO corn make sup 90% of our corn crops in America today. Non GMO and organic corn tamales are not easy to come by.

At many booths I was thrilled to be greeted by a Mom, the founder and driving force behind healthy organic foods.

"Mom Made" and Love & Hummus Co. spend the extra time and energy to make sure it is organic for you. 

I was also glad to see the rise of organic stevia, organic being crucial to avoid Roundup (glyphosate). Consumers are learning that the most widely used herbicide in the world, Roundup (glyphosate) is sprayed on crops as a dessicant or drying agent, at harvest to speed up the process of harvest. We want to avoid glyphosate, which is a patented antibiotic ( destroys gut bacteria and weakens the immune system), chelator  ( mineral deficiency) and endocrne disruptor ( birth defects, infertility and sterility). We want only organic and non GMO sweetners (aspartame is GMO)  void of toxic pesticides. This is a stand for fair trade labor as well, as we know now that 20,000 young men who worked on sugar crops sprayed with Rpundup (glyphosate) in South America died from live and kidney disease...glyphosate is recognized on the EPA fact sheet to cause "liver and kidney damage". Correlation is not causation but as Robyn O'Brien says, it does deserve investigation. As a mother I add that it deserves speculation and  precaution as well.

Better to be safe than sorry.

There is no need to feed our children GMO high fructose corn syrup or Roundup ( glyphosate) sprayed non organic sugar cane which is allowd to have 25 ppm of glyphosate. There is no need to expose them to toxins. It is unecessary and unjust if one cannot afford organic.

I was glad to see organic stevia and organic cane sugar ingredients in products such as Veri organic soda. I was dismayed recently to see Blue Sky organic soda dissapear fom the shelves. "Natural" sodas are not good enough. It must be organic.

 Another rare sight to see was organic Beef Jerky, grass fed and on non GMO grains. Were this brand available across the nation, snacking would be safer and free of toxins. Belinski's sausage was delicious and contained only a handful of wholesome ingredients.

One of the products that made me the happiest to see was Cultured & Saucy probiotic condiments. Many American's are not used to the concept of feremented or cultured foods, and yet almost every other culture consumes these healthy, gut healing foods with nearly every meal. The Mediterraneans consume yogurt daily, the Japanese; Miso, the Koreans; pickled/fermented vegetables, and the Europeans eat saurkraut regularly. These foods restore the healthy bacteria in the gut, where 70% of our immune system lies. Eating these foods with our meals is as crucial as avoiding GMOs and Glyphosate and eating organic. It takes some getting used to to eat a tablespoon of raw organic saurkraut with every lunch and dinner, so some many want to flavor their salsa or munch on probiotic hors d'oeurves instead. However, you get fermented or cultured foods into your diet do it.  Your stomach will sing, your moods will lift and your energy will return. Restore your gut bacteria, heal your gut, regain your immune system.

 Organic MEANS Non GMO and no toxic pesticides. Eat organic and add cultured foods into your diet.

 Thanks to all the dedicated people who take the extra effort to use organic ingredients, who buck the system and avoid GMO, chemically farmed foods. Thank you to all the food manufacturers who go the extra mile to feed America organic.

Zen Honeycutt

The information below is not medical advice, it is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor for your health care.

To all those who have loved ones who are ill.