Alliance for Food & Farming

The Alliance for Food and Farming, an agribusiness group representing the bulk of conventional produce growers in California -- and seemingly the only organization in existence that doesn't want people to have information about which fruits and veggies come with multiple pesticides -- sent me a list of questions after...
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alex f (has huffpo blog)

uesday, July 2, 2013

The Alliance for Food and Farming, which is run out of a P.O. box in

Watsonville, Calif., claims to extol the health benefits of consuming

both conventional and organic produce and maintains that its members

include both conventional and organic farmers.

However, the Alliance’s own website is nothing short of an online

shrine to man-made pesticides and foods that delivers those toxic

residues directly to the consumer, making clear that it’s an

agribusiness front group and hardly an outfit that most organic farmers

would knowingly associate with.

In fact, the website makes some rather bold assertions that couldn’t

help but anger any “organic farmers” in its membership, including these:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BbLYL-9tYtw">Conventional farming is better for the environment than organic farming</a>

and,

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BbLYL-9tYtw">Choosing between organic and conventional is similar to picking a Ford over a Chevy</a>

and,

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sUiDBNVoVhw#at=108">There are no real benefits of consuming organically grown foods</a>

I took a deep dive into the Alliance’s website and couldn’t find a

single bit of content highlighting the difference between conventional

and organic agriculture – even though there are many. There’s not a word

of praise for “members” who choose to grow crops without synthetic

pesticides. And there isn’t a single statement about the potential

health and environmental benefits of selecting organic produce – which,

of course, is the primary message of organic farmers and their vendors.

And that’s not too surprising when you take a look at the Alliance’s <a href="http://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/sites/default/files/2012-tax-return.pdf">2012 California tax return</a>. It shows that the biggest contributors to the Alliance were a who’s who of chemical agribusiness groups:

California Grape & Tree Fruit:  $15,950</li><li>

California Pear Advisory Board:  $5,000</li><li>

California Strawberry Commission:  $15,000</li><li>

California Carrot Advisory Board:  $10,000</li><li>

Produce Marketing Association:  $11,500</li><li>

River Ranch Fresh Foods, LLC:  $6,000</li><li>

Western Growers:  $12,000</li><li>

Taylor Farms:  $12,000</li><li>

California Tomato Farmers:  $10,000</li><li>

U.S. Apple Association:  $10,000</li><li>

U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council:  $15,000</li><li>

Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association:  $5,000</li><li>

United Fresh Produce Association:  $5,000</li><li>

California Raisin Marketing Board:  $8,000</li></ul>

All this made me wonder. Just how much time and money is the Alliance

spending to promote the wares and values of its supporters in organic

cultivation?

A review of the <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/770/438/2011-770438244-087ec3c3-9O.pdf">Alliance’s federal 2011 Form 990</a>,

which all non-profits are required to file, shows that the group paid

$178,554 to “The Communications Department, Inc.,” a mysterious firm

claiming to specialize in “public relations, issues management and

marketing,” according to its <a href="http://www.thecommunicationsdepartment.com/">one-page website</a>.

It turns out that the firm not only shares the same address and phone

number as the Alliance for Food and Farming, but the executive director

of the Alliance, Marilyn Dolan, is also a shareholder in Communications

Department, Inc., according to the Alliance’s federal tax forms.

Ms. Dolan and the Alliance for Food and Farming have focused not on

promoting organic agriculture, but rather on encouraging consumers to

eat their pesticides right along with their fruits and vegetables. And

at the same time they’ve spent a considerable amount of time (and,

likely, resources) attacking EWG’s <a href="http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/">Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce</a>. In 2010, in fact, the Alliance applied for and won<a href="http://www.ewg.org/agmag/2010/09/taxpayers-funding-pro-pesticide-pr-campaign"> a $180,000, taxpayer-funded grant</a> from the U.S. Department of Agriculture specifically to fuel its assault on EWG’s Shopper’s Guide.

Dolan recently told an industry publication, <a href="http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Alliance-for-Food-and-Farming-takes-on-Dirty-Dozen-212324001.html">The Packer</a>,

that she and the Alliance are planning a similar campaign against

efforts to require labeling of genetically engineered foods. That’s yet

another affront to its “members” from organic agriculture.
[<a href="http://www.foodsafetynews.com/author/mdolan/">http://www.foodsafetynews.com/author/mdolan/</a>rubber bands but no chem problems, pretends to be consumer safety

[The Communications Department

PO Box 2747, Watsonville, CA 95077

831.786.1665

831.786.1668

<a href="mailto:info@thecommunicationsdepartment.com?subject=Welcome%20to%20The%20Communications%20Department">info@thecommunicationsdepartment.com</a>whois:

Tech Email: <img alt="Email Masking Image" src="http://who.is/dimages/text/af3ceeb71baf8bb.png" class="email_image" />@MJRCG.COM
enom:mjr is a www PR shophttps://www.linkedin.com/company/mjr-creative-group?trk=ppro_cprofRegistrant Name: RYAN FOOTE

Registrant Organization: MJR CREATIVE GROUP

Registrant Street: 1114 FULTON ST.

Registrant City: FRESNO

Registrant State/Province: CA

Registrant Postal Code: 93728

Registrant Country: US

Registrant Phone: +1.5594991930

Registrant Phone Ext:

Registrant Fax: +1.5594991930

Registrant Fax Ext:

Registrant Email: <img alt="Email Masking Image" src="http://who.is/dimages/text/e48ce3648de79e3.png" class="email_image" />@MJRCG.COM

Compare that with the <a href="http://www.ota.com/index.html">Organic Trade Association</a>, or OTA, an organization that actually represents organic farmers, organic food and companies that deliver products free of toxic pesticides.

From OTA’s website:

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business

association for the organic industry in North America. OTA’s mission is

to promote and protect organic trade to benefit the environment,

farmers, the public, and the economy. OTA envisions organic products

becoming a significant part of everyday life, enhancing people's lives

and the environment. OTA is committed to increasing the amount of

agricultural land under organic management for the good of the planet

and its inhabitants. A healthy supply chain is integral to the continued

growth of the organic industry and to consumer choice in the

marketplace.

Now we’re getting somewhere.  Of course, OTA takes a much different

view than the Alliance when it comes to the differences between chemical

and organic agriculture. <a href="http://www.ota.com/organic/environment/environmental.html">Here are a few facts, courtesy of OTA’s website:</a>

Is organic agriculture better for the environment?

Organic agricultural production benefits the environment by using earth-friendly agricultural methods and practices.

Does organic farming help protect our water supply?

Researchers studying water quality in 20 of the largest and most

important U.S. river basins found 83 pesticides and breakdown products

in water and 32 pesticides in fish or streambed sediment. More than half

the streams sampled had concentrations of at least one pesticide that

exceeded guidelines for protecting aquatic life.

The Association’s website also lays out in great detail how pesticide pollution from conventional agribusiness has <a href="http://www.ota.com/organic/environment/water_safety.html">degraded the quality of much of the nation’s water</a>:

Is organic better for the health of the planet and those who live on it?

Organic agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by

reducing the overall exposure to toxic chemicals from synthetic

pesticides that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply,

and that are associated with health consequences, from asthma to cancer.

Because organic agriculture doesn’t use toxic and persistent

pesticides, choosing organic products is an easy way to help protect

yourself.

The OTA provides additional information about the risks pesticides

can pose to especially vulnerable populations, including pregnant women

and young children, which can be <a href="http://www.ota.com/organic/health/environment/pregnant/women/children/exposure.html">found here</a>:

If that’s not enough to convince you that the Organic Trade

Association – not the Alliance for Food and Farming – is the group

looking out for the interests of organic agriculture, the consumers who

buy and eat organic food and the overall health of people and

environment, <a href="http://www.ota.com/OTAresponds.html">click here</a>.

Any remnants of doubt about which organization truly supports and

advocates for organic food will wash away – unlike those pesky pesticide

residues that come with crops produced by the conventional agriculture

operations that the Alliance for Food and Farming is really

representing.==

JUST

HOURS after EWG released our 2016 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in

Produce™, the Alliance for Food and Farming, a chemical agribusiness

front group, launched an all-out media blitz to try to discredit the

guide and silence us!

                        </span></font><p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1461946934902_16486" style="margin:1em auto;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">For

years, the Alliance has been spending hundreds of thousands of dollars

claiming that EWG “scares people fat” and alleging we are “anti-fruits

and veggies.”---
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/alliance-for-food-and-farming/">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/alliance-for-food-and-farming/</a>

Junk Food Is "Safe," Too, But That's Not the Whole Story
Alex Formuzis | Posted 10.14.2012 | Green
Read More: Junk Food, Pesticides, Michael Pollan, Organic Food, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dirty Dozen Fruits and Vegetables, Alliance for Food and Farming, Dr. Oz Show, Environmental Working Group, Green News
Alex Formuzis

But regularly choosing unhealthy junk food and consuming produce that's heavy in chemical residues could both, over time, pose a risk to your health.

Read Whole Story
EWG's Answers to The Alliance for Food and Farming
Alex Formuzis | Posted 09.24.2012 | Green
Read More: Alliance for Food and Farming, Pesticides, Ewg, Ewg Shoppers Guide 2012, Organic, Dirty Dozen List, Green News
Alex Formuzis

People don't want to eat food contaminated with pesticides. That's why millions of Americans have referred to EWG's Shopper's Guide when buying both conventional and organic fruits and vegetables.

Read Whole Story
EWG Wants You to Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables
Alex Formuzis | Posted 07.15.2012 | Home
Read More: Dirty Dozen Fruits and Vegetables, Alliance for Food and Farming, Pesticides, Organic Produce, Pesticides Food, Home News
Alex Formuzis

In June 1993, the Environmental Working Group released a report titled "Pesticides in Children's Food." In the very first line of the forward to that ...

Read Whole Story
Are Pesticide Sprayers "Health Experts?" Seriously?
Alex Formuzis | Posted 06.10.2012 | Green
Read More: Pesticides, Alliance for Food and Farming, Organic Food, Pesticides Children, Pesticides Food, Green News
Alex Formuzis

New online videos from a chemical agribusiness front group show conventional growers straining to convince consumers that it's just fine to eat bug killers and weed killers.

VP for strategic campaigns, EWG Action Fund

New online videos from a chemical agribusiness front group show

conventional growers straining to convince consumers that it’s just fine

to eat bug killers and weed killers.</div>

The Alliance for Food and Farming, or AFF, which has lobbied the U.S. Department of Agriculture to <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.ewg.org/agmag/2011/05/their-spray-rigs-in-a-twist/" target="hplink">tone down its annual pesticide residue tests</a> on fruits and vegetables, has <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/ask-the-experts" target="hplink">rolled out short videos</a> in which California farmers answer questions usually reserved for scientists and health experts.</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Among AFF’s unsupported claims:</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Is organic farming better for the environment than conventional farming?</div>

AFF says: No. Rod Braga, a vegetable farmer from Soledad, Calif., says conventional agriculture is actually “very much easier on the environment.” </div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Truth: The

environmental benefits of organic agriculture far outweigh any offered

up by conventional operations. Conventional farmers apply <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/pestsales/" target="_hplink">more than one billion pounds</a>

of highly toxic manmade pesticides and fungicides each year. These

chemicals pollute not only the food supply but also air, drinking water

and ultimately people’s bodies. They have been found in the umbilical

cord blood of <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/execsumm.php" target="hplink">newborns</a>. Chemical fertilizer <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.ewg.org/losingground/report" target="hplink">runoff from Midwest crop operations</a> has introduced so much nitrate into the Mississippi River that the Gulf of Mexico <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.msrivercollab.org/news" target="hplink">has a Dead Zone</a> the size of New Jersey literally chocking off aquatic life. Mega-farms throughout the country have also played a <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.ewg.org/agmag/2012/01/the-farm-bill-is-a-climate-bill/" target="hplink">significant role in greenhouse gas emissions</a>. </div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Are pesticides used in organic farming different from those used in conventional farming?</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">AFF: Not

really. Grape and blueberry farmer Jon Marthedal of Fresno, Calif.,

contends that pesticides used on conventional agriculture are “really just synthetic versions of the organic compounds we use in our organic operations.” </div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Truth: The U.S.

has never banned or restricted the use of any organic pest control

chemical because of potential risks to human health or the environment.

Not one. However, dozens of conventional pesticides have been <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/restricted.htm" target="_hplink">banned or their uses severely restricted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> for several reasons, including health and environmental risks.

Is organic produce healthier than conventionally grown produce?</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">AFF: Nope. Marthedal dismisses the question as, “Do I want to drive a Chevy, or do I want to drive a Ford?”</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Truth: <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0012346" target="_hplink">A study published in September 2010</a>

by scientists at Washington State University found that organically

grown strawberries from California not only tasted better but also

provided more nutrients than those grown with synthetic pesticides. </div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text"><a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/sustainable-food/more-proof-organic-matters.html" target="_hplink">Jane Black wrote in the Washington Post:</a></div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">A new study of

13 pairs of conventional and organic California strawberry farms over

two seven-month growing seasons in 2004 and 2005 revealed that organic

farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the

soil more healthful and genetically diverse. In a surprising twist, the

organic strawberries also had a longer shelf life than the other

varieties.</div>

</blockquote>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Should I be worried about pesticide residues on my fruits and vegetables?</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">AFF: No. In

tackling this question, farmer Marthedal said he and his family have

farmed the same land for 100 years while spraying pesticides on their

crops. </div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Truth: Dietary

exposures to pesticides, particularly for children and babies in the

womb, may cause adverse health effects including <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1104615" target="hplink">neurologic impairments and low birth weight</a>. Last year, three separate studies arrived at similar conclusions: <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.enviroblog.org/2011/04/prenatal-pesticide-exposure-linked-to-diminished-iq.html" target="hplink">Prenatal pesticide exposure is linked to diminished IQ</a></div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Other health problems that have been linked to low-dose exposure to pesticides include disruption of the <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://journals.lww.com/epidem/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2006&issue=01000&article=00012&type=abstract" target="hplink">hormonal system</a>, lower levels of testosterone and other hormones, <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19571777" target="hplink">leukemia</a>, lymphoma and <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2799466/" target="_hplink">Parkinson’s disease</a>.</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">In announcing these new videos defending pesticides on produce, AFF executive director Marilyn Dolan <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fruit-vegetable-farmers-talk-pesticide-174000010.html" target="_hplink">said</a>, “Who better to talk with consumers about how fruits and vegetables are grown than the farmers of these products themselves?” </div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">When I want an

expert opinion on whether or not I should drink or smoke, I don’t ask

the owner of the local liquor store if the cigarettes and bourbon he’s

peddling are safe for my health.</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">The answers given by these farmers are riddled with half-truths, misleading statements and outright falsehoods. </div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">Just last month

Arysta LifeScience, the maker of a toxic pesticide used primarily by

California and Florida strawberry growers, decided to <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.ewg.org/release/strawberries-youll-love" target="_hplink">pull one of its signature products, methyl iodide</a>,

from the market. The company acted under pressure calls for a ban from

the public, leading scientific and public health experts and

farmworkers. Members of the AFF fought a ban every step of the way. </div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">The same crew

took a similar stance when the predecessor to methyl iodide, methyl

bromide, was being phased out for depleting the ozone layer.

Representatives of the strawberry and tomato growers — the two crops

that used the highly toxic pesticide — gained exemptions from the 1992

international agreement, commonly called the Montreal Protocol, which

set in motion a worldwide effort to phase out all ozone depleting

chemicals by 2000. Agribusiness vigorously opposed the methyl bromide

ban. The United States is the only industrial country still using the

fumigant, with 1.7 million pounds applied in California during the <a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pur/pur10rep/chmrpt10.pdf" target="_hplink">latest reporting year available, 2010</a>, courtesy of the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation.</div>

<div class="content-list-component mt-paragraph text">When chemical-dependent agriculture takes a page from the<a data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entry_text="entry_text" lnid="lnid" citation="citation" mpid="mpid" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDAmPIq29ro" target="_hplink"> “All is well!” scene from Animal House</a>

and tries to persuade you that pesticides in our food and environment

are perfectly fine, just remember who is delivering that message.</div></div></div>--

Read Whole Story
Their Spray Rigs in a Twist
Ken Cook | Posted 07.13.2011 | Green
Read More: Pesticides, Produce, Tom Vilsack, Agriculture, Pesticide Data Program, Obama, Organic, Shopper’S Guide to Pesticides, National Academy of Sciences, Usda, Agribussiness, Farm Bill, Poison, Nutrition, Alliance for Food and Farming, Pesticide, Pesticide Lobbyists, Fresh Vegetables, Pesticides Produce, Organic Fruit, Fresh Fruit, Green News
Ken Cook

It apparently doesn't occur to the pesticide-produce lobby that the reason sales for organic products have surged is because they taste better and don't deliver toxic pesticides into one's daily diet.

Read Whole Story
U.S. Spends $180K To Promote Pesticide Residues On Food
Adam Morganstern | Posted 05.25.2011 | Home
Read More: Alliance for Food and Farming, Fruits, Pesticides, Food Safety, Environmental Working Group, Vegetables, Dirty Dozen List, Home News
Adam Morganstern

The EWG is asking California to reconsider a $180,000 grant given to a group to combat the negative public perception of pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables.

Read Whole Story
Taxpayers Funding Pro-Pesticide PR Campaign
Donald Carr | Posted 05.25.2011 | Green
Read More: Fruits and Vegetables, Alliance for Food and Farming, Farming, Organic Farming, Pesticides, Clean Fifiteen, Farm, Big Ag, Agriculture, Residue, Shoppers Guide to Pesticides, Farm Subsidies, Environmental Working Group, Dirty Dozen, Organic, Organics, Green News
Donald Carr

The Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF), a California trade association, wants you to have less information about pesticide residues on the fruits and...

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Hold the Mayo, Extra Pesticides
Donald Carr | Posted 05.25.2011 | Home
Read More: Pesticides, Farming, Produce, Shoppers Guide, Agriculture, Clean Fifteen, Ewg, Organic, Usda, Fruit, Chemical, Contamination, Farm, Vegetables, Alliance for Food and Farming, Environmental Working Group, Dirty Dozen, Home News
Donald Carr

If Big Agriculture wants to promote healthier diets, it should stop attacking critics and focus on growing vegetables and fruits that are chemical-free -- and also tasty.

==