The Scary Truth About the Big Monsanto Payout

It’s payback time.

Just as we thought they would, Monsanto’s sinister ways have caught up to it. A jury in California just ordered the company to cut a check for $289 million.

It’s too bad Dewayne Johnson won’t be able to enjoy the money, though. He’s dying.

His lawyers and at least 12 jurors are convinced Monsanto’s omnipresent weedkiller is responsible for the former school groundskeeper’s terminal cancer.

“The jury found Monsanto acted with malice and oppression because they knew what they were doing was wrong and doing it with reckless disregard for human life,” said one of Johnson’s attorneys. “This should send a strong message to the boardroom of Monsanto.”

But we beg readers not to get the wrong message.

The problem is far from solved.

Monsanto – now part of the big Bayer machine – will surely appeal. And it will probably win.

But even if the ruling stands and the company somehow decides to pull its poison out of our food supply, big trouble will remain.

There are lots of nasty chemicals in our food… it’s true even if you think you’re eating “healthy” organic food.

A Marketer’s Delight

Our industrialized food system is packed full of lies.

Academics Review is a nonprofit group led by academic experts in the food and agricultural sectors. It recently studied several hundred industry reports as well as nearly 2,000 news reports, marketing efforts and even speeches dating back to 1988.

What it found is shocking…

“Consumers have spent hundreds of billions of dollars purchasing premium-priced organic food products based on false or misleading perceptions about comparative product food safety, nutrition and health attributes,” and this is due to “a widespread organic and natural products industry pattern of research-informed and intentionally deceptive marketing and paid advocacy.”

Ouch.

What’s worse is the federal government is actively subsidizing the effort.

Thanks to the USDA’s Organic Seal program and its National Organic Program, consumers are being duped into believing that a sticker or seal slapped on their food somehow makes it better.

It doesn’t.

To be sure, some foods raised with organic standards do offer unique benefits. Organic, grass-fed beef has proven to be much healthier than feedlot-raised steers. The meat is leaner, contains more omega-3 fatty acids and has higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid, which is known to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

We’ve written before about the devastating trend that has lowered the amount of vitamins and nutrients in the fruits and vegetables on our tables. But according to a recent Stanford study, that’s equally true of organic and conventional produce.

We’ve also written extensively about some of the dirty tricks used by companies like Monsanto.

But a good man is a fair man. And fairness dictates we must throw stones in all directions.

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Expensive Isn’t Always Better

Few folks know it, but a groundbreaking article from Scientific American revealed, “Organic pesticides pose the same health risks as non-organic ones.”

“Natural,” the paper concludes, is not synonymous with “harmless.”

Amen.

The author of the paper, Christie Wilcox – a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hawaii – compared the organic chemicals copper sulfate and pyrethrum (used by industrial-scale organic producers) with the top synthetic competitors.

The findings were stunning. The organic versions were more acutely and chronically toxic.

Ruh-roh.

Monsanto is not the only one in hot water.

Wilcox found that copper sulfate – again, a popular chemical in the industrial organics game – is far more dangerous than synthetic alternatives.

You won’t see that fact on an organic label.

Further, a study of rotenone – an oft-used plant-derived chemical used to kill anything from insects and weeds to even fish – has been shown to be quite dangerous to humans.

In fact, several studies have linked the “organic” chemical to Parkinson’s disease. A surprising 2010 study showed that even undetectable levels of the chemical caused symptoms of the disease in lab mice.

Another study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health showed a clear link between rotenone and Parkinson’s disease in farmworkers.

And a study out of Texas found, get this, the Parkinson’s risk associated with rotenone was five times higher than that associated with chlorpyrifos, the synthetic alternative.

The clear conclusion? “Organic” does not equal “safe.”

Dare we say it, but there is no scientific evidence that shows an organic diet leads to better health.

Most folks have no idea.

No. They see the “Organic” label and feel good as they add food to their carts. They have no clue of the grand marketing scheme behind it all. And they have no clue of the huge industrial system pulling the strings.

Your Only Option

The solution to this problem ties directly to our Triad. The solution requires Know-How.

We must be educated about the situation.

If not, we’ll get duped.

Big Government will grow. Our pockets will get lighter. And our health will suffer.

Our fix continues to be a simple message: Buy local.

Do not buy your next meal from the Big Ag system. Shun it.

We can buy very few things in our modern culture locally. But in this rare case, the idea of buying local is actually possible.

Our family is lucky. We have the land and the skills to grow our own food. But not everybody does. And that’s okay. We’re sure there’s a small-scale butcher near to you. And we’re positive his steers aren’t coming from Brazil. No, they’re coming from just down the road – most likely from a small, nonindustrialized farm.

And there’s certainly a local produce seller nearby. This time of the year, they’re overflowing with cheap, well-grown fruits and vegetables… that aren’t sprayed with preservatives to ensure they make the long, hot trip across the country. While they may not shine like an apple coming off a factory conveyor belt, they are certainly better for you.

Buying food locally will cost more. We’re okay with that. It’s the nation’s demand for cheap – not healthy – food that has spurred this dangerous industrialization.

To cut costs, take advantage of your Connections. Get to know local growers. Buy in bulk. And buy with family or friends.

Just don’t fall for the tricks of the trade. “Organic” is not always better.

It’s an idea that will be all over the news… when folks start getting sick and the lawsuits pop up a decade from now.