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A democratic government is elected and run by the people, and it ought to serve as the arbiter of fair business while making sure that the rights and well-being of its citizens are protected.
But as we have seen all too often in the United States, many corporations use their power and influence to make sure that rules are bent to meet their needs, even if it puts consumers in jeopardy.
While these corporations may see profit and domination as their raison d’être, what they fail to comprehend is that this behavior often results in individuals losing trust in government institutions, not to mention an assault against our fellow human beings.
Nothing could illustrate this better than the emotional documentary Into the Weeds: Dewayne “Lee” Johnson vs. Monsanto Company.
The film follows the heroic plight of Lee Johnson, a groundskeeper from California, who suffers excess exposure to Monsanto’s glyphosate weedkiller Ranger Pro, a commercial-grade variant of Roundup — the most widely used herbicide in the world.
Unbeknownst to him, exposure to this toxic chemical — one that is linked to cancer, kidney and liver disease, endocrine disruption, and microbiome disruption in humans, soil, insects and plants — would soon lead to Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and litigation against Monsanto itself.
Critical to the whole case was something known as The Monsanto Papers, a collection of documents that were obtained during the pre-trial discovery process, where prosecutors received access to a slew of internal Monsanto emails, texts, studies and reports. The scientific manipulation, collusion with the EPA, harassment of journalists, ghostwriting and other previously unknown information all painted a clear picture to the jury about what Monsanto knew and how it operated, both of which helped secure a victory for Lee Johnson.
“The whole idea was to create a historical record of this moment, so it could not be forgotten, despite the perils of going up against this company,” said Jennifer Baichwal, the filmmaker. “What really struck me was the corporate malfeasance. These are ordinary people, doing this for their job and living ordinary lives, and they have had to suffer greatly, all because of corporate interests.”
”We believe Lee Johnson’s brave fight for justice is a call to action for all of us — to take a stand against the corporate denialism that has allowed agrochemical companies to go unchecked for far too long,” added Jyoti Stephens, vice president of mission & strategy at Nature’s Path Organic Foods, a supporter of the film.
ORGANIC IS NOT IMMUNE
What allowed this entire story to unfold in the first place was regulatory capture, enabled by Monsanto’s tremendous influence at the EPA.
Unfortunately, regulatory capture is also omnipresent at the USDA with the National Organic Program. The allowance of hydroponics and factory dairy farms serve as two prime examples of this, thanks to pressure from lobbyists and corporate agribusiness.
Understanding that these policies are a violation of what our industry is supposed to represent, the two most important add-on labels in organic — Regenerative Organic Certified® and the Real Organic Project — both prohibit hydroponics and factory farms. Additionally, some of the most respected organic certifiers in the country have signed a document telling the USDA that it is wrong about hydroponics.
And the harm caused by this regulatory capture?
Consumers are losing choice at the supermarket, making it increasingly harder to find legitimately produced organic food, and organic farmers who follow the letter and spirit of the law are finding it harder, if not impossible, to stay in business. Ed Maltby, executive director of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, has been warning about this for years, and there is a reason that Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg started the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership.
Equally as damaging is that the more corporations manipulate the agencies that are supposed to regulate them, the more that consumers lose faith in the government’s ability and willingness to protect their best interests.
Not exactly a winning formula for a well-functioning society.
CLOSING NOTES
1) Into the Weeds is an extremely important and powerful movie, and for those interested in seeing it, the film will be released on DVD within the next month and then digitally, on iTunes and other outlets, by the end of the year. A deal with a streamer should come after that. If you’d like to host a screening in your local area or for more information, please visit the film’s website.
2) Last year, a bill was introduced to Congress that would prohibit local regulation of pesticide use. If passed as an amendment to the 2023 Farm Bill, this would overturn all local pesticide laws that go further than the federal-level pesticide restrictions.
Please contact your senators and representatives in Washington, D.C. and tell them that this is completely unacceptable. More information can be found here.
COMMON GROUND AND 100 MILLION ACRES
Another important movie that was just released and is now showing at theaters across the country is Common Ground, the highly anticipated sequel to the Netflix hit Kiss the Ground.
From the filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell, the movie unveils a dark web of money, power and politics behind our broken food system, and it showcases how regenerative agriculture can help balance the climate, save our health and stabilize America’s economy — before it’s too late.
In conjunction with the film, which was heavily supported by the non-profit organization Kiss the Ground, a new campaign has been launched called the 100 Million Acres Initiative. This movement aims to engage individuals, farmers and brands to reach a “tipping point” of 100 million acres of certified regenerative systems by 2025 (out of the 900 million acres of range and farmland in the U.S.).
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With gratitude, 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
A complete travesty. The EPA continues to ignore the real world danger of whole pesticide formulations, putting chemical companies (again) ahead of consumers.
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