In this post, I will walk you through exactly what to do when you are attacked online for being part of the good food revolution. There are a lot detractors who have banded together to stop the social media fire storm we activists have created to educate the public about the impact of factory farming, GMOs and chemical additives in our food supply. We are finally getting evidence of who’s behind this opposition, (and there is a lot more evidence coming). Please after you’ve read this – share this with your friends and family. We need to expose their tactics and tricks, and arm our loved ones with the truth!
In the past year, we’ve been able to influence several multi-million dollar food companies into improving their products and policies, and as a result we are front-and-center on the minds of the food industry. They are paying attention to us and the work that we are doing – actually they are watching every step we take! I’m thrilled with the impact of our activism and what it has done to rock the industry, yet when the following announcement popped in my inbox… I was floored!
“Food Babe and her following” are being DIRECTLY TARGETED by Ketchum PR firm. Yes, us!!!
Who is Ketchum? They are the PR firm that represents The Council for Biotechnology Information (the biotech industry group openly funded by BASF, Bayer, Dow, DuPont, Monsanto, Syngenta) to run the industry website GMO Answers that promotes GMO technology.
Ketchum hosted a panel at a conference in December in Paris, which was dedicated to strategies for how to “tackle” us – the Food Babe Army – and other activists who care deeply about our food supply. They mention the need for this panel is that we have had a “negatively impact” on the food industry.
Negative impact?!?! Apparently they think doing away with synthetic chemicals, routine antibiotics, controversial food additives, and increasing transparency in the food supply is a negative impact.
The President of Monsanto Canada, Michiel De Jongh, was recently commenting on the Food Babe facebook page in an effort to defend the use of GMOs…. (they are obviously paying attention to us!)…
Is our work negatively impacting the public or the bottom line of the food companies? The answer is obvious.
Just in the last few weeks major food companies like Campbell’s, General Mills, Mars and Conagra all agreed to label GMOs – just like they already do in 64 other countries in the world. The work we do now will impact the lives of millions of people for years down the road. We have created a marketplace for more organic food and more people are going to be healthier as a result.
“For the large established food companies, this is having disastrous consequences. Per capita soda sales are down 25 percent since 1998, mostly replaced by water… Sales of packaged cereals…are down over 25 percent since 2000… Frozen dinner sales are down nearly 12 percent from 2007 to 2013. Sales per outlet at McDonald’s have been on a downward spiral for nearly three years, with no end in sight. To survive, the food industry will need more than its current bag of tricks.” – New York Times, 11/6/15
The food industry is not happy because this means that they won’t be able to continue profiting off of cheap additives and practices that need to change.
“The new environment is frustrating for some in the food industry after decades of technological advances to make packaged food cheaper, longer lasting and more flavorful.” – Wall Street Journal, 12/1/15
All of this is not setting well with the industry and they are hiring the big guns to spread a misinformation campaign.
Richard Berman, the director of the lobbying and PR firm Berman and Company, who stated I was a “Food Bimbo” in the Washington Times, is likely behind many of the attacks on our movement. Berman has defended the chemical industry for years through dozens of nonprofit front groups that he creates. The chief science officer of one of Berman’s front groups, Joseph Perrone, was in the news last week discussing how they are mounting a “coordinated effort” to “train the media” and combat “high profile chemical skeptics…like Jessica Alba, the “Food Babe” blogger Vani Hari, and television doctors like Mehmet Oz and Joseph Mercola”…
“Part of the firm’s tactics is to use “credible messengers” and target celebrities for visibility and humor…”
Who are these “credible messengers”? We now see CLEAR AS DAY that industry PR firms have a coordinated campaign to fight us, and we need to be prepared.
If you haven’t already, you will encounter misinformation about our movement online in major news articles, facebook, twitter… and it is ramping up. I’m going to show you some examples of what to expect and how the PR firms use “internet trolls” to play their game online.
Ketchum has a long and scandalous history of paying “freelance journalists” and bloggers to manufacture news articles that support their clients interests, which appeared on national and local media outlets across the country (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Likewise and most recently, Ketchum is suspected to be secretly working with journalists to spew Monsanto propaganda and write disgraceful smear campaigns about activists (see 1, 2, 3, 4).
If you follow me on social media, if you’ve tweeted me and seen me on Facebook, or even read about our work in the news, you’ve probably seen campaigns trying to discredit me using articles such as this that quote professors who were paid by Monsanto underhandedly.
PR companies and the rise of internet trolls on Twitter and Facebook…
Ketchum once openly admitted how they use social media to combat negative press about GMOs, and then they attempted to flush this embarrassing video from the internet after their tactics were exposed by U.S. Right To Know.
“According to a Ketchum video, “positive media coverage has doubled. On Twitter, where we closely monitor the conversation, we’ve successfully balanced 80% of interactions with detractors.”…The American Farm Bureau Federation also boasts of Ketchum’s social media work in support of GMOs and the agrichemical industry. According to Andrew Walmsley of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Ketchum “seeks out negative (biotech-related) tweets on Twitter. We started that earlier this year. They’ll monitor for negative tweets and then ask (the author) to check out GMOanswers… Since we launched that there’s been about an 80 percent reduction in negative Twitter traffic as it relates to GMOs.” – Source: U.S. Right To Know
The reason that they use this technique is to create shame in sharing content (so we stop) and to create the illusion that there is negativity and ignorance around our work. They want to confuse you. So you never know who to trust and what to believe. Whereas, if you look into it, you’ll see all of the experts – scientists, non-profit groups, my advisory council – that support the removal of chemical food additives, GMOs, routine antibiotics, and the ingredients that we have campaigned about. The trolls have no basis for their negative claims about the work we do, but they keep on repeating them until someone believes it to be true.
The use of internet trolls to spread corporate and political messages on Facebook and Twitter is rampant (sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 ) and Monsanto reportedly has “an entire department dedicated to ‘debunking’ science which disagreed with theirs”. Although internet trolling has historically been effective, more people are waking up to this game and the players are getting exposed.
Some of the trolls are actual University Professors.
The Troll Game Book: How Trolls Try To Undermine Us.
- Watch us like a hawk. They are watching everything we write, say, tweet, facebook, and comment. They are always watching and looking for something (anything) to use against us.
- Monitor anytime our work is featured positively and send in a troll army to comment negatively about it.
- Promote industry funded propaganda about GMOs, farming, and food additives to blur the line between what is safe and what hasn’t been proven.
- On social media and website comment forums, use every opportunity to bash our work, using the same repeated lines over and over again – “can’t be trusted”…”fear mongerers”…”idiots”…”anti-science”… They use the same canned lines that NYU Professor Nassim Taleb has exposed in his GMO propagandists paper:
This is the basis for what is called “Astroturfing”.
Essentially, astroturfing is a term to describe fake grassroots movements generated by special interests and public-relations firms (like Ketchum).
“These campaigns are designed to make it appear that an issue has widespread public support (or public opposition) even if it doesn’t. If a campaign sows enough doubt, excitement, or skepticism about a contentious issue or individual, it can shape the opinions of real people. And that’s the primary goal.” – Source: Turf Wars
To give you an example from my own life – when I am invited to speak at events, there are groups that send in their team of internet trolls to swarm the social media profiles of the organization who invited me to speak with disparaging comments about me.
They also do this when I am featured prominently in the media or when other Facebook pages share my content. For instance, when I was featured on the cover of Experience Life magazine and when Yahoo Health featured me in some videos, the “trolls” tracked down the editors of these publications and swamped them with complaints about us.
This also happens when we launch major campaigns – hundreds of profiles are activated by a group of pages and chat rooms that help each other flood Facebook messages and Twitter with opinions in opposition of what we are asking companies to do. For example, when we asked In-N-Out burger recently to stop the routine use of antibiotics, several profiles came to In-N-Out’s Facebook Page and told them specifically not to change and not to listen to “fear mongers.”
The same thing happened after I published my investigation on Boar’s Head – astroturfers went to their Facebook page and claimed “Don’t change a thing, I love your meat” and other statements to show fake support while the post was going viral and real customers were calling and contacting Boar’s Head. They also went as far as attacking innocent advocates asking for the change.
Also when Del Monte recently announced they would be moving towards non-GMO products – the astroturfers went nuts on Twitter, claiming a fake boycott – you can see the whole thread here.
Regardless of their fake grassroots movement, it did not work – within hours of launching the campaign, In-N-Out announced they will be adopting a new antibiotics policy, and I have a feeling Boar’s Head is making some major changes as well. Del Monte stood their ground because they know their customers want non-GMO food and did not react to the onslaught of fake astroturf trolls.
What should you do when attacked by internet trolls?
- Don’t be afraid and don’t let them intimidate or harass you for standing up for what you believe in. Remember that we are all in this together, and that no matter what they say to you it is only a reflection of themselves.
- Realize that you can’t change their mind no matter what you say. They are not part of our movement, they are on the wrong side of history, but we have a different mission. It’s okay to have different missions.
- Bless them and move on. Sure, if you enjoy it, you can fight with them, but you need to protect your energy. They are trying to drown you out, distract you, and many of them are paid to do this. There is really no reason to engage with them, and you can block or ban them from your social media accounts if necessary.
- Use it as an opportunity to say something positive. Share a positive result of something we have done together every time you read something negative. For example, you could say how awesome you feel giving up processed foods or GMOs and what impact paying attention to what’s in your food has helped you and your family.
For more… Watch my recent Facebook Live broadcast on how to combat trolls in 2016!
Intellectually honest people know that we are on right side of history.
Anytime a troll tries to make you feel foolish for asking questions about food, remember that it shouldn’t be an insult to want to know exactly what’s in the food we buy. Should we just trust Ketchum, Monsanto, and paid for science campaigns? Should we trust Coca-Cola when they say yeah obesity has nothing to do with Coke, we just need to exercise more? Should we believe these people? No. We need to rise up. We need to stick together. We need to stand up for what we know is right.
Please share this post with everyone you know – exposing these tactics will continue to bring major change in the food industry and equip your loved ones with the truth!
Xo,
Vani
“The truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” – Winston Churchill
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations
How to Identify and Remove Facebook Trolls, Gang-Stalkers, and Disinfo Agents
The Gentleman’s Guide To Forum Spies
Must watch 10-minute video on Astroturfing
Well what can I say, these Idiot Internet Trolls do not scare me, in the end we will win this fight, thanks to you and the Cornucopia Institute, and many moore entering the fight against these nasty Companies that are trying to kill us all, YOU GO Food Babe, you are the very BEST, Thank you so much Karin
I love internet trolls. Whenever they start their harassment, I go to work on them.
1) The GMO producers DO NOT consumer their own product.
2) GMO labeling is just a simple identifier. What are they afraid of?
3) Our food supply has never been more intoxicated… time to sober up!
These trolls never have a valid response and always show their shallowness.
I am considered a troll on this site. I grew and consumed GMO (Roundup Ready) sweet corn in my garden last year and will do it again this year. I ate it. My family ate it. A bunch of deer and raccoons found it delicious apparently. None of us has developed any extra appendages or horrible health conditions as a result of it. Deer and raccoons along with many other wildlife species are in abundance on my farm eating my newly emerging commercial GMO corn crop unfortunately. I hope when you “go to work on them” you have more ammunition than internet myths.
To hals: maybe it’s you that believes the myth that GMOs are safe. Enjoy your Roundup ready GMO corn and being part of the Monsanto clinical trial.
Info from the MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) for Roundup:
11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Data from laboratory studies CONDUCTED BY MONSANTO (*Emphasis mine)
with ROUNDUP® ORIGINAL Herbicide are summarized below:
INGESTION:
ROUNDUP®ORIGINAL herbicide is no more than slightly toxic based on toxicity studies. No significant adverse health effects are expected to develop if only small amounts (less than a mouthful) are swallowed. Ingestion of similar formulations has been reported to produce gastrointestinal discomfort with ir-
ritation of the mouth, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Oral ingestion of large quantities of one similar product has been reported to result in hypotension and lung edema.
Do you think there is a conflict of interest when Monsanto conducts studies on its own products and is solely responsible for the dissemination of that information?
Slightly what? Toxic. Notice how there is no mention of long term or accumulative effects. Is it because research has determined that there are none? No. It is because the research has not been done. But I’m sure Monsanto appreciates you doing the study for them using yourself, your wife, your children, and the local wildlife as test subjects. Do you think that by the end of the corn season you will have ingested more than a mouthful of Roundup?
If you or your family come down with GI symptoms, as the MSDS warning suggests, and you go to the doctor… Do you think your doctor will test you and your family for Roundup poisoning?
Why would you subject yourself and your family to these known toxins when you could just as easily grow completely non-toxic organic corn???
Do you smoke cigarettes? Why not? You won’t grow funny appendages doing that either. And guess what? Smoking won’t kill you. My grandpa lived to 95 after smoking more than 50 years of his life. So, light up, and have your family join you. It’s as safe as breathing. That science is from Big Tobacco in the 1970s. Enjoy.
Note the troll’s tactics: Play it off he/she’s just a regular person posting. Plays the myths/conspiracy card but refuses to address the points made.
F for FAIL, buddy.
So you’ve only been eating it for one year? Come back again after you’ve been a guinea pig for 10 years and tell us how you’re health is.
You honestly believe there will be an immediate reaction? Lol
How about LONG TERM EFFECTS Bud? Haven’t thought that far ahead? No one is immune to poison! Sorry, to burst your bubble!
I am a farmer of GMO crops and not only do I consume my end product, I cut pieces off the beets in the field as they grow to test and see how the sugars are accumulating. I chew on the alfalfa to see how the test quality will be. I am not sure how many farmers you know, but we don’t have our own food supply chain, we live and eat where we farm.
On labeling we have tried to communicate that If the end product is identical in its safety and nutritional value then label provides the false impression that it is different. Further, in the case of sugar the final product is pure sucrose so there is no genetically modified ingredients – sucrose regardless of the source is sucrose. If you want to know why we are worried about the confusion labeling may cause look at your own misunderstanding of GMO safety and who produces them. I am proud to live and work on a farm and eat what I grow. I stand by the safety and quality of my products and I strongly encourage you to find farmers near you and talk to them so you can lean and understand where your food comes from.
I appreciate your frankness Luke, and I see your point about labeling, but you are relying on food industry studies to determine safety. How can we rely on these studies when they are performed by companies with a known agenda to control the food supply and make farmers like yourself and consumers completely dependent on them. These are not well meaning business owners who care about people and the environment. They are some of the richest people on the planet and they want more control and power, and don’t really care if it hurts people or the environment. Their actions have demonstrated this time and time again. There are MANY studies demonstrating that GMOs and pesticides are NOT safe. There are MANY forward thinking doctors who recommend only organic non-processed foods. Even if scientific studies indicated that they are safe, I would still not want unnatural synthetic chemicals in my body. Therefore people should know whats in their food so they can make informed decisions about what they want to purchase. As an example, how many medications had millions of dollars worth of studies showing their safety… and then they were taken off the market due to dangerous health effects which were later discovered? Science cannot give a definitive answer even when it is done properly by unbiased independent groups (which it’s not). Although sucrose may not have any GMOs in it, it does have pesticide residue, which is the reason I buy only organic sugar personally. In addition I don’t want to support an industry that thinks it’s okay to put GMOs and chemicals in our food supply. Pesticides don’t only affect the plant, they also affect the soil, which contains a myriad of microorganisms. If the microorganisms, worms, and other soil components are adversely affected by the pesticides, then the nutrition of the soil can be adversely affected. You can add a few nutrients back into the soil to make the plant grow normally, but the plant may be lacking other nutrients. Monocrops are not the way of nature. Only modern agriculture does this, which promotes plant disease and pests… leading to more pesticides. Also bees find it hard to survive around monocrops. They need diversity to have a years’ supply of pollen. These are some of the reasons I don’t want GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides in or on my food supply, or in the environment at all. Therefore I want to know what foods contain them by labeling so I can make an informed choice whether or not to buy them. I don’t want my money going to support an industry whose ethics and morals are reprehensible in my opinion.
Thanks for the response Andy. You must share the passion for healthy soil, as you mention the microorganisms in the soil and the importance of diversity for our soils. While our knowledge of the soils is only minimal as they are so complex and full of life, I am a huge believer in cover crops and use them in rotation with my crops to help control weeds, pests and to add “green manure” to my fields (plus it is fun to have crops in the ground year round). We see great benefits from them and I believe they help us continue to reduce our crop inputs (herbicide, pesticide, diesel (less tillage), etc.). While you do not share my support GMO technology, it has been an enabler for me to use more diverse cover crops and less chemicals in my farming practice.
Unfortunately, I cannot address your concern about pesticide residue in sugar (sucrose) as I am not aware of the issue and could not find anything online addressing the issue. We have been very focused on testing for glyphosate residue and ensure there is none present in the sugar (verified by independent labs prior to transitioning to the technology) but I have not looked into pesticide residual. In part this may be a result of pests being a smaller issue for me on the farm so we don’t use much pesticide for our beets.
This is a very complected and emotionally charged topic and it is very rare for the opposing sides to agree but I am happy that you care about the soil and I hope that as we enter the next 20 years of testing gmo crops you will keep an open mind (while you eat non-gmo sugar, of course) to the positive impact some of these gmo traits can have on our environment. I will keep an open mind and a watchful eye on the crop inputs and seeds we buy to make sure we are always demanding safe inputs and using them judiciously.
While we eat mostly organic produce, I recently bought non organic sugar for a recipe I have made before. I needed to melt the sugar and I was very concerned that it did not melt properly and only crystallized. I cook regularly and knew there was something wrong. There is no proof that the non organic sugar I bought was GMO, but it certainly behaved differently from the sugar I am used too. It may have been mislabelled or mixed with another ingredient and not labelled correctly- who knows. So IMO “all sucrose regardless of the source is sucrose” may be true, but my sucrose certainly did not act like “normal” sucrose.
I don’t feel like I’m subjecting my family or wildlife to anything harmful Andy. I’ve had two colonoscopies in the last 5 years as routine physicals exams and have had no problems whatsoever. I handle more glyphosate in one morning than you will be exposed to in your entire life and I’ve been handling it routinely for over 20 years. Notice how I say glyphosate. I rarely buy the Monsanto product, Roundup. I buy generic because it’s cheaper and I don’t care for Monsanto for different reasons than you.
Fan of Food Babe…..I do and I will. You pay more for food than I do and think you are smart. If that works for you then I’m happy for you. For the record, I’m 55, very healthy and happy and I know the truth. Hopefully one day you will know it too.
I really do hope for the sake of you and your family that no ill health effects arise hals. You remind me of an older dentist I know who told me that he didn’t believe amalgam fillings containing mercury were toxic because in the old days they used to mix up the amalgam in their hands before applying the fillings, and he has never noticed any adverse effects. I thought to myself… Is he saying that he thinks the heavy metal mercury, known to be very toxic, is not toxic? My point is that toxic substances affect people differently, but in general they are capable of damaging health. I choose to avoid them as much as possible in my life because I greatly value my health and I believe that many health conditions from allergies to cancer are directly contributed to by toxins in our environment, and most significantly from our food supply. It seems an obvious choice to me if I were to grow food for myself and my family to do it organically, rather than use chemicals, and presume that since it hasn’t caused problems for me or my family yet… it must be safe.
I’ve always suspected a majority of “food babe” haters were people that either worked in the chemical industry, cheep, lazy, or just trying to make themselves feel better for not feeding their family the best food possible. So this revelation comes as no shock to me. I hope your getting paid by Monsanto Hal, because if not your missing the boat!
“Great spirits have always encountered violent oppression from mediocre minds” ~ Albert Einstein.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your diligent & steadfast labors on behalf of truth & food purity.
As one who shares a deep concern for what’s in our food, as a vegan for the last 8 years, and as one who has investigated the subject of GMOs and pesticides in our food… I can say without a doubt that the “Food Babe” is bringing us high quality truthful information about our food supply, and I greatly admire her mission and all the amazing positive changes she has brought to the food industry. Keep in mind that no matter how many trolls the food industry pays to confuse the truth about GMOs and chemicals in our food supply, we still outnumber them a million to one! The best way to respond to this new campaign to discredit food activists is to step up all of our efforts to clean up the food supply… Tell everyone that will listen about this smear campaign, buy only organic food, share all the Food Babe’s and other activists posts with all your friends and family via email, and all your social media, sign all the petitions to improve the food supply and make the food industry and government accountable for sacrificing the health of people for profits. Keep in mind that most of the science is done by the food industry, and is therefore biased… And it is painfully obvious that we should not have GMOs and toxic chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides in our food supply. This is about only one thing for the food industry, and that is profits! It is u fortunate, but they would (and do) gladly trade your health,
To Hals
Well Hal’s, u don’t have any horrible health conditions just ‘yet’. Years of consuming GMO’S will take it’s toll on you. It’s just a matter of time. Or your insides are filled with cancer that u just don’t know about, just as the person who just found out they have cancer last month and are told they have just 2 months to live. I will eat my organic and NON-GMO FOOD with the slightly higher price tag, as my life is worth it. Anyone who isn’t willing to spend extra pennies on their dollar for LIFE needs their head examined. But they will spend thousands of dollars at the doctor trying to figure out what is wrong with them, why they feel sick,,why they have cancer,,omg, the list goes on and on. I have not been sick or even had a cold in 8 years. YES 8 YEARS,,,HMMM? Wonder why? Go figure. Enough said. 🙂
Twenty years and counting Janie of planting and consuming GMO crops with zero health issues. On average I will die at 80 years of age, just like you. If eating what you eat makes you content and happy, that’s fine with me. I don’t like the lies though.
Have you ever considered that there are 57 million people on food stamps in this country? What would it do to our taxes if we go to the food system you advocate? And for no real benefit. I have a problem with this.
hals – it’s not how old you are when you die, but how you die. If you want to roll the dice and increase your chances of a long slow painful death from cancer, that’s your choice. .
Those who visit this site to learn more from the Food Babe’s efforts are, among other things, trying to avoid that. Once people realize the degree of the toxic substances, most of which didn’t even exist 100 years ago, that are in what they eat, drink, breath, and put on their skin, they are not going to be swayed back to an unhealthy lifestyle by a few words in a comment section – no matter how often they are repeated.
Some things you all should consider:
In 1900 there was no Roundup or GMO crops, no pesticides, cigarettes were not popular, no big pharma or big ag, no fluoridated water, no fast cars or even that many cars, etc. The average life expectancy then was around 48 years old. Today we have all this horrible stuff according to your beliefs yet we are living to an average age of 80. How is it that our food supply is killing millions, according to some of you here?
A 60 Minutes segment in the last year or so says that we are not only living longer but healthier. The fastest growing age group in this country is those 90 years of age and up. A long term study revealed the keys to their longevity seemed to be eating in moderation (moderation is key word) whatever they liked to eat even dessert after every meal, exercising regularly, being socially active and having a drink or two of alcohol daily.
If you choose to eat nothing but organic and non/GMO that’s fine with me and I respect your choice. However if you come to this site to get an education, you need to know your education is one sided.
It took me 3 years of research and a book given to me by my vegan brother to finally realize how to eat properly. How is the average person supposed to filter out all the fake studies, blogs and articles published by the food industry? Once you see through the lies you realize how silly they were but it can be extremely frustrating. I will not forgive the food industry for that.
Great article – thanks for your hard work.
They may “try” to confuse & make people feel bad for standing up for what’s right. BUT Truth always wins in the end! I stand with you Vani!
My husband comes from a family of farmers (large industrialized farmers) in KS. They use GMO crops and round-up on their crops. They eat their crops so this is to the farmer that posted. In the last year, FIVE have been diagnosed with cancer and two have already passed away with one more terminal! THAT is NOT coincidence.
One of the ones ‘not’ terminal has been battling leukemia (a known link to Round-up!) for several years and he does a bulk of the farming on over 2,000 acres. When my husband and I go home to visit – we do NOT eat their food!! We stop at an oranic grocery store and take our own. Yes, they understand my reasonings but are locked into stupid contracts from Monsanto that they an’t get out of until they DIE!!
My own husband six years ago had pre-cancerous polyps and found out the day we buried his sister from colon cancer (so another cancer victim, make that number six!). So, go on and believe that that crap is ‘safe’ all you want. I live with these deaths every day! I’ve lost my best friend, and am losing family at a steady rate from this crap. No, I will fight to change peoples eating habits one at a time (I am a health care provider by the way) and ensure that I do all I can to promote awareness of the dangers of GMO’s and chemicals.
RIL,
I am so sorry for all of the loss you have had in your life it is so sad and I wish your family the best. I can’t imagine how hard it is to loose so many family members.
Luke
After eating clean organic vegan for a while I tried a couple different cans of Heinz baked beans for a treat. I felt them burning in my esophagus down into my stomach. I don’t know if it was the gmo beans, the pesticides or the preservatives but my body is telling me to not eat any more poison.
Not that it would change your experience but just as a point of clarification for you, unless you were eating soybean baked beans there are not any gmo beans. I see some products at the store that say not gmo when in fact there is no gmo version and it is done for marketing.
RIL. I feel for you. I’ve locked horns with the “farmer” hals on this very fact. I grew up in an agricultural community and is known as cancer pocket. Various forms of cancer including bladder cancer…. I could go on and on. I lost my younger brother to cancer. He worked a lot of summer jobs for farmers. The brand new elementary and middle school was bilt at the edge of town with corn and soybeans all around. The children play out on the play grounds and the sports fields as the crop dusting bi-planes flying over spraying the crops. It’s so sick and sad.
Bless your sweet heart and I pray for the Almighty to comfort you.
I read this from the Mayo Clinic website about chemical causes for bladder cancer:
our kidneys play a key role in filtering harmful chemicals from your bloodstream and moving them into your bladder. Because of this, it’s thought that being around certain chemicals may increase your risk of bladder cancer. Chemicals linked to bladder cancer risk include arsenic and chemicals used in the manufacture of dyes, rubber, leather, textiles and paint products.
Doesn’t say anything about agricultural pesticides or GMO exposure, does it?
I resent very much that you try to make us farmers out to be some sort of faceless demons. I farm right next to an elementary school on one side and another private school on the other. I have always been extremely careful about applying any pesticides near them as well as anywhere else. My kids attended those schools and my friends kids do now. My kids and grandkids spend a lot of time on my farms and I want them as safe as possible. You say you grew up next to farms so you know what goes on on farms. I live near a convenience store, pass by it 4-5 times a day and stop there for various things about that many times during a week. I would never be so arrogant and stupid to say that I know the convenience store industry though. You don’t know nearly as much about farms as you think you do.
Searching online I see that the fellow, Michiel DE Jongh doesn’t just work for Monsanto, he’s the President of Monsanto in Canada.
I find it’s better to respond to them but block them 1st (on Facebook), that way others can see the response but they can’t. Trolls, Shills & Astroturfers are everywhere on any post that is about anything controversial like vaccine, GMOs, Geoengineering or just eating healthy or having a less toxic life. I’ve even seen them on pages about a local toxic hazard.
If BIO technology foods are so good for us why is the DIABETES rate projected to go up to over 400 million people in a few years??? Thats 1 in 8 people.
Yet heart attack and diabetes were unheard of in the early part of this century. So was allergies and asthma.
Have you ever been to the mall lately and seen so many fat people. They can hardly walk!
I think that you will find that the answer is referred to in the medical literature as the effect of cumulative trauma. When I was a child, during the second world war, before most of the readers of this blog were born, it was referred to as the straw that broke the camel’s back.
We can handle quite a bit of stress from poison, and usually keep functioning, often for years, and if poisoned only intermittently and not poisoned on a continual basis, we may be able to make repairs fast enough to go on for years or decades without overt symptoms even though we may be slowly going downhill.
I am deeply concerned about the dreadful state that our youth appear to be in. I see very few if them in public that don’t appear to show signs of metabolic syndrome or possibly worse.
When symptoms appear after years of cumulative trauma it is virtually impossible to prove direct causality. The best that we can do to protect ourselves is to make an assumption of causality and avoid what our good sense tells us is a probable contributing factor, such as GMO foods and glyphosate treated foods, along with chemical additives and anything that you can’t pronounce. In medicine it’s one of the procedures used for determining the cause of nebulous symptoms, like allergies, that are thought to be diet related.
So my suggested impractical treatment for the epidemic afflicting out youth is to take them all completely off of the man-made, chemical laden diets that the majority are currently ingesting and watch what I believe will be the majority of them return to “normal health”. Referring to what teenagers and young adults used to look like before the introduction of margarine followed by the demonization of healthy fats and the substitution of unhealthy, chemical laden foods in to the American diet.
We also need to take the pharmaceutical adds off of television. Pharmaceutical compounds are almost all poisons, even natural compounds when taken without naturally occurring synergistic compounds. These poisons have their place and can often save lives in emergency medical situations. However, there are natural foods and herbs that are much less toxic and gentler on the body that have a proven track record and as good or better, long term outcome when utilized in a knowledgeable manner.
Let’s save our youth along with our environment so that there will be a nice future for everyone. There are better ways to make money that recognize that all people are equally deserving of a good life and that it can be obtained without taking from others, especially under capitalism. The rules of the game of life should not be that “whoever dies with the most marbles is the winner”, but that whoever helps others the most is to be revered! If they happen to die with the most marbles, then that’s also acceptable, and hopefully they had fun getting there without hurting others.
Eating GMO’s causes severe anosognosia.
It appears to me that not eating them causes stupidity. I’d rather be in denial than an idiot.
That gives me an idea. Take 2 groups of people: one that buys GMO foods to eat, the other buys organic foods to eat. Everyone takes IQ tests. Publish results showing which group does better on the tests.
Each can make their own chose as long as we have accurate labeling. No need to argue with others. Many of us choose to eat organic. Others may not. I wish all well. I am grateful for the many groups that are working for labeling: Food Revolution Network, Institute for Responsible Technoligy, Truth about Cancer, Center for Food Safety, Food Babe, Jeffrey Smith, Ocean Robbins, Ty Bollinger, and many others. I have sent many petitions to my representatives through the Institue for Responible Technology. Jeffrey Smith has really been at the fore front for labeling. I appreciate that others like Food Babe have joined the campaign. Working together we have all made a difference and companies are responding. Some of us have been eating organic 50 years; others are newer to the life style. We all care about giving our children the best nutrition for life.
I am so grateful for you and others that have brought forward the truth behind our health problems. I am a licensed massage therapists, health coach, energy therapist, sound therapist, mom and grandma. As a mom I feed my family what I thought was good sound nutrition, followed my doctors schedule of vaccinations, used antibiotics, had a huge garden and used chemicals to combat weeds and bugs. I cleaned houses while raising my kids using chemical products, till one day I realized the chemicals were making me sick. I knew I had to take responsibility for my own well being, so started my quest. When I became a therapist, I was drawn to alternative living and working with people to support their path to healing. . I shared with anyone who showed interest my finding as I became healthier, through better choices. I have not looked back, I no longer have or use chemicals, we read all labels, buy organic, local, and bless the questionable or what we can’t change right now (environment) . When I became a grandmother I read more and researched to help guide my children in making healthier choices. Our grandchildren, save one are all vaccine free and thriving. I will never stop looking for more information to enhance my life and families. Vani you are among the Rock Stars bringing attention to what we so innocently embraced and ask the question, is it really healthy for us. I am so grateful to be the era of information to be allowed to look at both sides and make a decision that I can live with or better yet thrive with. I question anyone or company that has lost sight of the higher good because of capital gains. We are all in this together, should we not all be invested in finding out the truth ? I would rather be wrong than cause harm to my fellow man. As I share what I learn with my clients, I tell them this is what I know to be true right now but I am still researching. Thank you so much Vani!
Can’t we just stop the rhetoric please!
If you’re happy with GMO foods then eat them….however, I have the right to know what I’m eating…plain and simple as that. GMO is banned in over 64 countries, do you people really think that means nothing and it’s just a few wackos that want to know about what’s in our food?
Vani, I’m curious. Why do you call yourself food”BABE”? Please respond. Thanks!
I am curious about what the previous posters, claiming to be farmers, have to say, too explain why so many counties now ban US agriculture products, as they have been found to be tainted with GMO. I wonder if those countries know something about GMO that these posters don’t. Maybe they have watched some of the documentaries on the subject from the leading scientist developing GMO that tried to warn their respective companies that it was harmful. Funny how they ended up being fired and threatened with law suits if they spoke out about their research.
I knew a great gardener in the mid 70s that used to spray roundup in short pants and flip flops. He believed the company hype that it was harmless and you could drink it if you wanted. Some years later he was on bipolar medication and ended up committing suicide. No one knows why or how someone so healthy and energetic went down hill so fast.
I only recently found out that GMO was put into the US food supply in the mid 90s. I am not aware, of the public being informed of that at the time. Had I known and had food been labeled, I would not have purchased anything GMO. I thought at that time GMO was banned from being in our food supply. Several years later our younger son died from leukemia and I was suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. Our son had always been healthy and virtually never sick, so we were blindsided by his illness and then again, by believing in the modern medical establishment. The book Dead Doctors Don’t Lie gave me perspective on modern medicine. Over the course of many years, carrying the irritable bowels with me, I finally found information on nutrition and began avoiding GMO and flouride beverages. In a short time frame, after that, the irritable bowel symptoms were gone. And to this day if I slip up and eat GMO food the irritable bowel symptoms hit before I can even clear the restaurant.
I want to also say Andy I am impressed at how well and logically you presented to us the issues and your knowledge of GMO and chemicals put on our food.
One last food for thought. I have heard but do not know, that Monsatano does not allow GMO foods to be served in their own cafeteria???
I have felt the whole controversy of labeling GMO to be foolish. I feel the real issue is that GMO should be banned. Clean room testing would be ok but not any release into our environment.
Wow! Thanks Vani.
We’ll keep our eyes open and keep up the fight.
Trolls operate the same way in the fluoridation circles. Arrogant and ignorant dentists are often unwitting shills. Other times, these dental professionals knowingly spread disinformation because of either some misplaced belief that they need to defend the reputation of the ADA, or because they get some sadistic pleasure out of abuse they heap out.
See: http://www.dmlawfirm.com/slott-machine-backs-artificial-fluoidation
And: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOtMizMQ6oM
Here’s one for you. I am new to this site and fully agree and love what you are doing, Foodbabe.
About 10 years ago, I developed skin eczema. Not just a little bit but my whole head and then moved down to my chest. I was colouring my hair at the time. I also developed a cold, so now my immune system was taking a hit. My doctor told me 3x to “change my lifestyle”. I finally did with the help of a homeopathy man. Organic foods were the correct thing along with omega (fish oil). I would never go back. My family now enjoys better tasting food: milk, spelt flour, meat, and the list goes on.
Keep it up. Never stop. There could be alot of sick people out there some day!!!!!!
Apparently Vani isn’t the only being attacked for daring to question what’s in our food…
Dr. Seralini did some scientific research,
His results…
“Séralini found that animals that ate the genetically modified corn or ate Roundup itself developed more cancers and died earlier than control animals.
A sustained and vitriolic attack on Séralini’s paper began within hours of publication.”
Seralini went to court…
“Dr. Seralini’s team wins defamation and forgery court cases on GMO and pesticide research.”
I would think that only a troll would spend time promoting the benefits of GMO…at a place such as here….They really have nothing to fight for…labels? no, caring what they eat? no….Why spend time here trying to argue the merits with people who prefer to know what they eat and prefer not to eat GMO…:? It is not philosophical….is it? It must be money…interest in livelihood….money….Hiding ingredients……why? Why? Roundup, Monsanto…oh the goodness of humanity…Let them eat Roundup…..and they shall have…..maybe allergies….maybe cancer…..maybe just not feeling as well as they could or might…Unregulated Capitalism eventually gets to the Control through ….well capital…money…..What does this do for our Democracy? Make the people eat GMO…we own them now because we own the food…….
Well, for me it is philosophical. Why is it so hard to believe that anyone who disagrees that GMOs are evil may have examined the scientific evidence and come to a different conclusion than you? Or assume that they are being paid off? And who is making you eat GMOS?
IF THEY dont like to label and let the people to be informed why they are afraid of?
Simple as that if it was not there originally, why it has to be there to begin with?
It has been always OUR fault; the changes in our crops, our trees, our plants and land.
We transport, carry, modify and alter the biodiversity in ways that it was no intended.
Beneficial bugs and vermin follow the human imprint, bees, ladybugs, earthworms and other good insects are dying because of pesticides and other nasty stuff.
Most of any other nasty parasites in our gardens die with laundry coconut-based bar soap (popular in Latin-American markets) and water, no need for anything else in your soil and those won’t impact your soil because they are made with natural based products.
Pesticides and Monsanto ARE NOT part of the solution, nor part of the problem… THEY ARE THE PROBLEM!
People: just read labels in your daily pantry shopping list, it’s all what it takes!
This is great advice, because I have a healthy nutrition blog and I am always concerned about trolls etc.
Hurray for FoodBabe! Just incredible all the food changes that are coming down the pike…….so stoked that some of these huge companies are labeling and letting the consumers know whats in their product. If its all good stuff than label it. So easy to spot the Trolls…..Keep on keep’n on FoodBabe, love it every time I see a new post!
Great Job Vani,
Thank you for being on the “front lines” for us – and thank you for your tireless efforts in this “war for the minds” of our planet. Keep it up!
*and remember, you get the heaviest flack OVER the target! If you have them spooked, you’re doing in right! 😉
I am so stoked to have an army to join! As a new “concious & aware” citizen, I’m so excited to see that the food revolution has been happening! I’ve always just wanted to be healthy, I just didn’t know any better. Thank you Vani, and thank you fellow army buds!
Don’t worry Food Babe. I usually just ignore internet trolls.