Farm Aid Founder Ratchets Up His Activism Against Monsanto MAY 28, 2015 – Neil Young, founder of Farm Aid that helps family farms, is ratcheting up his activism against Monsanto, the Agricorp that makes genetically modified organism seeds better known as “Frankenfood”. Neil has been speaking out against Monsanto, but this time around he attacks…
“Nuts & Berries – The Monsanto Blues” JAN 14, 2015 – We at JTMP are also all activist-musicians, and we cover activist musicians all over the world as well as occasionally putting out an activist music video by the staff. To kick off 2015 we are releasing my anti-Monsanto song, “Nuts & Berries – The Monsanto Blues”….
Activist-Singer Attacked for Association with Monsanto at G7 Summit DEC 4, 2014 – Bono, the lead singer and activist-musician from U2, came under fire from his fans and others for being associated with Monsanto and private companies “partnering” with the private sector to solve Africa’s hunger crisis at the last G8 Summit meeting back in 2013…
Musical-Activist Quits His Daily Latte Due to Starbucks Using Lobbyists to Overturn GMO-Labeling Law NOV 23, 2014 – The European Union strictly monitors “new food” coming into their system, and they already require food manufacturers to label their food products as to whether they use GMO (Genetically Modified Organism Frankenfood). Here in the US, Vermont…
SEP 23, 2013 – Farm Aid 2013 was held this weekend, and the first footage to come out of the Saratoga Springs, New York event are out, and it is the founder of Farm Aid, Neil Young; playing a solo set on his acoustic guitar. Farm Aid's work is really important these days, with corporations such as Monsanto trying to buy up the family farms and ruin our food supply. Take Action against Monsanto and help family farms, and Join In at Farm Aid's website here. Below is Farm Aid YouTube Channel's video of Neil Young performing in HD! He opens up with the Bob Dylan classic, "Blowin' in the Wind", then "Early Morning Rain" among other songs. (photo credit: FarmAid.org)
August 11, 2013 – 14-year-old Rachel Parent debates the harmful practice of GMO food with bully TV host Kevin O'Leary and wins! You must see this video! Head on over to our JTMP Green site and check it out!
MAY 20, 2013 – The Organics Consumers Association, citing conflict of interest and corruption, have started a petition calling on Senator Roy Blunt from Missouri to resign over the recently passed "Monsanto Protection Act". Read more on JTMP Green here.
DEC 4, 2012 – A non-profit organization called Organic Consumers Market is starting a petition to "Dump the Monsanto Rider", which is a "rider" connected to a bill currently in Congress. This rider would allow Monsanto to plant genetically engineered "Frankenfood" crops even when courts rule that the US Department of Agriculture has approved them illegally. The bill is HR 5973, and the rider is in Section 733. Contact your federal representative and tell them to "Dump the Monsanto Rider" and protect the right of the small farmer and consumer to eat non-genitcally engineered crops. Read more and sign the petition on the Organic Consumer Market website here, and learn how to contact your representative; they even have a sample letter ready for you. Also, you can find your federal representative and how to contact them here. Write a quick letter, they are better than a phone call or email.
FEB 27, 2012 – Willie Nelson, along with author and Rainforest Action Network board member Anna Lappe, recently wrote an Op Ed and in it they laid out their reasons for why we have to occupy our food system. This is all part of Willie's campaign "Occupy the Food System" which we have been blogging about a lot recently. OTFS is an coalition of over 90 organizations and Occupy groups from around the world fighting uber-large corporate agri-businesses such as Monsanto who they feel are destroying our food system and making us unhealthy. They write, “Corporate control of our food system has led to the loss of millions of family farmers, the destruction of soil fertility, the pollution of our water, and health epidemics including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even certain forms of cancer. More and more, the choices that determine the food on our shelves are made by corporations concerned less with protecting our health, our environment, or our jobs than with profit margins and executive bonuses.” You can read the entire HuffPo Op Ed here.
Today they launch a campaign to occupy unused, vacant bank-owned lots and start community gardens and set up small seed exchanges in front of the Stock Exchange. They want to fight for “labeling products on grocery store shelves that contain genetically engineered ingredients" and build "community alliances to support locally owned grocery stores and resist Walmart megastores; and fighting back against industrial giants Monsanto and Cargill.” To take part and learn more, check out the Rainforest Action Network's website here.
CORRECTION: Willie Nelson is NOT part of the lawsuit filed against Monsanto. We apologize for any confusion.
FEB 13, 2012 – 300,000 activists who support small family farms and a healthy and fair food system, sued food giant Monsanto in Federal Court in Manhattan on January 31, 2012. Musician activist Willie Nelson and his Occupy The Food System which consists of many small groups such as Food Democracy Now are not part of the suit but have voiced their support and rallied in support outside the federal courthouses for the farmers who are filing the suit. The suit seeks to protect the harassment and threatening manner agribusiness giant Monsanto has exhibited, with threatening to go after any small farms that contain any trace of what they claim to be their property, genetically modified seeds. All the activists are also fighting against Monsanto's spraying of "Roundup herbicides", which harm the soil, water and the farms around them. Willie states that the corporate takeover of small farms by large corporations has "led to the loss of millions of family farmers, destruction of our soil, pollution of our water and health epidemics of epic obesity and diabetes". Read more about the lawsuit on NationofChange.org here, and check out Occupy The Food System Facebook Page here.
Also, an ad aired on the Grammy's last night of Willie Nelson performing the haunting Coldplay classic, "The Scientists" (watch below) to help The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, an organization that is "Dedicated to creating a sustainable, healthful and equitable future". You can purchase the song on iTunes here, where proceeds will benefit the foundation and help them in their work to protect small family farms. Check out their website here.