(NaturalNews) Just as we predicted, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has brazenly betrayed the public’s trust by approving the world’s first genetically modified (GM) animal in direct defiance of science – a transgenic salmon branded “AquAdvantage” that has never been proven safe for human consumption or the natural environment.

The New York Times (NYT) reports that AquAdvantage, a product of AquaBounty Technologies, has received official FDA approval after years of fierce lobbying by its manufacturer in favor of open approval. Despite repeated warnings from detractors that AquAdvantage poses serious threats to aquatic ecosystems and humans, the FDA has determined that this GM fish is completely safe for everything and everyone on the planet.

Many of the claims made about AquAdvantage by its manufacturer have been debunked, including the lie that this “Frankenfish” grows more quickly than natural salmon and is less prone to disease – both of which claims are patently false. AquAdvantage was also said to pose no threats to aquatic environments because it is supposedly sterile, but this, too, has been called into question by independent scientific review.

The FDA has repeatedly ignored all petitions from consumer watchdog groups to take a closer and more unbiased look at GM salmon to determine its true safety, including whether or not it is even needed. Consumers have overwhelmingly indicated that they don’t want to eat this or any other GM animal, yet the FDA now plans to allow its entrance into the food supply – unlabeled, of course.

“This unfortunate, historic decision disregards the vast majority of consumers, many independent scientists, numerous members of Congress and salmon growers around the world, who have voiced strong opposition,” voiced Wenonah Hauter, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Food and Water Watch (FWW), in a recent statement.

Approval for AquAdvantage has been a long time coming, as AquaBounty petitioned for the FDA’s blessing on its phony fish as far back as the 1990s. Five years ago, the FDA granted a type of preliminary approval for AquAdvantage, but the fish never entered the market due to what many believe was the federal government’s fear of public backlash.

But the FDA’s decision to grant quiet approval for this GM salmon amidst media distraction aimed at global terrorism and war in the Middle East isn’t necessarily going as smoothly as planned. The Center for Food Safety (CFS), which has long opposed approval for AquAdvantage on the basis of science, warned within hours of the FDA’s approval that it plans to file a lawsuit against the agency.

“The fallout from this decision will have enormous impact on the environment,” lamented Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of CFS, in a recent press release. “Center for Food Safety has no choice but to file suit to stop the introduction of this dangerous contaminant. FDA has neglected its responsibility to protect the public.”

Not only have millions of Americans voiced their opposition to GM salmon over the past several years – with no acknowledgment from the FDA – but so have at least 40 members of Congress and more than 300 environmental groups that work on behalf of consumers, animals, fisheries, food companies and restaurants.

“The review process by FDA was inadequate, failed to fully examine the likely impacts of the salmon’s introduction, and lacked a comprehensive analysis,” Kimbrell added. “This decision sets a dangerous precedent, lowering the standards of safety in this country. CFS will hold FDA to their obligations to the American people.”

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/052053_GMO_salmon_FDA_approval_AquAdvantage.html#ixzz3sXu6tX1G

(NaturalNews) Despite the insidious attempts of the corporate-controlled U.S. media to censor the stories about the deadly side effects of vaccines, the truth keeps surfacing. The latest vaccine tragedy to strike has killed two babies in La Pimienta, Mexico and sent 37 more to the hospital with serious reactions to toxic vaccine additives.
“…14 children are in serious condition, 22 are stable and one is in critical condition,” the Chiapas Health Secretariat said in a statement via Latino.FoxNews.com.

What’s especially alarming is that only 52 children were vaccinated in all, meaning that 75% of those receiving the vaccines are now either dead or hospitalized.

The vaccines were administered by the Mexican Social Security Institute, known as IMSS. The IMSS confirmed the deadly reactions occurred after children received injections of vaccines for tuberculosis, rotavirus and hepatitis B — the same viral strains targeted by vaccines routinely administered to children in the United States.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/049669_vaccine_injury_depopulation_agenda_deadly_side_effects.html#ixzz3sXs9NPz5

(NaturalNews) Monsanto-funded scientists are calling for an end to Freedom of Information Act requests after they were ousted for colluding with the biotech industry to push GMOs and their associated pesticides.

Rather than respect the public’s right to greater transparency, industry-bought scientists are demanding total SCIENTIFIC SECRECY, deeming FOIA requests “harassment” and “terrorism.”

The collusion was discovered after the non-profit U.S. Right to Know (USRTK) obtained hundreds of documents and emails revealing the PR strategies of Big Ag, which involves bribing university faculty and staff to manipulate the public and policy makers into believing their products are safe when scientific literature proves otherwise.

University of Florida professor Kevin Folta was implicated as being one of the most eager and cooperative taxpayer-funded scientists to comply with biotech giant Monsanto, which dominates the global market for GM crops.

Folta, who repeatedly denied any financial ties to the biotech industry and insisted he was an
“independent researcher,” was exposed as having accepted bribes from Monsanto in the form of a $25,000 unrestricted grant and funds to travel the country promoting GMOs.

Due to alleged death threats against Folta, the university has claimed that it will give the money to an on-campus food bank.

Folta, who said nobody tells him what to say or think, wrote to Monsanto: “I’m glad to sign on to whatever you like, or write whatever you like.”

Rather than distancing himself from the revelations, Folta went on a Twitter rampage, defending his actions and calling for an end to scientific transparency, complaining of FOIA “abuse” and “harassment.”

Learn entire article: http://www.naturalnews.com/052076_scientific_transparency_Freedom_of_Information_Act_academic_shills.html#ixzz3sXoBhGIl

By mcshane

Antibiotic medicine started out back in the 40s when it was developed, but the constant use of it has helped to create antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Antibiotics should not be taken for viral infections like colds, flus, coughs or sore throats and can actually do more harm than good. In fact, antibiotics only treat infections caused by some bacteria.

They don’t work for those illnesses caused by viruses. Natural immunity from infections by the intake of natural foodstuff that have medicinal value and by limiting the use of antibiotics for every small cold or flu that sets in can we hope to live a healthy life.Our ancestors used natural forms of antibiotics, also known as the herbs and common foods you have in the pantry.

14 Natural Antibiotics That Our Ancestors Used

Garlic

By eating a few cloves of garlic each day, you can effectively fight off all sorts of bacteria, viruses and infections. It’s also a great help in relieving the effects of colds, flus and toothaches.

Honey

Honey can be used to treat inflammations such as cough and sore throat, wounds and illness too. It prohibits the growth of bacteria and neutralizes toxins. It also functions as a natural painkiller.

Olive Leaf

Olive Leaf has an amazing property unparalleled by modern medicine, it can inhibit or destroy a wide range of harmful bacteria, fungi and yeasts while allowing beneficial bacteria to multiply. This natural extract can be taken to help fight all types of infection.

Turmeric

Studies show that turmeric can fight antibiotic resistant bacteria and effectively blast infections. It is also antimicrobial, antifungal, and extremely anti-inflammatory. Other interesting facts about this super herb: it was shown in studies to be more effective than prozac for depression and to work better than NSAIDs for rheumatoid arthritis!

Ginger

It’s incredibly common for ginger to be used in the treatment of flus and colds. It’s also great for treating an upset stomach and for nausea as well as treating muscle and joint pain.

Onions

A relative of garlic, onion has similar medicinal properties, and can be eaten to help reduce pain, inflammation, and increase circulation. Onions have also been shown to be beneficial as an herbal analgesia and anti-inflammatory substance, that increases circulation, alleviates angina, and is used in the treatment of the common cold and flu, and for a persistent cough.

Colloidal Silver

Colloidal silver is a natural antibiotic that has been in use for many years. Colloidal silver should be used from time to time because great amount of silver in your organism may be toxic. However, colloidal silver inactivates the enzymes necessary for multiplication of bacteria and viruses, which makes it a great antibiotic.

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

The benefits of coconut oil are endless. It is packed with anti-fungal and anti-microbial qualities and is abundant in antioxidants that can’t be found anywhere else in nature. Use coconut oil to improve your immunity, balance your cholesterol, thyroid, and blood sugar levels, and even enhance brain activity.

Oregano Oil

Oregano has antibacterial properties, oregano helps with digestion and promotes weight loss. Carvacrol, an oil that is a part of oregano, is very helpful in the fight against infective bacteria. In addition, it is very efficient against digestive infections and is definitely more than just a spice.

Goldenseal Herb

Strong antibiotic properties. It has a long history of use in infections including bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic. Staph, strep, E. coli, Vibrio cholera, Giardia lamblia,and even tuberculosis bacterium have proven sensitive to this herb.

Echinacea

It is a wonderful natural anticeptic for wounds, cuts, blood poisoning and cellulitis. It effectively treats cold, sore throat and flu too. You can make some tea out of its roots. Echinacea has been widely used in ancient treatments and does a lot of favor in up keeping a good immune system.

Rose water

You can use rose water as an anticeptic wash for wounds and cuts. You can also use it as eye drop to treat dust-associated eye infections and eye redness. Apart from that, rose water keeps you skin beautiful too.

Green Tea

High antioxidant property present in green tea that helps to cleanse the body of the free radicals that can cause damage and sickness. This may not directly have an antibiotic property, but it is proven to make the antibiotic work efficiently, thereby improving the mechanism of action of the antibiotics.

http://blogs.naturalnews.com/14-natural-substitutes-antibiotic-pills-ancestors-used/

NaturalNews) A program to test a variety of genetically modified (GM) eggplant in Bangladesh is in shambles, but continues to be forced through by the government, according to an independent investigation by the development policy research group UBINIG.

UBINIG launched the investigation after hearing the government proclaim that the GM eggplant – engineered to produce the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) pesticide in its tissues – was a great benefit to farmers. The group obtained the list of all 110 farmers participating in the experimental cultivation program overseen by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and Cornell University. It interviewed 72 percent of the farmers about their experiences with the crop. Respondents came from all the regions where Bt eggplant (known by its local name “brinjal”) is being tested.

Poor quality, poor yields

Overall, farmers reported poor yields, high chemical use and a high level of government interference. Officials from BARI and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) regularly visited the fields to make sure the plants were doing well.

“During the field cultivation the farmers were extensively supervised by BARI and DAE officials,” the report reads. “The DAE officials at Union, Upazila and district levels visited daily or at least weekly and supervised the growth of the plants.”

The report goes on to add that, “According to the farmers, most of the time, the officials took care of the plants themselves as they had to show a good performance.”

In some cases, the investigators found, officials actually uprooted dying plants and replaced them with healthy ones, in a blatant violation of scientific integrity.

Despite the claims of Bt brinjal advocates that it would require significantly less pesticide use than non-GM varieties, farmers reported that authorities directed them to apply pesticide in enormous quantities.

“Thirty-five types of pesticides, including acaricide [kills ticks and mites], insecticide, and fungicide, were sprayed several times in the Bt brinjal fields,” the report reads. None of these pesticides were on the list of chemicals officially recommended for eggplant cultivation in Bangladesh. Five were insecticides that are actually banned in the country.

The farmers were then given “pesticide-free” signs and told to use them to market their crops. The crops were also sold without being labeled as GM, in violation of government rules.

In spite of these measures, farmers reported low yields and losses of Tk. 15,000–30,000 (US$ 192–385). Farmers in similar regions growing non-GM eggplant reported profits of Tk. 70,000–100,000 ($898–1,280).

Part of this problem came from the fact that even under an enormous pesticide load, the GM plants were ravaged by a wide variety of pests. The GM eggplant also lost its freshness quickly, making it harder to sell. Most farmers ended up simply eating the crop themselves, but reported disliking its flavor.

“Worthless crop”

Farmers were widely negative about the crop, with 74 percent saying they would not grow the plant again. Another 20 percent said they would only grow it if all the support came from BARI and DAE, while only one farmer was unequivocally interested in continuing to grow the GM eggplant.

One farmer called the GM eggplant a “worthless crop” while another, Shamsul Haque of Pabna, commented that “The DAE officers were right in their statement that there is no fruit borer in Bt brinjal. The fact is that there was no fruit on the plants. So there is no object for fruit borers to be there.”

UBINIG found that farmers during the first year of the trial had also been widely dissatisfied. BARI failed to publish results of this trial however, and simply recruited a whole new group of farmers for year two – and did not warn them how year one had gone.

To top it off, no reputable data attests to the GM eggplant’s safety, but at least one industry study found that rats who consumed it suffered organ damage.

Between the scandals, the dissatisfied farmers and the failing crops, UBINIG concluded that the Bt eggplant would long since have failed if not for BARI and DAE maintaining it like “a patient in an intensive care unit under life support.”

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/052079_GM_eggplant_Bt_brinjal_crop_failures.html#ixzz3sXl8fND6

(NaturalNews) Nearly 60 percent of all U.S. adults are now taking prescription drugs, according to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The number rose from 51 percent in 1999 to 59 percent in 2011.

The number of people taking numerous prescription drugs also increased during that period. In 1999, “only” 8.2 percent of adults were taking five or more prescription drugs at once. Now, 15 percent are.

“This is particularly notable among older adults 65 and older,” said lead researcher Elizabeth Kantor. She noted that among adults in this age group, 39 percent now take five or more prescription drugs at the same time.

The figures come from nationwide surveys of more than 37,000 adults.

Top-used drugs: Brain-damaging statins

The rise in prescription drug use cannot be fully explained by an aging population, Kantor said. Instead, she suggested that rising obesity rates might be largely to blame. More than two-thirds of the U.S. population is now considered overweight or obese.

The most widely prescribed drugs are those related to obesity: cholesterol-lowering statins are the most widely prescribed, followed by blood pressure drugs.

Yet, other studies have confirmed that in spite of ballooning obesity rates, statins are wildly overused. Because of their strong ability to lower blood levels of cholesterol, statins were immediately hailed as a miracle drug by the medical establishment. In the decades since their adoption, the threshold for statin prescription has been steadily lowered. In fact, in July 2014, the United Kingdom’s new statin use guidelines were so broad that if applied, they would put 40 percent of British adults on the drugs.

Notably, studies are now showing that while they do lower cholesterol, statins do not actually lower the risk of dying from heart-related disease. Some studies have suggested that the drugs might actually raise the risk of heart disease.

According to a study published in the Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology earlier this year, the benefits of statins have been dramatically exaggerated, and their risks downplayed. The drugs have “failed to substantially improve cardiovascular outcomes [and] the adverse effects suffered by people taking statins are more common than reported in the media and at medical conferences. Increased rates of cancer, cataracts, diabetes, cognitive impairments and musculoskeletal disorders more than offset the modest cardiovascular benefits of statin treatment,” the researchers wrote.

The inclusion of “cognitive impairment” on this list is not a minor point. Indeed, between 2004 and 2014, more than 36,000 cases of brain dysfunction were reported to the FDA’s Adverse Events Database in regards to statin use. These included confusion, depression, disorientation, transient cases of global amnesia, paranoia, memory impairment and dementia. And no wonder: the body’s highest concentrations of cholesterol are found in the brain.

Other drugs also widely misused

The other top drugs in the U.S. are also notorious for their overuse: antidepressants and proton pump inhibitors. According to a 2010 meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association, antidepressants do not outperform placebos, and are significantly less effective at alleviating depression than talk therapy. At the same time, many of them actually increase a patient’s risk of suicide.

Proton pump inhibitors, which are meant for the treatment of severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), are instead widely prescribed for simple acid reflux. According to a 2010 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, between 59 and 63 percent of PPI prescriptions are inappropriate.

The researchers found that only one class of prescription drug became less popular since 1999: female hormone replacement therapy, which has been conclusively shown to increase women’s risk of cancer, heart disease and early death.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/052077_statin_drugs_brain_damage_cholesterol_medications.html#ixzz3sXjaoHzb

(NaturalNews) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims that it’s basically a death sentence for you and your children. But raw milk consumption, according to a new study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, can actually help prevent colds, viruses and respiratory tract infections (RTIs) from forming in kids, as opposed to commercially processed milk which provides little or no health benefits.

A cohort of researchers, doctors and other medical professionals from across Europe investigated the effects of raw milk versus boiled farm-fresh milk and commercial processed milk as part of a larger investigatory project known as “PASTURE.” A group of women, roughly half of whom lived and worked on livestock farms in rural areas of mostly central Europe, were recruited to participate in the research.

All of the women were in their third trimesters of pregnancy at the time of the study, and detailed consumption and lifestyle patterns, including milk-drinking habits, were carefully evaluated and compared. In total, 983 children were included in the final data set, which revealed that milk in its pure, raw, unobstructed form is superior in terms of immune-boosting nutrition.

According to the research, raw milk works a lot like breast milk in providing protective, anti-infective health benefits to children. Compared to highly processed commercial milk, raw milk was found to help lower C-reactive protein levels, which are directly associated with inflammation. Raw milk, in other words, works against inflammation, while processed milk may help promote it due to its altered proteins.

“The main finding of this analysis was an inverse association between consumption of unprocessed cow’s milk and rhinitis [cold or runny nose], RTI [respiratory tract infections], and otitis [ear infection],” wrote the authors. “The effect was strongest when cow’s milk was consumed raw; boiled farm milk exhibited an attenuated effect.”

Does ultra-heat-treated commercial milk promote respiratory and other health problems?

Conversely, consumption of ultra-heat-treated commercial milk, the most widely available milk product on the market, was not found to decrease levels of C-reactive protein, which appear to be a leading cause of disease. With fevers specifically, commercial milk was found to actually increase their prevalence compared to raw milk.

Raw milk, on the other hand, is associated with a roughly 30 percent decrease in respiratory infections and fever, and could help babies and young children overcome these common ailments. Even minimally processed milk boiled directly on the farms was found to be beneficial, though much less so than true raw milk.

“[W]e are now not talking about asthma and allergies, but fever and infections in young children,” stated Dr. Ton Baars, a professor and senior scientist for milk quality and animal welfare at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Germany, and one of the lead authors of the study. “It means there is additional new evidence that raw milk is a protective agent in infectious diseases in young children.”

Unlike in the U.S. where irrational superstition and paranoia have landed raw milk in the “dangerous” category, Europe is already widely accepting of raw milk, and increasingly so. In many countries, raw milk vending machines are prevalent on busy city streets, providing quick and easy access to fresh milk from local farms.

“In Europe, the consumption of unpasteurized milk has repeatedly correlated with protection against allergic disease,” wrote Moises Velasquez-Manoff in a piece for The New York Times late last year.

“In America, 80 percent of the Amish studied by Dr. [Mark] Holbreich consume raw milk. In a study published earlier this year, Dr. [Bianca] Schaub’s group showed that European children who consumed farm milk had more of those regulatory T-cells, irrespective of whether they lived on farms. The higher the quantity of those cells, the less likely these children were to be given diagnoses of asthma.”

http://www.naturalnews.com/047821_raw_milk_immunity_infections.html

By Jay Syrmopoulos

After the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Russian airliner, President Vladimir Putin doubled down on the destruction of ISIS. With the United States still refusing to coordinate airstrikes against ISIS, the Russians have chosen to step up their already blistering assault upon the Islamic State.

Over the last 48 hours, Russia has destroyed an Islamic State controlled oil refinery, a fleet of 500 ISIS controlled oil tankers used to smuggle oil out of Syria, and launched a massive sea-based cruise missile attack.

“On November 20, the warships of the Caspian Fleet launched 18 cruise missiles at seven targets in the provinces of Raqqa, Idlib and Aleppo. All targets were hit successfully,” Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told Russian President Vladimir Putin.

There were 10 Russian warships that took part in the operation, six of which are in the Mediterranean. Over the past four days, Russian air forces have conducted 522 sorties, deploying more than 100 cruise missiles and 1,400 tons of bombs of various types, Shoigu said. He added that in a single strike on a target in Deir ez-Zor, utilizing multiple cruise missiles, more than 600 militants were killed.

Earlier in the week, the Russian air force undertook one the most massive, and complex heavy bomber missions in modern history. In a clear escalation of the air war, 25 Backfire, Bear, and Blackjack bombers went on a coordinated, long-range air raid against alleged ISIS forces in Syria.

All three types of Russian bombers can fly thousands of miles while carrying more than 20 tons of weaponry. Only the United States and Chinese possess similar heavy warplanes.

Russia is focused on destroying the terrorists’ economic base, having targeted 15 oil storage and refinery facilities as well as 525 oil trucks, according to Shoigu.“We stopped supplies of 60,000 tons of oil per day to the black market and terrorists are losing $1.5 million daily,” Shoigu said.

The fact that the Islamic State is making mountains of cash selling oil indicates that they are selling the oil to some entity. It would seem like an easy calculation to determine exactly what person, group or state is buying this oil.

In fact, that information seems to be readily available.

Read entire article: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/11/russia-decimates-isis-oil-infrastructure-with-biggest-bombing-raid-in-decades-missile-strikes.html?

Seven myths about GM crops and the truth behind them

MYTH 1: GM crops can feed the world

REALITY: There are no GM crops designed to deliver high yields. Genetic engineering
is ill-adapted to solve the problems underpinning hunger and malnutrition.

It reinforces the industrial agriculture model that has failed to feed the world so far.

MYTH 2: GM crops hold the key to climate resilience

REALITY: Genetic engineering lags behind conventional breeding in developing
plant varieties that can help agriculture cope with climate change. Climate resilience
heavily depends on farming practices promoting diversity and nurturing the soil, not
on the over-simplified farming system GM crops are designed for.

MYTH 3: GM crops are safe for humans and the environment

REALITY: Long term environmental and health monitoring programmes either do
not exist or are inadequate. Independent researchers complain that they are denied
access to material for research.

MYTH 4: GM crops simplify crop protection

REALITY: After a few years, problems such as herbicide-resistant weeds and super-
pests emerge in response to herbicide tolerant and insect resistant GM crops,
resulting in the application of additional pesticides.

MYTH 5: GM crops are economically viable for farmers

REALITY: GM seed prices are protected by patents and their prices have soared
over the last 20 years. The emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds and super-
pests increases farmers’ costs, reducing their economic profits even further.

MYTH 6: GM crops can coexist with other agricultural systems

REALITY: GM crops contaminate non-GM crops. Nearly 400 incidents of GM
contamination have been recorded globally so far. Staying GM-free imposes
considerable additional, and sometimes impossible, costs for farmers.

MYTH 7: Genetic engineering is the most promising pathway of innovation for
food systems

REALITY: Non-GM advanced methods of plant breeding are already delivering the
sorts of traits promised by GM crops, including resistance to diseases, flood and
drought tolerance. GM crops are not only an ineffective type of innovation but they
also restrict innovation due to intellectual property rights owned by a handful of
multinational corporations.

https://www.organicconsumers.org/scientific/twenty-years-failure-why-gm-crops-have-failed-deliver-their-promises

By Jay Syrmopoulos

The Anonymous hacking collective has reportedly taken down over 5,500 Twitter accounts purported to belong to Islamic State members following their declaration of “total war” on the terrorist group after the Paris attacks.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after hacktivist group warned of a coordinated and targeted attack against the Islamic State in the wake of the deadly wave of terror attacks across Paris.

Anonymous spokesman Alex Poucher told RT:

Our capability to take down ISIS is a direct result of our collective’s sophisticated hackers, data miners, and spies that we have all around the world. We have people very, very close to ISIS on the ground, which makes gathering intel about ISIS and related activities very easy for us.

Poucher went on to say that the groups hacking acumen “might be better than any world government’s tools to combat ISIS online,” adding that although ISIS has its own hacking core, the terrorist group “does not have hackers like we have hackers.”

They picked a fight with Anonymous when they attacked Paris, and now they should expect us,” he said, adding that the collective “will not sit by and watch these terror attacks unfold around the world.

Read entire article here: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/11/anonymous-takes-down-5500-isis-twitter-accounts-24-hours-after-isis-called-them-idiots.html

I regularly look at product labels because that is part of my job. So when I come across a label that says Direct Trade, or even “Direct Trade Certified,” I have to wonder why a brand would compel themselves to create something for consumers in order to differentiate themselves that really doesn’t mean much. As someone that has worked in the fair trade movement for 15 years, I always dig deeper into those claims to see what they really mean.

Many brands are frustrated by fair trade certification, and let me be very clear, it is certification, not fair trade they are frustrated with. There is a social movement to change the way we trade globally, allowing small-scale producers to participate and thrive, and to provide social services locally in impoverished producer communities that are not provided by local or federal governments. That social movement is called fair trade and it is alive and strong. It is fair trade certification that is broken. Fair trade is more than a logo or a brand, it is a movement to strengthen communities.

For the past 5 years, I have had hundreds of conversations about the meaning of direct trade and especially as it relates to fair trade. What are direct traders doing that is different from fair traders? And what are direct traders doing differently than conventional coffee companies? I focus on coffee here since that is where direct trade most often comes up, but we are starting to see an increase of direct trade claims in other sectors, like chocolate, too.

In many ways, the differences are captured in the name and can be summarized this way. Direct trade roasters want to focus on the relationship between the roaster and the producer with an emphasis on price and quality. They may be interested in eliminating exploitation in their supply chains, but they essentially mimic conventional traders who also do not worry about externalized costs or consequences of their transaction on the broader community or system. The direct trade differentiation is just in the higher price, “better” quality, and shortened supply chain.

Authentic fair traders want to change the structures of trade to make it more fair for everyone and they achieve this by working with organized producer communities. In these communities families are owners of a structure (for example a co-op) that allows them to take advantage of economies of scale, helps them gain access to capital and the market and helps them build infrastructure to allow them to scale their capacity and improve quality of what they are producing and how they are producing it. By organizing, they are able to work on policy change and community development as well, important components of really transforming our social structures that currently benefit the 1% and keep increasing numbers in poverty.

Read more: https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/direct-trade-fair-trade-without-other-eight-principles

I’ve often wondered how the media would respond when eco-apocalypse struck. I pictured the news programmes producing brief, sensational reports, while failing to explain why it was happening or how it might be stopped. Then they would ask their financial correspondents how the disaster affected share prices, before turning to the sport. As you can probably tell, I don’t have an ocean of faith in the industry for which I work. What I did not expect was that they would ignore it.

A great tract of Earth is on fire. It looks as you might imagine hell to be. The air has turned ochre: visibility in some cities has been reduced to 30 metres. Children are being prepared for evacuation in warships; already some have choked to death. Species are going up in smoke at an untold rate. It is almost certainly the greatest environmental disaster of the 21st century – so far.

And the media? It’s talking about the dress the Duchess of Cambridge wore to the James Bond premiere, Donald Trump’s idiocy du jour and who got eliminated from the Halloween episode of Dancing with the Stars. The great debate of the week, dominating the news across much of the world? Sausages: are they really so bad for your health?

What I’m discussing is a barbecue on a different scale. Fire is raging across the 5,000km length of Indonesia. It is surely, on any objective assessment, more important than anything else taking place today. And it shouldn’t require a columnist, writing in the middle of a newspaper, to say so. It should be on everyone’s front page. It is hard to convey the scale of this inferno, but here’s a comparison that might help: it is currently producing more carbon dioxide than the US economy. And in three weeks the fires have released more CO2 than the annual emissions of Germany.

But that doesn’t really capture it. This catastrophe cannot be measured only in parts per million. The fires are destroying treasures as precious and irreplaceable as the archaeological remains being levelled by Isis. Orangutans, clouded leopards, sun bears, gibbons, the Sumatran rhinoceros and Sumatran tiger, these are among the threatened species being driven from much of their range by the flames. But there are thousands, perhaps millions, more.

One of the burning provinces is West Papua, a nation that has been illegally occupied by Indonesia since 1963. I spent six months there when I was 24, investigating some of the factors that have led to this disaster. At the time it was a wonderland, rich with endemic species in every swamp and valley. Who knows how many of those have vanished in the past few weeks? This week I have pored and wept over photos of places I loved that have now been reduced to ash.

Nor do the greenhouse gas emissions capture the impact on the people of these lands. After the last great conflagration, in 1997, there was a missing cohort in Indonesia of 15,000 children under the age of three, attributed to air pollution. This, it seems, is worse. The surgical masks being distributed across the nation will do almost nothing to protect those living in a sunless smog. Members of parliament in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) have had to wear face masks during debates. The chamber is so foggy that they must have difficulty recognising one another.

It’s not just the trees that are burning. It is the land itself. Much of the forest sits on great domes of peat. When the fires penetrate the earth, they smoulder for weeks, sometimes months, releasing clouds of methane, carbon monoxide, ozone and exotic gases such as ammonium cyanide. The plumes extend for hundreds of miles, causing diplomatic conflicts with neighbouring countries.

Read more: https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/indonesia-burning-so-why-world-looking-away-0

VIDEO – 2:27

RT News Published on Nov 19, 2015

One of the world’s largest GMO producers has been challenged by Dr. V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai, Ph.D. who claims there are absolutely no GMO safety assessment standards. He earlier alleged that GMO-engineered plants accumulate high levels of formaldehyde.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxqiuUoKUD0&feature=youtu.be

(NaturalNews) What you’re about to read will probably shock you to your core. We’re all familiar with genetically modified organisms in food, and we’ve even heard talks about genetically modified animals coming down the pipeline. But are you aware of the fact that the U.S. government is right now using your tax dollars to fund research into genetically modified humans?

A special investigative report by SkyWatchTV uncovers a heinous conspiracy by those entrusted with protecting our freedom and liberty to literally reengineer the human race using many of the same methods commonly used to reengineer food and plant life in the lab. And it’s all happening under the radar with little to no fanfare in the mainstream media.

A short preview of this report on YouTube exposes what the show’s hosts refer to as the coming “genetic Armageddon” – the complete undoing of creation as we know it for the purpose of enriching powerful and greedy corporations. And in the process, humanity will be reconstructed as well, presumably to be more compliant and less resistant to tyranny.

“I’m not sure that the world is ready to receive this,” says investigative reporter Tom Horn. “We’re talking about everything from the food that we eat, to animals, to ultimately humans – literally what we have been doing with genetically modified crops, what we have and are doing with transgenically made animals, we fully intend to do with the human race.”

Congressman, scientist says U.S. government developing blueprints for artificially engineered human race

The goal all along, the report suggests, has not been to enhance humanity through biotechnology, but to replace it. And U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-Ill.), the last scientist in Congress, warned in a testimony before Congress and in a piece for The Hill that the U.S. government has already instructed top-level researchers to begin laying the groundwork for what will eventually become a genetically engineered human race to replace the one we currently have.

“Right now, the top science departments in our government that dole out taxpayer funded revenue have already been ordered to literally create the guidelines that are going to be used for genetically modifying the human race,” Horn adds in a trailer for the series.

Conventional pet food loaded with putrid meat byproducts and dead animals

The series also captures some of the horrors of the processed food industry, particularly pet food products sold conventionally at grocery and pet stores nationwide. An undercover investigation by Horn and his colleagues revealed that many dried pet foods contain the remnants of diseased animals, not to mention the remains of euthanized pets.

Some shelters literally “recycle” euthanized animals by selling them to pet food manufacturers, according to the report. And millions of Americans are feeding their pets this noxious waste day in and day out, unaware of the true contents of their favorite brands of kibble and canned mush.

It’s all part of the plan, of course, to recreate humanity and creation into the image of the “beast” rather than God. And if non-engineered humanity doesn’t stand up now to oppose this apocalyptic freak show, it will soon be too late and we’ll all be extinct – save an act of God that somehow puts a stop to the madness.

“If Christians are to help shape contemporary culture—particularly in a setting in which I fear the posthuman message will prove attractive, if not seductive—then they must offer an alternative and compelling vision; a counter theological discourse so to speak,” explains Horn in a pre-release to the documentary.

http://www.naturalnews.com/052038_genetically_modified_humans_Monsanto_Armageddon.html

BY Neal D. Barnard, MD

(NaturalNews) Raw, whole milk has been consumed for centuries and has long been acknowledged for its health benefits. Several research studies show superior growth and health for those children drinking raw milk compared to pasteurized milk.
(http://www.realmilk.com/brochures/real-milk-brochure/)

Raw milk has been proven to prevent scurvy, the flu, TB, and allergies. Pastured whole, raw milk contains essential fat soluble vitamins A, D and K2 along with B12, B6, C, calcium, iron, iodine and minerals which can easily be utilized by the body. When milk is pasteurized, most of these nutrients are destroyed. The remaining protein, calcium and D vitamins are denatured and poorly absorbed. In other cases, the body begins an attack on what it views as a foreign substance andallergic reactions can develop. Pasteurized milk consumption has been linked with osteoporosis, tooth decay, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

Raw milk cures diseases

Hippocrates, Galen and other pioneering physicians all used raw milk to heal patients from disease. Dr. J. E. Crewe, in the 1920s, used a raw milk diet at the Mayo Foundation to successfully treat patients with a myriad of illnesses including tuberculosis, high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, diabetes, kidney and prostrate disease, edema, heart failure and chronic fatigue. Today, in Germany, raw, whole milk is used in hospitals to treat several diseases. Raw milk enthusiasts claim consumption of high quality whole raw milk can cure diseases including irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis and allergies. To read testimonials see:
http://rawmilkinstitute.net/about-raw-milk/testimonials/

Contaminated and diluted swill milk caused widespread deaths in the 1800s

Cheap, swill milk was produced in the 1800s in order to increase profits. These milk producing cows lived in deplorable conditions, tied up in confinement and fed distillery waste instead of their normal diet of green pasture. 50 percent of those who drank this milk died.

The decision to pasteurize milk was based on economics

In 1910, the majority of those who met to resolve the “milk” problem of unsafe swill milk were opposed to pasteurization. Most wanted raw milk to be certified to ensure high quality, safe milk which maintained its high nutrients. Decision makers were afraid of the costs to certify raw milk dairies so decided to pasteurize milk instead. Milk producers with unsafe practices began pasteurizing their milk rather than clean up their farms.

Campaign against raw milk began in imaginary town called “Crossroads”

In 1945, a false story was first reported to have taken place in a made up town called Crossroads, USA, where raw milk was blamed for an outbreak of undulant fever. This unsubstantiated report was repeated by the Progressive and Reader’s Digest. This began an effort to eliminate raw milk production.

Raw milk facts

According to a study done in Michigan, 90 percent of those who are unable to consume pasteurized milk due to lactose intolerance are able to consume raw milk with its intact enzymes. Several people die each year from allergic reactions to pasteurized milk and dairy products. E-coli, botulism, Listeria, parasite spores and other bacteria routinely found in pasteurized milk cause illness and death. Not a single death has been reliably reported from raw milk consumption. Raw milk sales continues to grow each year while pasteurized milk purchases decrease due to dairy allergies.

Raw milk resources

For sources of raw milk visit: www.realmilk.com. To help support farmers trying to supply this valuable health food contact Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund at: www.farmtoconsumer.org/. For additional information on safe raw milk visit the Raw Milk Institute at: http://rawmilkinstitute.net/

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/039341_raw_milk_pasteurized_illness.html#ixzz3rtutuSNS

(NaturalNews) Ginger naturally contains a compound that is up to 10,000 times more effective than chemotherapy drugs at killing the cancer stem cells that make malignant tumors so dangerous, according to a study published in the journal PLoS.

The chemical, known as 6-shogaol, is produced when ginger roots are dried or cooked. The researchers found that 6-shogaol is active against cancer stem cells at concentrations that are harmless to healthy cells. This is dramatically different from conventional chemotherapy, which has serious side effects largely because it kills healthy as well as cancerous cells.

Cells responsible for 90 percent of cancer death?

Like other stem cells, cancer stem cells possess the ability to differentiate into various different cell types. In the case of cancer, stem cells differentiate into the various malignant cells that make up a tumor colony. Although they make up less than 1 percent of the cells in any given tumor, stem cells are impervious to nearly all known or experimental chemotherapy agents. These cells are also able to replicate indefinitely, and they are capable of splitting off from their originating colony to start new tumors elsewhere. They are key players in the process of metastasis, which is responsible for 90 percent of cancer-related deaths.

The persistence of cancer stem cells also explains why cancers can recur even after seemingly successful tumor eradication via chemotherapy, radiation or surgery.

“Cancer stem cells pose serious obstacle to cancer therapy as they can be responsible for poor prognosis and tumour relapse,” the researchers wrote. “To add into the misery, very few chemotherapeutic compounds show promise to kill these cells.”

Kills cancer cells on many fronts

The researchers found that 6-shogaol targets breast cancer stem cells along several different pathways, including reducing the expression of surface markers, altering the cell cycle to increase the rate of cell death, inhibiting tumor formation, directly inducing programmed cell death, and flat-out poisoning cancer stem cells (cytotoxicity).

The researchers then compared the cytotoxicity of 6-shogaol against human breast cancer stem cells with that of the widely used chemotherapy drug taxol. They found that while taxol did show cytotoxicity in a one-dimensional laboratory model of cancer (“monolayer”), it showed almost no effect in the three-dimensional (“spheroid”) model that is now believed to be a more accurate model of real-world cancer tumors. 6-shogaol, however, was effective in both the monolayer and spheroid models.

The researchers then increased the taxol concentration by 10,000 times, but it still showed no effectiveness in spheroid model.

“[T]axol, even though was highly active in monolayer cells, did not show activity against the spheroids even at 10,000 fold higher concentration compared to 6-shogaol,” the researchers wrote.

The promise of food-based cures

The fact that 6-shogaol naturally occurs in a widely consumed human food is promising for its safety profile, the researchers noted.

“Dietary compounds are welcome options for human diseases due to their time-tested acceptability by human bodies,” they wrote.

Another food-based chemical that has shown promise against cancer stem cells is phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). This chemical is produced from the reaction of a compound and an enzyme that occur in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage. This reaction actually takes place simply when the vegetables are chewed, which means that eating cruciferous vegetables causes the human body to be exposed to PEITC.

According to a May 2015 press release by researchers from the South Dakota State University Department of Health and Nutritional Sciences, PEITC has been successful at killing cervical cancer stem cells. The concentrations used in the study are actually achievable simply from a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables, the researchers said. The vegetables highest in PEITC potential are watercress and land cress.

This research suggests that PEITC, and possibly even a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables, could assist in the prevention of or recovery from cancer.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/052009_ginger_chemotherapy_cancer_treatment.html#ixzz3rtCDjeDs

By Organic Consumers Association

GMOs and glyphosate. It’s tough to talk about one without mentioning the other. The majority of GMO crops are engineered to resist Roundup, whose primary ingredient is glyphosate.

We have two action alerts we’d like you to sign this week. One deals with regulating GMO crops (we’re for tighter regulations, or better yet, moratoriums). The other deals with glyphosate (let’s ban it).

But before you scroll down and sign, it’s worth pointing out a detail sometimes overlooked in the GMO debate. Before “Roundup Ready” crops came on the scene, farmers who used herbicides (not that we’re for that) had to be careful to spray the weeds, not the crops. Otherwise, they might kill the plants along with the weeds.

Then along came seeds engineered to grow plants that won’t die, no matter how much Roundup (glyphosate) farmers spray directly on them. But could food sprayed with generous amounts of a weed killer be safe to eat?

Sure, if you can get the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use its authority to set “safe” limits for glyphosate residue on food. Which the agency did, despite warnings from its own scientists that glyphosate is carcinogenic. And when farmers needed to spray greater quantities of Roundup, because weeds evolved to tolerate it, the EPA turned around and upped the “safe” limits—allowing even more of this cancer-causing toxin to remain on food intended for human consumption.

Glyphosate is linked to more health problems than just cancer. It is likely an endocrine disruptor, though Monsanto has gone to great lengths to deceive the public and the EPA on that issue.

That brings us to our action alerts. Once every 15 years, the EPA is required to review and decide whether or not to re-register each pesticide. This year, glyphosate is up for review. Rumor has it the EPA will announce its decision sometime this week. In light of the recent determination by the World Health Organization, and mountains of new evidence linking glyphosate to human health risks, will the EPA sign off on glyphosate again?

While the EPA weighs the wisdom of allowing a cancer-causing toxin on your food, the Obama administration is pondering how to continue pandering to the biotech industry, while pretending to care about consumer concerns relating to labeling, safety testing and other regulations. Amidst all the talk about regulating and testing and labeling, we have to ask: If a GMO crop is engineered to withstand spraying with glyphosate, and glyphosate causes cancer, why are we regulating, testing and labeling? Shouldn’t we be talking outright bans on any crop grown with glyphosate?

https://www.organicconsumers.org/newsletter/organic-bytes-490-evil-twins-lost-mist-and-amplifythis/evil-twins

By Michael Snyder

If you have been watching for the next major global economic downturn, you can now stop waiting, because it has officially arrived.  Never before in history has global trade collapsed this dramatically outside of a major worldwide recession.  And this makes perfect sense – when global economic activity is increasing there is more demand for goods and services around the world, and when global economic activity is decreasing there is less demand for goods and services around the world.  So far this year, global trade is down about 8.4 percent, and over the past 30 days the Baltic Dry Index has been absolutely plummeting.  A month ago it was sitting at a reading of 809, but now it has fallen all the way to 628.  However, it is when you look at the trade numbers for specific countries that the numbers become particularly startling.

Just within the last few days, new trade numbers have come out of China.  China accounts for approximately one-fifth of all global factory exports, and for many years Chinese export growth has helped fuel the overall global economy.

But now Chinese exports are falling.  In October, Chinese exports were down 6.9 percent compared to a year ago.  That follows a decline of 3.7 percent in September.

The numbers for Chinese imports are even worse.  Chinese imports in October were down 18.8 percent compared to a year ago after falling 20.4 percent in September.  China’s growing middle class was supposed to help lead a global economic recovery, but that simply is not happening.

The following chart from Zero Hedge shows just how dramatic these latest numbers are compared to what we are accustomed to witnessing.  As you can see, the only time Chinese trade numbers have been this bad for this long was during the major global recession of 2008 and 2009…

Other numbers confirm the magnitude of the economic slowdown in China.  I have mentioned the ongoing plunge of the China Containerized Freight Index previously, but now it has just hit a brand new record low…

The weakness in China’s economy and its exports to the rest of the world are showing up in the weekly China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI): On Friday, it dropped to the worst level ever.

The index, operated by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, tracks how much it costs, based on contractual and spot-market rates, to ship containers from China to 14 major destinations around the world. Unlike a lot of official data from China, the index is an unvarnished reflection of a relentless reality.

It has been cascading lower since February and has since dropped 31%. At 742 currently, it’s down 26% from its inception in 1998 when it was set at 1,000.

Here are some more deeply disturbing global trade numbers that come from my previous article entitled “18 Numbers That Scream That A Crippling Global Recession Has Arrived”…

–Demand for Chinese steel is down 8.9 percent compared to a year ago.

–China’s rail freight volume is down 10.1 percent compared to last year.

–In October, South Korean exports were down 15.8 percent from a year ago.

–According to the Dutch government index, a year ago global trade in primary commodities was sitting at a reading of 150 but now it has fallen all the way down to 114.  What this means is that less commodities are being traded around the world, and that is a very clear sign that global economic activity is really slowing down.

Additionally, German export orders were down about 18 percent in September, and U.S. exports are down about 10 percent for the year so far.

Clearly something very big is happening, and it is affecting the entire planet.  The CEO of the largest shipping company in the world believes that the explanation for what is taking place is fairly simple…

In fact, according to Maersk CEO, Nils Smedegaard Andersen, the reason why companies that are reliant on global trade, such as his, are flailing is simple: global growth is substantially worse than the official numbers and forecasts. To wit: “The world’s economy is growing at a slower pace than the International Monetary Fund and other large forecasters are predicting.”

Quoted by Bloomberg, Andersen says that “we believe that global growth is slowing down,” he said in a phone interview. “Trade is currently significantly weaker than it normally would be under the growth forecasts we see.“

Global financial markets can run, but they can’t hide from these horrifying trade numbers forever.

One of the big things that is contributing to this new global economic slowdown is the unwinding of the U.S. dollar carry trade.  A recent piece from Phoenix Capital Research explained the U.S. dollar carry trade pretty well…

When the Fed cut interest rates to zero in 2008, it flooded the system with US Dollars. The US Dollar is the reserve currency of the world. NO matter what country you’re in (with few exceptions) you can borrow in US Dollars.

And if you can borrow in US Dollars at 0.25%… and put that money into anything yielding more… you could make a killing.

A hedge fund in Hong Kong could borrow $100 million, pay just $250,000 in interest and plow that money into Brazilian Reals which yielded 11%… locking in a $9.75 million return.

This was the strictly financial side of things. On the economics side, Governments both sovereign and local borrowed in US Dollars around the globe to fund various infrastructure and municipal projects.

Simply put, the US Government was practically giving money away and the world took notice, borrowing Dollars at a record pace. Today, the global carry trade (meaning money borrowed in US Dollars and invested in other assets) stands at over $9 TRILLION (larger than the economy of France and Brazil combined).

But now the U.S. dollar carry trade is starting to unwind because the U.S. dollar has been doing very well lately.  As the U.S. dollar has surged against other global currencies in 2015, this has put a tremendous amount of stress on emerging markets around the world.  All of a sudden oil, other commodities and stock markets in nations such as Brazil began to crash.  Meanwhile, those that had taken out loans denominated in U.S. dollars were finding that it was taking far more of their own local currencies to service and repay those loans.  This financial crunch in emerging markets is going to take years to fully play out, and it is going to take a tremendous toll on global markets.

Of course we have seen this happen before.  A surging dollar helped cause the Latin American debt crisis of the 1980s, the Asian financial crisis of the 1990s and the major global recession of 2008 and 2009.

If you thought that the financial shaking that happened in late August was bad, the truth is that it was nothing compared to what is now heading our way.

So buckle your seat belts boys and girls, because we are definitely in for a bumpy ride.

http://www.activistpost.com/2015/11/we-have-never-seen-global-trade-collapse-this-dramatically-outside-of-a-major-recession.html