Organic Battleground

If you follow the conflicts between organic agriculture and manufacturers of GMOs, you may be aware of the grave concerns organic farmers have of protecting the integrity of their crops. The way the law currently views this dynamic is that organic farmers are the ones responsible for protecting themselves from possible contamination by GMO crops. The patents they hold on these seeds provides for this protection. Now, that is akin to telling a child who is being bullied by one or more larger and more powerful children that s/he is solely responsible for protecting her/himself with absolutely NO support or protection from the school or any other adult! Sounds a bit imbalanced, doesn't it?

Well, there has been movement by some of those organic farmers to take a stand. These small, but very important efforts must be embraced by the industry leaders in organics and by those who consume those products. If left uncontested, companies like Monsanto, Dupont, Syngenta and other behemoths in the biotech industry will take their already massive influence to levels that will make them impenetrable. At some point, there will be no way to avoid ingesting GMOs in any foods as they will have become so prevalent and completely protected that the basic essence of nature will have been irreversibly altered.

Visionary Values will soon have our database in place so that people can see the linkages between these global biotech giants, our food systems, our politicians and our health. We think you will be amazed at just how few control so many and so much. It really is unimaginable what we have allowed to take place! This is a matrix of control that is, at the very least, criminal! Stay tuned!!

Farmers against Monsanto

This is a battle that needs to involve everyone who cares about the safety, integrity and control of our global food systems. It is a basic rights issue. We have reached a point where governments have given large corporations far too much control over our economy. However, WE have been the ones responsible for giving our governments that power and not holding them accountable! It is only when we recognize this and do something about it that we can expect good things to happen more regularly.

The most recent backlash against the biotech giants of the world, especially Monsanto, is a social indicator of many things. The Occupy movement is encouraging a concerned populace to change economic dynamics from elitist to inclusive. We must require this of our food producers as well. Many well-intentioned farmers are stuck in cycles of destruction that is encouraged by government and industry alike.

So, we are here to say that these brave farmers who are standing up to Monsanto are also standing up for us! Let's give them some help and make those changes in ourselves as consumers and demand GMO labeling to start with. Then, let's be better shoppers and purchase products that do less harm and more good!

Here is a link to an article reporting on the farmer lawsuit against Monsanto.

This is a great Tedx video of an eloquent young man speaking his mind on the issues of GMO$:

Moving Forward!

Our efforts to document sustainable businesses and endeavors is in motion now! We are currently in edit mode and should have some excellent interview segments to share with you. Over the past few weeks we have conducted interviews with three businesses: Licious Organics in Boulder, Colorado and Karma Balm and Interiors Green in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. We are very excited to get this project underway!!

Additionally, there has been extensive video documentation of a build site here in Boulder featuring Artesano Plasterers Ryan Chivers & Phil Metzler. This project also features a living roof installed by Andy Creath of Green Roofs of Colorado. We look forward to conducting interviews with these folks as well down the road.

Visionary Values believes that by sharing inspiring stories of individuals and companies working more in harmony with our environment and supporting sustainability, we can encourage others to do the same. After all, we share this beautiful world and all of our challenges must also be shared!

A Link to Sustainable Palm Oil Video

Here is a Bloomberg story on palm oil production and a Liverpool, UK company's efforts to do so sustainably.

What do you think? We believe that consumers should take them up on their promise to source verify their palm oil and present their claims of sustainability in a transparent fashion. Just following up to confirm! If a large enough number of people made this request in an inquisitive and respectful manner, then consumers would have a fully justified reason to support this company's efforts if they are being honest and forthright.

The Palm Oil Conundrum

Palm oil is ubiquitous. It it almost literally everywhere one looks on the grocery shelves. It is also now becoming a key ingredient in the biofuels marketed globally. Indonesia is the world leader in production of palm oil and Colombia, a rising player, is the leader in Latin America. Even Brazil recently announced plans to develop areas of the Amazon for the production of this highly lucrative commodity. They plan to do so whilst minimizing the risk to the environment. Is that possible?

Suffice it to say, the manner in which palm oil is produced is generally massively destructive. Large tracts of virgin forest are clearcut and burned to make way for the monocropped palm plantations. Biodiversity is eliminated and soils are destroyed. In doing so, communities are often alienated, human rights are violated and localized societal unrest ensues. Corporations take complete control and locals are hired on to work the plantations for poor wages.

What is being done? Certainly not enough and not with sufficient haste.

What can consumers do? Check out the following for more up-to-date information on efforts to increase sustainability in palm oil production and to locate ways to identify sustainably produced palm oil:

http://www.greenpalm.org/
http://www.rspo.org/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/forests/3534204/Palm-oil-round-table-a-farce.html
http://understory.ran.org/2008/05/06/let-the-sleuthing-begin-theproblemwithpalmoilorg-goes-live/

Additionally, take a look at the following blog from a small producer with an eye towards small-scale production:

http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2010/07/integrated-oil-palm-farming-in-bintulu.html

Conscious Capitalism Videos

Hey Folks!!

Check out CNNMoney.com for a few videos that focus on conscious capitalism. This one is an interview with 7th Generation CEO Jeffrey Hollender.

We Are Responsible...

This is what happens when we release responsibility for our impacts on this beautiful planet:

Until we are willing and enabled to make the correct decisions, then the likelihood of tragedies such as the BP oil spill will always loom. We all must work together to ensure that transparency is a legal responsibility of our governments and corporations. In addition, consumers must provide the oversight of these entities. Consumers around the world, especially those of us in resource hungry countries and democracies like the United States, must take charge of information and DEMAND full transparency of activities and decisions which impact us and our health and the health of the planet (the same thing in our eyes). There clearly are those who must shoulder the financial and moral burden of the impact of this global disaster so that it can be cleaned-up and so that we all can learn to avoid anything remotely close to this again. Let's stop passing the buck and assuming or hoping for someone else to do what we are clearly capable of doing ourselves!

This is why we have such a @#$%ed-up energy policy in the USA!!

When folks spew garbage like this it is no wonder we have such a steep climb towards changing our nation's dependence on non-renewable energy sources! Listen, if one looks only at the bottom line and sees nothing else connected to it, a perspective such as this one looks brilliant!

To state that solar only works when it is sunny is just mis-information and simply untrue! The energy production is certainly reduced, but to use this as an argument against solar power is rubbish! Just think of how many people and animals die every year directly and indirectly due to our insatiable thirst for oil and coal! When was the last time someone perished using solar energy?

So, calling an industry "unprofitable" when so little has historically been spent on alternative energy and big oil has spent lots to derail legislation in its favor, is a bit over the top, wouldn't you say?!? Throw in all the tax funded incentives and subsidies they have gotten and the gap is even larger! In fact, as of the middle of last year, investment in green power sources in the US had actually dropped 8% due to our shaky economy.

When hugely successful companies like Exxon spend only around 1% of its profits on alternative energy sources and BP 2.9% (the most of the big five oil companies), where is the money going to come from?? Where is the commitment to sustainability?? NOWHERE!!!

Well, that's not entirely true...WE NEED TO BE THE AGENTS OF CHANGE!!! We will do it through our demands that these tactics change. Certainly in light of the outrage over the recent coal mine deaths and the very recent (and very devastating!!) BP oil spill, we have a GREAT OPPORTUNITY, but perhaps we are not noisy enough!!

Visionary companies need visionary consumers. Folks who demand only the most ethical behavior and smartest decisions. Maybe our standards are too low? Any comments???

Consciously Growing

Here's a really good perspective on how success in business does not mean you must narrow mindedly focus on gross sales. Even if and when you plan to sell your business, you do have a choice to stipulate certain philosophies will be maintained after the sale. Let's face it, when you have raised your "baby" (business) to be an upstanding citizen, respectful of others and of the environment (we are all connected after all), then why wouldn't you want that dynamic to continue?! What options do the small fish have when the big pond beckons?

The White Dog Cafe: A Study of Social Business and Mission-Aligned Exit

Other interesting case studies to review are:

Honest Tea

Burt's Bees

Dagoba Chocolate

What do you think of this trend? Positives? Negatives?