V.A. – GMO mini-summit 2013

V.A. – GMO mini-summit 2013

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If you’re concerned about the food we eat and feed our children…

Find Out How to Protect Yourself and Your Family from the Dangers of Genetically Engineered Foods

You’re probably already well aware that Monsanto and the biotech industry are spending billions of dollars to cover their tracks, mislead the public, and hijack political offices so they can continue to feed the world genetically engineered foods. Their bottom line is the almighty dollar, regardless of the cost to you and me.

Injected Corn

They want to keep you uninformed and confused.

And they won’t be happy about what you’re about to read because it contains 5 powerful truths they don’t want you to know. You’re about to discover the biggest reasons you should be concerned about GMOs in our food supply.

More importantly, you’re going to find out what you can do to get the most recent and most crucial information to protect yourself and your family from a dangerous attack on your health. And you’re going to find out how you can take an even greater stand against industries that are focused on generating profits even if they have to leave a path of destruction in their wake.

Dangerous changes have taken place in our food supply in just the last 25 years. Most people aren’t even aware of what’s happened, and for those who are aware – most are not sufficiently informed to make a credible difference.

I don’t want that to be you.

What you don’t know could have serious consequences, so please keep reading to get informed about how you can protect yourself and your loved ones.

John & Ocean Robbins

John & Ocean Robbins

My name is Ocean Robbins. My father, best-selling author, John Robbins and I are the founders of The Food Revolution Network.

My dad and I are working together, but most people know of our family story starting a generation earlier still. You see my grandfather, Irvine Robbins, founded Baskin-Robbins ice cream company, or 31 flavors.
Ice cream cone shaped swimming pool

Ice cream cone shaped swimming pool

My dad grew up with an ice cream cone shaped swimming pool. He was groomed from childhood to take over and run the family company. But when he was in his early 20s, my dad was offered that chance, and he said “no”. He walked away from the company and from any access to the family wealth to, as we jokingly say in my family, follow his own “rocky road”.
John and Ocean 1973

John and Ocean, 1973

My mom and dad moved to a little island off the coast of Canada where they built a one room log cabin. I was born in that cabin, to parents who were living very simply, growing most of their own food, practicing yoga and meditation for several hours per day, and who named their kid “Ocean.”

As I grew up, our family moved down to California, and my dad wound up becoming a bestselling author on food and health issues.

The media had a lot of fun with my dad’s story, and they called him the rebel without a cone. His books sold more than 3 million copies.
Irvine Robbins with ice cream 2

Baskin-Robbins co-founder Irvine Robbins

One of his readers ended up being his own father, my grandfather, Irvine Robbins. In 1990, Grandpa Irv, who had always eaten a standard American diet, was suffering from serious heart disease, diabetes, and many other health problems.

His doctors gave him only a few years to live.

But then my grandpa decided to follow my dad’s advice. He started eating a lot less processed foods, and a lot more vegetables. He even gave up ice cream.

Ocean-John and Irvine RobbinsAnd before long he’d gotten off all his blood pressure and diabetes medications, he’d lost 30 pounds, his golf game had improved by 7 strokes, and he wound up living another 15 healthy years.

Around that same time, my dad and I were running marathons together.

So we’ve seen in our own family, the powerful impact that food can have on your life and on your health. I got started pretty early myself, and in 1990, at the age of 16, I founded a non-profit organization called YES! (Youth for Environmental Sanity), which I directed for 20 years. We led workshops and seminars for more than 650,000 young leaders from 65 nations.

One of the things I learned as I worked with diverse people all over the planet is that everybody eats. And what we eat has enormous impact on our own health, on the health of our communities, and even on the health of our world.

So a few years ago, I moved on from directing YES! to join forces with my dad directly, and we launched The Food Revolution Network.

Today we have more than 450,000 members, and we’re organizing leaders all over the world to stand up for food that’s healthy for people and for our planet.

PaulTestimonial

We’ve extensively studied the impact of GMOs and we’ve consulted with the world’s leading experts on the topic. We’ve determined that this is one of the critical food issues of our times, and we’re passionate about giving you the knowledge you need to be informed, and to protect yourself and those you love.

Before we get into the 5 critical facts that you need to know about GMOs it’s helpful for you to understand how this technology differs from traditional plant alterations.

Why Genetic Engineering is Unprecedented

FRS-poster-Andrew-KimbrellThe main difference, and it’s a huge one, is that hybridization and selective breeding use sexual reproduction. That’s the natural process responsible for the billions of years of evolution on the planet. And we’ve been using hybridization and selective breeding to alter our plants and animals for thousands of years.

But with genetic engineering, scientists take genes from one organism like a virus, a bacteria, or even a pig or a fish, and they force those genes into the DNA of another species. They literally splice genes across the species barrier and create new life forms that will, in turn, reproduce forever. Selective breeding is the product of farms. GMOs are the product of laboratories.

Now, let’s get into the 5 facts I promised you about GMOs.

Fact #1: GMOs are Taking Over Our Food Supply

GMOs are now in more than 70% of the foods on America’s restaurant menus and supermarket shelves.

The 6 main GMO crops are Soy, Corn, Cotton, Canola, Sugar Beets, and also Alfalfa, which is used as hay for animals.

And chances are, even if you think you’re not, you’re probably eating some of them almost every day. Corn and soy in particular are used as the raw ingredients for a huge array of additives and processing agents. I’ll tell you more about some of the hidden GMOs later.

Fact #2: Some GMOs are Registered as Pesticides

The reason some GMO crops don’t require pesticides to protect them from insects is because they ARE pesticides. These plants have been engineered to produce the insecticide Bt. in every cell of the plant. When certain insects eat any part of a Bt. plant, their stomachs rupture, and they die.

These Bt. plants are living pesticide factories. They’re literally registered with the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, as pesticides. Monsanto, of course, says they’re completely safe for humans. But there are many, many scientists who have serious concerns about the safety to humans, and even livestock, of eating Bt. crops.

Fact #3: Americans want GMO Labeling

91% of the American public supports labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients.

There are 64 nations that require GMO labeling, including the entire European Union. But the United States and Canada are not among those countries. At least, not yet.

GMO Labeling Around The World

Why?

For one thing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Deputy Food Commissioner, Michael Taylor, the man ultimately responsible for regulation of GMOs, happens to also be a former Vice President of Public Policy for Monsanto. And before that, Mr. Taylor served as administrator of food safety at the USDA, and before that, he was an attorney for Monsanto.

For some reason, I have a hard time believing that a man can go from being a Monsanto Vice President to a guardian of the public trust when it comes to regulating a company that has previously paid him millions of dollars.

When it comes to the government looking out for the interests of the American public, it’s like we have a fox that’s been put in charge of guarding the henhouse. That’s why we’ve asked you to join the campaign to call on the FDA to label genetically engineered foods. Because we want them to know that we, the people, have a voice and we care.

In the mean while, since we still don’t have labeling, and since GMOs are so widespread, the responsibility falls on people like you and me to get informed so we can make our own choices. Otherwise, you’ll essentially be letting Monsanto and the government policy they set… dictate your family’s choices.

Fact #4: GMOs INCREASE the Use of Pesticides

Genetically Engineered crops have INCREASED the overall usage of pesticides by hundreds of millions of pounds.

Monsanto claims that genetically engineered crops use fewer and safer chemicals. But according to USDA data, these crops have in fact increased overall usage of pesticides by more than 527 million pounds. More than 85 percent of the engineered crops planted in the world today have been genetically engineered by agrichemical companies like Monsanto to be able to withstand sprayings of the companies’ proprietary herbicides – most prominently, Monsanto’s Roundup. This means that, for the first time in history, humans are today eating plants that were themselves sprayed directly with herbicides.

Fact #5: The Weed Killer in Roundup is Now in Your Body

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, the most widely used herbicide in United States agriculture. And glyphosate is increasingly widespread in our water, our air, and our bodies. It’s even found in umbilical cord blood.

And… in addition to being an herbicide, it’s also been patented by Monsanto as an antibiotic. This is because it can kill certain bacteria. Many scientists fear that the rampant increase in use of glyphosate and other herbicides could be having an impact on skyrocketing rates of digestive problems, gluten intolerance, food allergies, leaky gut syndrome, and maybe even autism.

Billions of Dollars to Hide the Truth

FDA-MonsantoMonsanto and the other biotech companies spend billions of dollars in advertising, marketing, lobbying, and opposing ballot initiatives that would require genetically engineered foods to be labeled.

This massive spending has perpetrated myths that are utterly false. For example, they tell us that the scientific community has made up its mind, and GMOs have been proven to be safe. The truth is that many credible scientists have significant concerns about the safety of these crops for human and animal consumption, and that the environmental impacts are documented and alarming.

This is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

You may have already known some of these important facts about GMOs, or they may be new information for you. Either way, what I’ve just shared is just the tip of the iceberg.

The top way to avoid GMOs is to eat only organic or certified non-GMO corn, soy, canola, and sugar. But the trouble is that corn and soy are used in all sorts of products, from lecithin, to citric acid, to certain “natural flavors”. And they’re even fed to livestock. So being truly non-GMO can take a lot of attention and learning.

Why You Need to Be Informed

If you aren’t deeply educated on the topic, than the reality is, you ARE eating GMOs, whether you like it or not, and whether you know it or not.

It’s crucial to get informed with the real facts on this issue, so you can know the truth about something that has profound impact on our food supply and is probably having an impact on your health. And being informed isn’t just for you, it’s also for the wellbeing and education of the people you love.

Even if you think you’re pretty up to speed about GMOs, do you feel able to hold your own in a debate with your friends, co-workers or relatives? Do you feel like you really understand what critical changes to the genetic code of our food supply mean to your health and the health of your loved ones and planet? How about to the future of agriculture? And do you have an understanding of the alternatives, and of what it’s really going to take to feed the growing human population?

It’s Time To Get Empowered

Our GMO Empowerment Package gives you the critical information you need to get informed, and to protect yourself and your family.

To start off, in the GMO Mini-Summit, I host 11 interviews that my dad and bestselling author and GMO educator Jeffrey Smith personally conduct with some of the world’s leading GMO experts.

Get Started Now!

Here’s just a small taste of what you’ll get from these amazing presentations:

You’ll hear from Dr. Thierry Vrain, the former professional GMO scientist who spent decades being paid to use his scientific credentials to reassure the public that GMOs were completely safe. In the last 10 years, Dr. Vrain has changed course, and he’s now one of the voices the biotech industry fears the most. Dr. Vrain will blow the cover on the dangerous revolving door links between industry and government officials. He’ll explain how scientists are being manipulated to serve commercial agendas, and why this matters to you and the health and safety of those you love.

Thierry Vrain, Ph.D — The Former Pro GMO Scientist Speaks Out

Thierry-VrainIn his 35 years as a leading research scientist for the Canadian government, Dr. Thierry Vrain was paid to reassure the public that genetically engineered foods were safe to eat. But now, this insider will lift the veil and expose the truth that Monsanto doesn’t want you to know.

As the former head of biotechnology at Agriculture Canada’s Summerland Research Station, Thierry knows the science of GMOs inside and out… And he’s sounding the alarm.

Get Thierry’s thoughtful, credible, and deeply informed take on the real health and environmental impact of genetically engineered foods. This is a presentation you’ll want to share with everyone you know.

You’ll discover how financial and food industry analyst, Robyn O’Brien had her life turned upside down overnight by her daughter’s life-threatening food allergies. Robyn’s mama bear instincts led her to question why food allergies have tripled over the last 15 years, and why autism has quintupled in the last generation. What she discovered will infuriate you, and it will empower you.

Robyn O’Brien – Fighting Food Allergies

Robyn-O’BrienRobyn O’Brien was a financial and food industry analyst whose life was turned upside down by her daughters’ sudden allergy-induced illness. Robyn’s love of her kids led her to take an honest look at our food system. What she discovered changed her life forever. She went on to found AllergyKids, and to become one of the most formidable forces in the food movement today.

With her wildly popular TED talks, books, magazine columns, and her online advocacy, Robyn has become what the New York Times called “food’s Erin Brockovich“. What she’s uncovered about food allergies – and GMOs – will rock your world!

Molecular scientist and genetic engineer Dr. Michael Antoniou will help you understand how genetic engineering actually works, and why this is such a powerful technology with immense potential to either help or harm. He’ll show you with alarming clarity why it’s so profoundly dangerous to place this technology into the hands of corporations whose bottom line goal is their own profits.

Michael Antoniou, Ph.D — GMOs: Separating Myth From Truth

Michael-AntoniouWith all the information and misinformation out there on the GMO topic, it can be hard to sort out what the scientifically proven facts really are. That’s why you’ll appreciate Dr. Michael Antoniou’s grounded and potent presentation. Michael is a molecular scientist and genetic engineer, and the co-author of GMO Myths and Truths, which is one of the most-thoroughly researched and comprehensive books on GMOs ever written.

He will shed light on the vast misconceptions that genetically engineered foods are increasing yield, reducing pesticide use, and offering a solution to climate change. After this presentation, you’ll be able to decipher facts from misinformation, and know the real story.

You’ll learn from Dr. Vandana Shiva how GMO agriculture has been linked to over 250,000 farmer suicides in India. Millions of farmers have entered into contracts with Monsanto based on promises of extraordinary crop yields and reduced costs. When the promises proved false, and with their debt continuing to accumulate, these farmers have been taking their own lives by drinking pesticides in an attempt to escape their misery and to free their families from their debt burdens. I’m talking about 250,000 farmers in just the last 20 years.

Vandana Shiva, Ph.D. – Food Security In A Global Community

Vandana ShivaDr. Vandana Shiva is founder of Navdanya (“nine seeds”), a movement of thousands of Indian farmers promoting biodiversity and use of native seeds. Vandana is a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, often called “The Alternative Nobel Prize”, and the director of the Research Foundation on Science, Technology, and Ecology.

She is author of many bestselling books, including Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply. Forbes named Vandana “one of the 7 most influential feminists in the world,” and Time selected her as an “environmental hero.” Vandana will inform you of the real global impact of GMOs and inspire you to consider the deeper implications of seed patenting and ownership.

You’ll get cutting edge, no-nonsense insights from Dr. Michael Hansen, a Senior Staff Scientist with Consumers Union, the organization that publishes Consumer Reports. Dr. Hansen’s job is to separate the truth from the rhetoric and to provide unbiased and trustworthy sources of information to the public. He will reveal exactly why studies funded by the Biotech industry always find GMOs to be safe while a growing body of studies by independent scientists tell a very different story.

Michael Hansen, Ph.D. — What Does The Science Tell Us?

Dr-Michael-HansenDr. Michael Hansen is a Senior Staff Scientist with Consumers Union (CU), the publisher of Consumer Reports. Dr. Hansen has served on the USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology, and on the California Department of Food and Agriculture Food Biotechnology Advisory Committee.

He represents Consumers International, a federation of more than 250 organizations in 110 countries, at Codex Alimentarius and other international forums, and he has testified in dozens of hearings. As a globally recognized scientist who values peer reviewed published data, and with a responsibility to stand independent of special interest agendas, Dr. Hansen will give you fact-based insight on GMO science.

Not only will you get all of these, but you’ll also get 6 more amazing 30 minute presentations from Center for Food Safety director Andrew Kimbrell; farmer Howard Vlieger; Environmental Working Group co-founder Ken Cook; GMO Myths and Truths co-author Claire Robinson; University of California at Berkeley agro-ecology professor Miguel Altieri; and a special presentation from my dad and Jeffrey Smith.

Andrew Kimbrell – Your Right To Know

Andrew KimbrellAndrew Kimbrell is a leading public interest attorney and the founder and director of The Center for Food Safety. He fights to protect people and the environment from the threats of chemical-dependent industrialized agriculture.

Andrew is often called on to testify before the United States Congress, and his work has been featured in numerous publications and documentaries.

His most recent book is Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food. The Guardian named Andrew as one of the 50 people who could change the planet. We think he’ll change your life!

Howard Vlieger — A Farmer’s Shocking Discovery

Howard VliegerHoward Vlieger is a third generation family farmer. He coordinated and co-authored the only scientific study of its kind, in which identical groups of hogs were fed GMO and non GMO grain for the entirety of their lives. The results of his study have rocked the farming world.

Howard is an internationally recognized speaker on the topic of farming and GMOs, and serves on the board of directors for the Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance and the Council for Healthy Food Systems. Get a first-hand, real-life account straight from the farmer’s mouth. If you’ve ever wondered what is really happening on the frontlines with GMOs and farming, this interview is a must!

Ken Cook – Sustainable Agriculture for a Hungry World

Ken CookKen Cook is president and co-founder of the 1.3 million-member Environmental Working Group (EWG). He is one of the environmental community’s most prominent and effective experts on chemicals, pesticides, and U.S. farm and food policy. Ken’s work helped to catalyze the landmark Food Quality Protection Act that required the EPA to consider the dietary risks of pesticides on children’s health. EWG researchers later discovered hundreds of industrial chemicals in umbilical cord blood.

By proving that contamination began in the womb, they changed the debate over chemical exposures. Ken will show you how to protect your family and to take informed action on the issues that matter most to you.

Claire Robinson, MPhil — The Science, The Spin, & The Truth

Claire-RobinsonClaire Robinson is research director at Earth Open Source and editor for GMWatch. She is the former managing editor of SpinProfiles (now Powerbase.org), and has a background in investigative reporting on public health, science, and environmental issues.

Claire is not only current on global events relative to GMOs, she is often the root source for where many in the movement get their information. If you want to know the political, socio-economic, scientifically proven, historically accurate, and up-to-date facts about GMOs, this interview is not to be missed.

Miguel Altieri, Ph.D — What Is The Environmental Impact of GMOs?

Miguel-AltieriGMOs have been touted as an answer to everything from pesticide use to droughts to topsoil erosion. But are these claims justified? Find out from one of the world’s top experts on sustainable agriculture, Dr. Miguel Aliteri.

Miguel has been a Professor of Agroecology at UC Berkeley for more than three decades, and has served as General Coordinator for the United Nations Development Program’s Sustainable Agriculture Networking and Extension Program. He is author of more than 200 publications and books including Agroecology: The Science of Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity. If you care about the planet, and you want the facts about sustainable agriculture, then this is for you.

And another bonus: John & Jeffrey —Protect Your Family and Make a Difference

John-Jeffrey-finalJoin John Robbins and Jeffrey Smith, globally renowned experts and bestselling authors on food, health, and GMOs, for a special hour-long presentation hosted by Ocean Robbins.

They will inspire and galvanize you with the insights and inspiration you need to put all you’ve learned into action for your health and the health of those you love.

This is a rare opportunity to hear these two maverick food movement leaders at the SAME TIME, as they share their experience and top insights.

You’ll be able to own all of these presentations for life, and to listen to them on the computer, in your car, or any other place you like, and to share them with friends. You’ll also get the full transcript from each of these presentations, which will allow you to have all the information at your fingertips and make it so you don’t have to worry about forgetting important parts or having to take extensive notes.

To complete your GMO Empowerment Package, we’ve added some bonuses to your collection of potent presentations.

Your Bonuses

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Bonus #1

You’ll get a 90-minute workshop with Jeffrey Smith, my dad, John Robbins and me as we answer 20 burning questions that have come from our summit participants about GMOs.

No-GMO-Shopping-Guide
Bonus #2

You’ll get a special training with nutritional coach and mom Laurie Cohen Peters about “How to Shop Non-GMO”. She’ll teach you about the best ways to avoid purchasing GMOs, which brands are committed to non-GMO production, how to navigate non-GMO on a budget, what to watch out for in restaurants, and much more.

Bonus #3

And you’ll get a non-GMO shopping guide, a non-GMO shopping app, and a collection of GMO eBooks and training videos to help you get as informed as possible and to dig deeper into areas of specific interest or concern.