EC transparency and organics: two hot topics

23rd September 2011

In September’s e-Alert, we bring you news of important developments in two high-profile public interest stories: the European Commission’s continued lack of transparency and organically grown crops. We’re glad to say that there is a positive aspect to the organics story! (Well, one out of two isn’t bad). Not only that, but we have some exciting news of a change in format for our e-Alerts, beginning next week.

Our e-Alerts are going weekly!

This will be our last monthly e-Alert. Things are changing so rapidly in the world of natural healthcare that the only way to keep you properly informed is to change to a weekly format that will be shorter and punchier. Look out too for a new regular health tips section on the website. We’ll be giving you handy hints on how to live a naturally healthy lifestyle, drawing on the combined expertise of the ANH team and our broad network of scientists and practitioners and doctors who collaborate with us. Don’t forget to forward our e-Alerts to your family, friends, work colleagues – in fact, anyone who might, or should, be interested! The first weekly e-Alert will go out on Thursday 29th September, so look out for it in your inbox. And remember that we have an RSS feed for those of you who wish to be automatically updated as we add new information to the site. 

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The European Commission answers 20 questions, yet says nothing!

Tightly written, suitably referenced and accurately targeted questions from ANH-Intl were put to the Commission regarding the way the herbal Directive excludes non-European systems of traditional medicine, the regulation of holistic traditions and the Directive’s implications for public safety. Despite being given no wriggle-room in the questions, the EC has managed to respond with little more than hot air. The evasive and incomplete answers represent a democratic travesty and further underline the complete lack of transparency in the conduct of the EC that has become all too familiar of late. It also confirms that legal action is the only option for changing the way herbal products is dealt with in Europe. This is only Part One – Part Two will follow shortly, for those with the stomach for it!

Organic farmers can sue for trespass over pesticide contamination

Two recent US court decisions set an important legal precedent for organic or conventional farmers whose crops are contaminated by pesticide residues drifting across from neighbouring farms. Such contamination is now, legally, trespass, and the affected organic farmers can sue careless pesticide users for damages. And while this is great news in itself, it may set a powerful precedent for organic farmers whose crops are affected by GMO seed – a situation that has previously resulted in lawsuits for copyright infringement from the GMO companies themselves!

In fact, Bayer CropScience has already paid $750 million damages to US rice farmers whose crops were tainted with unwanted GMO genetic material. We eagerly await the outcome of the similar but wider case of Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association, et al. v. Monsanto, involving 270,000 organic farmers.

See below for some of our top features and news stories:

England’s ‘water fluoridation functions’ to be passed to local authorities

Will ‘answerable’ local councils bring more democracy to fluoridation decisions?

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ANH FEATURE: US Institute of Medicine releases questionable study into vaccine safety

Evidence mostly "inadequate" but media paints vaccines as "mostly safe"

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Don’t drug my child, or I’ll shoot

A US mother's fight to keep control of her child's healthcare

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Edzard Ernst on the self-promotion trail

Despite a high profile, ex-Professor's research methods remain questionable

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