Me, at the Organic Summit

What should I ask -- or tell -- the (organic-cotton) suits at a fancy Colorado confab this week?

Posted by Tom Philpott at 1:57 PM on 23 Jun 2008

Read more about: green living | food | organic food | consumerism | industrial ag

Later this week, I'll be reporting from the Organic Summit in Boulder. Judging from the attendees list on the homepage, the summit brings together the shakers and movers behind what Michael Pollan has called "industrial organic" -- the large-scale producers and processors that stock the shelves at Whole Foods and the organic sections at Wal-Mart, Safeway, etc.

But the organizers seem intent on shaking things up. The speakers list ranges from Brahm Ahmadi of Oakland's excellent urban-ag project, People's Grocery, to Jim Thomas of the GMO watchdog ETC Group to Shelley Rodgers, who's making a documentary called What's Organic About Organic? Other speakers include Seth Goldman, who sold a large chunk of his company HonestTea to Coca-Cola a couple of years ago; and Fred Schilling, who launched Dagoba Chocolate in 2001 and sold it to Hershey in 2006 (and was recently quoted in The New Yorker comparing chocolate's flavor profile to "the breast of a woman on her back.")

Oh yeah, and me, on a panel with a couple of other gadflies, to expound on the topic of "evolving cultural issues on organic."

Look around the Organic Summit homepage, and tell me in comments below what I should ask -- or tell -- the folks in attendance.

For story: Me, at the Organic Summit
7 Comments | Post a Comment

Peak oil?

Ask them what they think about the future of hydrocarbon price and availability, as well as the ways they expect it to affect their businesses.

a sibilant intake of breath

by sindark at 2:55 PM on 23 Jun 2008

Bacillus thuringiensis

I would also ask them how they feel about genetically modified crops that use Bt toxin (a naturally occurring pesticide permitted in many organic regimes).

Are they concerned that huge monocultures of Bt crops will breed pests resistant to the chemical? In what ways do they generally see organic agriculture threatened by the mainstream variety.

a sibilant intake of breath

by sindark at 3:20 PM on 23 Jun 2008

Canola

I would ask them about their difficulties getting certified organic canola. Since most of it is contaminated with Monsanto's Bt and/or Roundup Ready transgenic varieties (as Percy Schmeiser can attest) and because canola, a brassica, can be pollinated by transgenic plants from miles away. As I understand, certifiers aren't currently testing for GMOs in crops not destined for export, but the uncertainty about the product they're offering must be disconcerting for them, since canola is in so many organic salad dressings, baked goods, etc.
I'd tell them to go with sunflower oil, preferably from a perennial sunflower, but that may well be impractical (small seeds).

Eat what you grow, grow what you eat

by PermieWriter at 4:13 PM on 23 Jun 2008

Sustainable Agriculture

I would like you to broach the subject of industrial hemp. In water-constrained states as we have in the West, hemp is a perfect alternative to cotton and corn. It is a superior energy crop for either ethanol (the stalk) or diesel (the seeds). Fuel is only one of thousands of uses of this non-psychoactive crop. It's time to put pressure on Congress to support Ron Paul's Industrial Hemp Farm Bill of 2008 to separate the definition of hemp from that of marijuana and let it be a state's rights issue. Hemp is naturally organic with no need for pesticides or herbicides, requires much less water than corn or cotton, and is kind to air and soil. There is currently a movement among many states supporting legalization and cultivation. It is simply too useful a plant and addresses too many of our environmental and agricultural needs to continue to be ignored. I would hope a group like this would step up to the plate and begin including the benefits of industrial hemp in discussions on sustainable agriculture and renewable energy as it deserves to be.
Lynda Parker, Denver Colorado

by Lynda Parker at 7:58 PM on 23 Jun 2008

Tom ask them

How we can promote schools to eat more locally grown, organic and healthy fresh foods?

Right now it seems that schools have strong contracts with too many large non organic suppliers.

Schools would be good plac eto provide organic foods so that kids can start to learn that local organic foods are more healthy

Thank you Tom.

I only have this one life, so I am going to try my very best to make a positive change. --- The Happy & Healthy Vegan ---

by javaearth at 8:57 PM on 23 Jun 2008

Ask them ...

... why organic grapes cost so $%^*! much.

grist.org

by David Roberts at 9:47 PM on 23 Jun 2008

Hesiodic digression

Ask anyone who is listening and paying attention how these names might be suggestive of something interesting and/or good:

Okeanos;
Kronos;
Prometheus;
Pandora;
Hope.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 10:08 PM on 23 Jun 2008

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