Food. Justice. Work.
The Checkout centers the voices and efforts of essential workers on the frontlines of our food system. Now more than ever, our food system is in a constant state of flux, radical change and crisis. From political economy and supply chain analysis to public policy, labor organizing and community struggles, The Checkout will expand the horizon of what is necessary to create a just, equitable and progressive food system.
The Checkout is a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network.
Episode 52: Megan Westgate and Linda Cognato of The Non GMO Project
The Non-GMO Project is a mission-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to building and protecting a non-GMO food supply.
Non-GMO Project Verified https://www.nongmoproject.org remains the market leader for GMO avoidance and one of the fastest growing labels in the retail sector.
The Non-GMO Project Standard is a consensus-based document crafted with the insight from dozens of industry experts, reflecting a dynamic range of perspectives. In a world of shifting and quickly developed technologies, the Standard remains current and collaborative through ongoing public comment periods.
Because of this collaboration with engaged stakeholder groups, Non-GMO Project Verified is a meaningful and achievable way for suppliers, brands and retailers to show their commitment to providing consumers transparent choice in the marketplace.
A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. Genetic modification affects many of the products we consume on a daily basis. As the number of GMOs available for commercial use grows every year, the Non-GMO Project works diligently to provide the most accurate, up-to-date standards for non-GMO verification.
Megan Westgate is Executive Director and Founder of the Non GMO Project. Linda Cognato is Research Analyst for the Non GMO Project.
Disclosure: Errol Schweizer, Host of The Checkout, is a Board Member and longtime ally of The Non GMO Project.
Episode 51: Sylvia Mallari of People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty
Sylvia Mallari is the Global Co-chairperson of the People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty. This organization is one among many that are boycotting the upcoming United Nation’s Food Systems Summit and organizing their own counter-summit.
Grassroots farmworker and peasants movements from all over the world are resisting the corporate takeover of the summit and pushing back against the agenda of industrial, chemical-dependent agriculture that prioritizes profit and efficiency over human health, food security and freedom.
From https://foodsov.org/about-us/ : The People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty is a growing network of grassroots food producers and peasant-farmer organizations and their support NGOs, working towards a People’s Convention on Food Sovereignty.
From https://foodsov.org/peoples-food-sovereignty/ : Food sovereignty is the power of people and communities to assert and realize the right to food and produce food and fight the power of corporations and other forces that destroy the people’s food production systems and deny them food and life.
The People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty seeks to:
Develop and promote the People’s Food Sovereignty as the alternative platform against neoliberal globalization on food and agriculture policies.
Disseminate the concept of food sovereignty, as a guiding principle in food and agriculture, and as a unifying call for mass movements across the globe.
Coordinate regional and global activities on Food Sovereignty including mobilization, research, and policy advocacy.
Exchange information, skills and experiences in achieving Food Sovereignty in the local, national, and regional levels.
Promote the acceptance of a globally binding International Convention on Food Sovereignty at the national and international level.
For more background on the United Nation’s Food Systems Summit and why organizations such as PCFS are boycotting it and organizing their own counter-summit, please see: https://agrowingculture.medium.com/we-should-all-be-worried-about-the-united-nations-food-systems-summit-803159ee9903 .
Peasants Press Forum, July 19, 2021: https://www.agrowingculture.org/peasant-press-forum-2021/ The Peasant Press Forum is an opportunity for international media organizations and peasant organizations to connect and bring those stories to light. This digital event will feature groups from Asia, Africa and Latin America who are on the frontlines of the global food sovereignty movement. Media and peasant groups must register prior to the event to be able to attend.
The program will consist of brief presentations from peasant groups followed by breakout rooms in which individual groups and media will have the opportunity for dialogue.