Big Food is the multinational food and beverage industry with huge and concentrated market power. Big Food would be bigger than ever with the TPP Transpacific Partnership, the first classified trade agreement in history.
The TPP is being fought by numerous environmental, trade, human rights and food safety groups among others. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are some of the elected officials leading the fight against President Obama and the TPP. A Fast Track process led to TPP approval in committee on April 22 and soon faces a full Congressional vote (with no opportunity of amendment or filibuster under Fast Track).
As originally reported by Elizabeth Palmer of Sojourners in 2012, over 600 corporations have had access and input to the TPP, whereas We the People and those who represent us have been kept in the dark by President Obama and a select few in Congress. A recent WikiLeaks document confirmed what many suspected about the purposes of TPP. One example is that corporations would be able to sue governments for refusing food imports and taxpayers would bear fiscal responsibility for lawsuits. Potential litigation could even include potentially radioactively contaminated food and beverage from Japan during the on-going triple radioactive meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi.
The U.S. food alliances and corporations responsible for formulating language in the TPP include Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, and Kraft (all three have established operations in Japan).
Here is the list of 90 corporate food insiders as reported by Sojourner:
Alliance of Western Milk Producers
Almond Board of California
American Butter Institute
American Crystal Sugar Company
American Frozen Food Institute
American Meat Institute
American Peanut Council
American Sugar Cane League of the U.S.A., Inc
Archer Daniels Midland
Association of Food Industries
Blue Diamond Growers
California Canning Peach Association
California Citrus Mutual
California Citrus Quality Council
California Grape and tree Fruit League
California Walnut Commission
Cargill
Corn Refiners Association
Corn Refiners Association., Inc.
DavisCo Foods International, Inc.
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
Florida Tomato Committee
Goetze Candy Company, Inc.
Imperial Sugar Company
International Dairy Foods Association
Kidd Brothers Farms
Klein Farms, National Association of Wheat Growers
Kraft Food
Land O’ Lakes, Inc.
McKee Foods Corporation
Meadow Brook Dairy Farms
Michigan Sugar Company
Morris Farms
Moss Farms Partnership
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
National Chicken Council
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council of America
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Milk Producers Federation
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Pork Producers Council
National Renderers Association, Inc.
Nichols Family Farms LLC, Nichols Farms Corp., Inc. LLC
Oklahoma Cotton Council
Organic Trade Association
Pepperidge Farm, Inc.
Peterson Farms
Porter Creek Vineyards
Producers Livestock Marketing Association
Progressive Farm Management
Seneca Foods Corporation
Sombke Farms
Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc.
Starbucks Coffee Company
Stoneyfield Farms
Sunkist Growers
Tampico Beverages, Inc.
The Hershey Company
The Wine Institute
U.S. Dairy Export Council
U.S. Grains Council
U.S. Meat Export Federation
U.S. Rice Producers Association
U.S. Wheat Associates
United Farmers USA, Inc.
USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
USA Rice Federation
Washington State Potato Commission
Wellman Farms, Inc.
Western Growers Association
Please sign and share the petition to block radioactive food imports from Japan here: goo.gl/GYHDOj
Resources:
Sojourners http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/06/29/insider-list
Flush the TPP http://www.flushthetpp.org/tpp-corporate-insiders/
Law 360 http://www.law360.com/articles/641602/house-dem-fears-tpp-will-flood-us-with-unsafe-seafood
Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network (FFAN) http://www.FFAN.us
Press Release Stop Fast Track TPP, Say NO to Radioactive Food from Japan http://goo.gl/MH308f
Yes Magazine explains WikiLeaks and the TPP: http://goo.gl/F5DrJ8
Special thanks to Mark Casabier and Elizabeth Mueller
Kimberly Roberson is a certified Nutrition Educator and volunteer Executive Director of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network (FFAN). She wrote “Silence Deafening, Fukushima Fallout..A Mother’s Response” and co produced RAPT ~ Radiation Awareness and Protection Talk. She can be reached at www.NewHealthDesign.com
