Over the last few years, health advocacy has challenged harmful food production technologies while promoting sustainable alternatives. Multiple tools and strategies have included litigation, legal petitions for rulemaking, legal support for various sustainable agriculture and food safety constituencies, policy initiatives, public education, grassroots organizing, and media outreach.
In response, the food industry has ramped up its public relations efforts to reassure the public that our food system is ‘healthy and safe.’ They have formed groups that appear to benefit the public, and they often appear to represent farmers or consumers. However, their sneaky tactics are actually funded by powerful industry players – like Monsanto – who don’t truly care about public health. Therefore, it’s important to understand who these groups are and what their ultimate goals are.