Not Even Monsanto Wants rBGH

by: OrangeClouds115

Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 17:04:01 PM PDT

"News of Monsanto's divestment of Posilac is one more sign that no-one wants the growth hormone rBGH used in milk production, not even the company that makes it," said Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. "In the last year we've seen retailers including Walmart, Kroger, and Starbucks fall like dominoes in the race to meet consumer demand for artificial growth hormone-free milk."

Food & Water Watch gives the full picture - from the bogus claims that rBGH is "green" to the Monsanto astroturf campaign to ban rBGH-free labeling in several U.S. states.

"RBGH is not used by small-eco-friendly farms.  The artificial hormone has contributed to the growth of mega-dairy operations that cram together thousands of cows generating mountains of waste that are toxic to us and to our environment," explained Hauter.

At the same time Monsanto tried to fix the image of rBGH, the company has been trying to limit consumer information on the artificial hormone.  Faced with consistent resistance in the marketplace and a failed attempt to get the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to restrict "rBGH-free" labels even more, through the group AFACT, Monsanto started going to state governments to limit "artificial hormone-free" labels.

"Monsanto has been urging state agriculture departments and Governors to deny consumers the right to whether or not rBGH was used on their milk and that threat is very real no matter who is manufacturing the hormone," continued Hauter.