Contents

1. Summary
2. Antibiotics and Food
3. Pharma/Industrial Crops
4. Sustainable Food Choices

Summary

Capitalizing on an announcement by Tyson Foods that the company would no longer use antibiotics in producing its fresh grocery store chicken, UCS supporters called on fast-food companies to promise to buy meat from suppliers that adopt similar policies. Thousands of activists also weighed in on proposed changes to federal regulation of pharmaceutical and industrial crops. And UCS launched the first installment of our new web feature, Green Cuisine: Earth-Friendly, healthy recipes from top chefs and local farmers.

Antibiotics and Food

An estimated 70 percent of antibiotics and related drugs are used for nontherapeutic purposes on animal factory farms, rendering these drugs ineffective when doctors need them to treat sick patients. Responding to this concern, Tyson Foods recently announced it will produce all of its fresh chicken without antibiotics—selling it in grocery stores under a "Raised Without Antibiotics" label. As the nation’s largest producer of chicken, Tyson is setting an important precedent for protecting public health. The time has never been better to urge U.S. fast-food companies to follow Tyson's lead and establish strict antibiotic use policies with their meat suppliers.

Additionally, UCS held briefings for congressional staff on the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act. Dozens of staff from House and Senate offices listened to speakers from the worlds of science, medicine, and animal agriculture argue in favor of ending the practice of adding drugs that are important to human medicine to the feed and water of animals that are not sick.

Pharma/Industrial Crops

July marked the long-awaited release of the first step in U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) overhaul of federal regulations governing genetically engineered crops, including pharmaceutical (pharma) and industrial crops. This draft environmental impact statement included discussion of banning the outdoor production of pharma/industrial crops in food crops like corn, rice, and safflower. UCS mobilized thousands of activists and organizations to tell the USDA to support this ban. UCS also met with executives of major U.S. food companies who share our concerns about the risk that pharma/industrial crops pose to the food supply and human health, urging these companies to share their concerns with the USDA. This overhaul of USDA regulations is a long process that can result in drastic changes to the way the federal government monitors GE crops. Check back often for updates to this process at ProtectOurFood.org.

UCS unveiled Green Cuisine this summer, a seasonal feature that highlights partnerships between top chefs and the local farmers who supply them—and the creative, healthy dishes that result from these collaborations. The inaugural recipe is a delicious farm-fresh tomato and pasta dish from chef Nora Pouillon of the celebrated (and certified organic) Restaurant Nora in Washington, DC. Visit Green Cuisine to get this recipe and learn more about sustainable food choices.

UCS met with members of Congress on a variety of initiatives in the food and farm bill, a mammoth piece of legislation recently approved in the House and currently being debated in the Senate. This legislation greatly influences how food, energy crops, and animal feed are produced in this country, and presents an opportunity to turn away from harmful, environmentally destructive agricultural practices toward those that protect our air, water, soil, wildlife, and health. UCS is meeting with congressional staff to promote organic farming, conservation programs, and increased research in areas such as public-funded plant and animal breeding. We successfully fought off several amendments to the House bill that would have taken funding from organic programs to spend elsewhere.