Maria’s Manifesto:
Inspiring an Organic Revolution
An interview with Maria Rodale, CEO and chairman of Rodale, Inc., and author of the
recently released book Organic Manifesto
Once in a while a book comes along that causes people to open their eyes, see something that is terribly wrong in the world, and demand change. In 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring sparked international debate over pesticides and helped drive the organic and environmental movement. In the 48 years since Silent Spring was written, organic has grown to be a household word for many, but the work is not done—far from it. Each day more and more scientific evidence of the negative effects of chemical farming are discovered, linking it to everything from cancer and infertility to diabetes and autism—not to mention the pollution of our soil, water and air. It is time to once again open people’s eyes and make them demand change. It is time for a revolution—and Maria Rodale’s Organic Manifesto could very well be the book to start that revolution.
In her book, Rodale cites study after study, revealing shocking information that makes a strong case against chemical farming, while at the same time highlighting the positive nutritional and environmental benefits of organic. Like a seasoned investigative reporter, she also uncovers how the Farm Bill promotes chemical farming and how GMO companies pull the wool over the eyes of farmers, consumers and the government. For those who are already “believers” in the organic movement, this may be our Organic Bible—a text we could share with others to enlighten those who are still in the dark. For those who have yet to join the revolution, it could be the book that forever changes the way they look at food and agriculture and makes them join us in the revolt against the current chemically ruled empire.
And there is no one better to tell this story and lead the new organic revolution than Maria Rodale—the granddaughter of J.I. Rodale, who launched Organic Farming and Gardening magazine in 1942; and the daughter of Robert Rodale, who began the longest running farming systems study ever, which compares conventional chemical agriculture with organic farming. In 1987, Maria Rodale joined the family business, Rodale Inc.—a leading multimedia company focused on health, wellness and the environment, and the largest independent book publisher in the United States. Since then, she has served in many positions, including leading the Organic Living division, where she was the editor-in-chief of Organic Gardening and oversaw all of Rodale’s gardening books. She has won numerous awards, including the National Audubon Society’s “Rachel Carson Award” and the United Nations Population Fund’s “Award for the Health and Dignity of Women.” Today, Maria Rodale is the CEO and chair of Rodale and the founding editor of the company’s newest online venture, Rodale.com, which features her blog, Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen, and is the author of two books on organic gardening. Recently, Rodale took some time to chat with Organic Processing about her latest book, Organic Manifesto.
OP: What inspired you to write “Organic Manifesto?” What are some of the key messages that you hope readers will walk away with?
Rodale: The inspiration came out of the confusion that I was seeing, not only with consumers in general, but within the organic community as well. “What’s better, local or organic?” “Is fair trade better than organic?” There are so many different small groups dividing up our world that even within the organic community, it’s hard to figure out what’s really the right thing. Is organic good enough or should we go beyond organic? And then there were my friends who were not involved the organic community who still didn’t even understand the difference between natural and organic. They look at their shopping in a more simplistic way than the organic community. I felt that it was time to offer clarity as to what is really going on and why organic is so important to all of us, and so I wrote the book.
As I researched, I realized that I not only wanted others to understand organic better, but I wanted to understand it more too. Originally the book was going to be more focused on why organic was more nutritious—and that is important—but I really felt like the bigger story was about the horrible health consequences of chemicals in our environment. That’s the thing we should be rallying around and fighting against—the poisoning of ourselves and our children. I wanted to get this message out to everyday people so that they could make decisions in their lives based around that information. When people read this book, I hope they walk away with the understanding that organic is really the only thing they can trust out there. They need to know that “natural” means nothing. They need to realize that “conventional agriculture” really means “chemical agriculture”—and that a lot of their mysterious health problems they and their families are facing may very well be caused by exposure to chemicals from conventional agriculture. They also need to know that the reason organic is currently more expensive is because chemical food is completely subsidized by the government and we need to all work together to stop this because it’s not right. Everybody deserves good, clean, safe food, and the only truly good, clean, safe food is organic food. I want readers to realize that if there is just one thing they can do for both for their health and the environment, buying organic is the most important.
To those already committed to organic, the message is that we really have to unite and stand together to fight for the integrity of the organic rule, and also for what we know is the right thing to do for the planet and for people’s health. The results are in from the experiment we’ve been subjected to through chemical agriculture and we need to make changes based on that. From a health standpoint it’s wrong, from an economic standpoint it’s wrong, and from an environmental standpoint it’s doubly wrong. We should stop dividing ourselves and fight for what we know is right. The only way we are going to make change is if we are united as a whole group.
OP: You mentioned many studies about the health effects of chemicals and GMOs; what do you think are the top threats?
Rodale: I think the problem is that everyone keeps trying to isolate certain chemicals saying, “Okay, this is the bad one. If we just ban this chemical, everything will be fine.” But the fact is that there are 80,000 chemicals that have never been tested on human health which are being applied in the millions of pounds—and in some cases, billions of pounds—every year. They are everywhere and in everything. Even when we’re eating organic, these chemicals are in the water that we’re drinking, they are in the soil that’s left behind from previous owners of our land. More and more negative results from this chemical experiment are coming in every day. We have to stop it now.
One of the things that really shocked me was the role of these chemicals in the increased rate of diabetes. We have heard so much about the rise of diabetes and it seems like it’s all because people are drinking soda. While that may be part of the problem, it is not the whole story. The government’s own studies are showing that these pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are endocrine disrupters—and diabetes is an endocrine disease.
The other thing that shocked me is the research that is coming out on the connection between autism and pesticides. Today, one out of 100 kids has autism and all kinds of evidence points back to environmental chemicals. Another thing that didn’t even make it into my book is a study that just came out, linking GMOs to organ damage. In my book, there is a report from doctors to doctors saying, “You’re going to start seeing these mysterious health issues and many may be due to GMOs.” How have we allowed people to do this to our kids? It’s not like the rest of the world has let it happen. Europe didn’t let it happen and there are plenty of other countries that have not let it happen. But we let it happen. Shame on us.
OP: You talk about how the Farm Bill is at the root of many problems, including promoting the use of GMOs, the growth of processed products like high-fructose corn syrup and distorting the actual cost of food. Can you provide some insight on this issue?
Rodale: Before I wrote this book, my view of the Farm Bill was that it was this big confusing thing out there that was helping farmers survive. That must be why it exists, because why would the government be involved in this if it isn’t helping farmers survive? What really stunned me as I delved into history is that the Farm Bill was developed to help farmers survive by reducing production. It’s an economic theory. If there’s too much food, the price goes down and farmers make less money. That’s been what’s happening since 1933 when the Farm Bill started.
But that’s directly opposed to what the chemical and GMO companies are telling farmers and the government. They’re saying, “We need to grow more food because we need to feed the world.” So then farmers grow more corn, but we don’t need more corn. We haven’t for years. But the chemical companies tell farmers it’s their patriotic duty to grow more corn, so they do and this drives down the price, and then the government, through the Farm Bill, subsidizes commodity prices to make up for it. Farmers end up in debt with these huge machines that are specifically made to grow and harvest corn, so it becomes very efficient for them to grow corn. All the while, GMO companies like Monsanto are telling them that with their GMO corn, they can get higher yields and make more money. But they really don’t make any more money. The only one that really wins in this relationship is Monsanto. They’ve sold twice as much seed and twice as much chemical. That is why chemical companies are paying millions of dollars lobbying to get certain things into the Farm Bill; not because they’re getting direct money, but because it perpetuates the growth of chemical corn, which we don’t need. And where is all this extra corn going? In America, it’s going into processed food via high-fructose corn syrup, into feeding animals (many of which should not be fed corn) and into biofuels. Or it’s being exported, putting international farmers out of business because our subsidized prices are too low to compete with. Overall, without the Farm Bill, chemical food would be incredibly more expensive than organic food. The Farm Bill is subsidizing the chemical companies to perpetuate a system that is dysfunctional.
OP: You discussed the propaganda used by the chemical and GMO companies to create doubt. What do you think are the biggest lies consumers are being sold and how do we in the organic industry counteract these lies?
Rodale: I think that there are two big lies. The first big lie, as mentioned above, is that we need to feed the world and that GMOs and pesticides are going to solve that issue. In reality, they have made the problem worse by putting farmers around the world out of business through cheap, subsidized commodities and by destroying their land. Monsanto says they need to go into third-world countries to create food because people need more food, but they are just exporting this unsustainable practice, which actually destroys the soil and makes it more susceptible to drought and flooding. After 10 years of using pesticides, their land has turned into a desert. It’s a very short-term fix. Monsanto created the “feeding the world” message because they know that we all want to help people. They are using an emotional trigger to accomplish their business goals. The other lie is that these chemicals are safe. People assume that the government is looking out for us. They have an expectation that these things have been tested and have been proven safe, and that is not true. They’ve not been tested or proven safe. In fact, the government consistently ignores research, even from its own scientists, that shows these chemicals are not safe.
The first step in counteracting this is awareness. We all get swept up in emotional patriotism. We want to believe the best about our government, unless they raise taxes. But the government is us and we can change it—although it does take effort, work and vigilance. Politicians aren’t a separate breed of people. They’re people who have stepped up to take responsibility, and if we’re not happy with the way they are doing things, then we need to step up and take responsibility.
OP: At the governmental level, what changes need to happen to ensure that we are better protected?
Rodale: Ideally, every person in the government would read this book and say, “Yes, we have to ban these chemicals outright. We have to ban GMOs and ban any chemical that has not been proven safe for human consumption, at any dose.” That would be my desired outcome. What’s the next layer down? Well, tax benefits shouldn’t be going to the chemical companies and the chemical farmers. They should be going to organic companies and organic farmers. They’re the ones who are not creating larger problems that need to be fixed by the government.
OP: You close by telling readers that they need to start an organic revolution. What can we do to help get this going?
Rodale: The first thing is to stop fighting among ourselves and realize who the real enemy is that we’ve got to fight. Having grown up in the organic community, I know it is filled with passionate, thoughtful people who pride themselves on their independence and that independent thinking is what brought the organic industry to where it’s at right now. But if we’re going to get to the next level, we have to really ask ourselves, “What is our goal?” Is our goal to remain independent thinkers who are enjoying the fruits of our own thoughtfulness? Or, is our goal really to change the world? And if our goal is really to change the world, heal the planet and keep our families safe, we’ve got to work together to take things to the next level. We’ve got to take action in the government and take on the responsibility of educating consumers. If we want to go all the way, we have to learn to communicate with people who might have some different values and find common ground.
Secondly, we need to arm ourselves with the studies that are coming out from scientists around the world. Yes, the USDA regulations put limitations on what you can and can’t say regarding the health benefits of organic, but maybe that is something we should fight to change. We need to communicate to people that organic food is healthier, safer and better for the environment. One of the farmers in my focus group said, “If a yogurt company can say on television how it can fix your digestive problem, why can’t organic food say all the things it can do?” We’ve got to be more aggressive and sophisticated. If we can’t communicate the truth under current regulations, then we need to change those regulations. We also need to support more research. The organic industry has to start looking at some of the tried-and-true techniques of modern fundraising and use it for our own self-defense. As part of this effort, the Rodale Institute has also created a “Demand Organic” campaign based on my book to raise money for research.
Lastly, we need to inspire the community to take action. When the first USDA Organic rules came out that did not specifically prohibit GMOs, sewage sludge and irradiation, the organic community rallied together and organized a record-breaking letter campaign demanding that the USDA change the rule, and it worked. We need to set some goal like this—perhaps a Human Bill of Rights demanding organic; something that millions of people get behind and then take to Washington D.C. No matter what, we all need to demand organic because we all deserve healthy food.
