Releases
Up one levelFood & Water Watch Joins No Impact Man to Promote Sustainable Food and Water Systems
2009-09-11
Press Release: Today, Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter hosted the premier screening of the documentary film No Impact Man at the Angelika Film Center in New York, NY. The event marked the launch of the consumer advocacy organization’s joint effort with author Colin Beaven to promote the need for safe food and clean water resources. Following the film Hauter spoke with the audience about the social and environmental impacts of consumer food and water choices.
Trenton Water Utility Sale Would Undermine Public Trust Doctrine
2009-09-11
Press Release: New legal analysis in papers filed today in the Appellate Division for the New Jersey Superior Court by Food & Water Watch demonstrate that denying citizens of Trenton the right to vote on the sale of the city’s water utility to the private corporation American Water undermines fundamental principles in state law guaranteeing that water resources are economically and prudently managed for the benefit of the public. The “amicus curiae” or “friend of the court” brief filed by the consumer advocacy group further supports a citizen’s movement in Trenton to require a referendum to determine the fate of the water system there.
Private produce safety rules burden smaller-scale, diversified farms, threaten conservation, lack transparency, new report finds
2009-09-10
Press Release: Private industry food safety protocols for produce farmers are not based on independent science and are biased against smaller-scale, diversified farms and those using sustainable production methods, finds a new report issued today by Food & Water Watch and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “Bridging the GAPs: Strategies to Improve Produce Safety, Preserve Farm Diversity and Strengthen Local Food Systems,” by Elanor Starmer and Marie Kulick, analyzes common, non-regulatory food safety protocols for produce growers including, the federal Good Agriculture Practices, the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, industry “super metrics,” and international food safety protocols.
Commercial and Recreational Fishermen and Renowned Scientist Join With Food & Water Watch For Hill Briefing on Ocean Fish Farming and Alternate Approaches
2009-09-08
Press Release: Today, at 11:30 a.m. in Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2103, Food & Water Watch joined with other fish experts for a briefing on the socioeconomic and ecological effects of open-ocean fish farming and alternate, more sustainable approaches to domestic seafood production. The briefing was in preparation for the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife’s “Oversight Hearing on Offshore Aquaculture” tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Obama Administration Allows Factory Fish Farms in Gulf of Mexico
2009-09-03
Press Statement: Today, the very agency tasked with conservation and management of our national fish resources, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), failed to protect fishing communities and the marine environment by allowing an unpopular and potentially harmful ocean fish farming plan for the Gulf of Mexico to pass into effect. NMFS was involved for the entire five years this plan was under discussion, and had since January of 2009 to decide whether ocean fish farming is the right thing to do for the Gulf. Time for indecision ran out today. Rather than taking a stand, the agency looked the other way and chose to stay silent, letting the plan pass by default. The agency’s silence is a choice in itself: to allow development of what are essentially factory farms of the sea—dirty, crowded mass-production facilities that can harm the environment and produce lower-quality fish for consumers. The plan lacks specifics about important issues: unknown types of facilities will be able to grow unspecified types of fish in locations approved by NMFS on a case-by-case basis, from three to 200 miles offshore in the Gulf. The development of these facilities will likely cause major ecological problems, and could undercut prices local fishermen receive for their catch, threatening an already vulnerable job market.
Food & Water Watch Lauds Canadian Medical Association’s Stance Against Triclosan
2009-09-01
Press Statement: Last week, the Canadian Medical Association called for a federal ban on the use of antimicrobials in personal care products such as those containing the pesticide triclosan. A federal ban in Canada would place much needed pressure on regulatory bodies in the United States to tackle this pressing human and environmental health problem.
Obama Administration Ignores Opposition From Fishermen and Others, Approves Destructive Fishery Management Plan for Gulf of Mexico
2009-09-01
Press Statement: Yesterday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries (NOAA Fisheries) overrode opposition from many fishermen and others and relied on a highly questionable referendum to approve an unfair and potentially harmful plan for managing the Gulf of Mexico’s tilefish and grouper fisheries. The plan, known as ‘Individual Fishing Quotas’ (IFQs) or ‘catch shares,’ determines who is allowed to fish, and how much, based on ‘catch history,’ or how much an individual or business has caught in the past. This method inherently favors those who fish the hardest and fastest and squeezes out many smaller-scale and historic fishermen. Worst of all, the process by which the plan was created and approved was biased and unfair. The Gulf’s Fishery Management Council held a sham referendum on the plan in which eligibility for voting was skewed to exclude nearly 70 percent of fishermen whose jobs were at stake if the plan passed.
Food & Water Watch Supports Louisiana Shrimpers’ Call for Fair Prices on Domestic Shrimp
2009-08-31
Press Release: Food & Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy group, today formally announced its support for Louisiana shrimpers, who are urging fair prices for domestic, wild-caught shrimp. Asserting that cheap imports are undercutting the prices received for their catch, nearly 300 shrimpers and Food & Water Watch protested at the state capitol in Baton Rouge.
Activists in Pennsylvania Thwart Three Privatization Attempts
2009-08-28
Press Statement: Last week, the Mt. Jewett Borough Water Authority Board in Mt. Jewett, Pennsylvania announced it would deny requests from two separate private companies, American Water and Aqua America, to purchase its water system. Food & Water Watch applauds the decision of the Mt. Jewett Borough Water Authority Board to ensure both the integrity of this vital natural resource and its delivery by keeping the Mt. Jewett water system in public control.
Obama Administration Approves Harmful Privatization Plan for Managing Mid-Atlantic Fishery
2009-08-27
Press Statement: Yesterday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved an unfair and potentially destructive plan for managing the tilefish fishery of the mid-Atlantic region, known as ‘Individual Fishing Quotas’ or ‘catch shares.’ Tilefish is a common finfish of the region, and the fishery is predicted to be a $10 million industry when rebuilt. Under this plan, only fishermen who are awarded “shares” by the management council—in this case, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council—are allowed to fish, while large numbers of fishermen are pushed out of their jobs. The plan determines how much quota share a fisherman receives based on the quantities he has caught in the past, thus inherently favoring bigger players and squeezing out many smaller-scale and historic fishermen. This plan also essentially privatizes the resource, ensuring that all the profit gained from its use benefits only a few, despite that oceans and fish resources are to be held in public trust for the benefit of all.
Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets and Food & Water Watch Partner to Launch “I Love Santa Monica Water” Campaign
2009-08-26
Press Release: On the forefront of a nationwide trend to kick the bottled water habit, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets today partnered with the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch to launch the “I Love Santa Monica Water” campaign by providing free filtered Santa Monica tap water at special self-serve station to all market customers and vendors. Former Mayor and current Council Member Richard Bloom demonstrated his support for the program by signing a pledge on behalf of the community to support tap water and avoid bottled water. The event marked the start of the markets’ ongoing effort to offer free filtered tap water at all four of its markets.
Tides Shift Against Nestle as Company Reports Decline in Bottled Water Sales
2009-08-13
Press Release: “This week, mounting consumer backlash against Nestle became especially apparent when the mega-conglomerate reported that their sales had dipped by 2.4 percent to 5.07 billion Swiss francs ($4.69 billion) from 5.21 billion francs a year earlier. The company’s bottled water division, which packages and sells water under several brands including Arrowhead, Calistoga, Deer Park, Poland Spring, and Perrier, among others, recorded a 3.7 percent decline in volume.
Latest Beef Recall Confirms USDA Must Fix Flawed Salmonella Testing Program to Protect Consumers
2009-08-06
Press Statement: Today’s announcement by Beef Packers, Inc. that it is recalling over 800,000 pounds of ground beef due to Salmonella contamination is a vivid reminder of the consequences of gaping holes in our food safety system.
“Aquaculture is Not Fishing”: Congressional Bill Reasserts Gulf Council Fish Farming Plan Illegal Under Existing Federal Law
2009-07-31
Press Statement: Food & Water Watch commends Representative Gene Taylor (D-MS) and co-sponsors for introducing a bill today to stop regulations that would for the first time allow development of ocean fish farms in U.S. federal waters.
Food & Water Watch Partners with Washington, DC Chefs to Oppose Controversial Gulf Aquaculture Plan and Rally to Support Sustainable Seafood
2009-07-29
Press Release: Today, renowned Washington D.C.-area chefs emerged from their kitchens to partner with Food & Water Watch and stir up a diverse crowd of activists, foodies and policy experts to rally against the controversial Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council ocean fish farming plan currently being considered by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Food & Water Watch to Congress: Start Equivalency Process from Scratch for Chinese Imports
2009-07-28
Press Release: Today, Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, testified before the House Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food and Drug Administration and recommended the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) restart its approval process in granting China equivalency status before importing processed poultry products.
New Food & Water Watch Report Calls For Improved National Data Collection on Groundwater Resources
2009-07-21
Press Release: Food & Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy group, today released a report urging the federal government to ramp up its efforts to collect data on groundwater quantity and quality throughout the United States. The report, entitled, Unmeasured Danger: America’s Hidden Groundwater Crisis, highlights the inadequacies of collecting data on groundwater at the local level and makes the case for why the federal government should oversee and dedicate funds for research on this vital, yet diminishing resource.
Food & Water Watch Applauds Introduction of Federal Trust Fund for Clean Water Infrastructure
2009-07-15
Press Statement: Today, Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3) introduced legislation to establish a Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund to support investment in drinking water and clean water infrastructure. We applaud Representative Blumenauer for this vital piece of legislation, which Food & Water Watch has advocated for over the past three years.
Popular Pesticide Triclosan Found to Carry Numerous Health and Environmental Risks
2009-07-14
Press Release: Food & Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy organization, in partnership with the public health and environmental activist group Beyond Pesticides, today submitted an amended petition to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requiring that the agency ban the use of the controversial pesticide triclosan for non-medical applications on the basis that those uses violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. Strong scientific evidence suggests that pervasive use of triclosan poses imminent threats to human health and the environment.