Bull

Anyone who doubts the strength of the agriculture-related lobby should note the battle being waged over labeling of milk from cows who have been fed hormones to increase their milk production. According to the New York Times on Sunday, a new group, American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology or Afact, has been created to protest the recent popularity of hormone-free milk.

Afact has close ties to Monsanto, the company that (surprise! surprise!) produces the hormone that stimulates milk production in cows as well as to a marketing firm whose founders include a former Monsanto executive. While Monsanto protests its involvement, saying that the group is led by farmers, it does acknowledge that it provided financial support to Afact.

Since consumers were tipped off to the existence of this hormone, more and more of them have made a conscious decision to purchase milk that comes from cows who have not been fed the hormone. In fact, according to the New York Times, "some dairy industry veterans say it's only a matter of time before nearly all of the milk supply comes from cows not treated with the [the hormone] Posilac."

Of course, Afact points to the F. D. A. (note: another federal agency) that maintains there is no significant difference between milk that comes from cows who have been fed the hormones and that that comes from hormone-free cows. So if there is no difference, why make such a fuss about the labels that say so?

Probably because they are working while the technology that was supposed to make them richer by increasing their milk production is not. Kevin Holloway, president of the Monsanto Dairy Unit puts it this way: "Dairy farmer choice to use a variety of F. D. A. approved technologies is at risk."

These farmers are only turning to the corporation that got them into this position to get them out. But once again, the power of the dollar rules the marketplace, this time to the detriment of the farmers who probably paid Monsanto dearly for helping them advance their "technologies."

I point all this out just to indicate the strength of the opposition to the anti-horse slaughter legislation. The agricultural lobby is backed by some extremely large corporations who usually stop at nothing to make a profit.