2009 Wins
Press Releases
Below are Food & Water Watch Press releases:
Food & Water Watch: IntraFish Misses the Big Picture
2010-02-03
Media Statment: IntraFish absurdly accuses Food & Water Watch of lying in a press release regarding Monterey Bay Aquarium’s (MBAQ’s) removal of “Kona Kampachi” from its seafood card (February 1, “NGOs gone wild”). Author Ben DiPietro irresponsibly reported that Food & Water Watch claimed, “The reason the fish was removed from the popular list… was because of environmental concerns about the farming methods and a lack of respect for Native Hawaiian customs.” IntraFish fails to see the big picture – and misrepresented the message.
President’s Budget Leaves Critical Gaps In Consumer Protection
2010-02-02
The Obama Administration’s proposed 2011 budget falls short of what is needed to protect consumers by underfunding food safety and water infrastructure, while devoting government resources to promoting unsustainable methods of producing food.
For Hawaii, New Bills on Ocean Fish Farming are Two Steps Forward, and One Step Back
2010-01-29
Media Statement: “This week, three bills were introduced in the Hawaii State Legislature that have the potential to significantly impact the integrity of Hawaii’s ocean resources, and the vital role they play in the state’s economy and lives of its residents.
Food & Water Watch Supports Monterey Bay Aquarium Removal of “Kona Kampachi” Fish from Seafood Card
2010-01-28
January 28, 2010, Washington, DC - Food & Water Watch, a national consumer advocacy organization, and Hawaii’s Kanaka Council, a coalition of Native Hawaiian rights groups, congratulate Monterey Bay Aquarium for removing Kona Blue Water Farms’ U.S. farmed yellowtail or “Kona Kampachi” from the aquarium’s Seafood Watch Card. Previously the ocean farmed fish was listed as a “yellow” choice, a “good” alternative on Monterey Bay’s seafood guide. The two groups urged Monterey Bay Aquarium in mid 2009 to remove Kona’s product from a list of sustainable seafood choices, due to negative environmental impacts and lack of respect for local traditions and culture.
Food and Water Europe Welcomes UK Supermarket Ombudsman
2010-01-15
Statement of Food & Water Europe Executive Director Wenonah Hauter – The Black Isle, Scotland - “Yesterday’s announcement that the UK will at last have a supermarket Ombudsman to curb the economic power of retail grocery stores and to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice is welcome news for suppliers and consumers. We are pleased that the Ombudsman will be given the power to respond to anonymous complaints and we look forward to a tough response to the widespread non-competitive practices that have been used by supermarket chains.
Consumer Groups Challenge Feds to Ban Dangerous Pesticide Found in Consumer and Personal Care Products
2010-01-14
Press Release: Today, the national consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch and Beyond Pesticides, a public health and environmental organization, submitted a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ask it to ban non-medical uses of the antimicrobial pesticide triclosan. More than 70 organizations signed the petition, which also outlines ways in which triclosan violates numerous environmental statutes, including laws on pesticide registration, clean water, safe drinking water, and the Endangered Species Act.
Proposed Rockland County Desalination Plant a Boon for United Water New York, a Bust for Area Water Customers
2010-01-12
Press Release: The Haverstraw Water Supply Project, a proposed desalination plant in Rockland County, New York, could generate as much as $5 million in annual profits for United Water New York, but community members would ultimately pay the price in the form of increased water rates, finds a new report released today by the national consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch. Entitled Not Worth It’s Salt: How Rockland County Could End Up Paying for an Unnecessary Desalination Plant, the report recommends approaches to meeting the area’s water needs that include conservation, improving existing water infrastructure, and better stormwater management and land use planning, among others.
Ocean Aquaculture Legislation Unnecessary and a Concern for Coastal and Fishing Communities and Environment
2009-12-28
Press Statement: On Christmas Eve, a bill introduced by Representative Lois Capps (CA-23) to allow offshore aquaculture in federal U.S. waters became available to the public. Also known as ocean fish farming, this practice is the mass-production of fish using open net pens or cages located about three to 200 miles offshore (in most ocean areas). This bill is unnecessary and not a step toward protecting our oceans and fishermen’s jobs from harms associated with ocean fish farming.
Groups Applaud American Public Health Association for Opposition to Hormone Use in Beef and Dairy Production
2009-12-22
Press Release: Public health and consumer groups today applauded the decision of the American Public Health Association (APHA) to oppose the use of growth hormones in beef and dairy production by calling for a ban on the use of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in dairy cows and a slate of growth hormones in beef cattle.
Drinking Water Regulations Should Ban Unsafe Chemicals From Entering Public Systems
2009-12-18
The latest New York Times article in its “Toxic Water” series continues to detail the consequences of the Bush Administration’s poor record on safeguarding the nation’s water and highlights the immediate need for the Obama Administration to protect this critical public resource. Though the article calls on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the Safe Drinking Water Act, requiring the regulation of hundreds of chemicals increasingly entering our water supplies, much more is needed to protect our waters on the front end of this process.