Global sugar prices soar as Brazilian crop impacted by heavy rains

(NaturalNews) The price of sugar is nearing an all-time high as heavy rains in Brazil, the world’s biggest producer of sugar, have caused a significant reduction in crop yields. According to a recent Bloomberg report, sugar production in Brazil’s Center South, the most productive sugar region in the nation, plunged 30 percent during the first half of October. “The white sugar price is moving in unison with the raw sugar rally, which reached a 29-year high yesterday (November 2),” explained Peter De Klerk, a London-based analyst at C. Czarnikow Sugar Futures Ltd. ” And it could go even higher if India, the world’s second largest sugar producer, decides to cap its sugar exports. After all, India is also the world’s largest sugar user. According to Rabobank International, Indian sugar stockpiles are currently hovering around four million tons, which is six million short of the nation’s preferred level of ten million tons. So while the country could potentially make a lot of money exporting some of its stock during the shortage, it may decide to keep it for itself. Sugar prices in the U.S. are already artificially high because of excessive import taxes. And the federal government also funds corn subsidies that make alternative sugar sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup artificially inexpensive. In the end, rising prices caused by worldwide shortages could cause sugar-containing food prices to increase. It is important to recognize that highly-refined processed sugar, or “white” sugar, is damaging to health because it has been stripped of its vitamins, nutrients, minerals, and enzymes. But raw sugar, and raw cane juice in particular, can be a health-promoting food when consumed in balance with other healthy foods. (http://www.naturalnews.com/025874_Jugo_de_Cana_sugar_cane.html). Sources for this story include: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-03/white-sugar-advances-to-nine-month-high-as-rains-cut-brazil-s-production.html http://www.domain-b.com/industry/Sugar/20101103_global_prices.html

Unilever stalks its customers with GPS trackers secretly placed in laundry detergent boxes (opinion)

(NaturalNews) The household cleaning product giant Unilever has secretly placed GPS tracker transmitters in laundry detergent boxes to track consumers to their homes. With an array of electronic sensors, team of Unilever agents can now pinpoint the exact location of the GPS trackers and walk right up to your front door. They can even remotely set off a beeper inside the box using radio electronics. The point of all this? It’s part of Unilever’s new marketing campaign to convince consumers in Brazil to purchase more boxes of Omo laundry detergent. The GPS trackers, you see, are only embedded in “prize winning” boxes of Omo detergent. If you happen to buy one of these GPS tracked boxes, you’re a “winner” and Unilever agents then show up at your door with a video camera crew and a prize. I’m a winner? Really? Who are you people, anyway? Unilever stalks its own customers This new detergent marketing contest was detailed in an Ad Age article called Is Your Detergent Stalking You? (http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=145183) That article explains that Unilever “…has teams in 35 Brazilian cities ready to leap into action when a box is activated. The nearest team can reach the shopper’s home ‘within hours or days,’ and if they’re really close by, ‘they may get to your house as soon as you do.’” This creepy “Big Brother” marketing idea is apparently exactly the kind of thing the Unilever company approves of: Spying on your customers. Unilever, by the way, is the parent company that brings you brands like Lipton tea, Skippy peanut butter, Axe cologne, and the infamous Slim-Fast sugar drink that’s somehow positioned as a “weight loss” product. Mysteriously, during the marketing brainstorm sessions on these marketing plans, nobody at Unilever thought to mention that following people to their homes is considered stalking . And this whole idea of conducting covert surveillance on your own customers is kinda creepy. In a Big Brother kind of way. Hey, maybe they should partner with Facebook and release your private details on the internet, too! But what’s a little stalking compared to boosting the commercial sales of a high-profit brand? I bet they don’t run this promo in Texas, or Unilever’s agents are likely to get their heads shot off before they even make it to the front porch of some security-minded farm customer who doesn’t let a team of strangers run up on his front porch without unloading a few cartridges from Mr. Remington. Corporations can track what you buy and where you take it The really important part about all this, by the way, is the realization that just about any consumer product company could be inserting tracking devices in their products right now while using surveillance analysis to determine exactly which brands you have in your home. This information could, in turn, be used to target you for further marketing or surveillance. But why would consumer product companies want to spy on you? To gather information that they can use to more effectively market products to you, of course. If you value your privacy, all this should make you think twice about purchasing big-name products. Just to be fair, I’m not aware of any Unilever surveillance efforts directed towards customers in North America, but it is being reported through several reliable sources that Unilever is surveilling its customers in Brazil, and if the company thinks it’s okay there, it is conceivable they might want to eventually expand this Big Brother marketing campaign to other countries. Note that this is not merely an RFID tracking tag. This is something far more technically advanced: Unilever is inserting GPS tracking transmitters (basically a transponder) into these boxes of Omo detergent, and additional circuitry allows two-way communication so that Unilever agents can remotely set off a beeper in the detergent box. Unilever isn’t currently doing this, but it is technologically possible that the company could insert a listening device in your laundry products, too, and listen in as your family talks about cleaning products. (Market research surveillance!) Some company could even conceivably insert a remote video camera and spy on your in your home by transmitting a video feed that they might later use for marketing purposes. The truth is, when you buy big-name corporate brands, you really don’t know what you’re bringing home. Beyond the toxic chemicals in many consumer products, you could also be bringing home a GPS transponder, a listening device or some other not-yet-revealed spy technology that arrogant corporations slip into their products as part of some hare-brained marketing gimmick. You see, to some powerful corporations, you’re just another useless eater, and your privacy means nothing to them. They just want to maximize their profits even it is means spying on you and tracking you to your home where a team of corporate agents knocks on your door. And if a corporation can justify all that, what else might they be willing to do? Corporations have no values, you see, other than greed. And they will do just about anything to satisfy their craving for more profit, including violating your privacy. That’s why we as consumers have to stop purchasing products from these big-name companies — because we simply can’t trust them! Who knows what they’re slipping into those product boxes? Are they tracking us to our homes? Are they remotely activating other electronics in those boxes? Are they listening in on our private conversations? It almost sounds paranoid to even discuss this, except for the fact that Unilever has publicly announced it is spying on its customers starting these week; tracking them to their homes and remotely activating electronics secretly hidden inside boxes of Omo. You see, it’s not paranoia if they really are tracking you. And if you live in Brazil, they could be tracking you right now. Predictions for Brazil Here’s my prediction of what’s going to happen in Brazil this week thanks to this Unilever promotion: There could be alarmingly high numbers of home robberies due to clever thieves posing as Unilever agents. They simply watch people buying Omo at the grocery store, then follow them to their homes, and a few minutes later knock on their door, announcing, “You’ve won the prize!” When the homeowner opens their door, they get a gun shoved in their face and are directed to hand over all their cash and jewelry. I’ll be curious to watch the Brazilian newspapers to see if anything like this happens during the week. If so, the robbers may be dubbed the “Unilever bandits.” Other sources for this story include: CNET http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20012292-71.html

Healing herbs revealed on NaturalNews Talk Hour

(NaturalNews) This week’s NaturalNews Talk Hour presents “Rainforest Herbs – How to Heal Naturally”. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the richest places on earth. We’ll reveal the most powerful nutritional treasures in the world. Clear your mind, increase your energy and improve your health with a deeper understanding about healing herbs. Click Here to discover 3 powerful healing herbs. (must see video) Our show begins this Thursday evening at 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern, and registration is FREE. Simply enter your email address in the registration form on the right column of this page and you’ll receive call-in details for the show. Thank you Jonathan and Mike for the constant feed of life changing and empowering information… All you both do is so greatly appreciated…thank you! – Regina Discover the Amazon Rainforest The Amazon rainforest, also called the “Lungs of Our Planet” is one of the world’s greatest natural resources. Its rich vegetation continuously turns carbon dioxide into oxygen. About 30% of the earth’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon rainforest gets its name from the Amazon River, the life force of the rainforest. It starts in the Peruvian Andes, and travels east over the northern part of South America. It connects with the Atlantic Ocean in Belem, Brazil. Over 4,000 miles long, the river basin covers nearly 3 million square miles, and goes through Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the three Guyanas. Click Here to discover 3 powerful healing herbs. (must see video) Jonathan Landsman, Host of the Talk Hour says, “Get ready to experience greater clarity of mind, sustainable energy and a stronger immune system. Our next guest, Richard Cicchetti represents a unique blend of experience, wisdom and compassion. We’ll talk about healing, herbs and how to support an eco-friendly lifestyle.” Stop the Insanity Today, over 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed and is gone forever. Trees are being killed for raising cattle, mining and logging. In the last 50 years, over half of the world’s rainforests have been destroyed by fire and logging. Experts estimate that 130 species of plants, animals, and insects are lost every day. In other words, the rainforest could be completely destroyed in less than 40 years – we must educate ourselves, share this information and prevent its destruction! This week’s guest: Richard Cicchetti, Rainforest Herb Expert Richard Cicchetti – “Rainforest Herbs – How to Heal Naturally” Thu. July 15th Richard Cicchetti, Founder of NATURALUTIONS is dedicated to supporting people in their desire to improve their health and lifestyle. For over 50 years, he has been passionate about nutrition and living green. His ability to teach and support others how to maintain a high level of health and well being will be inspiring for everyone. Get Your FREE Report. LIVE audience members will be offered a FREE gift. Connect with other NaturalNews readers, listen to great health content and have fun with us. Space is limited. Be sure to call a few minutes early to reserve your spot on the show. Register now using the email form in the right column, and you will be emailed show details. Register Now!

Wildcrafted Acai berries from Brazil pack a nutritional punch

(NaturalNews) Over the last several years, there has been a flood of information on the internet about the health benefits of Acai berries. Some of those claims have gotten out of hand, like “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days with Acai!” Acai isn’t some sort of weight loss miracle, but it is an antioxidant-rich “super berry” from the rainforest jungles of South America, and it has a unique profile of phytonutrients that make it one of the top-recommended nutrition sources of superfood enthusiasts around the world. I personally use Acai in my own superfood smoothies, and it’s steadily gaining popularity with mainstream consumers across North America, Europe and Australia. But there’s one problem with Acai: A lot of the “Acai powder” sold in bulk behind the scenes is adulterated, meaning it’s mixed with fillers that decrease its nutritional value. Finding pure Acai isn’t easy This happens with a lot of popular, high-potency nutritional products. We saw it with hoodia gordoni a few years ago, and we see it with Chinese Medicine herbs all the time: When a food or herb is extremely valuable and potent, there are always some less-than-honest providers somewhere in the world who will try to cut it with fillers and increase their profits by selling you 50% filler. That’s why, for the longest time, we never carried Acai berries in the NaturalNews Store. We didn’t want to carry the product unless we could be 100% sure that it was extremely high quality, non-adulterated, pure Acai berry from a verified source. And to anyone who has experience in the nutritional products industry, you know how difficult that can be. But patience has its benefits, and now after some serious efforts to find “the good stuff,” our sourcing partner has delivered to us a shipment of several thousand ounces of wildcrafted Acai powder from Brazil. Certified authentic Acai powder This Acai powder has a Certificate of Analysis verifying it is genuine, unadulterated and true to the claimed plant identity. It is not certified organic because it’s wildcrafted, meaning it’s harvested in the wild, right from the rainforests of Brazil. (There are some things that are better than organic…) These Acai berries are hand-picked, freeze-dried, ground into a powder at low temperature, then stored at near-freezing temperatures until they are packaged and shipped. The powder is 100% genuine, un-adulterated Acai berry, with no fillers, no excipients, no flow agents, nothing else! This is nearly the last shipment of wildcrafted Acai berry for the year, because in the Brazilian rainforest, it rains from July through December, and you can’t pick Acai berries in the rainy season. That means the next batch won’t be available until 2011. You can pick up this wildcrafted Acai powder right now at the NaturalNews Store: Click here to see our wildcrafted Acai berry powder . A truly great price on wildcrafted Acai berry powder As always, we work really hard to get these foods at great prices and pass on those savings to you. Acai powder isn’t cheap, however. And the “really good stuff” (like we have) is never cheap, but here’s what we were able to put together for you: A 4 oz. bag of Wildcrafted Brazilian Acai powder normally retails for $24.95. This is enough Acai for literally dozens of smoothies or other recipes you might want to add it to. (Make your own raw Acai berry ice cream!) Remember, this is 100% pure Acai berry, and it’s a deep, dark purple color with zero fillers. A little goes a long way. This 4 oz. bag represents a much higher weight of fresh, raw berries before the moisture was removed from them. While this supply lasts, we’re able to make this available to you through our NaturalNews Store for just $14.95 ( save 40% ). When you purchase three of these 4 oz. packs of Wildcrafted Brazilian Acai powder, the price per bag drops to just $13.32 ( savings of almost 47% ). Click here to take advantage of these discounts on wildcrafted Acai berry powder . These prices are the best you’ll find almost anywhere on 100% authentic, wildcrafted Brazilian Acai berries packaged with absolutely no fillers of any kind. This is the real stuff. It’s not only delicious, it’s also highly nutritious and you can add Acai powder to all kinds of recipes to give them a nutritional boost! The retail juice stores you might be familiar with are adding a tiny fraction of a teaspoon of this into their smoothies and charging you fifty cents for an extra “boost.” Well, you can get your own boost at much lower cost by getting some of these 4 oz. bags yourself, then dropping a teaspoon at a time into any smoothie you’re making in your own kitchen. I like to blend together frozen organic mango chunks with coconut water, a banana and a teaspoon of this Acai powder, plus some spirulina. It makes for a super rich, dark-colored superfood smoothie that’s absolutely loaded with nutrition. (I should film it sometime and just show you how cool this looks! Yeah… I’ll do that!) There are a thousand uses for Acai powder in smoothies, raw food desserts, fruit drinks and much more. Give yourself a nutritional boost with Acai at the best price of the year at the NaturalNews Store: Click here to get some now . I think you’ll really enjoy this Acai. It is the best of the best. You won’t find a higher quality Acai anywhere other than the rainforest itself. (Going to Brazil soon? Eat them raw!) In the mean time, I’ll see about putting together a video demonstration of how I use Acai in my own smoothies. That sounds like fun!

U.S. culture of greed is threat to world

(NaturalNews) The world is doomed to environmental catastrophe unless the threat posed by U.S. consumption culture is directly addressed, warns the Worldwatch Institute’s annual report. “Until we recognise that our environmental problems, from climate change to deforestation to species loss, are driven by unsustainable habits, we will not be able to solve the ecological crises that threaten to wash over civilization,” said project director Erik Assadourian. The report, produced by a team of 35 researchers, notes that the average U.S. resident consumes more than his or her weight in products every single day. The average family in a Western nation spends more money on its pet in one year than a human being in Bangladesh does on all his or her expenses. Such consumption habits are spreading around the globe at a frightening pace, the report notes. China has now surpassed the United States as the world’s biggest market for personal automobiles, while excess has become a mark of cultural status in countries as far-flung as Brazil and India. Global consumption of goods and services has increased 28 percent in the last 10 years alone, to a whopping $30.5 trillion. The report refutes the claim that increased consumption is a natural result of economic growth, noting that corporations have deliberately sought to convince consumers to purchase resource-intensive but unnecessary products. It cites the worldwide popularity of bottled water and hamburgers, the latter of which was considered an undesireable food in the early 1900s. Without addressing the worldwide culture of consumption, policy changes can only go so far to avert global catastrophe, the report warns. “We’ve seen some encouraging efforts to combat the world’s climate crisis in the past few years,” Assadourian said. “But making policy and technology changes while keeping cultures centred on consumerism and growth can only go so far. If we don’t shift our very culture there will be new crises we have to face.” Sources for this story include: www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jan/12/climate-change-greed-environment-threat.

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