Silent Heroes, Sovereign Choices: A Journey to Codex Alimentarius in Seoul

What you missed this week..

Seoul is a city where ancient tradition and futuristic innovation live side by side. From the intricate palaces of Gyeongbokgung to the neon-lit skylines of Gangnam, it’s a place that embodies harmony through contrast. This week, I find myself walking its wide boulevards not as a tourist, but as a witness to a pivotal gathering—one that, while absent from mainstream news, quietly shapes the health rights of billions of people around the world.

I’m here to support two tireless advocates of health freedom: Scott Tips, president of the National Health Federation (NHF), and Sayer Ji, founder of GreenMedInfo and a long-time voice for integrative wellness. Together, they represent a lineage of resistance to the silent erosion of our most fundamental right: the right to make informed decisions about our own health.

They are attending the Codex Alimentarius Commission—a term that may sound unfamiliar to many, yet whose impact ripples across borders and generations. As decisions are made inside conference halls filled with delegates from around the world, the question arises: Who gets to decide what health means for humanity? And more importantly: Are we paying attention?

What Is Codex Alimentarius?

To understand why these meetings matter, we must first ask: What exactly is Codex?

Codex Alimentarius, Latin for “Food Code,” was established in 1963 by two United Nations bodies: the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The stated purpose was simple: to develop internationally recognized food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice to protect consumer health and ensure fair trade practices.

Over the decades, Codex has grown in influence and reach. Today, its decisions affect global food labeling, pesticide residues, nutritional guidelines, contaminants in food, and—critically—the regulation of vitamins, minerals, and food supplements. While Codex standards are technically “voluntary,” they are widely adopted by national governments and increasingly referenced in trade disputes under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, giving them de facto authority.

This means that decisions made at Codex—about how much vitamin D is “allowed,” whether glyphosate residues are “safe,” or how supplements are defined—have real-world consequences. They influence what products are available in your local store, how they’re labeled, and whether they’re even legal to purchase.

In essence, Codex is the quiet architect of the nutritional boundaries within which the global population must live.

Enter the National Health Federation (NHF)

Amid the highly technical debates and formal diplomacy of Codex, one voice stands out as uniquely committed to health freedom: the National Health Federation (NHF).

Founded in 1955, NHF is the oldest health-freedom organization in the world. And most significantly—it is the only health-freedom NGO with official Codex observer status. This grants NHF the right to speak, propose amendments, submit documentation, and influence the very policies that shape global health access.

While most NGOs at Codex represent industry, government, or mainstream scientific consensus, NHF represents something different: the sovereign right of individuals to make informed choices about their health, to access natural therapies and nutrients, and to resist the narrowing definition of “health” into a pharmaceutical-only model.

Over the past two decades, Scott Tips has led NHF’s Codex delegation with unwavering dedication. A lawyer by training, his role often involves reviewing dense policy proposals, drafting position papers, and engaging diplomatically with country delegates to prevent the erosion of nutrient availability and personal health autonomy.

One might imagine the halls of Codex filled with conflict and debate—and sometimes they are. But more often, the danger lies in quiet consensus that goes unchallenged. NHF’s role is not one of obstruction, but of remembrance: a reminder that health is not one-size-fits-all, and that regulatory decisions made in committee rooms must still answer to the lived reality of the people they affect.

Behind the Curtain: What’s Really at Stake?

In Seoul, as in many Codex meetings before, the issues on the table seem technical: revisions to nutrient reference values, adjustments to food additive standards, debates about maximum levels for vitamin and mineral supplements. But behind the jargon lies a deeper struggle.

Who defines what is “safe”—and according to which science?

Who benefits from restricting nutrient dosages, and what are the implications for those who rely on higher levels of vitamins and minerals for therapeutic or preventative care?

Why are traditional and indigenous knowledge systems so often left out of these discussions?

Codex often leans toward a “risk-based” approach, aiming to minimize harm. But when applied to nutrients and supplements, this paradigm can paradoxically become overly restrictive, labeling even modest dosages as “unsafe” despite long histories of safe use.

In this context, NHF fights for scientific rigor balanced with respect for natural medicine. They challenge overly conservative risk assessments that fail to consider the full range of human diversity, therapeutic needs, and evolving science on micronutrients.

Moreover, NHF brings transparency. Their public reports and interviews provide insight into proceedings that are often inaccessible to the average citizen. In a world where regulatory frameworks are increasingly complex and opaque, such visibility is a vital public service.

Sayer Ji and the Conscious Wellness Movement

Joining Scott Tips in Seoul is Sayer Ji, a well-known voice in natural health and health freedom advocacy. As the founder of GreenMedInfo, co-founder of Stand for Health Freedom, and chairman of the Global Wellness Forum, he has dedicated his career to exposing the limitations of reductionist science, advocating for food-based healing, and restoring informed consent to its rightful place at the heart of medicine.

What makes Sayer’s presence at Codex so meaningful is not just his intellectual contributions—it’s what he represents: a new generation of health advocates who see the deep interconnectedness of body, mind, environment, and community. His work straddles science and spirituality, policy and personal empowerment.

Sayer brings to Codex not just critique, but vision—a future where people are not passive recipients of health directives, but active co-creators of their wellness journey. In an environment often dominated by bureaucracy, his presence reminds us that health is not just about safety—it’s about sovereignty.

The Silent Heroes of Health Freedom

It’s easy to focus on headlines and viral soundbites. But the real work of protecting health freedom often happens far from the spotlight. It’s in the patient diplomacy of someone like Scott Tips, the late-night research of policy analysts, the grassroots organizing of NHF supporters around the globe.

These are the silent heroes—those who keep showing up, not for fame or funding, but because they believe in something bigger. They understand that every small shift in policy, every comma in a regulatory document, can have massive implications for what future generations are allowed to eat, supplement, or self-administer.

And their work matters now more than ever.

In the past few years, the world has witnessed unprecedented government interventions into personal health. While some of these measures were well-intentioned, they also revealed how fragile our rights can become in the face of centralised control.

Attending Codex isn’t just about nutrient standards. It’s about drawing a line in the sand for health democracy—for the right to question, to choose, and to access information beyond institutional consensus.

Why Public Awareness Matters

One of the greatest challenges facing health freedom isn’t censorship or regulation—it’s public apathy. Most people simply don’t know that Codex exists, let alone that it affects their supplement shelf, food supply, and medical autonomy.

That’s why events like this Codex session in Seoul must be amplified.

Not to create fear—but to inspire awareness.

Not to provoke division—but to invite dialogue.

The more people understand how global standards are made, the more likely they are to engage in democratic processes, support independent science, and demand transparency from their governments.

Supporting organizations like NHF and the Global Wellness Forum isn’t just for health professionals—it’s for everyone who cares about bodily autonomy, regenerative medicine, and conscious living.

Toward a New Vision of Health

We are standing at a crossroads in human history. The choices we make today—about food policy, health sovereignty, and environmental stewardship—will ripple forward for generations.

Codex Alimentarius is not inherently malevolent. Like many global institutions, it reflects the beliefs and biases of its participants. And that is precisely why we must be present.

Our participation, our awareness, and our advocacy matter.

Because when we show up—whether in Seoul, Geneva, or our local communities—we remind the world that health is not a commodity. It is a birthright.

We remind institutions that science must serve people, not profits.

We remind each other that behind every regulation is a human being trying to live well.

And we remind ourselves that the quiet work of protecting freedom is never in vain.

Final Reflections

As I prepare to leave Seoul, I carry with me not only memories of a vibrant city, but a renewed sense of purpose. I have seen how powerful individuals can be when they speak truthfully, act humbly, and serve tirelessly.

I’ve watched Scott Tips and Sayer Ji embody what it means to be guardians of wellness, holding the line so that future generations may flourish.

I’ve seen the impact of showing up—not with weapons or slogans, but with wisdom, resilience, and heart.

And I’ve felt, more than ever, the quiet call of our time: to rise together, to stay awake, and to co-create a world where health belongs to the people.