Consumers Association: Biodemocracy News & Action Alert

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Organic Consumers Association: Biodemocracy News &

Action Alert

 

August 4, 2004

 

IN THIS ALERT:

 

 

Trinity County California Votes to Ban Genetically

Engineered Crops

 

OCA Organizing House Parties Nationwide September

11-12 to Premier the Acclaimed New Anti-GE

Video, " The Future of Food " by Debra Garcia

 

Help the OCA Fight the Counter-Attack by Monsanto

and the Farm Bureau

 

Volunteers in 30 Counties Across the U.S. Working with

the OCA's Biodemocracy Alliance to Spread GE-Free

Zones

 

 

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Another Biodemocracy Victory in Northern California

Trinity County California Votes to Ban Genetically

Engineered Crops

 

It was another bad day for Monsanto and the Biotech

Bullies and another victory for the grassroots.

 

Today, August 3, 2004, Trinity County, California

became the second county in the nation to ban the

production of genetically engineered (GE) crops and

animals.

 

By a vote of three to one, Trinity County Supervisors

moved to ban GE crops and animals in order to protect

Trinity's local economy, including its growing

organic sector, and the environment.

 

Today's decision comes in the wake of a March 2 ballot

victory by voters in another Northern California

county, Mendocino, banning GE crops.

 

In November four more of California's 59 counties

(Marin, Butte, Humboldt, and San Luis Obispo) will be

voting on ballot measures to ban genetically

engineered organisms (GMOs).

 

Monsanto, the Farm Bureau, and the Bayer corporation

have vowed to crush this growing " Biodemocracy "

movement, but public opposition to

gene-altered crops has put the industry on the

defensive.

 

On May 10, Monsanto was forced to cancel plans to

commercialize GE wheat, while other GMOs in the

pipeline--including trees, fish, and biopharmaceutical

crops, are facing increasing opposition, not only in

the U.S., but across the world.

 

Trinity's GE Ban has been supported by a broad

cross-section of county residents, including organic

consumers, farmers, businesses, home gardeners,

nurseries, social workers, students, church people,

teachers, environmentalists, government employees, and

investment, computer, and health professionals,

 

" Today's vote follows 25 years of tradition in Trinity

County, regarding the passage of common-sense

ordinances that protect the well being of local

citizens, " said Susan Bower, local farmer and ban

proponent.

(More info)

 

__________________

 

 

OCA Organizing Film Premier/House Parties Across the

U.S. September 11-12

 

Host a house party! Meet up with other anti-GE

activists in your community. Help spread GE-Free Zones

nationwide. Join the OCA September 11 and 12 to host a

Biodemocracy fundraiser/house party, featuring a

premier screening of the powerful documentary, " The

Future of Food, " by Debra Koons Garcia.

 

" The Future of Food " provides an in-depth

investigation and critique of genetically engineered

foods and crops, including interviews with farmer

activists such as Percy Schmeiser, and scientific

critics such as Dr. Michael Hansen.

 

For a donation of $25 dollars, the OCA will send you a

video or DVD of the documentary, an OCA house party

manual, and an action guide on how to spread GE-Free

Zones in your local area or region.

 

OCA's goal is to have 300 simultaneous house parties

across America September 11-12. Join us to make this

goal a reality!

 

For more information, email Ryan Zinn in the OCA's

San Francisco office Ryan

or call 415-271-6833.

 

OCA is now working with grassroots activists in over

30 counties across the country to create GE-Free

Zones. But we need more volunteers and local

Biodemocracy committees to help pass GMO bans. If you

wish to volunteer, please email or call us.

 

____________________

 

 

Help the OCA Fight the Counter-Attack by Monsanto

and the Farm Bureau

 

Trinity County's vote comes on the heels of a vicious

attack in the corporate agribusiness farm journal,

Western Farm Press, on the Biodemocracy

Alliance and the OCA--accusing us, among other things,

of fear-mongering and eco-terrorism

http://www.organicconsumers.org/biod/slander072804.cfm).

 

 

But we will not be libeled nor intimidated. Corporate

agribusiness and the Gene Giants are attacking us, not

because they are confident, but because they are

scared.

 

We and the people of the world are starting to win the

battle against GMOs and usher in a new era of safe

food, family farms, and a sustainable environment. But

we need your support to defend Mendocino and Trinity's

victories, as well as to spread Biodemocracy

across California and the Americas. Please take the

time now to send us a donation.

 

 

 

 

Please make an online donation

(http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.htm)

 

 

or call or mail in a donation to our office:

 

 

 

Organic Consumers Association

6101 Cliff Estate Road

Little Marais, Minnesota 55614

Telephone: 218-226-4164

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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_____________________________

 

 

ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION

6101 Cliff Estate Road

Little Marais, MN 55614

Phone: (218) 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652

 

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