Fwd: Organic Bytes: A Look Back at the Best News of 2006

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> Health, Justice and Sustainability News Tidbits with an Edge! > Subscribe to this twice-per-month newsletter: > http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm >> IN THIS ISSUE: LOOKING BACK AT SOME OF THE BIGGEST HEALTH, JUSTICE & > SUSTAINABILITY NEWS STORIES OF 2006!>> * BUILDING UP STRONG SUPPORT FOR ORGANICS AMONG ELECTED PUBLIC > OFFICIALS> * KEEPING SYNTHETIC HORMONES OUT OF DAIRY PRODUCTS> * FIGHTING FOR SAFETY & ORGANIC INTEGRITY IN THE BODY CARE SECTOR> * SUPPORTING FAMILY FARMERS BY STOPPING FACTORY FARMS FROM LABELING > THEIR PRODUCTS AS ORGANIC> * LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS> * PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH> * PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE

AGRICULTURE>> _>> This is a special issue of Organic Bytes, highlighting some of the > successful work and campaigning of the Organic Consumers Association > (OCA) in 2006, made possible, of course, by your participation and > support.>> LOOKING BACK AT SOME OF OCA's BIGGEST SUCCESS STORIES IN 2006!> __________________________>> BUILDING UP STRONG SUPPORT FOR ORGANICS AMONG ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIALS> In 2006, the OCA helped bring to mass public attention a new > non-profit sister political organization, the Organic Consumers Fund > (OCF). Prior to the November elections, thousands of organic consumers > across the nation called on their candidates to fill out OCF's 17 > question nonpartisan survey dealing with a broad range of interrelated > issues including organics, energy, climate, health care, peace, >

justice, and sustainability. Over 100,000 voters visited the OCF > website to look at the results of the survey and to better gauge who > to vote for in local, state and federal elections. We were happy to > see that many of the state and federal candidates who scored high in > the Organic Consumers Candidate Survey won their races. In 2007, we > plan to work closely with this new crop of leaders in an effort to > redirect a fair share of the USDA's annual $100 billion budget to help > U.S. family farmers make the transition to organic, develop local > markets, and incorporate renewable energy practices on their farms. > Learn more: http://organicconsumersfund.org> > ___________________>> KEEPING SYNTHETIC HORMONES OUT OF DAIRY PRODUCTS> Since our founding in 1998, the OCA has been a leading force educating > consumers about the serious human and animal health hazards

of > Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). The synthetic > hormone rBGH (sometimes called rBST) is a genetically engineered drug > designed to force non-organic dairy cows to produce more milk. This > controversial and inhumane animal drug has been banned in Europe, > Canada, and Japan, due to concerns over increased risks for breast and > colon cancer and antibiotic resistance, yet it is still used on many > factory farms in the U.S. Thanks to ongoing consumer pressure by OCA > and our allies, a growing number of mainstream dairy producers and > distributors went rBGH-free in 2006. Several months ago, in response > to increasing grassroots demand, Dean Foods and Wal-Mart (the largest > dairy and grocery chain in the U.S.) began asking their dairy > suppliers to stop injecting their cows with rBGH. In October, > Vermont's Secretary of Agriculture called on the state's

farmers to > stop using rBGH. As a result, Monsanto has been forced to cut back > production of rBGH, while informed sources tell the OCA that Dean > Foods and Starbucks--long time targets of OCA pressure--will soon > announce a ban on rBGH milk. Learn more: > http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm>> Keep these positive changes happening in 2007!> Donate Now!> http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.htm> ___________________>> FIGHTING FOR SAFETY & ORGANIC INTEGRITY IN THE BODY CARE SECTOR > Throughout 2006, the OCA has continued its Coming Clean campaign to > stop unscrupulous companies from labeling their conventional or > so-called natural body care products as "organic." The lack of federal > organic standards for cosmetics and personal care products has > resulted in rampant label fraud-- with body care sections of natural > food

stores filled with products mislabeled as "organic," although > these products' ingredient labels typically reveal a problematic brew > of conventional synthetic ingredients and preservatives.. The OCA has > been working with a committee to develop a new set of labeling > standards for organic body care. This has been a long and intensive > process. Although the OCA is the only consumer advocate on this > committee, we are optimistic that we can develop a rigorous standard > that protects the interests of organic consumers and farmers. Draft > text of the new standard should be available for public input in 2007. > In the meantime, we continue to advise consumers to look for the "USDA > Organic" label when purchasing body care products claiming to be > organic. Most recently OCA has begun an education campaign for > consumers to boycott body care and other products containing untested

> and potentially harmful nanotechnology particles. Learn more: > http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/> > ___________________>> SUPPORTING FAMILY FARMERS BY STOPPING FACTORY FARMS FROM LABELING > THEIR PRODUCTS AS ORGANIC> Organic dairy farms in the U.S. and worldwide have traditionally been > family-scale, pasture-based, and humanely operated. Unfortunately the > booming demand for organic dairy products, coupled with a lack of > support for family scale dairy farmers wishing to convert to organic, > have prompted several profit hungry dairy corporations to set up > industrial scale farms, with a wink and a nod from USDA bureaucrats, > to supply grocery store chains, including Wal-Mart, with millions of > gallons of cheap organic milk. In response, in April 2006, 96% of OCA > network members voted in an online survey to launch a boycott of two >

leading organic dairy brands for mislabeling their products as "USDA > Organic." Shortly thereafter OCA launched a national boycott against > Horizon Organic (a division of Dean Foods, the world's largest dairy > conglomerate) and Aurora Organic. All of Aurora's, and much of > Horizon's, "organic" milk is coming from industrial dairy feedlots, > where the cows routinely have been imported from conventional dairies > and have little or no access to pasture. Since April, thousands of > consumers and a growing number of co-ops and natural food stores have > joined the boycott. Horizon is apparently feeling the heat. Company > representatives have recently contacted the OCA to see if we are > willing to negotiate. This is good sign in the ongoing battle to > preserve organic integrity and stop the "Wal-Martization" of organics. > Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm>

> ___________________>> LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS> OCA continues to focus on the hazards of unlabeled and untested > genetically engineered foods. In 2006 major controversies developed as > genetically engineered grass and rice contaminated the environment and > food stocks. Although the US government has approved the cultivation > of GE wheat, sugar beets, flax, potatoes, fish, and rice, pressure > from the OCA and allied consumer and farm groups around the world has > convinced the biotech industry to hold off indefinitely on releasing > these varieties commercially. An ongoing series of USDA and industry > polls have found that 80-95% of Americans support mandatory labels for > GE food, mainly so they can avoid buying these products. The OCA is > working to recruit over 100 Congressional co-sponsors for a 2007 bill > that would require

GE foods to be labeled and safety tested. Mandatory > labeling requirements in the European Union have basically driven > genetically engineered foods and ingredients off the market. Learn > more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge-free.htm> ___________________>> PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH> OCA's "Appetite for a Change Campaign" has become one of the most > visited areas of our website, which now receives over a million > visitors per month. In 2006, the campaign focused on educating parents > and schools about issues related to children's environmental health, > including alerts on toxins in toys and schools, strategies for curbing > the childhood obesity epidemic, and banning pesticides known to pose > specific threats to infants and fetuses. In 2006, we saw more schools > introduce organic foods, while simultaneously kicking out junk food > vending machines.

The soft drink industry also agreed, at least > rhetorically, to remove soda pop machines from elementary schools. And > the number of parents buying organic foods, with their children's > health in mind, increased more than any other year in history. We look > forward to expanding our Appetite for Change Campaign in 2007. Learn > more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/afc.cfm> > ___________________>> PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE> The OCA and our allies recently came close to bringing industrial hemp > farming back to the US for the first time in 70 years. A legislative > Bill (AB 1147) in California would have given the state's farmers the > right to grow industrial hemp, which is currently used in numerous > products, including clothing, hemp foods, body care products, > plastics, and oils. The Bill was passed with a strong majority by both > the California

Senate and Assembly, but in early October, it was > vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. With the efforts of our "Clothes > for a Change" campaign, OCA and our allies in the hemp movement will > work to reintroduce this bill in 2007. OCA's Clothes for a Change > campaign will also continue to campaign against sweatshop labor and > advocate for organic cotton and hemp in clothing. Learn more: > http://www.organicconsumers.org/clothes/> > ___________________________>> In addition to the above, the OCA has been involved in a wide range of > other important work in 2006. Here's a sampling of some of our other > campaigns where we have mobilized a massive nationwide network of > concerned citizens, like you, into a positive force for change:>> * Pressuring the FDA to Mandate More Safety Testing on Nanotech > Products> * Supporting Farming Legislation that

promotes Organic, Local > Production, and Sustainability> * Kicking Fluoride Pesticides Out of Foods> * Supporting Sweatfree Procurement and Worker Rights> * Stopping the Commercial Release of Genetically Engineered Plums> * Getting Toxic Chemicals out of Consumer Products and our Bodies> * Stopping EPA Approval of Pesticides Toxic to Children, Infants and > Fetuses>> ___________________________>> None of this work and none of our successes would have been possible > if it had not been for your donations and support. One year from now, > OCA will be sending out a "2007 Progress Report" just like this. With > your help we can make great progress over he next year. But please, we > need your help now! Thank you for walking your talk.>> Send your tax deductible donation to the OCA now.> DONATE NOW!>

http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.htm>> Organic Consumers Association> 6771 South Silver Hill Drive> Finland, MN 55603"Get off your ass and take your government back." ~Rocky Ward

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