SOS-SAVE ORGANIC STANDARDS-Action Alert Update October 6, 2005

[Guest guest]

Sneak Attack on Organic Standards in Congress Continues--OCA Needs Your Help

 

Over the past two weeks Organic Consumers Association (OCA) network members have

bombarded the U.S. Congress with over 100,000 emails and 15,000 telephone calls.

Our calls and letters have urged elected public officials to reject the now

discredited Organic Trade Association's " Sneak Attack " rider to the 2006

Agriculture Appropriations Bill that would seriously undermine organic standards

by removing traditional organic community control over organic standards and

centralizing power in the hands of the White House-appointed US Department of

Agriculture.

 

OCA's allies such as the Consumers Union, the Center for Food Safety, the

National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, the National Coop Grocers

Association, the National Organic Coalition, the Health Freedom network, and

several hundred organic businesses have also generated thousands of emails and

phone calls. Thank you for taking action. This massive grassroots outpouring

prompted the U.S. Senate ten days ago to reject the industry Sneak Attack rider

and propose a 90-day study to determine proper organic standards on synthetic

substances, animal feed, and commercial availability of organic ingredients.

 

Unfortunately members of the joint House/Senate Conference Committee on

Agricultural Appropriations still seem to be listening more closely to powerful

industry lobbyists representing Kraft/Phillip Morris, Dean Foods/Horizon

Organic/Whitewave, Dole, Smucker/Knudson's, General Mills/Small Planet,

Danone/Stonyfield, Aurora Organic, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and the Grocery

Manufacturers of America (Wal-Mart and the supermarket chains), than they are to

us. And because this is a last minute, back door Sneak Attack, most of the

media, and even most organic consumers, are not yet aware of what's happening.

 

We have no choice but to move quickly and raise the volume of our protest,

double the number of letters and phone calls pouring into Congress, and

aggressively take our message to the media. In 1998, 2003, and 2004 OCA and the

organic community successfully mobilized and beat back similar attempts to

degrade organic standards. Unfortunately this Sneak Attack is an " inside job, "

organized and funded by powerful pseudo-organic food processors and supermarket

chains who have seized control of the Organic Trade Association, hired powerful

lobbyists who usually represent big Pharma, tobacco, supermarket chains, and

liquor interests, and are moving in for the " big fix. "

 

We need more letters, and we need money now, to lobby Congress and to take our

message to the media. Please forward this Action Alert to everyone you know who

is concerned about preserving strict organic standards and organic community

control over these standards. If you haven't already, please click here to send

a letter to your members of Congress http://www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm And

please click here to send OCA a tax-deductible donation so we can continue to

defend the integrity of organic standards.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm

 

Time is running out. We must stop this Sneak Attack in Congress and beat back

this unfriendly takeover of the organic industry. For the sake of the Earth and

the health of the People, please Take Action Now!

http://www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm

 

Ronnie Cummins, Co-Founder and National Director, Organic Consumers Association

 

 

 

 

DONATE TO THE OCA

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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