[Scpg] organic standards

[kolmi at wyp.org]

One more reason to focus on local/regional food...organic 
standards are already not the answer, but, nevertheless, 
having fully corrupted would threaten the market for 
organic growers who are doing it in a good way because 
people in the public would be confused.  so i think 
organic standards are important to fight...at the same 
time we all go ahead and focus on local food economy.


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

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!

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


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