Food and Consumer News Tidbits with an Edge… From the Organic Consumers Association · www.organicconsumers.
org
ORGAN IC BYTES
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Organic Consumers Fund Launches
Grassroots Netroots Alliance
T
he Organic Consumers Fund, the legislative and elec-
toral advocacy group that Organic Consumers Associ-
ation (OCA) works with, focuses on promoting organic
agriculture as a solution to the food safety problems, envi-
ronmental destruction, diet-related diseases and climate
imbalance that stem from industrial agriculture. We also
see ourselves as part of a larger movement for health, justice,
sustainability, peace and democracy. As a contribution to this
larger movement, we’ve launched the Grassroots Netroots
Alliance (GNA): w w w.grassrootsnetroots.org
The first GNA project is a survey that asks politicians 40 detailed,
substantive policy questions that explore concrete solutions to
the current crisis, including this question:
Would you support the conversion of 20%
of US farmland to energy-efficient
and carbon-sequestering organic
farming by 2020 and 50% by 2040,
with at least 5-10% of the USDA’s
annual $90 billion budget imme-
diately being targeted to rebuild
local food systems and help farm-
ers make the transition to organic?
Subscribe to GNA’s email alerts at:
www.grassrootsnetroots.org/subscribe.cfm
Alert: Government Slashes Pesticide Reporting Laws
Bowing to pressure from Monsanto and the agro-toxics indus-
try, the US Department of Agriculture announced May 21 that it
plans to eliminate pesticide reporting at National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS). The program has tracked national
pesticide use and provided critical information for consumer
groups, scientists, farmers and environmental groups mon-
itoring pesticide use and hazards. NASS’ elimination of the
Agricultural Chemical Use Database is a direct attack on con-
sumers and farm workers’ Right to Know about pesticide
residues and food safety. Pesticide reporting has become par-
ticularly important in the last ten years with GE crops requir-
ing more and more pesticides.
Please contact USDA Secretary Ed Schafer & your Congressper-
son today: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12662.cfm
ISSUE 136
JUNE 9
2008
California Files Suit Against
Whole Foods, Avalon and Others
Reacting in part to a study released by the OCA in March, and
on their own testing, California’s Attorney General has filed
a major lawsuit against body care household-cleaning product
companies whose products recently tested highest for the car-
cinogenic contaminant 1,4-Dioxane. Under California’s “Prop-
osition 65” consumer products that contain toxic levels of 1,4
Dioxane must have warning labels stating they may cause can-
cer. Read the OCA press release at organicconsumers.org/bodycare/
OCA Files Suit for False and Misleading “Organic”
Certification of Personal Care Products
The plot has thickened in OCA’s Coming Clean Campaign. As
revealed previously in Organic Bytes, a number of well known
body care product companies were recently sued
by Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps for mislead-
ingly labeling or certifying their products as
“Organic,” even though many of their main
ingredients are composed of conventional
agricultural and petrochemical material, with
no certified organic material.
The French certifier Ecocert has been particularly outrageous
in certifying such products as “Organic” and last month filed
a preemptive lawsuit against the OCA, in a fruitless attempt to
silence concerned organic consumers and farmers. OCA has
filed a counter-suit against Ecocert. The brief can be read on-
line at: organicconsumers.org/bodycare/ecocert-crosscomplaint.pdf
OCA is a party with Dr. Bronner’s in the consolidated litigation
going forward with all defendants. We appreciate any and all
donations to help us win this crucial fight to preserve organic
integrity in personal care. Learn more and take action:
www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/
OCA Presents Testimony to Government Panel
The advisory panel established to oversee US federal organic
standards (National Organic Standards Board) met in Wash-
ington DC last week to discuss various issues related to the
organic market. OCA’s Alexis Baden-Mayer was there to pres-
ent testimony on behalf of organic consumers everywhere.
Alexis covered a wide variety of topics of concern, including
organic mislabeling, fish farming, synthetic ingredients in
organic products, dairy pasture guidelines, and community
grower groups. Read her full testimony at
www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12488.cfm
 Organic Bytes #136 · June 9, 2008 · page 2

WORLD NEWS TIDBITS Government Manipulating Slaughterhouse Injury Data

South Korea Bans US Meat
The South Korean government has responded to a rally last
week involving more than 60,000 citizens protesting Ameri-
can beef imports. Major Asian markets have upheld a ban on
American beef since the discovery of new cases of Mad Cow
Disease in the US raised consumer health concerns. Despite
international pressure on the Bush Administration, the US con-
tinues to ignore food safety concerns and violate World Health
Organization guidelines by feeding slaughterhouse waste to
animals and refusing to test all animals at slaughter for Mad
Cow Disease. www.organicconsumers.org/madcow.cfm
For over two decades, the meat packing industry has held
the undesirable position as America’s most dangerous indus-
try. The rate of injury among workers began escalating during
the union-busting days of the 1980s. For example, the repet-
itive-motion-disorder incidence rate is 30 times higher for
meat packing workers than the average for all private indus-
tries. Disregarding worker’s rights, government officials at the
US Department of Labor, appointed by President Bush, have
dramatically altered laws that were originally designed to
require industry to report worker injuries. As a result of the
new law, government statistics now inaccurately indicate that
worker’s injuries have magically dropped by

Switzerland Bans GMOs
The Swiss government has voted to extend
its ban on Genetically Modified Organisms
(GMOs) until 2012. The extension will pro-
vide time to assess health implications, bio-
logical safety, and coexistence ramifications
with organic crops. www.organicconsumers.org/
articles/article_12591.cfm
Italy United Nations Meeting
Take Action! US Forces World to Eat GE Foods
Over the course of the next week, world leaders
will be meeting in Rome at Food and Agricul-
ture Association (FAO) of the United Nations
to address the global hunger crisis. Top on US
Ag Secretary Ed Schafer’s agenda is to push
GE crops on the world’s hungry. GE crops are
untested and unwanted by the majority of the
planet’s population, and will only deepen the
global food crisis. Use OCA’s handy online tool
to send an instant letter to the editor of your
local newspaper at www.salsa.democracyinaction.
org/o/642/letter/?letter_KEY=986
Sweden to Market “Greener” Biofuels
Following a recent announcement from the
United Nations advising a moratorium on biofuels like eth-
anol and biodiesel, the Swedish biofuel company SEKAB has
announced that within two months it will become the first
company in the world to sell ethanol certified to be environ-
mentally and socially sustainable. Although the degree of
environmental friendliness is debatable, it’s a step in the right
direction regarding the first certification of its kind for more
ethically produced fuels.
www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12626.cfm
r
50%, thereby taking the heat off the meat pack-
ing industry to improve working environments.
Learn more: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/
article_12659.cfm
How to Read Eco-Labels
Having a hard time deci- A Deeper Look at the
phering the lingo on all of Validity of Homeopathy
these new eco-labels? The In the last issue of Organic Bytes, we notified
Consumers Union has put our readers about a recent article in Consumer
together a great website to Reports wherein their journalist, Doug Podolsky,
help you wade through the recommended consumers avoid homeopathic
gobbledygook. medicines, an alternative medical practice that
Did you know? has been used for more than two-hundred years.
g The free-range label Our readers sent over 4,000 letters to Consumer
doesn’t necessarily Reports, hoping the publication would take a
mean the animals have second look at the validity of homeopathics.
been raised outdoors. Consumers Union, a nonprofit overseeing the
g Fair Trade Certified Consumer Reports publication, is a longtime
means more than paying close ally of the OCA, and they have indicated
producers a fair wage. they will be investigating further scientific
g Meat labeled as natu- studies on the matter. The OCA strongly agrees
ral can contain artificial with the portion of Podolsky’s article highlight-
ingredients. ing the need for clear labeling of these products,
Learn more: so consumers can distinguish between homeo-
www.eco-labels.org pathic medicines and their counterparts. Learn
more: www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/
Listen to Podcast With Organic Bytes
According to NaturalNews.com, the #1 health/wellness podcast
on the internet is Real Health with Dr. Steve. This podcast will
now be highlighting each issue of Organic Bytes with in-depth
interviews of OCA staff. Tune-in to the podcast today to hear
OCA experts talk about the news stories we’re covering in this
issue of Organic Bytes.
www.web.mac.com/drsteve720/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html

Written and edited by Craig Minowa & Ronnie Cummins

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