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An Urgent Appeal

#285, July 14, 2011

Dear Friend of the Organic Consumers Association,

I'm writing you today to ask for help. This is only the second time in 13 years that OCA has had to put out an emergency fundraising appeal. OCA needs to step up our efforts to label genetically engineered foods and fight Monsanto, to preserve strict organic standards and expand the organic market, and to reverse global warming before it's too late, but we don't have the financial means to do so. Strategic staff and campaign efforts are in jeopardy. Last summer, we had to temporarily lay off staff and slash our already modest salaries. Right now, we are facing a similar financial crunch. We need to raise $75,000 from our subscribers over the next two weeks.

The good news is that OCA and our allies are on the verge of launching the largest grassroots effort in our history. For those of us who were born into the Monsanto crime scene, who have never known a world uncontaminated with its chemicals, for those who have constantly been threatened with unlabeled Frankenfoods, we have reached a turning point. Our health, our lives, and our future depend upon putting an end to Monsanto's poisons, its seeds of destruction, its killing fields, its climate-destabilizing crops, and its factory farms.

Monsanto has used its vast resources to buy off state legislators, Congress, and the White House with campaign contributions. Monsanto's lobbying dollars have been used to send its lawyers and scientists through the revolving door into jobs as government regulators. Monsanto's financial power has infiltrated state and federal governments, along with trade associations, universities, research institutions, philanthropic organizations, and media outlets.

But there are two things Monsanto's money can't buy: Our trust, and our votes.

OCA's Millions Against Monsanto campaign is launching a nationwide multi-year effort to let voters decide whether we need labels on foods produced with genetically modified organisms. We want to get GMO labels on the ballot in all of the 24 states that allow the ballot initiative process.

The very encouraging news is that our organic food and farming revolution is growing steadily. OCA and our allies have managed to beat back most of corporate agribusiness' attempts to degrade organic standards, including a recent misguided attempt by large organic companies to accept "coexistence" with Monsanto. We have also recently put an end to factory farm dairy feedlots calling their products organic and are well on our way to eliminating organic labeling fraud in the body care sector.

Consciousness is rising, but our public health, food, and climate crisis is metastasizing into a full-blown disaster. Monsanto and Food Inc. are increasing their stranglehold over the future of food and farming, apparently hell-bent on dragging us, along with the planet's life support systems, over the cliff with them.

Please help us raise $75,000 as soon as possible. Last week, in response to our emergency appeal for funds, Organic Bytes readers sent us over $20,000 in donations. This week a generous subscriber from Pennsylvania has offered to match the first five thousand dollars of donations from our network members.

So please: click here to make an online donation.

Thank you for your support. Together we're going to build a sustainable, organic future for our children, our grandchildren, and ourselves.

Regards and Solidarity,

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

Organic Consumers Association's summer fundraising drive has raised $20,000 to date. Help us reach our goal, and let our voices be heard!

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