--- FORWARD ---
From: INTERNET:Ban-GEF@lists.txinfinet.com,
INTERNET:Ban-GEF@lists.txinfinet.com
To: Patricia Dines, 73652,1202
Date: Wed, Mar 11, 1998, 8:54 PM
Subject: Keep `Organic' Organic: National Campaign Launched
From: jtoth@lisco.com (Joe Toth)
--START COPY--
Monday March 9, 8:01 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Organic Trade Association
Keep `Organic' Organic: National Campaign Launched to Generate
Massive Consumer Response to USDA by April 30
BOULDER, Colo., March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the organic food
industry, consumers and environmental groups have launched a
Campaign to ``Keep 'Organic' Organic.'' This multimedia effort aims
to deluge the USDA, President Clinton, and Congress with massive
response from a public vehemently opposed to inclusion of key
elements within the proposed national organic standards. Deadline
for responses to the USDA is April 30.
``The organic industry and consumers will never accept a definition
which may allow foods that are genetically engineered, irradiated,
or grown in toxic sewage sludge to be labeled organic,'' says
Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade
Association (OTA). ``These things aren't in organic products now and
certainly shouldn't be in the future.''
The OTA is working with Citizens For Health, a national grassroots
consumer group, headquartered in Colorado, and Sustain, a
Chicago-based environmental group to manage the campaign. It is a
multi-faceted endeavor connecting natural food stores,
environmentalists, organic farmers and processors, food co-ops, and
consumers of organic food. The campaign's goal is to generate a
tidal wave of consumer response to persuade the USDA to rewrite the
proposed rules to reflect the recommendations of the National
Organics Standards Board.
The effort integrates a sophisticated public education program with
fliers, form letters and educational tools, a national consumer
response line (1-800-357-2211), national advertising, and a cutting
edge world wide web page ( www.saveorganic.org ).
``This campaign represents the widespread consumer concern with this
issue,'' says Jim Slama, president of Sustain. ``Organic is very
important to millions of Americans and we expect that many of them
will take action to help create an organic standard consistent with
practices currently used by organic farmers.''
Already the campaign has solicited the support of thousands of
natural food stores, community groups, and consumers. ``We're asking
everyone who is concerned with the integrity of organic products to
get involved,'' says Susan Haeger, president/CEO of Citizens For
Health. ``It can be as simple as writing or e-mailing letters or as
complex as organizing friends, relatives, and co- workers to take
action.''
Many other organizations are actively supporting efforts to generate
consumer response to the USDA, including: Sierra Club, Environmental
Working Group, Mothers & Others For A Livable Planet, California
Certified Organic Farmers, National Campaign for Sustainable
Agriculture, Food & Water, Pure Foods Campaign, Mothers For Natural
Law, and Greenpeace, among others. To get involved consumers should
call 1-800-357-2211 or go to www.saveorganic.org for more
information.
SOURCE: Organic Trade Association
Copyright C 1998 PRNewswire. All rights reserved.
--END COPY--
To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with "unsubscribe sanet-mg".
To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"subscribe sanet-mg-digest".