Valentine’s Day With a Conscience
January 27, 2026 | Organic Consumers Association Looking for Valentine’s Day gifts that reflect your values? There are many thoughtful alternatives to conventional flowers that support fair labor, environmental health, and sustainable livelihoods. Chocolate Treat your loved ones to Equal Exchange organic chocolate, sourced directly from small-scale farmers who are paid fair prices and supported in building long-term, sustainable livelihoods. Wine Pair your chocolate with a bottle of award-winning organic wine from Frey Vineyards, pioneers of organic and Biodynamic winemaking since 1980. Their wines are made without added sulfites and with deep respect for the land. Use the code ORGANICCONSUMERS at checkout to receive 15% off, and 25% of your purchase will support the Organic Consumers Association. Books, Art, Indigenous Creators For book lovers and art enthusiasts, Birchbark Books offers a carefully curated selection of books and handmade art rooted in Indigenous culture, storytelling, and the power of small, community-centered bookstores. International Fair Trade Artisans and Farmers You can also explore Ten Thousand Villages, which features handcrafted gifts made by artisans in under-resourced communities around the world, or SERRV International, which supports farmers and artisans through fair trade foods and gifts. Subscribe Donate Take Action Beauty and Personal Care If you’re considering beauty or personal care products, consult the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep® Database to find cosmetics that meet higher safety standards. Flowers If flowers are important to you, seek out local growers through LocalHarvest, where you can find nearby farms offering seasonal, sustainably grown blooms. More Gift Options You might also consider gifts from Aloha Bay, a company committed to helping farmers, craftspeople, and workers earn a fair income while maintaining traditional livelihoods with dignity and hope. This Valentine’s Day, show your love with intention. Choosing fair trade and sustainable gifts is a powerful way to care for the people you love, and for the planet we all share. Related Posts
One of Earth’s Last Ancient Temperate Rainforests Is Being Clearcut
December 16, 2025 | by Danielle Enblom Organic Consumers Association As the trees fall, you can hear the wildlife stirring in a panic. Their homes are crashing to the ground. The birds flee to neighboring trees, their voices in an uproar. The deer and squirrels dart away from the falling timber. The trees send emergency signals through their root systems and the entire forest stirs with the deep loss of an ecosystem that has slowly, and perfectly developed over hundreds of years. Once lost, these systems can not be restored, and the impact will reverberate in the local area and around the globe for years to come. Right now, an endangered watershed on the west coast of North America, one of the last intact ancient temperate rainforest watersheds on the island, is being clear-cut for profit. On the ground, land defenders and First Nations Elders are working to slow the destruction, but logging continues under government approval. British Columbia is home to some of the last remaining ancient temperate rainforests on Earth. These forests are not only majestic and awe-inspiring, they are essential to our collective future, locally and globally. While the British Columbia government promotes itself as a leader in sustainability and climate action, it is actively complicit in the logging of one of the last remaining intact ancient temperate rainforest watersheds on Vancouver Island. Much of what is being destroyed will not be used for anything durable or to benefit the community. Journalist David Mounsey reports, “Most of these 500–1,000-year-old-plus trees they are cutting down will be ground into pulp for Asian corporations or made into pellets to be burned in so-called ‘renewable’ energy power stations in the UK.” The Drax Corporation, which operates Britain’s largest power station, has repeatedly been linked through independent investigations to pellets sourced from primary and ancient forests on British Columbia’s coast. Clearcutting the last of BC’s old growth benefits a handful of corporations in the short term, and it leaves communities with degraded landscapes, increased flood and fire risk, and fewer economic options in the future. Forest protectors at the Ada’itsx / Fairy Creek blockade, alongside First Nations Elders, are calling on people to take action, by joining them on the ground, or by demanding political accountability. Scroll to the end of this article for phone and email templates you can use today to contact BC Premier David Eby and call for an immediate end to old-growth and primary forest logging. Subscribe Donate Take Action These monumental western red cedars, Douglas firs, and Sitka spruce, many of them more than 1,000 years old, store vast amounts of carbon, regulate watersheds, shelter endangered species, and hold deep cultural and spiritual meaning for Indigenous Nations who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial. Old-growth forests are not simply “older trees.” They are complex, interconnected living systems that take centuries to develop. Their soils store immense
This Giving Tuesday Join Us in Addressing One of the Most Critical Challenges of Our Time
December 02, 2025 | by Organic Consumers Association Giving Tuesday is upon us and we are asking you to join us in addressing one of the most critical challenges of our time: healing our destructive food and farming systems in order to heal our planet and feed the world. A broken food system produces unhealthy food, an unhealthy environment and unhealthy people. Fortunately, there are many ways we can turn this ship around and transform degenerative systems into healthy regenerative ones. We are ready and energized to continue this fight but we can’t do it without your support. With your help, we at the Organic Consumers Association are educating consumers, using the legal system to hold food corporations accountable and working with farmers and other food-related businesses to create a truly nourishing food system that is fair to farmers and good for the planet. We recognize that there are many organizations doing vital work on important issues. Peace. Clean Water. Social Justice. Censorship. Health Freedom. Climate. Campaign Finance Reform. Hunger. Animal Rights. Safe Food. We are committed to working tirelessly for a better future. We need to connect the dots with real solutions, not theoretical ones, and for that we need a bigger, better, more united movement. If you follow our work, you know how strongly we believe that the food movement can’t work in isolation. Rather than working in silos, we believe in fostering allyship and connecting the dots so we can use our combined strengths to address the bigger systemic issues that make all of our work necessary. Nearly 80 percent of our funding comes from individual donors like you. This #GivingTuesday, please consider making a generous donation to support our work. Thank you! Related Posts
Get Your Pasture-Raised Organic Turkey
November November 01, 2025 | by Organic Consumers Association Turkeys are excellent grazers and thrive on pasture, but it’s hard to find pasture-raised organic turkeys in most grocery stores. To get the best USDA Organic options, consult the Cornucopia Institute’s buying guide. Better yet, buy your pasture-raised organic turkey straight from a local farm. Subscribe Donate Take Action Check out these options to find one near you: All Real Organic Project farmers pasture-raise their organic turkeys. The American Pastured Poultry Producers Association is another place to look for a pasture-raised organic turkey. Search their website Get Real Chicken. You can also find farms that pasture-raise organic turkeys on our Regenerative Farm Map. Is your local farmer sold out? Try these farms: Wrong Direction Farm (NY) delivers pasture-raised organic turkeys to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Delivery is free for orders of $200 or more.Elmwood Stock Farm (KY) ships pasture-raised organic turkeys nationwide. In future blog posts I will delve further into the ongoing sea changes in U.S. public opinion, the growing awareness of the Deep State; the emerging political alliance of left and right populists; and the development of a genuine alternative mass media that will replace the discredited legacy mass media, social media, and so-called “progressive” media—all setting the stage for a new grassroots populist majority that transcends the old boundaries of left, right, and green, liberal and conservative, rural and urban. Stay tuned. Please sign OCA’s petition to stop “gain-of-function” mad science and to eliminate the weaponization of pathogens here. Related Posts
Victory! Center for Food Safety Secures Win for the Public’s Right to Know in GMO Labeling Lawsuit
October 31, 2025 | Source: Center for Food Safety SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A federal court of appeals decision handed down today overturned a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule on the disclosure of genetically engineered (GE or GMO) foods. The case challenged the USDA rulemaking which applied the 2016 federal law mandating GMO labeling, now called "Bioengineered." USDA had exempted "highly refined" or ultra-processed GMO foods—such as corn and soy oils—from disclosure, a loophole the court today held unlawful. The court of appeals also held today that the lower court abused its discretion regarding USDA's use of "QR code" or smartphone labeling in the rule: the district court had previously held that USDA's reliance on "QR code" labeling alone on packages without other forms of disclosure was unlawful, but had nonetheless left such products on market shelves. The court of appeals determined that remedy was an error and instead held that the QR code section should be vacated, or made null and void. With the prior rule now struck down as unlawful in several ways, the court sent the issue back to USDA to redo in a future new rulemaking compliant with today's opinion and order. The case was successfully litigated by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) on behalf of a coalition of nonprofit labeling advocates and organic retailers. "Today's decision is a landmark victory for the public's right to know what they eat and feed their families," said George Kimbrell, CFS's Legal Director and lead counsel in the case. "We've fought for decades for GMO labeling, as required by more than 60 other countries, and today's decision is a crucial culmination of those hard-fought efforts. QR codes alone do not provide meaningful access to all Americans, and USDA now will have to remedy that failing and provide accessible labeling. We are gratified that the Court has struck down USDA's loophole for ultra-processed GMO foods, the vast majority of which have been genetically engineered for increased pesticide tolerance." CONTINUE READING >> Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Organic Bytes <<
RFK Jr. And Other Trump Officials Embrace Psychedelics After FDA Setback
July 16, 2025 | Source: CNN Health | by Associated Press For decades, proponents of psychedelic drugs have come to Washington with a provocative message: Illegal, mind-altering substances like LSD and ecstasy should be approved for Americans grappling with depression, trauma and other hard-to-treat conditions. A presidential administration finally seems to agree. “This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting and we are working very hard to make sure that happens within 12 months,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently told members of Congress. His suggested timeline for green-lighting psychedelic therapy surprised even the most bullish supporters of the drugs. And it comes as psychedelics are making inroads in deep red states like Texas, where former Trump cabinet secretary and ex-governor Rick Perry has thrown his full support behind the effort. The administration’s embrace of psychedelics has sparked both excitement as well as concern from those in the field, who worry the drugs might be discredited if they appear to be rushed onto the market or are too closely linked with Kennedy, who is known for controversial views on vaccines, antidepressants and fluoride. CONTINUE READING >> Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Organic Bytes <<
Standing Strong Against the Forces Threatening Our Food Systems, Health, and Environment
May 14, 2025 | by Organic Consumers Association Two weeks ago, we shared the outpouring of support for our current fundraiser. We set a goal to reach 1,000 new donors and announced a $30,000 matching grant. Since then, we’ve made incredible progress—thanks to your support, we’ve already reached 400 new donors and raised an additional $26,000, unlocking almost all of our matching grant! But we still need your help. To meet our goal, we need 600 more donors. Your contribution will not only help us meet this challenge but will also be doubled by the matching grant, making your donation go twice as far. Together, we are standing strong against the forces threatening our food systems, health, and environment. As we work to make organic and regenerative practices the norm—rather than just the alternative—we continue to confront the environmental, economic, and social crises that demand urgent action. From soil health to climate change, and from public health to economic justice, our mission remains clear: to fight for a sustainable and just future for all. Your support—now more than ever—is what enables us to keep fighting. If you’ve already donated, thank you for being part of this crucial movement. If not, please consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Make a tax-deductible donation to Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Make a lasting impact through monthly giving, stock donations, planned giving, and IRA charitable distributions >> Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Organic Bytes <<
Bayer Protection Act – Legislative Update
Updated April 17, 2025 | by Kaare Melby Organic Consumers Association The Bayer Protection Acts (AKA the Pesticide Immunity bills) refer to legislation being proposed across several states that would give Bayer and other corporations immunity from legal accountability for misrepresenting the safety of their products, including Roundup/Glyphosate. TAKE ACTION: Ban Roundup, Don’t Bail Out Bayer! Stop the Bayer Protection Acts There were 11 Bayer Protection Act bills filed across as many states this year. So far, Georgia and North Dakota have sent the bill to their governors to sign. In those states, the best way for folks to take action is to reach out to the Governor’s office and ask that the Governor veto the bill. Missouri and Florida still have active Bayer Protection Act bills. Oklahoma, Montana, Tennessee have killed their Bayer Protection Act bills, but their legislative session is still open, so the bills could be revived. Bayer Protection Act bills in Idaho, Mississippi, Wyoming are officially dead for this year. Below is an update on the state of Bayer Protection Act legislation in each state. This document was last updated on: 4/17/2025. Subscribe Donate Today Take Action Georgia The Bayer Protection Act (HB 424 / SB 144) was passed in Georgia and is headed to the Governor's desk. If Georgia's Governor Brian P. Kemp signs this bill into law, it would give Bayer and other corporations immunity from legal accountability for misrepresenting the safety of their products, including Roundup/Glyphosate. Georgia’s Bayer Protection Act will be on the Governor's Desk by April 4th, 2025 and if he doesn't sign or veto it within 40 days, it automatically becomes law. TAKE ACTION: Please call Georgia's Governor Brian P. Kemp (404) 656-1776 and ask him to veto SB 144/HB 424: The Bayer Protection Act. North Dakota North Dakota’s Bayer Protection Act (HB 1318) has already passed in North Dakota’s House and Senate. This means the bill is headed to North Dakota’s Governor’s desk to be signed into law. This means it’s time for folks in North Dakota to reach out to ND Governor Kelly Armstrong and ask him to oppose North Dakota’s Bayer Protection Act (HB 1318). TAKE ACTION: Please call North Dakota's Governor Kelly Armstrong (701) 328-2200 and ask him to veto HB 1318: The Bayer Protection Act. Florida Florida’s Bayer Protection Act (HB 129 / SB 992) HB 129 passed out of the FL House Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee on 4/3/2025. The Senate version of the bill, SB 992, has not passed out of committee yet, but if you live in Florida, it’s time to send a message to your state lawmakers asking them to oppose this legislation before this bill moves closer towards becoming law. Missouri Missouri’s Bayer Protection Act (SB 14 / HB 544) has passed out of the Missouri House and the Missouri Senate Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources committee and is expected
Something Sec. Kennedy Can Do That We Should All Be Able To Agree On: Revoke the PREP Act Declarations That Take Away Our Power to Hold Corporations Accountable!
March 12, 2025 | by Alexis Baden-Mayer Organic Consumers Association Let’s face it. There’s a wide range of opinions on the safety and efficacy of various pharmaceutical products for preventing and treating disease. Even doctors can disagree on what’s best. But, there’s one thing we can all agree on: Corporations should be liable for the deaths and injuries they cause, and people who have been hurt, or have suffered the loss of a loved one, have the right to sue the companies at fault. Tragically, back in 2005, Congress snuck a last-minute rider into a Defense appropriations bill that gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the power to take away our right to sue by giving legal immunity to Big Pharma for “medical countermeasures,” no matter how badly the companies screwed up in the “design, development, clinical testing or investigation, manufacture, labeling, distribution, formulation, packaging, marketing, promotion, sale, purchase, donation, dispensing, prescribing, administration, licensing, or use of such countermeasure.” The only exception would be “willful misconduct,” defined as acting “intentionally to achieve a wrongful purpose; knowingly without legal or factual justification; and in disregard of a known or obvious risk that is so great as to make it highly probable that the harm will outweigh the benefit.” The law set the bar so high that no set of facts could ever meet this burden of proof. Plus, the law forbade any court from reviewing the Secretary’s declarations granting pharmaceutical companies these liability waivers. Subscribe Donate Take Action This was unpopular then and no one likes it any better today. It violates Americans’ sense of justice, and it’s unconstitutional, but until the lawsuits making that case work their way through the courts, we’re stuck with that 2005 law known as the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act). There are several PREP Act declarations issued by previous Health and Human Services Secretaries that Sec. Kennedy should revoke now: COVID PREP Act Declaration - March 10, 2020 through December 31, 2029 On December 11, 2024, President Biden’s HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra signed the twelfth PREP Act declaration for COVID. The first was issued by President Trump’s Sec. Alex Azar first on March 10, 2020. Strangely, the COVID PREP Act declaration doesn’t just cover COVID. It was extended on August 4, 2021, to cover seasonal influenza vaccines, as well. Another crazy thing about the COVID PREP Act declaration is that it also covers products used to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure a serious or life-threatening disease or condition caused by covered countermeasures! You read that right. If someone gets a serious or life-threatening disease or condition from a dangerous product used to prevent or treat COVID, anything a health care professional gives them to deal with that also has the liability waiver attached to it. Take this example: Due to the negligence of a pharmaceutical company, you are administered a