For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Politics and Democracy page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 17, 2013

CONTACT: Organic Consumers Association, Katherine Paul, 207.653.3090; or Zack Kaldveer, 510-938-2664

(Finland, MN) The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) has been named a finalist for best nonprofit advocacy campaign. The announcement was made by Salsa Labs at its annual Community Conference Awards honoring nonprofits that are “changing the world through excellence in list growth, advocacy and fundraising campaigns.”

Salsa Labs provides communication technologies for nonprofits and political campaigns to fundraise, advocate, communicate and organize online to more than 2,000 organizations.

“This recognition is really a testament to the million-plus consumers who support our work every day, by demanding a better food and farming system,” said Ronnie Cummins, National Director of the Organic Consumers Association. “We’ve proven that organized people can effectively challenge a food system designed to maximize big business profits at the expense of public health, the environment, and organic, sustainable farming.”

Among OCA’s most notable achievements of the past year include:

•    Generated nearly 97,000 letters from members demanding Congressional representatives strip the Monsanto Protection Act, a biotech industry-friendly rider granting agrochemical giant immunity from prosecution, from a continuing spending resolution. Thanks to the enormous public outcry, the amendment no longer exists.

•    Generated nearly 25,000 letters from members to Dr. Andrew Weil and his company, Weil Lifestyle, demanding he withdraw his membership in the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), a monolithic junk food lobby group that bankrolls anti-gmo labeling campaigns. Dr. Weil heeded OCA members’ request, citing the letters as integral to his decision to cancel his GMA membership.

•    Generated over 88,000 letters from members to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urging it rule to decrease the allowed residue limits of the toxic chemical glyphosate in food and animal feed.

•    Generated over 50,000 letters from members to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration urging it put an end to false and misleading “natural” labels on foods that secretly contain genetically modified ingredients and hazardous synthetic chemicals.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization advocating on behalf of more than one million consumers for health, justice, and sustainability. The Organic Consumers Fund is a 501(c)4 allied organization of the Organic Consumers Association, focused on grassroots lobbying and legislative action.