OCA's Blog
According to the company website, D’Artagnan’s foie gras “is considered a great delicacy around the world.”
But if you’re eating D’Artagnan’s foie gras, what you’re actually eating is the diseased liver of a tortured duck or goose.
Samples of D’Artagnan’s foie gras, submitted by Organic Consumers Association for independent lab testing, confirm that the product is made from the livers of ducks that suffer from “severe hepatic lipidosis,” or what’s commonly known as fatty liver disease.
Setting aside the “yuck” factor for a minute, what do these test results mean?
They mean that the birds used to produce this “great delicacy” for consumers lived painful, tortured lives.
Without fail, every time we talk about the Green New Deal as having the potential to rapidly transform the U.S food and farming system, we’re met with skepticism. “Where are the details?” people want to know.
That’s because the GND, introduced in the U.S House and Senate in February, isn’t a law, or a bill or a policy. It’s a non-binding resolution. Congress will vote on it, but it won’t be signed into law by the president. Non-binding resolutions are viewed as a commitment by Congress to a general goal, or in the case of the GND, a set of goals.
Ever since the GND was introduced, and supported by more than 100 members of Congress, we’ve been waiting for a concrete plan of action.
The wait is over.
Americans are getting fatter. But we aren’t getting healthier.
We can expect that trend to continue, unless we fix our food. And we can’t fix our food unless we fix our soil, which means we stop saturating it with herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, synthetic chemical fertilizers and antibiotics.
How do we fix our soil, food and health? We need a microbiome renaissance. And that begins with showing Mother Nature a little respect.
Is the National Organic Program (NOP) doing a good job of fulfilling its stated mission: developing and enforcing “uniform national standards for organically-produced agricultural products sold in the United States?”
That’s debatable. And so the question of organic standards enforcement was debated—last month, during the Northeast Organic Farmers Association (NOFA) conference in Amherst, Mass.
Why do we need to end factory farming? So many reasons.
But the one reason that’s getting the most attention from public health officials these days is this: Drug-resistant infections from food are growing. And, as New York Times reporter Matt Richtel laid out in his article this week, powerful industry interests are blocking scientists and investigators from getting information they need to combat the problem.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security operates "fusion centers," which monitor the activities of suspected terrorists or others perceived as potential threats to U.S. security.
Apparently, so does Monsanto (now owned by Bayer).
“The house is on fire.”
That’s what 16-year-old Greta Thunberg told world leaders at the Davos World Economic Forum on January 25. It's also why she went on strike—to let the adults of the world know that young people are tired of waiting for action on climate change.
Want to show solidarity with Greta and other youth climate activists around the world?
Not to sound like a broken record, but . . . without you, we simply wouldn’t exist.
Thank you for investing in Organic Consumers Association on #GivingTuesday.
Thank you for sharing our vision for—and our commitment to—a safe, healthful and just food and farming system.
And thank you for inspiring us to work harder and smarter, even on those days when the deck seems stacked against us.
If this was your first donation, welcome! We look forward to partnering with you on future projects and campaigns.
If you are a long-time supporter and repeat donor, thank you for being there for us, once again.
#GivingTuesday marked the launch of our critical year-end fundraising campaign. From now until midnight December 31, all donations will be matched, dollar for dollar.
Neuroscientists tell us that the neurochemical drivers of happiness are dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin—and that any activity that increases production of these “happiness trifecta” chemicals will boost your mood.
Guess what sits at the top of the list of things you can do recharge these brain chemicals?
Giving.
There are many ways to give, everyday. You can take chicken soup to a sick friend. Rake your neighbor’s leaves. Fix someone’s flat tire.
You know what they say. If you can’t beat ‘em, you may as well join ‘em.
Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday. If you’re a person who cares about making the world better, your inbox will probably fill up fast tomorrow, with emails from organizations asking you to support them.
Rather than get annoyed by all these emails, why not join in the fun? By becoming a fundraiser yourself tomorrow?
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