We Can Hardly Believe Our Ears!
May 7, 2019 | Katherine Paul
Organic Consumers Association
Could the dismal state of the U.S. food & farming system finally be getting the attention it deserves? From high-profile politicians?
In the last two months, as they hit the campaign trail, two presidential candidates—Sens. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—have floated proposals to take on Big Agribusiness and start rallying support for America’s small family farmers.
If we let Sens. Warren and Sanders know that we approve, maybe other presidential candidates will start talking about food & farming.
Family farmers aren’t going out of business because they aren’t working hard enough, or smart enough.
America’s independent farmers—once both the backbone and lifeblood of rural American communities—are filing for bankruptcy at an alarming rate because U.S. food and farming policies are being written by Big Ag lobbyists whose only concern is to line the pockets of corporations like Monsanto-Bayer, Cargill, Tyson and others.
We often hear from some corners of the food movement that food shouldn’t be “political.”
But like it or not, consumers suffer when our country’s food & farming policies are stacked against small, independent farmers—including organic regenerative farmers who grow the kind of food we want, using practices that heal, not harm the Earth.
Bad policy decisions are why consumers don’t have clear labels on GMO foods.
Bad policy decisions are why so many of our foods are contaminated with residues of toxic weedkillers, antibiotics, arsenic and other heavy metals, and all manner of drugs.
Bad policy decisions are why states like Iowa and Nebraska suffer from widespread water pollution directly attributable to factory farms.
And bad policy decisions are why we have to constantly fight to preserve strong USDA Organic standards.
In March, Sen. Warren rolled out a plan to take on Big Ag. Last week, Sen. Sanders rolled out his plan to revitalize rural American communities by supporting small farmers.
We aren’t suggesting that you vote for either of these candidates—as a nonprofit organization, we don’t endorse political candidates.
But we would like you let these candidates—and any other 2020 presidential candidates who talk about food & farming policy reform on the campaign trail—know hat you approve!