BE HONEST

Organizing a Grassroots Truth-in-Labeling Campaign in Your Community

"If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it."
- Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994

The Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign will no doubt turn out to be a protracted struggle. But restoring consumers' right-to-know is well worth the effort, since once the thin veneer of "normalcy" or acceptability is lifted off of Monsanto and Food Inc.'s products, millions of consumers will demand non-GM, organic, local, and non-factory-farm products.

Groundwork: Organizing a Truth-in-Labeling Petition Drive in Your Local Community

(1) Form a volunteer "Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms" committee and begin to educate and mobilize a thousand or more petition-signers in your community.

* Circulate the GMO/CAFO Truth-in-Labeling petition

* Download and Distribute OCA's Millions Against Monsanto flyer: Ten Things Monsanto Does Not Want You to Know

(2) Order "Millions Against Monsanto" bumper stickers or T-shirts from the OCA national office. Use these tools to create visibility for your Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your community. You can go here to place your order.

(3) Register your local Truth-in-Labeling campaign with the Organic Consumers Association. Send an email with your full contact information to information@organicconsumers.org. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and give us an idea of how much support you believe there is in your local community. Designate yourself or a group of volunteers as local coordinators. OCA staff can let you know how many people have already signed labeling petitions in your local community. Once you are ready, OCA will set up a Truth-in-Labeling "listserv" or email communications network for your local area. Set a preliminary goal for the number of petition signers (OCA suggests a minimum of 1,000) that you need in order to move forward.

(4) Stay tuned for an OCA webinar or online seminar for more tips on how to organize a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your community.