'Yes, that’s as nasty as it sounds.'
Dear [first name],
I’ve been following the news about Hurricane Florence, and its tragic
consequences for the people of North Carolina—the destruction of their lives,
homes and land.
If you’ve been tracking the situation, too, you’ve seen the gruesome photos and
headlines about the millions of chickens, turkeys and hogs left to drown on
North Carolina’s factory farms.
You’ve also read reports of what it means when huge lagoons full of pig
manure—disgusting enough when intact—overflow.
The word “Monsanto” probably wasn’t the first word to pop into your head as you
read these grim headlines.
But let’s not forget: Monsanto’s GMO crops and toxic weedkillers are the
linchpin of our horrendous industrial factory farm system.
And that won’t change, unless we all work to make it change.
We are still short of our fall fundraising goal. Can you pitch in with a
donation by midnight, September 22, to help us keep up the pressure on Monsanto
and factory farms? You can donate online, by phone or by mail— details here [[link removed]] .
DONATE [[link removed]]Yesterday, North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality issued an update
on the condition of the state’s flooded factory farms: Five hog-manure lagoons
were already structurally damaged, 21 were leaking into floodwaters, 17 were
completely inundated by floodwater and 36 were filled to capacity and likely to
start leaking “soon.”
That was as of noon, September 19. Reports are that the floodwaters haven’t yet
peaked.
Hog farm lagoons are huge open pits, filled with water, pig excrement and
anaerobic bacteria. As the New York Times said, “Yes, that’s as nasty as it
sounds.”
The Times reported this week:
North Carolina has 9.7 million pigs that produce 10 billion gallons of manure
annually, mostly on large-scale farms and primarily in low-lying Sampson and
Duplin counties. Both counties were affected by Florence.
We often think of Monsanto and its GMOs and pesticides as one problem, and
factory farms as another.
But these are two inextricably linked problems. Monsanto literally “feeds” the
industrial factory farm industry.
Bring down Monsanto, and we’re on our way to bringing down the factory farm
system.
Fortunately, we are riding a wave of victories against Monsanto right now. Lawsuits are being won, and more are being filed everyday. City councils and
entire countries are either banning, or calling for a ban, on Roundup.
Bayer, which just bought Monsanto, is taking a financial hit as shareholders
bail.
Things are going our way in what is just the latest chapter in a story that began decades ago, when Monsanto corrupted the EPA in order to
push its GMO and Roundup products on an unsuspecting public.
But how this story ends, whether consumers and common sense prevail over the
powerful, corruptive ways of Monsanto, depends on all of us.
That’s why I’m asking for your help today, to meet our fall fundraising goal by
midnight, September 22. Please make a generous donation online, by phone or by
mail— details here [[link removed]] .
DONATE [[link removed]]Factory farms like those described this week in North Carolina, and the
companies like Monsanto that make them possible, are part of a global industrial
food system that is arguably the most destructive industry in the world.
This industry that has stolen and corrupted our food supply, stolen our health,
stolen our clean water and fertile soils, stolen our democracy with profits made
off the backs of hardworking small farmers, and consumers like you.
This industry is also one of the biggest contributors to the climate instability
that spawns ravaging hurricanes like Florence.
Don’t let this industry steal our future.
In solidarity,
Ronnie Cummins
International Director
P.S. Don’t let Monsanto and industrial factory farming steal your future. Please
support our fall fundraising campaign today by donating online, by phone or by
mail— details here [[link removed]] .
OrganicConsumers.org
[[link removed]] [[link removed]]© 2018 Organic Consumers Association. All rights reserved
