Earth Equity News

Tell Congress to Protect Funding for Organic Ag Research. Organic Consumers Association, September 10, 2008. "After months of your letters, phone calls and hard work, [the USDA's premier organic agricultural research program, the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)]... won a much-needed boost [in the 2008 farm bill -- a fivefold increase in mandatory funding, from $15 million over 5 years in the 2002 farm bill to $78 million over five years in this one]... But now both the Senate and the President want to take some of that money away!... The [Senate's FY 2009] budget proposal... would cut $2 million from OREI while the Administration proposes a whopping cut of $8 million... Please contact [Congressional members who sit on the Senate Appropriations Committee] right away and tell them to keep funding for OREI at the level mandated in the [2008] farm bill -- $18 million for 2009. Letters should either be faxed to the DC office or mailed to the district office [and] calls should be directed to the aide [who] works on appropriations." See the full article for talking points and contact person at the Organic Consumers Association.