Tell Congress to Pass a Healthy Farm Bill
Farmers growing healthy food items such as organic milk often face hurdles that others do not. Congress is past overdue in passing legislation that would address these imbalances. Tell Congress you want a Farm Bill that invests in organic dairy & healthy-food farmers, NOW!
A Farm Bill for Organic Dairy & Healthy-Food Farmers
Imagine this: billions of taxpayer dollars support the production of unhealthy processed foods and sugary drinks, while farmers supplying healthier items such as organic milk are overlooked or even penalized. Worse, despite an overdue and ticking timeline, Congress is sitting on its hands instead of passing legislation to address these imbalances.
Sound like a bad dream? Unfortunately, it’s reality—but it doesn’t have to be.
Recent reports from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) showed how smarter agriculture policies can help farmers grow more of the healthy fruits and vegetables we need and boost local economies along the way. Now, a new UCS study, Cream of the Crop: The Economic Benefits of Organic Dairy Farms, reveals that public investment in organic dairy farmers would pay off in multiple ways. In addition to producing a healthier product and safeguarding the environment, organic dairy farms generate greater economic opportunity and more jobs in rural communities compared with conventional dairies.
But current agriculture policy favors big polluting CAFOs (confined animal feed operations) over organic dairy farms. And because Congress has failed to act on the now-overdue 2012 Farm Bill—the 5-year legislative package that shapes U.S. agriculture—the limited programs that currently help organic dairy farmers are at risk.
We can change this, but we need quick action. Tell Congress: pass a Farm Bill—one that calls for investments in organic dairies and other healthy-food farmers—NOW.
Sincerely,
Ashley Elles
National Field Organizer
UCS Food and Environment Program
The speaker of the Ugandan parliament has promised she will pass the so-called “Kill the Gays” bill in the next two weeks — she called it a “Christmas gift” for the Ugandan people. The bill would legalize the death penalty for LGBT people and people with HIV or AIDS.
Uganda experts say that one way to stop this bill is to get pressure from banks that have significant resources invested in the country, such as Citibank and Barclays.
Citibank and Barclays together have hundreds of millions of dollars invested in Uganda and wield significant influence in the country, just as banking lobbyists wield influence with Congress in the US. Citibank and Barclays speaking out against the “Kill the Gays” bill might be the best — and only — chance to stop it.
Collin Burton is a Citibank customer who is also gay. Collin started a petition on Change.org asking Citibank and Barclays to speak out against the “Kill the Gays” bill. Click here to sign Collin’s petition right now.
Citibank and Barclays are both big supporters of LGBT rights for their own employees, yet they invest money with a government that is threatening to execute LGBT people.“I expect Citibank and Barclays to live up to the values of equality and fairness, not just list them on their websites,” Collin says.
If Citibank and Barclays speak out against the “Kill the Gays” bill, Ugandan legislators will see that they are risking the business relationships that keep their government afloat.
Click here to sign Collin’s petition asking Citibank and Barclays to issue strong statements condemning Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill. The bill could come up for a vote any day, so swift action is essential.
Unconscionable — that’s the only way to describe an extreme policy that denies servicewomen and military dependents coverage for abortion services if they become pregnant as the result of rape. To add insult to injury, their civilian counterparts who also get their health insurance through the federal government do not face the same cruel policy.
Do your duty: tell your Members of Congress to end the outrageous abortion coverage ban for servicewomen and military dependents who have been raped or endured incest.
Congress will soon finalize the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Thanks to Senator Shaheen, they’ll have the opportunity to pass a version of the bill which removes this abhorrent ban, but some anti-choice Members of Congress who are willing to play politics with the women that serve this nation are standing in the way of ending this unjust ban.
This policy is simply wrong. We need your voice to end it today: tell Congress to end the abortion coverage ban for servicewomen and military dependents who become pregnant due to rape or incest.
Thank you for continuing to protect women’s reproductive health.
P.S. Your support allows us to continue to fight for women’s health, as well as work on many other critical issues. Please consider making a generous donation today.
You must be logged in to post a comment.