Urged by several special interest groups, including Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and the Organic Consumers Association, more than 65 consumer, farm and agricultural, public health, animal protection and environmental organizations, food processors, retailers and dairy farmers today wrote to Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell to protest the recent Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) decision on misleading milk labeling.
Now is the time for you to voice your opinion too, make sure that Governor Rendell knows if you support or don’t support this critical action. Don’t delay – speak up today!
In late October, PDA informed 16 dairies that they cannot use certain labels on milk, including “Our farmers’ pledge: no artificial growth hormones,” “From cows not treated with the growth hormone rBST,” and “free of artificial growth hormones.” The ban on using these labels will go into effect on February 1, 2008.
The following organizations have signed onto the letter:
Boulder Ice Cream, Bridge View Dairy, The Campaign, Carl Colteryahn Dairy, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Center for Media and Democracy, Consumer Federation of America, Cornucopia Institute, CROPP Co-op/Organic Valley, Empire Organic, Endangered Habitats League, Family Farm Defenders, Farm Sanctuary, Farmer-to-Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering, Florida Organic Growers and Consumers, Food and Water Watch, Goldfinch Farm CSA, Government Accountability Project, Hahn Natural Foods, Health Care Without Harm, Humane Farming Association, Humane Society of the United States, Animal Protection Institute, Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Innovative Farmers of Ohio, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Institute for Responsible Technology, J&B Dairy, Kirschenmann Family Farms, Live Earth Farm, Livewater Farm, Martindale’s Natural Market, Milky Way Farms, Minnesota Food Association, Mississippi Livestock Markets Association, Moonglow Farms, National Family Farm Coalition, National Farmers Union, Natural Resources Defense Council, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, Northeast Organic Farming Association representing seven states (NOFA-VT, NOFA-NH, NOFA-MASS, NOFA-CT, NOFA-NY, NOFA-NJ and NOFA-RI), Oak Valley Dairy, Oneota Community Co-op, Ore Bank Farm, Oregon Ice Cream Company, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, Organic Consumers Association, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Organic Trade Association, PennEnvironment, PennPIRG, Radiance Dairy, Rodale Institute, Science and Environmental Health Network, Genetic Engineering Committee, Stonyfield Farm, Inc., Tiffany Hill Farm, Turner Dairy Farms, Trader’s Point Creamery, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington Biotechnology Action Council, Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Willow Creek Farm, Wright Way Dairy