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The decision to challenge Monsanto and Aventis was not made lightly
— the cost of not acting was even higher. But this case won't
succeed without the help of the many hundreds of allies,
friends and supporters — people such as yourself —
who want to ensure that certified organic grain farming continues
to exist on the prairies, and that Canadian-grown wheat will remain
free of GMO contamination.
Here are some ideas of ways that you can help raise awareness and
raise funds for the lawsuit. Please join us in this historic struggle
in any way you can.
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Lots of interest in our display
at the IFOAM Congress 2002
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- Buy organic food. If you don't already know, find out where organic food is sold in your community. If nobody sells organic in your town, talk to store managers about it and encourage them to supply some organic products. Tell your friends how good organic food is. Our best argument is the fact that consumers want to eat certified organic food, and more and more people are seeking out and buying organic products.
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"Farmers are said to be 'jacks of all trades', and certainly there are many obvious abilities needed to successfully manage a farm-like field management, mechanical maintenance, financial planning, carpentry, plumbing, welding, animal husbandry, etc. Besides the many abilities required for farming, I now find myself, and others, needing to be crisis managers, extension agrologists, political lobbyists, anti-GMO activists, and public speakers…all creating a stress on time management!" — Marc Loiselle
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- Download and print up a poster (PDF) and a stack of brochures (PDF, 107KB) and set them out in your local organic food store or anywhere else you think would be appropriate.
- Talk about it in your circles. Get this issue onto programs and agendas of the organizations you know of. Service clubs usually have luncheons with a speaker. Be that speaker, or find someone else who could do it.
- Look for ways to have it as a topic for a public and/or membership meeting sponsored by a community association, church/faith group, international development organization, consumer group, co-operatives, health committee, union local, womens group, human rights organization, environmental group, etc. You can make presentations or lead discussions about the lawsuit and the reasons for it. Mention the website and let people know how important their contributions will be.
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"Organic farmers reject the philosophy that we must poison our environment or use radical genetic engineering of plants and animals to produce enough food for us all to eat. Promoters of biotechnology are creating a false need for genetically engineered crops and food. It is not about making farmers richer or about feeding the world; it's about feeding the companies that are the promoters and their shareholders! GE foods are being introduced into North America by stealth, with large companies using patent law as a weapon against farmers and consumers." — Marc Loiselle
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- Write an article or do a radio or cable TV spot. Use the material from this website as your basic set of facts. Talk to local people about their opinions. Say why you think it is important. Tell how it affects your own personal life. Interview a certified organic farmer in your area. You can get your story published in you local newspaper, the newsletter of your organization, specialty magazines that deal with food, health, environment, agriculture, rural life, etc. You can get your radio story broadcast on your local community or public radio station or on the CBC. Talk to a producer for help with the technical side of things.
- Write letters to the editor to you local paper and/or magazines you read whenever you see an opportunity to promote the lawsuit and/or the issues that it deals with. Call in to open line shows and "talk-back" lines. Send in comments to the TV stations' "your turn" spots.
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"...because you have consciousness, you have morality, and because you have morality you have responsibility; responsibility to continue to let this earth live for more generations to follow. Farmers are grieving the loss of choice of grains…and small seed growers and suppliers are getting shut down..." — Dr. Danny Musqua, aboriginal elder
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- Tell your friends and associates in conversations, on the phone, by email and snail mail.
- Put a link to SOD's website on your website and in your email signature.
- Put up an information table and hand out leaflets at the Farmers Market, at food, environment, and social justice related events and conferences, on campus, etc. Collect cheques payable to SOD OAPF on site, and mail them to the SOD office.
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"We have over a thousand Certified Organic farmers in Sask., farming over one million acres. We have built this industry with virtually no support from governments and research institutions. The organic industry is growing at a rate of 20% a year. The Organic farmers of Saskatchewan are not going to stand idly by and watch the organic industry sacrificed on the " altar " of biotechnology." — Arnold Taylor
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- Tell us your experiences. Let us know how your fund-raising efforts went, what you did, where you were, how people responded, etc. We'd like to share your ideas and let everyone know that we are not alone in this fight.
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