The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the developm ...

for the

organic agriculture Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...

industry based in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. The organization's members include subscribers to their online newsletters, volunteers, supporters, and retail outlets. The organization seeks to influence public opinion on a variety of issues, such as campaigning for GMO labeling, by its own advocacy campaigns and providing funds to other groups and individuals whose goals align with the organization's members, such as US Right to Know (USRTK), of which the association is the sole major sponsor. The activities of these associated lobbying bodies have been called "antiscientific" and "akin to climate change denialism" by scientists, alleging also that they seek primarily to engage in harassment of food scientists. OCA was embroiled in controversy for work they did with

Andrew Wakefield Andrew Jeremy Wakefield (born September 3, 1956) is a British anti-vaccine activist, former physician, and discredited academic who was struck off the medical register for his involvement in ''The Lancet'' MMR autism fraud, a 1998 study that ...

to mislead the Somali immigrant community about the safety of vaccines. Reporting has also exposed their close ties and financial relationship with

Joseph Mercola Joseph Michael Mercola (; born July 8, 1954) is an American alternative medicine proponent, osteopathic physician, and Internet business personality. He markets dietary supplements and medical devices. On his website, Mercola and colleagues adv ...

, an alternative medicine proponent and "major funder of the anti-vaccine movement". The ''Washington Post'' reported that Mercola had donated $3.3m to OCA. Mercola and Ronnie Cummins, the founder of OCA, published a book titled ''The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing the Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal: Why We Must Unite in a Global Movement for Health and Freedom'' which the McGill

Office for Science and Society The Office for Science and Society (OSS) is an organization dedicated to science education, operating from Montreal's McGill University. Its staff and contributors use courses, mass media, special events and books to debunk pseudo-scientific m ...

described as "monumentally wrong".

References

External links

Official websiteUS Right to Know
Anti-corporate activism Fair trade organizations American food and drink organizations Organic farming in the United States {{US-org-stub

References

Further reading

External links