Why Revolution

Our democracy is broken. And the handful of corporations that control our food, farming, energy and pharmaceutical industries have corrupted the marketplace so that it generates enormous profits for CEOs and shareholders at the expense of consumer choice, human health and the environment. 

The U.S. political process no longer works for a majority of people in this country, much less for the future of the common good. The failure of this process can be traced to the disproportionate influence of corporations and the uber-wealthy (1%) on policymaking, either through direct lobbying or by using generous campaign contributions to buy the loyalty of incumbent and/or future politicians.

These systemic failures originated and are perpetuated from the top down. They will be corrected only by a bottom-up grassroots rejection of the status quo, by a critical mass of citizens who hold a new, more hopeful vision for a healthier, safer, more equitable future. This grassroots uprising, or revolution, must target both the existing political process and the corrupt marketplace that this dysfunctional process has created. This will require that we, as citizens, play an active role in disrupting and reshaping the political process by actively engaging in it, especially at the local level. As citizens and consumers, we must also play an active role in disrupting the marketplace by participating in consumer campaigns designed to force corporations to take responsibility for their destructive impact human health, on the environment and on the responsible companies that can’t compete economically on an uneven playing field.

#Consumer Revolution 2017-2020

Overarching goal: Force corporations that sell consumer products, including food, clothing, drugs and personal care products, to respond to consumer demand for truthfully labeled products that have a positive impact on human health and are produced using regenerative processes and practices that not only prevent harm to human health and the environment but also measurably improve soils and combat global warming. 

(1)    Move toward making organic, 100% grass-fed, and regenerative food and farming the norm, not just the 5-percent alternative in the marketplace, by doubling sales of organic to $80 billion by 2020, and by increasing sales of U.S. grass-fed meat and dairy, and organic and pastured poultry and pork by at least 400 percent by 2020.

(2)    Achieve a 50-percent reduction in sales of GMO food and animal feed by 2020, with the aim of driving GMO animal feed off the market. 

(3)    Force major food brands and companies that fraudulently label their products as “natural,” “organic” or “GMO-free” to remove misleading labels and/or transition their products and production methods to organic and/or regenerative.

(4)    Increase market share for clothing made from organic cotton, wool and other natural fibers through a high-profile “Care What You Wear” campaign that encourages consumers to boycott GMO cotton and synthetic fibers.

#PoliticalRevolution 2017-2020

Overarching goal: Reform the current political process to create a democracy that works for all people, not just wealthy corporations and the 1%, by uniting the food, climate, economic and social justice, natural health and peace movements in a coordinated effort to support candidates, elected public officials and policies, at the local, state and federal levels, that support our common goals. 

(1)    Support the candidates and elected officials endorsed by the post-Bernie Sanders movements, including “Brand New Congress” and “Our Revolution.”

(2)    Lobby candidates and elected public officials to support OCA’s #ConsumerRevolution platform

(3)    Lobby candidates and elected public officials to support the “Our Revolution” platform, with the addition of:

•   on climate: a focus on regenerative agriculture and soil carbon sequestration as a global warming solution, in addition to fossil fuel emissions reduction and renewable energy

•    on healthcare: a focus on "Medicare for all" that includes coverage for preventive, natural and alternative healthcare solutions

•    on food: a focus on food policy that supports consumer health and consumer right to know, and acknowledges the role food production plays in environmental and climate policy

•    on living wage: a focus on raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour so that lower-income Americans can afford organic food

(4)    Organize local grassroots meet-ups and coalitions to run candidates, for local and state offices, who support our issues.

(5)    Oppose any candidates or policies that promote racism, sexism, homophobia, militarism and all forms of discrimination, whenever and wherever they arise.

(6)    Oppose voter suppression in all forms, including laws or illegal attempts to disenfranchise voters.

(7)    Support the decriminalization of drug use, including the legalization of marijuana, and oppose the war on drugs.

(8)    Combat climate change by promoting candidates and policies that advance regenerative food, farming and land use, in addition to fossil fuel emissions reduction and renewable energy, as solutions for achieving zero emissions, for reversing global warming by sequestering excess CO2 and greenhouse gases in soil and forests, and for addressing our public health, water and environmental crises.