Non-Profit Associations

Organic Consumers Association. (2008) Coming Clean: Organic Integrity in Bodycare Products. Retrieved January 23, 2008, from http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and non-profit public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The Organic Consumers Association is the largest membership organization in the United States representing primarily the interests of those who purchase organic food. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children's health, environmental sustainability and other growing topics. They are currently the only organization in the US focused exclusively on promoting the views and interests of the nation's estimated 50 million organic and socially responsible consumers. They work towards campaigning for health, justice, sustainability, peace, and democracy. Their website includes current news surrounding organic issues, ways for consumers to take action and ways to find organic products to support the campaigns. This organization is a good source for campaigning sources and the organic agricultural industry.

Environmental Working Group. (2008). EWG Research on Chemicals in Personal care products. Retrieved March 13, 2008, from http://www.ewg.org/.

Founded in 1993 by Ken Book and Richard Wiles, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) was established to provide information to the public and promote health and the environment. In 2002, the non-profit organization founded the EWG Action Fund to advocate for health-productive and subsidy-shifting governmental policies. The EWG created Skin Deep, an ingredients database, and the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Product. In 2006, $0.84 of every dollar donated to EWG went directly to research and advocacy, according to the EWG website. The EWG is funded 78% by foundations and 18% by individual consumers. The EWG is considered to be a “watchdog group” working on issues such as chemicals in food and consumer products. However, EWG has been the target of complaints from the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise and singled out by the conservative Capital Research Center. This organization is a good source for finding statistical data about cosmetics ingredients and governmental policies surrounding the industry.