FOOD BYTES #14 November 8, 1998 News and Analysis on Genetic Engineering & Factory Farming by: Ronnie Cummins, Campaign for Food Safety/Organic Consumers Action [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.purefood.org http://www.icta.org ___________________________________________________________ Contents: Special Issue: SOS (Save Organic Standards) Round Two *** Save Organic Standards Round Two: Nationwide Battle Continues *** Action Alert: USDA Position Paper Reopens Official Comment Period until Dec. 14 on National Organic Standards--Urgent Action Needed Now--Send E-Mails, Faxes, or Letters to USDA *** Campaign for Food Safety & Organic Watch Form Letter for Official Comments to the USDA. Keep Factory Farming out of Organic Food Production and Ensure Consumer Protection Against Organic Fraud! ______________________________________________________________ S.O.S. SAVE ORGANIC STANDARDS! ROUND TWO ____________________________________ NATIONWIDE BATTLE CONTINUES Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed national organic standards that were so weak, they threatened the entire future of organic foods. In response over 275,000 people wrote the USDA demanding that these proposed organic rules be changed. The USDA backed off temporarily, but is expected to issue a new set of highly controversial regulations early in 1999. The USDA reopened the rulemaking process on October 28 by publishing an official position paper in the Federal Register. There are conflicting factions inside the Clinton administration. While some have heard the thunderous response from consumers, others apparently are as ready as ever to: *** lower pre-existing organic standards *** allow industrial-style factory farming *** suppress the free speech of the organic community by making it illegal to set standards higher than the USDA's. Consumer rebellion has forced the USDA to temporarily back down on the "Big Three," genetically engineered food, toxic sludge, and nuclear irradiation. But most organic consumers have dozens of additional objections to regulations which disregard almost entirely the recommendations of the National Organic Standards Board. We remain concerned that agribusiness and its friends inside the USDA will subvert those legitimately seeking change and once again propose federal regulations which include: TOTAL GOVERNMENT CONTROL * The USDA will possess a "legal monopoly" over the word "organic." Only one organic label, "USDA Organic" will be allowed. The USDA will have the sole power to appoint members to the National Organic Standards Board, giving them the ability to weaken standards by "stacking" the NOSB with appointees sympathetic to industrial agriculture, food irradiation, and genetic engineering. OUTLAWS HIGHER STANDARDS * The new laws will make it illegal for private, non-governmental organic certifiers to uphold higher standards than the minimum standards dictated by the USDA. The rules will also ban "eco-labels," making it illegal to even imply through labeling or advertising that a product exceeds USDA standards. FACTORY FARMING * "USDA Organic" will allow inhumane, intensive confinement of farm animals and a host of other industrial, factory farm production practices (non-organic feed, toxic inert ingredients in pesticides, antibiotics, additional synthetic chemicals, etc.). THREATENS SMALL FARMERS * The USDA's proposed fees for government certification and/or residue testing will be prohibitively expensive for small and medium-sized farmers, certifiers, and producers. ____________________________________________________________ SAVE ORGANIC STANDARDS! IT'S IN OUR HANDS! This year's mass outcry from organic consumers, producers, and farmers to the USDA's first proposed organic rules made history--with over 275,000 official comments. The Save Organic Standards (SOS) campaign has now given birth to Organic Consumers Action--a nationwide grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the integrity of organic food standards and promoting sustainable and organic agriculture. JOIN Organic Consumers Action (OCA) in your local area. If you want to become a member or a volunteer--or make a donation--call 218-726-1443 or e-mail us at: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Before the USDA issues its new proposed organic regulations you will be contacted by an OCA volunteer in your local area. VOLUNTEER to become part of an OCA Coordination Team in your area. Help us mobilize consumers and retailers, carry out public education and events, and generate media coverage. ASK your local natural food stores, coops, community restaurants, and farmers markets to contact the OCA campaign so that we can send them posters and literature. SUBSCRIBE to Food Bytes, our free electronic newsletter, by sending an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the simple message in the body of your email: subscribe pure-food-action If you don't have access to a computer, and want to receive Food Bytes and our Action Alerts by mail, send us $20 for a year subscription. Visit our web sites (and links) regularly for updates and background information: http://www.purefood.org http://www.icta.org SEND us a letter, fax, or e-mail which we will forward to your Congressional Representative, your U.S. Senators, and the White House. Tell your elected public officials that you want the USDA to preserve strict organic standards, and that any final rule must not contain any of the objectionable provisions outlined in this leaflet. Demand especially that the USDA allow private, non-governmental organic certification bodies to maintain and publicize stricter organic standards than the minimum standards proposed by the USDA. Respond to the USDA's Oct. 28 Official Position Paper--Published in the Federal Register--on Factory Farming, Antibiotics, and Decertification by filling out the comment form enclosed below. Fax, e-mail, or mail your comments on organic standards by December 14, 1998 to the USDA (referring to Docket Number TM-98-00-7): e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] also CC a copy to us at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fax: 202-690-4632 regular mail: Eileen Stommes, Deputy Administrator, USDA-AMS-TM-NOP, Room 4007-S, AG Stop 0275, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, D.C. 20090-6456 Campaign for Food Safety/Organic Consumers Action 860 Highway 61 Little Marais, Minnesota 55614 Tel. 218-726-1443 Fax. 218-226-4157 e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.purefood.org ____________________________________________________________ CAMPAIGN for FOOD SAFETY & ORGANIC WATCH ACTION ALERT USDA Is At It Again! Urgent Action Needed To Keep Factory Farming Out Of Organic Food Production And Ensure Consumer Protection Against Organic Fraud! Early last year, an outraged public flooded the USDA with nearly 280,000 comments opposing the agency's proposal to allow factory farming, sewage sludge, genetic engineering, and irradiation in organic food production. Despite this outpouring of public outrage, the USDA is again thinking of diluting organic standards. We need your input now on three critical issues: * USDA is still considering loopholes that would allow for the continuous indoor confinement in organic animal production; * USDA is considering the use of animal medications including antibiotics in organic production ; and * USDA is considering eliminating the ability of organic certifiers to prevent the sale of mishandled or fraudulent organic products. Your help is urgently needed. USDA has opened these three questions for public comment. But we only have until December 14, 1998 to respond. We need to send a clear message to the USDA: (1). ORGANIC STANDARDS MUST MANDATE ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS AND PASTURE FOR ALL ANIMALS; (2). ORGANIC STANDARDS MUST BAN THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS AND THE MISUSE OF OTHER ANIMAL MEDICATIONS IN ORGANIC PRODUCTION; (3). ORGANIC STANDARDS MUST ALLOW CERTIFIERS (ORGANIZATIONS THAT VERIFY ORGANIC STANDARDS ARE BEING FOLLOWED) TO MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT RIGHT TO IMMEDIATELY PREVENT THE SALE OF FRAUDULENT OR MISHANDLED ORGANIC PRODUCTS. It is important that you again comment and make it very clear that the USDA cannot ignore the 280,000 public comments it received early this year. Here's how to make your voice heard. Just respond to the questions below and follow the instructions for sending or e-mailing your comments. Your Name:____________________________E-mail:___________________________________ Street:________________________________________________________________________ City:____________________________________State:______________Zip Code:___________ Phone:(H)______________________(W)___________________(Fax)______________________ USDA ISSUE #1. Livestock Confinement in Organic Production Systems. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB - the citizens board given legal authority to provide the Secretary of Agriculture with recommendations) has made recommendations that livestock must have access to the outdoors. The USDA is considering policies that would allow loopholes whereby a producer could avoid providing animals with access to the outdoors . Furthermore, the USDA may not require "access to the outdoors" to include access to pasture. Under this scenario, dairy cows on dirt feedlots would be considered as organic milk production! Should organic livestock have access to the outdoors including pasture? What is your official comment to the USDA on this issue?_____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ USDA ISSUE #2. The Use of Antibiotics and Parasiticides in Organic Livestock Production. The NOSB has made explicit recommendations to the USDA concerning the use of animal medications, including a ban on the use of antibiotics, in organic production. Should organic livestock standards be based on the NOSB recommendations which prevent loopholes allowing for the misuse of animal medications? What is your official comment to the USDA on this issue? ______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ USDA ISSUE # 3. Termination of Certification By Private Certifiers. Certifiers are the organizations that ensure that an organic food producer is actually following established organic farming practices. The USDA is considering eliminating the ability of private certifiers to swiftly prevent the sale of mishandled or fraudulent organic products. This is inconsistent with the intent of the Organic Foods Production Act (the law establishing a national organic food program) and the NOSB's recommendations. Should private certifiers retain the right to protect the public by swiftly preventing the sale of fraudulent or mishandled organic food? What is your official comment to the USDA on this issue? ________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Please send your comments into USDA Docket #TM-98-00-7. The comment period ends December 14, 1998, so please contact USDA immediately: Eileen Stommes, Deputy Administrator, USDA-AMS-TM-NOP, Room 4007-S, AG Stop 0275, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, D.C. 20090-6456; fax 202/690-4632; e-mail:[EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] WARNING! If you visit the USDA's National Organic Program web site or obtain printed copies of the Federal Register notice, please be aware that the issue papers posted there contain inaccurate information about the current NOSB recommendations as well as misleading information about the legal rights of private certification agencies to suspend or terminate certification. DO NOT rely on the information in these papers to frame your comments! Your Name:___________________________________________________________________ Street:_______________________________________________________________________ City:____________________________________State:______________Zip Code:__________ Phone:(H)______________________(W)___________________(Fax)_____________________ E-Mail: ______________________________________________________________________ Send our Campaign office in Washington a copy of your comments to the USDA as well: e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] regular mail: Campaign for Food Safety/Organic Watch 310 D Street NE Washington, D.C. 20002 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ronnie Cummins Campaign for Food Safety/Organic Consumers Action 860 Hwy 61 Little Marais, Mn. 55614 Tel. 218-226-4164 Fax 218-226-4157 email [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.purefood.org To subscribe to the free electronic newsletter, Food Bytes, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the simple message: subscribe pure-food-action -------------- If you no longer wish to receive information, please send email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the command: unsubscribe pure-food-action in the body of the message.