Guest guest Posted May 21, 2004 Report Share Posted May 21, 2004 Comments in text wrote: May 21, 2004 | Back Issues Bush Officials Weaken Organic Food Standards: Public Shut Out The Bush Administration is giving Americans new reason to watch what they eat. Over the course of 10 days last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued three "guidances" and one directive -- all legally binding interpretations of law -- that threaten to seriously dilute the meaning of the word organic and discredit the department's National Organic Program. The changes -- which would allow the use of antibiotics on organic dairy cows, as a former Cattle rancher this really should not be a problem. This is normal animal husbandry, if the cow is sick you give it medicine. as well as synthetic pesticides on organic farms, that does seem, odd, although it depends on what it means by use, I know that a lot of the "organic" farmers will plant orgainically and then if they must use pesticides will then sell the product, that year to the regular market. One practice favored by large agribusiness is the use of antibiotics on cows. A USDA guidance issued on April 14 will allow just that on organic dairy farms -- a dramatic reversal of 2002 rules. [1] Under the new guidelines, sickly dairy cows can be treated not just with antibiotics but with numerous others drugs and still have their milk qualify as organic, so long as 12 months pass between the time the treatments are administered and the time the milk is sold. I do not understand this, if a cow is sick you give it medicine, this is indeed normal practice. positive Dennis "This new directive makes a mockery of organic standards," said Wood, a recent member of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee and executive director of Food Animal Concerns Trust. Another new guidance put out on the same day would allow cattle farmers to feed their heifers non-organic fishmeal that could be riddled with synthetic preservatives, mercury, and PCBs, and still sell their beef as organic. And the following week, on April 23, the USDA took the startling step of issuing a legal directive that opens the door for use of some synthetic pesticides on organic farms. Last but certainly not least, another guidance released on April 14 narrows the scope of the federal organic certification program to crops, livestock, and the products derived from them, meaning that national organic standards will not be developed for fish, nutritional supplements, pet food, fertilizers, cosmetics, or personal-care products. Despite the USDA's demurrals, activists view the department's changes as a serious threat to hard-won standards for organic products. The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture and other groups are investigating possible industry influence into the USDA's process, and some environmental groups are preparing to take legal action. ### This story was jointly produced by BushGreenwatch and Grist Magazine. For more on this story, visit Grist Magazine. ### SOURCES: [1] Antibiotic Guidance Statement, USDA, Apr. 14, 2004. [2] Fishmeal Guidance Statement, USDA, Apr. 14, 2004. [3] Pesticide Compliance, USDA, Apr. 23, 2004. [4] Scope Guidance Statement, USDA, Apr. 14, 2004. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- Spread the Word | Back Issues --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- BushGreenwatch | 1320 18th Street NW 5th Floor Washington, DC 20036 | (202) 463-6670 Web site comments: info@... Copyright 2003 Environmental Media Services --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2004 Report Share Posted May 21, 2004 This isn't new to the last 10 days. Changes have been taking place regularly - ever since the organic labelling law was created. Some of the changes are reasonable. Some are clear sell-outs to special interest groups. They like to sneak in as riders on other Congressional bills. Don wrote: >May 21, 2004 | Back Issues > >Bush Officials Weaken Organic Food Standards: Public Shut Out > >The Bush Administration is giving Americans new reason to watch what >they eat. Over the course of 10 days last month, the U.S. Department >of Agriculture (USDA) issued three " guidances " and one directive -- >all legally binding interpretations of law -- that threaten to >seriously dilute the meaning of the word organic and discredit the >department's National Organic Program. > > >The changes -- which would allow the use of antibiotics on organic >dairy cows, as well as synthetic pesticides on organic farms, and >more -- were made with zero input from the public or the National >Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the advisory group that worked for >more than a decade to help craft the first federal organic >standards, put in place in October 2002. > > >The USDA insists the changes are harmless: " The directives have not >changed anything. They are just clarifications of what is in the >regulations that were written by the National Organic Standards >Board, " stated USDA spokesperson Joan Shaffer. " They just explain >what's enforceable. There is no difference [between the >clarifications and the original regulations] -- it's just another >way of explaining it. " > > >But Jim Riddle, vice chair of the NOSB and endowed chair in >agricultural systems at the University of Minnesota, argues that >what the USDA is trying to pass off as a clarification of >regulations is in fact a substantial change: " These are the sorts of >changes for which the department is supposed to do a formal new >rulemaking process, with posting in the federal register, feedback >from our advisory board, and a public-comment period. And yet there >is no such process denoted anywhere. " > > >Organic activists suspect that industry pressure drove the policy >shifts. They point out that the USDA leadership has long-standing >industry sympathies: Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman served on the >board of directors of a biotech company; both her chief of staff and >her director of communications were plucked right out of the >National Cattlemen's Beef Association. > > >One practice favored by large agribusiness is the use of antibiotics >on cows. A USDA guidance issued on April 14 will allow just that on >organic dairy farms -- a dramatic reversal of 2002 rules. [1] Under >the new guidelines, sickly dairy cows can be treated not just with >antibiotics but with numerous others drugs and still have their milk >qualify as organic, so long as 12 months pass between the time the >treatments are administered and the time the milk is sold. > > > " This new directive makes a mockery of organic standards, " said > Wood, a recent member of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine >Advisory Committee and executive director of Food Animal Concerns >Trust. > > >Another new guidance put out on the same day would allow cattle >farmers to feed their heifers non-organic fishmeal that could be >riddled with synthetic preservatives, mercury, and PCBs, and still >sell their beef as organic. > > >And the following week, on April 23, the USDA took the startling >step of issuing a legal directive that opens the door for use of >some synthetic pesticides on organic farms. > > >Last but certainly not least, another guidance released on April 14 >narrows the scope of the federal organic certification program to >crops, livestock, and the products derived from them, meaning that >national organic standards will not be developed for fish, >nutritional supplements, pet food, fertilizers, cosmetics, or >personal-care products. > > >Despite the USDA's demurrals, activists view the department's >changes as a serious threat to hard-won standards for organic >products. The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture and >other groups are investigating possible industry influence into the >USDA's process, and some environmental groups are preparing to take >legal action. > > > >### > > >This story was jointly produced by BushGreenwatch and Grist >Magazine. For more on this story, visit Grist Magazine. > > > >### > >SOURCES: >[1] Antibiotic Guidance Statement, USDA, Apr. 14, 2004. >[2] Fishmeal Guidance Statement, USDA, Apr. 14, 2004. >[3] Pesticide Compliance, USDA, Apr. 23, 2004. >[4] Scope Guidance Statement, USDA, Apr. 14, 2004. > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >----------- > > >Spread the Word | Back Issues > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >----------- > > >BushGreenwatch | 1320 18th Street NW 5th Floor >Washington, DC 20036 | (202) 463-6670 >Web site comments: info@... >Copyright 2003 Environmental Media Services > > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >----------- > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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