2 replies to this topic

[OEXCHAOS]

Please note that this is not a matter for political blame, it's a matter for political action. I got this from one of my farmers. Subject: SOS--Stop The Sneak Attack in Congress on Organic Standards <http://www.organicconsumers.org> Hello Organic Consumer, The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) needs your immediate help to stop Congress and the Bush administration from seriously degrading organic standards. After 35 years of hard work, the U.S. organic community has built up a multi-billion dollar alternative to industrial agriculture, based upon strict organic standards and organic community control over modification to these standards. Now, large corporations such as Kraft, Wal-Mart, & Dean Foods -- aided and abetted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are moving to lower organic standards by allowing a Bush appointee to create a list of synthetic ingredients that would be allowed organic production. Even worse these proposed regulatory changes will reduce future public discussion and input and take away the National Organic Standards Board's (NOSB) traditional lead jurisdiction in setting standards. What this means, in blunt terms, is that USDA bureaucrats and industry lobbyists, not consumers, will now have more control over what can go into organic foods and products. (Send a quick letter to your Congressperson online here: <http://www.organicco...rs.org/sos.cfm> ) During the week of Sept. 20 through Sept. 23, acting in haste and near-total secrecy, the U.S. Senate plans to vote on a rider to the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that will reduce control over organic standards from the National Standards Board and put this control in the hands of federal bureaucrats in the USDA (remember the USDA proposal in 1997-98 that said that genetic engineering, toxic sludge, and food irradiation would be OK on organic farms, or USDA suggestions in 2004 that heretofore banned pesticides, hormones, tainted feeds, and animal drugs would be OK?). For the past week in Washington, OCA has been urging members of the Senate not to reopen and subvert the federal statute that governs U.S. Organic standards (the Organic Food Production Act"OFPA"), but rather to let the organic community and the National Organic Standards resolve our differences over issues like synthetics and animal feed internally, and then proceed to a open public comment period. Unfortunately most Senators seem to be listening to industry lobbyists more closely than to us. We need to raise our voices. (Send a quick letter to your Congressperson online here: <http://www.organicco...rs.org/sos.cfm> ) In the past, grassroots mobilization and mass pressure by organic consumers have been able to stop the USDA and Congress from degrading organic standards. This time Washington insiders tell us that the "fix is already in." So we must take decisive action now. We need you to call your U.S. Senators today. We need you to sign the following petition and send it to everyone you know. We also desperately need funds to head off this attack in the weeks and months to come. Thank you for your support. Together we will take back citizen control over organic standards and preserve organic integrity. . For more information go to the SOS <http://www.organicco...rs.org/sos.cfm> section on our website . Click here to donate <http://www.organicco.../donations.htm> money to OCA,s SOS~Save Organic Standards~Campaign . Call the Capital Switchboard here: 877-762-8762 . Send a quick letter to your Congressperson online here: <http://www.organicco...rs.org/sos.cfm> Thanks. ------------------------------------------------------------ This email has been sent to you because you set up an account and/or purchased from us using this email address on our groworganic.com website. If you no longer want to receive promotional emails from us, simply go to <http://www.groworgan...subscribe.html>, enter your email address and click the "Unsubscribe" button. You can also mail your request to Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, P.O. Box 2209, Grass Valley, CA 95945. Most importantly, rest assured that we truly respect your privacy and that we do not sell, rent or even share our mailing list or any of its contents with anyone, period!

[arbman]

Indeed, the real stupid part about this is the price of the organic food is not coming down, so we are getting is the same crappy food with higher prices. What a crooked system!

[OEXCHAOS]

I've always held that the consumer should make his own choices with free and fair information. If they want gmf's then they'll buy them. If they don't mind pesticides (and there's a place for them), fine. But it's outright fraud to pretend that a gmf is the same as a non gmf. They are not and they have VERY serious environmental risks associated with them...risk which they are forcing folks to exacerbate through their deceptive labeling practices. Do I think that someone is going to get sick or die from eating an ear of GM Corn? Of course not. Do I seriously fear that we're going to create some super bug or wipe out other natural stocks and ruin important biodiversity? Absolutely. We already are. Accidental hybridization is already occuring. I don't want to be a part of that and I suspect that a lot of other folks would like to minimize that risk, too. Monsanto and their toadies, however, are using the force of law and fraud to preclude responsible consumer action. And, btw, I don't think that all the risks are unjustified, but we're having those risks shoved down our throats (literally) without any way to evaluate them and make responsible choices. OK, I'm off my soap box. Mark