[Nettime-bold] USDA Organic standards subverted

[Ryan Griffis <grifray@yahoo.com>]

Hello Organic Food Buyer,
 
Last week Congress passed an appropriations bill which
overturns USDA regulations requiring all organic
livestock to be fed 100% organic feed. Meaning if you
buy organic meat/livestock they don't necessary need
to be feed with 100% organic feed to be labelled as
organic.

*****Take Action - to Protect The integrity of Organic
Standards*****

Senator Leahy (D-VT) is taking the lead by introducing
the Organic Restoration Act to repeal this rider.

Representative Sam Farr will be introducing this same
bill in the House.

Co-sponsors are needed ASAP in the House AND Senate -
both Republicans and Democrats.

For the repeal bill to be successful, we must generate
a lot of interest and public comment on the bill all
across the nation. It is important that everyone -
farmers, consumers, environmentalists, and the entire
organic industry - talk to their members of Congress
and get them on board in supporting these two bills. 
If we do not stand up to this blatant attempt by
agri-business to have their way with the organic
standards, this is just the beginning of the
degradation to come.

****What You Can Do - Take Action!******

Contact your representatives in Washington and demand
that support the Organic Restoration Act to repeal the
language inserted into Section 771 of the Omnibus
Appropriations Bill undermining the integrity of the
organic label for meat, poultry, eggs and dairy.

The message is simple: Urge your Senators and
Representatives to support the Organic Restoration Act
that was introduced on Feb 26th by Senator Patrick
Leahy and Representative Sam Farr to repeal Section
771 of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill.  Repealing
this section is in the interest of consumers, organic
farmers and the environment. Repealing this section
will encourage continued growth of organic
agricultural production in the United States, one of
the bright prospects for U.S. agriculture overall.

The Senate bill is Leahy's Organic Restoration Act S.
457 You can find your Senator here -
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

The House bill is Farr's Organic Restoration Act HR
955
You can find your Representative here -
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.html

Representative Farr's office has asked that we target
the following Representatives, if you know of folks
that live in their states please
forward on this email to them.
Allen Boyd, Jr. (D-FL/2) 202-225-5235 Ag Aide:Charla
Penn
Jerold Nadler (D-NY/8) 202-225-5635 Ag Aide: Kisette
Morton Dennis Rehberg (R-MT)   202-225-3211 Chief of
Staff: Erik Iverson
Jim McDermott (D-WA/7) 202-225-3106 Ag Aide: Sean
Hughes Wayne
Gilchrest (R-MD/1) 202-225-5311 Ag Aide: Jeri Finke

Please also let your local health food store know what
you are doing.
Tell them to carry NO products by Fieldale Farms, the
company in GA that instigated this movement to gut the
organic livestock feed standards.
They also produce poultry under the Springer Mountain
Farms and Redding labels.

To contact the Fieldale Farms Corporation:
Call 1-706-778-5100, Monday thru Friday, 8am to 5pm,
ET.,
or write:
Fieldale Farms Corporation,
P.O. Box 558
Baldwin, GA 30511

STAY TUNED TO OUR WEBSITE IN THE COMING DAYS FOR MORE
INFORMATION AND SPREAD THE WORD FAR AND WIDE!!!
http://www.organicconsumers.org/update.htm
 

Tom Taylor
Field Organizer
Organic Consumers Association
Tel: 612-331-7309
Fax: 612-331-7483
tom@organicconsumers.org 

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