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organic fiasco



>>
>>>US Plans to Define Bio-Engineered Foods as 'Organic'
>>>
>>>Since 1990, organic food sales have jumped 20 percent annually,
>reaching
>>>$3.3 billion in 1996, and are projected to grow to $6.5 billion by the
>>>year 2000. Organic cropland has more than doubled since 1991, and
>organic
>>>dairy sales are increasing by more than 100 percent a year.
>>>
>>>Currently, a "certified organic" label indicates that the farming
>methods
>>>employed were verified by one of approximately 40 private or state
>>>certification programs. Genetically engineered foods cannot be
>labeled as
>>>"organic."
>>>
>>>Consumers generally define organic foods as those produced naturally,
>>>without toxic chemicals, drugs or factory-farm techniques. But how
>>>millions of US consumers define "organic" will soon become a moot
>point
>>>because the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is about to create its
>>>own definition of "organic."
>>>
>>>"This is the institutionalizing of the word 'organic' by the
>government,
>>>and we should pay close attention," says Michael Sligh, director of
>the
>>>Sustainable Agriculture Program at the Rural Advancement Foundation
>>>INternational. Sligh is also former chairman of the National Organics
>>>Standards Board (NOSB), a committee established by Congress to advise
>the
>>>USDA on organic standards and labeling practices.
>>>
>>>Despite the NOSB's recommendation to maintain strict organic
>standards,
>>>Washington sources report that the USDA intends to disregard the
>NOSB's
>>>explicit ban on genetically engineered food and intensive confinement
>of
>>>farm animals.
>>>
>>>The USDA also is expected to make it illegal for regional or
>nongovernmental
>>>organic certification bodies to uphold standards stricter than federal
>>>standards. If such a rule were approved, the legal hammer of the World
>>>Trade Organization (WTO) could be used to force European and other
>>>nations to lower their organic standards as well.
>>>
>>>The Codex Alimentarius, the WTO's official rule-making body for
>>>international trade issues related to food, has already held a series
>of
>>>meetings to define the term "organic." The US delegation and the
>biotech
>>>industry have lobbied the body for weaker international standards.
>>>
>>>Central to defining the word "organic" is to admit that a host of
>>>agribusiness practices-including pesticide use, animal confinement,
>>>hormone injection and genetic engineering- are somehow less healthy.
>But
>>>the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration have been staunch
>defenders
>>>of genetically engineered foods and high-chemical-input agriculture.
>Both
>>>agencies have actively opposed labeling genetically engineered foods,
>>>despite a February 1997 poll by biotech giant Novartis that found 93
>>>percent of US consumers wanted mandatory labeling of such products.
>>>
>>>In 1997, a wide variety of genetically engineered foods will be
>placed,
>>>unlabeled, on supermarket shelves. Thousands of products-including
>nearly
>>>all non-organic processed foods-will soon include some genetically
>>>engineered ingredients. Two dozen biotech foods and crops have already
>>>been approved for use in the US, and millions of acres of biotech
>crops
>>>will be harvested this fall.
>>>
>>>The proposed federal regulations would allow the NOSB to evaluate
>>>individual genetically engineered products on a case-by-case basis.
>Those
>>>approved would be passed on to the USDA, which would make the final
>decision.
>>>
>>>But NOSB members are appointed by and subject to the authority of USDA
>>>officials. USDA Secretary Dan Glickman is a vocal supporter of genetic
>>>engineering as well as factory farming.
>>>
>>>"We must fight against an 'unfriendly takeover' of the organic food
>movement
>>>by Monsanto and the giant food cartels," says Ben Lilliston of the
>>>Environmental Education Group. "We must not allow the destruction of
>>>organic standards by Washington bureaucrats and Corporate America."
>>>
>>>Every food co-op, natural food store, buying club and organic farm
>must
>>>become a center for activism-mobilizing members, workers and
>customers to
>>>send letters, faxes, emails and phone calls to elected officials.
>Unless
>>>the USDA and Washington feel the heat, they could destroy a vital
>>>alternative food system that has been laboriously built up over the
>last
>>>30 years.
>>>
>>>-Ronnie Cummins/Pure Food Campaign
>>>
>>>WHAT YOU CAN DO: Contact the Pure Food Campaign, 1130 17th St. NW, no.
>>>300, Washington, DC  20036  (202) 775-1132, fax (202) 775-0074,
>>>www.geocities.com/athens/1527
>>
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>Institute
>>
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>>

Billy Stern
PO Box 8251
Native Forest Network
Missoula, MT 59807
PH  (406) 542-7343
FX  (406) 542-7347
Billysun@wildrockies.org