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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



If you would like to receive this action alert in hard copy please
let me know.
Debbie

CAMPAIGN for FOOD SAFETY & ORGANIC  WATCH  ACTION  ALERT

Note: Instead of a complete second round of organic standards it appears
that the USDA plans to publish a series of "issue papers" that the public
can comment on, here is the first.

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
*  UDA 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:
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: NOPIssue_Papers@usda.gov  and  owatch@icta.org

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!

Send our Campaign office in Washington a copy of your comments to the USDA
as well:
e-mail:    owatch@icta.org
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 alliance@mr.net
http://www.purefood.org
To subscribe to the free electronic newsletter, Food Bytes, send an email to:
majordomo@mr.net
with the simple message:
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Debbie Ortman
National Field Organizer
Organic Consumers Action
3547 Haines Rd.
Duluth, MN 55811
(218) 726-1443
(218) 726-1446 Fax
safefood@cp.duluth.mn.us
http://www.purefood.org
Join the Organic Consumers Action in
your local area. If you want to become a member or a volunteer--or make a
donation--call (218)726-1443
To subscribe to the free electronic newsletter, Food Bytes, send an email
to: majordomo@mr.net
with the simple message: subscribe pure-food-action