Home News & Events Action Alert: Urge Gore to support strong organic rule

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Action Alert, Issued: 8/17/98
Urge Vice President Gore to support strong organic rule


Even with 250,000 comments to USDA, we still need to keep the pressure on for a credible organic rule.

In response to the public outcry, USDA has taken back the Proposed Organic Rule and made commitments to changes regarding biotechnology, irradiation, and sludge. However, we need to keep up the pressure for strong organic standards, and Vice President Gore is in a key position to influence the outcome.

Please write Gore and tell him to urge USDA to develop a strong, credible organic rule, and to make the commitment to supporting the role of the NOSB, the National List of approved and prohibited substances, and an open revision process.

This revision process must respect the integrity of current certification systems, provide full public access to information, and establish an effective enforcement system. The eventual Rule must not allow factory farming, prohibit other Eco-labeling, or be biased against small and medium sized organic farms and small private certifiers.

Restoring the authority of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is essential to developing an organic rule that works. The NOSB effectively represents the diverse interests involved in organic, and their rigorous approach and open process is what we need to make the Organic Program work. The NOSB's authority and its control of the National List are in serious jeopardy.

Tell your friends. Get others to write! We need to pile on the letters to Gore and convince him to push the Administration to do the right thing for Organic Farming! (See letter writing tips and sample letter below.)

Contact info:

Vice President Albert Gore, Jr.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20500

Email: vice.president@whitehouse.gov
Phone: 202-456-1414
Fax: 202-456-2461

Letter writing tips:
  • Be brief and to the point.
  • A quick note is much better than none at all!
  • Use your own words--a unique letter carries more weight. You can use the sample letter below as a guide.
  • You may want to briefly explain why organic standards are important to you.
  • You can use standard mail (address below) or e-mail: vice.president@whitehouse.gov
Sample letter:

Vice President Albert Gore, Jr.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Vice President Gore:

Now that the comment period has ended for the National Organic Program proposed rule, I am eager to see USDA respond to the largest volume of public comments in its history and develop a strong revised rule that the American Public can believe in.

Secretary Glickman's announcement that biotechnology, irradiation and sludge would not be allowed under the organic label was a step in the right direction, but there are many other fundamental flaws in the proposed rule that also must be addressed. I ask that you use your power as Vice President to ensure that:
  • USDA re-propose a substantially revised organic rule, and publish it for another round of public comment. The rewrite must be true to the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA), the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommendations, and keep faith with overwhelming consumer demands expressed in the comments.

  • The revision recognizes the authority of the NOSB (which is clearly stated in the Organic Foods Production Act), and includes their determinations of approved and prohibited substances for the National List.

  • The revision process respects the integrity of current certification systems, provides full public access to information, and establishes an effective enforcement system.

  • The revised rule should not be biased against small and medium-sized organic farms and small-scale certification programs that have built the organic industry.

  • Organic livestock standardst require 100% organic feed, limit the use of antibiotics, and not allow factory farming.

  • USDA should not prohibit truthful and verifiable Eco-labels which describe different methods of production.
We expect your active leadership to ensure that the concerns of consumers, industry, farmers, and the American public are fully reflected in a National Organic Program that defines the highest standards for organic.

Sincerely,

Your name and address

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