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Documents Reveal USDA/Big Organic Sweetheart Deal »

Posted by: Neophile 2 years, 9 months ago

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Suppressed documents reveal there is a long history of a sweetheart relationship between the USDA and corporate agribusiness.

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Neophile

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Comments: 9

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TellingItLikeItIs
March 7, 2007, 12:39 a.m.
In the US, the (NOP), was enacted as federal law in 2002. The USDA allows many contaminants, chemical compounds and NON-ORGANIC in it's allowance for ORGANIC STATUS. USDA has designed a seal, "USDA Organic," that may be used only on products categorized as 95 to 100 Percent Organic. USDA gives itself a monopoly on the word "organic". A law which prohibits non-governmental and state organic certifiers from labeling according to standards higher than the minimum standards of the USDA represents a violation of American consumers rights.
As the USDA rules read now, Monsanto, Tyson, Cargill, Kraft,Kroger, Safeway or any of America's food giants will have the legal option to sue any farmer, co-op, or processor in court for certifying or labeling, or even implying in their advertising, that their products are "real organic" products, which exceed the world's lowest minimum organic requirements, those of the USDA. This is a bad law, this is Food Fascism.
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cva34r
March 7, 2007, 8:15 a.m.
just another jab against doing it right.
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nostalgia
March 7, 2007, 12:19 p.m.
"organic" labeling is generally a joke. Just allows big agribusiness to charge more.
I agree with Wil - California and Oregon have the best standards.
With the problems being seen in the food supply, many are going back to growing backyard gardens. The vegetables certainly do taste better
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veggiehead
March 7, 2007, 12:23 p.m.
Walmart is destroying our culture.
I would rather pay an extra dollar for every item I buy, than ever step into a walmart again. My family has boycotted them.
If you want to have the opportunity for a small business to prosper, I suggest you do the same.
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johnmm
March 7, 2007, 2:37 p.m.
boring
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walden3
March 7, 2007, 4:20 p.m.
"...the USDA had refused to publicly share letters of noncompliance sent from certifying agencies to farmers or organic handlers that might be violating the federal regulations. However, the notice included the caveat that they would redact (withhold) portions of the documents to exclude the number of livestock and acreage of pasture, or other crops, on an organic operation being scrutinized."
What could be the possible reason for keeping this information secret from consumers? There's nothing proprietary here. It's just the FDA protecting mega-dairies. Once again the interest of big business trumps all other interests, even the food we eat.
The USDA is so far in bed with agri-business that they should be charging by the hour.
We also need to put in place labeling requirement for GE foods.