Cutting through the confusion of the different food safety proposals

Our food safety system is broken. Toxic food-borne pathogens like E. coli O157:H7 and salmonella are no longer just contaminating meat and eggs, but have caused outbreaks in traditionally safe foods like spinach, peppers, tomatoes, and nuts.

Yet instead of addressing the root of the problem, lawmakers and regulators in Washington, D.C. have rushed to action, proposing to fix our food safety system with band-aid solutions that may actually threaten the small-scale, organic and local farms that are part of the food safety solution. We cannot let this happen! Read Full Article »

Posted in Completed Action Alerts

UPDATE: The Alfalfa EIS docket comment period has been extended 15 days until March 3rd.

Send Your Comments to USDA on Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Late last year, the USDA released a court-ordered Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Monsanto’s new genetically engineered Round-up Ready Alfalfa. A federal lawsuit, led by the Center for Food Safety and joined by The Cornucopia Institute and other plaintiffs, was won in 2007 compelling the USDA to conduct their first-ever environmental impact statement on a genetically engineered (GE) crop, alfalfa.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the USDA’s assessment approves of releasing a new genetically modified crop into the environment, despite the known risks this version of alfalfa poses to organic livestock agriculture.

Public comments are being accepted until February 16. Please let the USDA hear your voice. Read Full Article »

Posted in Completed Action Alerts

Contact the White House – Don’t Let Lobbyists Weaken New Organic Dairy Standards

Farmers and consumers concerned with the integrity of organic dairy farming need to contact the White House (IMMEDIATELY) and urge the President to support a strong pending standard governing organic livestock and dairy management practices.

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is nearing the end of its critical review of proposed new regulations clarifying the requirement that dairy cows and other ruminants consume a meaningful amount of feed from pasture and grazing. Powerful factory farm interests opposed to the rule – who want to continue to principally confine animals in feedlot style operations – have privately met with OMB officials and are seeking to weaken the new rule. Read Full Article »

Posted in Completed Action Alerts

Tell the Senate committee not to threaten quality organic and local food production

Our food safety system is broken. Industrialized food production gives rise to serious food safety problems, and our government’s ability to regulate corporate agribusiness must be strengthened — without harming small-scale and organic family farmers.

Bills in Congress propose to give more authority to the Food and Drug Administration to regulate for food safety, inspect food processing facilities, and order mandatory recalls. The House passed its own food safety bill in July. The Senate’s bill is in committee and scheduled for a mark-up (committee vote). Read Full Article »

Posted in Completed Action Alerts

ACTION ALERT: Strengthen Animal Welfare in Organics

Submit your comments to the National Organic Standards Board
Due October 19, 2009 — 11:59 P.M.

Current organic standards lack strong language to address animal welfare on farms; as a result, factory farms are producing certified organic meat, eggs and milk. Some poultry operations, for example, house tens of thousands of chickens in buildings with tiny concrete porches — so small that they often accommodate less than 1% of the building’s chickens, and often accessible by one single small door in the corner of the house — and that supposedly counts as legally required “access to the outdoors.”

This is just one example of how the current organic standards do not adequately address animal welfare. Read Full Article »

Posted in Completed Action Alerts