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We have added new documents from the USDA to our FOIA reading room.
Of particular note, the USDA sent 89 pages in response to our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for all records of deliberations surrounding the applications of Ashley Swaffer and Carmela Beck to the National Organic Standards Board. Swaffer and Beck are agribusiness executives who were appointed to seats that Congress specified, in the Organic Foods Production Act, should go to certified organic farmers.
We have also added FOIA documents pertaining to the National Organic Program’s enforcement activities regarding Redland Dairy, a large “organic” factory dairy that lost their certification.
Both of these FOIA requests are part of our efforts to assess the effectiveness of the National Organic Program’s enforcement and regulatory activities, which we contend have long been ineffective at preventing and deterring organic fraud.
After review by Cornucopia researchers, all FOIA requests and documents made available to us by the government can be accessed at https://www.cornucopia.org/foia-reading-room/. Any questions related to the FOIA reading room materials can be directed to Jason Cole at cole@cornucopia.org.
