-Caveat Lector-
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: 8 Dec 1998 15:52:50 -0500
From: "information requests" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: NLP- Genetic Engineering Al
To: "NLP News 98" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
NLP: Genetic Engineering Alert!
NATURAL LAW PARTY NEWS FLASH!
THE 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 U.S. Department of
Agriculture (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:
* The USDA is still considering loopholes that would allow for
continuous indoor confinement in organic animal production;
* The USDA is considering the use of animal medications, including
antibiotics, in organic production; and
* The USDA is considering eliminating the ability of organic certifiers
to prevent the sale of mishandled or fraudulent organic products.
Your help is urgently needed. The 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 Code: ________
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 could be
considered under "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 to USDA Docket #TM-98-00-7. The comment
period ends December 14, 1998, so please contact the 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: [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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!
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