[Texgreen] Alert: Stop USDA from Stacking Federal Organic Standards Board with Industry Reps

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Alert: Stop USDA from Stacking Federal Organic Standards Board with 
Industry Reps

Take Action Here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/nosb.cfm

USDA Attempts to Pack Organic Standards Board With Corporate 
Agribusiness Reps:
Organic Consumers Fight Hijacked Seats on NOSB

On December 5, 2006, the USDA announced its new appointments to the 
National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB essentially advises 
the USDA on how to interpret and implement federal organic laws that 
regulate industry. The NOSB also reviews and approves substances for 
placement on the National List of Approved and Prohibited Substances. 
In other words, the NOSB has the ability to significantly weaken or 
strengthen the effectiveness of the national organic standards.

According to federal law, the NOSB is to be made up of a diverse group 
of experts in the organic field, including a consumer and public 
interest group representative, an environmentalist, a scientist, and a 
handler. Despite this clear mandate of diversity, the USDA's new 
appointments are all industry representatives.

USDA's new appointees are:
Scientist: Katrina Heinze (General Mills)
Consumer and Public Interest Group Representative: Tracy Miedema 
(Stahlbush Farms: a primarily non-organic operation)
Environmentalist: Tina Ellor (Phillips Mushroom Farms)
Handler: Steve DeMuri (Campbells Soup)

Historically, there has only been one other instance where the USDA has 
attempted to stack non-industry seats on the NOSB with industry 
representatives, and the results were an embarrassment for the USDA. 
One year ago, the agency attempted to put a General Mills 
representative in the NOSB Public Interest Group Representative seat, 
which was closely followed by a massive consumer backlash spearheaded 
by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and the Consumers Union. The 
protests caused the USDA to reverse that decision.

In response to the USDA's recent appointment of industry 
representatives to the NOSB, the OCA is calling for similar actions 
from concerned citizens. "Never before has the Bush administration's 
USDA made such a blatant attempt to pack the National Organic Standards 
Board with people who represent corporate agribusiness and industrial 
farming practices," says OCA National Director Ronnie Cummins. 
"Stahlbush Farms, which admits on its website to using pesticides, 
fungicides, and insecticides on its crops (except for pumpkins, sweet 
potatoes and green beans) is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an 
organic consumer or public interest group. Likewise, General Mills is 
not an academic institution, qualified to submit an impartial 
"scientist" to serve on the NOSB."

General Mills' long history of aggressively fighting against the 
labeling of genetically engineered foods makes that seat appointment of 
particular concern to organic advocates.

Tell Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and members of Congress they 
should intervene to ensure that the NOSB is composed of organic 
specialists, bona fide scientists, and representatives of consumer and 
public interest groups, as mandated by the Organic Foods Production 
Act.

Take Action Here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/nosb.cfm