USDA trying to run organic leafy green growers out of business

Sunday, July 17, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: leafy greens, food safety, health news

(NaturalNews) Results of the passage of S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, are beginning to come into play -- and in this case the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), rather than the FDA, has decided to take the helm.

A recent Action Alert posted by the Cornucopia Institute (CI) warns that current efforts by handlers and marketers of green leafy vegetables are attempting to formulate one-size-fits-all "food safety" standards for the entire industry that threaten to put small, organic growers at a competitive and economic disadvantage. They may even put small, family-scale growers out of business.

NaturalNews and many other news sources put out repeated warnings last year about the ill intentions of S. 510, including that the small growers would be uprooted by its provisions if it passed (https://www.naturalnews.com/S_510.html).

Now that it has, we are beginning to see the consequences of this bill come into play. Difficult guidelines for all growers, are being proposed.

According to the alert, corporate agribusiness is attempting to form a "National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement" with the USDA that will allegedly set standards to help prevent contamination and disease outbreaks. But as many NaturalNews readers already know, leafy greens are not dangerous. It is large-scale factory animal farms that pollute air and water that are mostly to blame.

The USDA, which is in support of the new agreement, is accepting public comments until July 28. Now is the time to address the agency with opposition to its proposal's one-size-fits-all standards that unfairly disadvantage all growers.

You can also remind the USDA that unnatural feeding and raising practices utilized by factory animal farms are the root cause of contamination outbreaks, not leafy greens.

CI has developed a convenient list of talking points that you can use when submitting your comments to the USDA, which you will find at the following link: http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/06/action-ale.... You will also find a sample letter that you can customize in your own voice as well.

To submit comments to the USDA about the proposed leafy green standards, visit: http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D...

CI is also urging the public to contact the USDA's Melissa Schmaedick, author of the proposal, by emailing her at: [email protected]. Be sure to put "AMS-FV-09-0029" in the subject line.

You can also mail comments to the USDA at:

Hearing Clerk, United States Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 1031-S
Washington, DC 20250-9200

Again, be sure to reference docket "AMS-FV-09-0029" in whatever correspondence method you choose to take.

To view the entire CI Action Alert with even more details about the USDA proposal, visit:

http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/06/action-ale...