Originally published November 15 2011
Take action NOW to prevent hijacking of organics by big agribusiness
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) The integrity of organics is currently under attack by corporate influences that seek to dilute organic standards; thus, by making them more favorable to large agribusiness enterprises they attempt to unfairly capitalize on the organic name. In order to stop this, the Cornucopia Institute (CI) is asking everyone who values the organic label to print, sign, and mail an important letter of opposition to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) before November 30.
You can view and download the proxy letter here:
http://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads...
From November 29 - December 2, 2011, NOSB will converge in Savannah, Ga., to discuss organic policies and regulatory guidelines, and to consider making some important updates. But several of its board members - that just so happen to represent factory farm interests, as well as various corporate lobbyists - will be there pushing to weaken organic standards rather than to strengthen them.
CI representing small-scale family farms and members of the public that support real organics will also be there, but it is a David versus Goliath situation in which the odds are stacked against the interests that represent the very fabric of what the organic label is all about. This is why CI needs YOU to help thwart this assault by submitting a letter of support and upholding the integrity of organics.
After printing and signing the letter, you can mail it to:
The Cornucopia Institute
PO Box 126
Cornucopia, Wisconsin 54827
The letter addresses the following major threats to the organic label:
1. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Obama Administration has caved to pressure from the biotechnology industry to allow synthetic additives like Martek Biosciences' DHA / ARA oils to be added to "organic" milk and baby formulas (http://www.naturalnews.com/031806_USDA_organ...). The additive has been linked to causing digestive upset and other illness, and has no business being added to so-called organic products (http://www.naturalnews.com/027437_DHA_baby_f...).
2. The NOSB livestock subcommittee has proposed allowing individual "organic" chickens to be packed in outdoor spaces as small as two square feet. And the proposals for "organic" hogs are not much different than they are for conventional hogs, as the National Pork Board, which represents factory farms, has had significant lobbying influence in that area.
3. The Obama Administration has padded the NOSB board with corporate shills rather than true organic stakeholders. This needs to change in order to protect the integrity of organics, and to prevent industrial agriculture from taking over the organic label.
Sources for this article include:
Be sure to review the full CI announcement here:
http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/11/action-ale...
Again, you can download CI's proxy letter to sign and mail by Nov. 30 by visiting:
http://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads...
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