Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] food safety legislation

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] food safety legislation
  • Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 14:06:20 -0400


On Aug 7, 2009, at 12:25 PM, Leigh Hauter wrote:

I asked around at the great consumer group Food and Water Watch about the food safety legislation and how it would effect people like me  (I farm a relatively large CSA).  this is what I got.  This memo is written by the staffer that does nothing else but follow legislation like this. [ . . .]

[ . . . ] (7) shall take into consideration, consistent
with ensuring enforceable public health protection
,
the impact on small-scale and diversified farms, and
on wildlife habitat, conservation practices, water-
 shed-protection efforts, and organic production
methods. [ .. . . . ]
The Secretary (i) shall consider the impact of any

guidance or regulations under this section
on small businesses; [ . . . ]
The Secretary, in coordination

with the Secretary of Agriculture
, shall establish by regu-
lation scientific and risk-based food safety standards for
the growing, harvesting, processing, packing, sorting,
transporting, and holding of those types of raw agricul-
tural commodities [ . . .] for which the Secretary has determined
that such standards are reasonably necessary



Leigh, thanks much for the sensible post.

Bolding above is mine.

How exactly this is enforced (presuming that it passes in the above fashion) is going to be crucial to what it means in practice. There is enough leeway in the above language to either produce entirely sensible standards, or to mess us all up royally.

I suspect this is going to be a continuing battle.

Coming at the issue rationally, and concentrating on what is actually proposed rather than on rumors and misunderstandings of the language, is and will be highly useful in continuing to keep regulations sensible. Organic farming organizations, among others, are working on this, and will continue to do so.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page