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[Market-farming] The Food Safety bill is law-- what then?
- From: Leigh Hauter <bullrunfarm AT hughes.net>
- To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: [Market-farming] The Food Safety bill is law-- what then?
- Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:19:37 -0500
Title: The Food Safety bill is law-- what then?
MAsteveINE wrote:
Also, you will still have to comply with state
requirements which were enough to
head us off "processing"
here.
The bill is one thing, the rules that it
generates are another entirely. Keep an
eye on the watchdog reports coming along in a
few months.
----------
This is exactly right. This bill was carefulnot to
over-rule state laws. If your state makes it hard (or easy) to
do something that's your state's issue. This bill was careful
not to pick a fight with the states about their individual food safety
and farm regulations (if they have any).
The second part is a good point too. Congressional bills by
necessity are rather vague. The bill now goes to the agency to
interpret and write regulations to put it in effect. This is
where grassroots movements often lose fights.
This law will now go to the FDA which will then start writing
regulations and rules as well as hire the inspectors (and write
the rules telling them what to do) to put the bill into effect.
this is also a time when lobbyist are active putting pressure on the
agency to interpret the bill in their favor.
We need to do the same thing. We need to decide what we
think the different aspects of this bill should mean. (look at
the different opinions about the tester amendment, instead of throwing
up our hands and saying 'the sky is falling' we should be looking at
it as we would like it to be interpreted and figuring out a way to put
pressure on the FDA to interpret it in that way. (the first place is
probably finding out which groups are working on this issue that
support our interests) You can put money on the likelihood that the
big farm and grocery interests (their many trade associations and
lobbying firms) are going to be doing the same thing.
What is really amazing, the way I see it, is for a group as
clueless (sorry -- how about 'focused on different aspects of our
business') as we are we have gotten so much of our interests protected
in this bill. This isn't usually the case. What it says to
me is there is a lot of grassroots support out there that likes what
we are doing and don't want laws that make it harder for us to do it.
Let's make sure that the good aspects of this law don't get overturned
behind closed doors.
-
Re: [Market-farming] Food Safety bill becomes law,
HERBKDR, 12/22/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Food Safety bill becomes law,
Thamnophis, 12/23/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Food Safety bill becomes law,
MAsteveINE, 12/23/2010
- [Market-farming] The Food Safety bill is law-- what then?, Leigh Hauter, 12/23/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Food Safety bill becomes law,
MAsteveINE, 12/23/2010
-
Re: [Market-farming] Food Safety bill becomes law,
Thamnophis, 12/23/2010
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