permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        [SANET-MG] Take action: NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD
STACKED WITH INDUSTRY REPS
Date:   Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:29:58 -0500
From:   Hugh Joseph <hugh.joseph@TUFTS.EDU>
Reply-To:       Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
<SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>


    Hey Everyone - Please take action and let USDA know that this
    practice is unacceptable. You can click on the link below to send a
    letter.

    Thanks,
    Kelly

    ps If you would like to be removed from future mailings please let
    me know.


    *ALERT OF THE WEEK: **
    NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD STACKED WITH INDUSTRY REPS *
    The USDA, behind closed doors, recently announced several highly
    questionable appointees to the National Organic Standards Board
    (NOSB). Despite calls from the organic community to let the public
    know ahead of time who the nominees were, the USDA kept the names of
    the nominees secret. The NOSB advises the USDA on how to interpret
    and implement national organic standards. Despite federal law that
    mandates that the 15-member NOSB must be broadly representative of
    the organic community, the USDA's recent appointees are all notable
    for their past or present ties to corporate agribusiness. For
    example the appointee for the seat reserved for a "Consumer and
    Public Interest Group Representative" was given to Tracy Miedema,
    who works for Stahlbush Island Farms, a split-farm operation with
    3/4 of its acreage non-organic. Miedema, who previously worked for a
    subsidiary of General Mills (Small Planet) freely admits that
    Stahlbush utilizes Monsanto's herbicide Roundup, as well as other
    chemical pesticides and fungicides. The USDA's appointee for the
    seat reserved for a scientist is Katrina Heinze, who works for Small
    Planet/General Mills, a company with a hardball reputation for
    selling sugar-laden cereals to kids, supporting GMOs, and industrial
    agriculture. Heinze was forced to resign from the NOSB last year,
    under pressure from the OCA and the Consumer's Union, after being
    appointed "consumer representative" to the NOSB. Another one of the
    "organic experts" appointed to this powerful government board is a
    representative of Campbell's Soup. Please tell the USDA that organic
    consumers want all nominees and future appointments to be made in a
    fair and transparent manner and that we believe the current crop of
    pro-industry appointees are completely unacceptable.
    *Learn more and take action:*
    http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/nosb.cfm
    
<http://alerts.organicconsumers.org/trk/click?ref=zqtbkk3um_0-7ax3e5x325978&;>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kelly D. Horton, MS, RD, CD
Food Policy and Nutrition Program Planning Consultant
Speaker, Educator, Researcher, and Writer
kelly.horton@connectnutrition.com