permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

Well, the USDA is at it again. They want to define another useful term 
in in a specific way and then require that farmers get their permission 
to use it, just like they did with organic. This time they're defining 
"naturally raised" for meat products.

This new label will cause confusion, and undercut the name recognition 
we've worked so hard to build over the past five years for Certified 
Naturally Grown. And their definition of "naturally raised" is weak. It 
simply requires that the animals weren't treated with antibiotics or 
horomones but it doesn't say anything about the animals' living 
conditions or the feed they're given. Meat from animals raised in 
confinement operations and given conventional feed could qualify!

The "naturally raised" label, if adopted, will also undermine the 
Certified Organic label. Whatever its flaws, participation in the 
National Organic Program has been responsible for taking many thousands 
of acres out of conventional agriculture. We don't want to see that 
progress lost as big livestock producers opt for the easier "naturally 
raised" marketing label instead of organic.

You can read the full text of the proposed standard here: 
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-23103.htm

Whether or not USDA adopts this standard depends on the feedback they 
receive in the next two weeks.



--
Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
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also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
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also Association for Regenerative Culture
http://www.ARCulture.org
also APPLE-Bloomington (Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy) It's a 
small world after oil.
http://www.relocalize.net/groups/applebloomington
also Bloomington Permaculture Guild
http://my.calendars.net/bloomingtonpccal/
and: http://bloomingtonpermacultureguild.blogspot.com/
also: Bioregional Congress
http://www.bioregional-congress.org