permaculture

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

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Sust Ag standard moves into high gear
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:06:07 -0400
From: David Conner <connerd@MSU.EDU>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Hi Frances
Good question. Again, from what I know of you, you are an exemplary
organic dairy farmer and I am glad you feel well-served by the NOP.

I agree that with no national standards at all, your fears could happen.
I guess that my qualm is more with the NOP's form and function that its
existence.

Furthermore, hindsight is 20/20, and not all the structure of ag
problems can be pinned on the NOP. However, let me share a few more
thoughts. I am actually surprised so many people on this list have
jumped to the NOP defense. Yesterday I was attacked (I at least felt
attacked) for being an out of touch academic (maybe somewhat fairly, but
not entirely-being an academic does not *automatically* make me wrong):
so I'll reply to Frances and the shut up unless asked more specific
questions.

First, the standards are in constant danger of being weakened (the
Fieldale Farms incident is an obvious example). Eventually they very
well may be weakened to the point of triviality. I see no likely way
they will ever be strengthened. The case that USDA is unduly biased
toward corporate agribusiness and industrialized agriculture is well
documented. So having the most high profile sustainable ag label in
their hands is problematic. This is not to say everyone at USDA is bad
or USDA has unambiguously has bad intentions: I know lots of incredibly
dedicated folks there, but institutions have their own inertia despite
the best efforts at reformers. Look how close we came to having GMOs,
biosolids and irradiation allowed...only an unprecedented grassroots
effort prevented it.

Second, I have concerns about their enforcement, especially livestock.
You as a grass based farmer (feeding minimal grains to  meet production
goals)are, IMO, the ideal. The "access" to pasture thing is meaningless.
I know turkey producers who raise organic birds but says no way would
they let their birds outside b/c they'd get sick. The well-publicized

So, with my 20/20 hindsight lens, I guess I wish that:
1. Social justice standards (especially labor treatment and general
"domestic fair trade") would have been included. Yes, there can be
additional claims, but single labels are more efficient and prevent
"label fatigue"
2. There would have more effort to retain the certifiers' local identity
and autonomy to more strongly advocate for local organic and allow for
stricter standards as local conditions allow/require. Having the
ubiquitous NOP logo as THE symbol of organic has likely had the opposite
effect.

The structure of ag issues are admittedly bigger than the NOP: enforce
anti-trust and labor laws, stop subsidizing crops that are inputs for
unhealthy foods, etc.

As for organic pioneers' dropping certification and not being allowed to
use the word, I am not sure I have an easy solution. Maybe it is the
grassroots certification schemes cropping up, but they have their own
shortcomings.

I guess back in the 1990s I held out hope that organic could be
something truly transformative, really something special and great. I am
somewhat disappointed. As we've seen elsewhere in the economy,
spectacular growth too often has a soft underbelly...

Thanks for reading
David


David S. Conner, Ph.D.
C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems
Department of CARRS
309 Natural Resources Bldg
Michigan State University
East Lansing MI 48823
Voice: 517-353-1914
Fax: 517 353-3834
Email: connerd@msu.edu

http://www.mottgroup.msu.edu




-----Original Message-----
From: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
[mailto:SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU] On Behalf Of Francis Thicke
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 9:41 AM
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Sust Ag standard moves into high gear

...is how some think the same thing would not be
happening if the NOP had not been created.  It seems to me that in the
absence of the NOP any large corporation could have created their own
certifying organization with standards that fit their products and
marketing plan -- and with a large advertising budget could have very
well sold the public on how "green" their version of "organic" was, even if
their "standards" were substandard.

Francis Thicke