permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/?p=209

"The Status of the Legislation

Negotiations are still ongoing, but so far sustainable agriculture has 
won agreements from the bill managers that:



1. FDA will be able to exempt low-risk farms and food businesses from 
the onerous paperwork burdens and compliance costs imposed on high-risk 
operations.  In other words, FDA will have to prove that local food 
producers are a food safety risk before dictating food safety practices 
for them.

2. FDA will have to actively minimize compliance burdens for small farms 
and businesses.  In other words, it will not be able to impose 
regulations that local food producers cannot afford.

3. Any FDA safety standards for growing produce must be compatible with 
the National Organic Program and USDA resource conservation programs. 
In other words, FDA will not be able to prohibit organic practices such 
as manure-based fertilizers and vegetative buffers around production fields.

4. FDA will have to prove the actual risk of pathogen transfer from wild 
animals and livestock to produce crops before regulating animal controls 
on farms.  In other words, diversified farms will be protected, working 
dogs will be protected, and no farm will have to put walls and ceilings 
around their fields to keep out wildlife.

5. FDA and USDA will establish and fund a food safety training program 
for small farms and businesses.  In other words, producers will have 
access to the latest scientific evidence on best management practices to 
take care of their customers.



Additionally, we are pushing for a provision on food traceability that 
would exclude products directly marketed by farms and products where the 
identity of the farm that grew a food product is preserved all the way 
to the end consumer (farm-identity preserved products).  This issue is 
still being negotiated as I write."