permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

On Sun, Oct 27, 2013 at 10:28 AM, <bob@bobwaldrop.net> wrote:

> For detailed instructions on how to comment online, see this page I posted
> last week with a summary of the problems of this law, its impact on both
> growers and distributors of local/organic produce, and a sample comment
> letter.
>
> It really is important that many people comment about this. We are going
> up against Big Ag, who generally are supportive of these proposals,
> because they will know it will cause problems for their competition in the
> local ag movement. Even so, the system remains responsive to populist
> uprisings, as we saw in the aborted plan for a new Syrian war that was
> smashed flat by public opposition. So people need to comment to the FDA
> and they need to contact their US Senators and Representatives.
>
> When this law was passed, it was done with much fanfare about exemption
> small farmers and no harm to organic ag.  but as the regulations are
> promulgated, it appears that there are so many complications and loopholes
> in the exemption, and such wide lattitude is granted to the FDA
> inspectors, that the exemption may not actually be worth much.  And the
> damage to organic production practices in the regulations is very clear.
>
> So. . . make a comment, and forward this info on to others.  We need to
> generate a serious political insurrection or the FDA and the Obama
> administration may seal the doom of local ag, the White House rhetoric and
> garden notwithstanding.
>
> Comment details and other info at --
>
> http://www.oklahomafood.coop/Display.aspx?CN=fsmadetails
>
>
You deserve a gold medal for your excellent feedback, Bob.
In my next post I will forward the original message sent to me by OCA via
Causes; no idea
whether any of it will get through to list subscribers.

LL

>
> Bob Waldrop, president,Oklahoma Food Cooperative
> http://www.ipermie.net How to permaculture your urban lifestyle
>
> > Big Rules Spell Bad News for Small Farms - Organic Consumers Association
> >
> > Love your local farms, farmers markets, and CSAs (Community Supported
> > Agriculture)? They could be in trouble thanks to heavy-handed new rules
> > proposed under the Food Safety & Modernization Act (FSMA).
> >
> > Unless the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) agrees to some key
> > changes
> > in the FSMA, your local farmer could be forced to shell out up to $20,000
> > for a fancy "Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Control plan." For
> > a
> > farmer on a small budget, all that extra cost and paperwork means raising
> > prices. Higher prices could force even the most loyal consumer to
> > reluctantly settle for inferior, industrial food, trucked in from
> > out-of-state corporations.
> >
> > And that could force your farmer out of business. While perpetuating the
> > chemical-intensive, environmentally unfriendly corporate agribusiness
> > model.
> >
> > Under the guise of "food safety," the FSMA would create new barriers for
> > small and mid-scale farmers and processors who have for years been
> working
> > to create local markets – restaurants, co-ops, groceries, schools –
> > for
> > their locally grown produce.
> >
> > Who wins? The big guys, as usual. Who loses? Consumers. Farmers. Local
> > markets. And Mother Earth.
> > TAKE ACTION BY NOVEMBER 15: Tell the FDA: The FSMA puts small and
> > mid-scale
> > farmers and processors at a competitive disadvantage against corporate
> > farmers and producers who can more easily absorb costs, fees and fines.
> > Please revise the FSMA to level the playing field for small growers.
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