Contact Jennifer Kemp, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, at 303-283-3540 for more information about this issue.
FARM AID ACTION ALERT: Organic Standards Under Attack!

Last week, a Georgia-based factory poultry farm bent on undermining
the new National Organic Standards persuaded the Speaker of the House,
Dennis Hastert to insert language in the 2003 federal spending bill that
would allow farmers to feed their poultry, beef, hogs ands
lambs  non-organic feed and still be allowed to carry the organic label -
and consumers will have no way of knowing whether the meat they purchase
was fed organic or non-organic feed.

This provision is in direct contradiction to the new National Organic
Standards implemented in October 2002, which require that for meat,
poultry, eggs, or dairy products to be labeled as organic, the livestock
must be fed 100 percent organic feed.

Organic Farming Research Foundation Director and long time Farm Aid
ally Bob Scowcroft said this provision "puts at risk the term 'organic'
across the board. If a single private company can amend the Organic Food
Act in the dead of the night, who's to say that another company won't come
along and do it again, and again."

Senator Leahy (D-VT) is leading the effort to repeal this provision,
and will introduce a bill within days in the US Senate.  Rep. Sam Farr
(D-CA) is introducing the same bill in the US House. For the repeal bills
to be successful, they will need the support of their Republican and
Democrat colleagues in the Senate and House. It is important that everyone
concerned about the future of organic agriculture call their members of
Congress and urge them to support Leahy's and Farr's efforts.

What You Can Do: Take Action!
Contact your representatives in Washington and demand that they repeal the
language inserted into Section 771 of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill
undermining the integrity of the organic label for meat, poultry, eggs and
dairy. Encourage your legislators to co-sponsor the bills offered by
Senator Leahy and Rep. Farr.

The message is simple:
Urge your Senators and Representatives to support efforts by Senator
Patrick Leahy and Representative Sam Farr to repeal Section 771 of the
Omnibus Appropriations Bill. Repealing this section is in the interest of
consumers, organic farmers and the environment. Repealing this section
will encourage continued growth of organic agricultural production in the
United States, one of the bright prospects for U.S. farmers overall.

To be connected to you representatives in Congress call the Capitol
Hill switchboard: (202) 224-3121

For more detailed information and talking points and direct contact
information of members of congress see link to Whole Foods:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/issues/org_feed02-03.html

Act today to save organic agriculture!

Thanks,

Farm Aid Staff

============================================================
Ross Vincent
Senior Policy Advisor
Sierra Club
PMB #300
1829 South Pueblo Boulevard
Pueblo, CO 81005-2105
719-561-3117
253-295-0998(fax)
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