From: Wild Farm Alliance <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Food Safety Alert -- Call House Ag Cmtee Members
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 4:55 PM

Wild Farm Alliance has been working with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and asks you to please act on their alert today, if your Congress-Member is on the House Agriculture Committee (see chart below), and STAY TUNED for more FOOD SAFETY LEGISLATION NEWS in the coming days! Thanks for your support. ACTION ALERT! It's Time to Ask Tough Questions About Pending Food Safety Legislation PLEASE CALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE BY WEDNESDAY, JULY 15!  There is no question: our food system needs to be safer.  But Congress is currently debating food safety legislation (Food Safety Enhancement Act - H.R. 2749) that could impede conservation-based agriculture.  If approved, certain provisions could lead to the dismantling of important conservation practices and wildlife habitat, hinder beginning, sustainable, and organic farmers' access to markets, and require expensive fees.   Small and mid-sized farmers, especially those that practice sustainable and organic methods, should not disproportionately bear the burden and expense of new food safety laws.  Likewise, consumers' access to wholesome, fresh, sustainably-produced foods should not be diminished by any new legislation.   Solutions to the food safety dilemma must be rooted in good science, and support family farmers, consumers, and sustainable and organic agriculture.  We need to ask tough questions that address some of the problems in pending food safety legislation.     On Thursday, July 16, the House Agriculture Committee is holding a hearing to ask representatives from agribusiness, large farm organizations, and the food industry about deficiencies and concerns with the pending food safety legislation, HR 2749. Currently no representatives from the sustainable and organic agriculture community are scheduled to testify at this hearing, but this is still an important opportunity for our concerns to be raised.

MESSAGE:

It's easy to call. If your Congressperson is on the House Agriculture Committee (see list below), please call their office and ask to speak with the aide that works on agriculture (or send them a fax).  Urge the Member to raise the following questions with the food safety hearing panelists on July 16: 1)    If left as is, provisions in the HR 2749 bill could encourage farmers to tear out important wildlife habitat and buffer strips that protect streams and rivers in an effort to try to create a "sterile" on-farm environment free of bacteria.  What do you know about this?  Can't we harmonize the safety of our food supply with environmental protection?  2)    Why are all food "facilities" under the proposed new law, even those that gross well under $500,000 annually, subject to the same registration fee of $500 each year?  Isn't this a regressive tax that disproportionately impacts smaller producers? Why would a small processor have to pay the same annual fee as the largest facilities in our food system? 3)    I'm concerned that organic producers who already have to comply with food safety standards outlined in the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 will be burdened by another set of separate standards if HR 2749 becomes law.  What can be done to ensure we are not creating a disincentive for farmers to transition to organic?    4)    Farmers that sell directly to consumers or who use marketing strategies that preserve the identity of their farm products pose less of a food safety risk because their products are easily traced back to their farm.  Should there be a comprehensive exemption for these kinds of farms in HR 2749? Background On June 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved a manager's amendment to the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.  While the bill did incorporate some changes proposed by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and National Organic Coalition, HR 2749 retains a flat $500 registration fee per facility, thus failing to incorporate a scaled fee system.  This means that a small processor (even on-farm if selling mostly wholesale) would pay the same annual fee as a facility run by Tyson, ADM, or any other large food manufacturer.   In addition, the bill does not specify the positive role that conservation practices can play to address food safety concerns, and also fails to provide guidance so that new food safety standards are harmonized with those specified in the Organic Foods Production Act.       The bill has not yet been scheduled to go to the floor of the House, but it is expected to do so sometime the week of July 20 or 27. 111th CONGRESS: HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE Democrats Representative                                         Phone                                      FAX Collin Peterson (MN-7), Chair             202-225-2165                        202-225-1593 Tim Holden (PA-17)                             202-225-5546                        202-226-0996 Mike McIntyre (NC-7)                         202-225-2731                        202-225-5773 Leonard Boswell (IA-3)                       202-225-3806                        202-225-5608 Joe Baca (CA-43)                                 202-225-6161                        202-225-8671 Dennis Cardoza (CA-18)                      202-225-6131                        202-225-0819 David Scott (GA-13)                            202-225-2939                        202-225-4628 Jim Marshall (GA-8)                            202-225-6531                        202-225-3013 Stephanie H. Sandlin (SD-at large)      202-225-2801                        202-225-5823 Henry Cuellar (TX-28)                         202-225-1640                        202-225-1641 Jim Costa (CA-20)                                202-225-3341                        202-225-9308 Brad Ellsworth (IN-8)                           202-225-4636                        202-225-3284 Tim Walz (MN-1)                                  202-225-2472                        202-225-3433 Steve Kagen (WI-8)                               202-225-5665                        202-225-5729 Kurt Schrader (OR-5)                             202-225-5711                        202-225-5699 Deborah Halvorson (IL-11)                    202-225-3635                        202-225-3521 Kathleen Dahlkemper (PA-3)                 202-225-5406                        202-225-3103 Eric Massa (NY-29)                                202-225-3161                        202-226-6599 Bobby Bright (AL-2)                              202-225-2901                    202-225-8913 Betsy Markey (CO-4)                             202-225-4676                        202-225-5870 Frank Kratovil, Jr. (MD-1)                      202-225-5311                        202-225-0254 Mark Schauer (MI-7)                              202-225-6276                        202-225-6281 Larry Kissell (NC-8)                               202-225-3715                        202-225-4036 John Boccieri (OH-16)                            202-225-3876                        202-225-3059 Earl Pomeroy (ND-at large)                    202-225-2611                        202-226-0893 Travis Childers (MS-1)                           202-225-4306                        202-225-3549 Walt Minnick (ID-1)                                202-225-6611                       202-225-3029 111th CONGRESS: HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE Republicans Representative                                             Phone                                     Fax Frank Lucas (OK-3), Ranking Member   202-225-5565                       202-225-8698 Bob Goodlatte (VA-6)                              202-225-5431                       202-225-9681 Jerry Moran (KS-1)                                  202-225-2715                       202-225-5124 Timothy Johnson (IL-15)                         202-225-2371                       202-226-0791 Sam Graves (MO-6)                                 202-225-7041                       202-225-8221 Mike Rogers (AL-3)                                 202-225-3261                       202-226-8485 Steve King (IA-5)                                     202-225-4426                       202-225-3193 Randy Neugebauer (TX-19)                     202-225-4005                       202-225-9615 K. Michael Conaway (TX-11)                  202-225-3605                       202-225-1783 Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1)                            202-225-4806                       202-225-5686 Jean Schmidt (OH-2)                                202-225-3164                       202-225-1992 Adrian Smith (NE-3)                                202-225-6435                       202-225-0207 Robert Latta (OH-5)                                 202-225-6405                       202-225-1985 Phil Roe (TN-1)                                        202-225-6356                       202-225-5714 Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9)                    202-225-2956                        202-225-5712 Glenn Thompson (PA-5)                          202-225-5121                        202-225-5796 Bill Cassidy (LA-6)                                  202-225-3901                        202-225-7313 Cynthia Lummis                                       202-225-2311                        202-225-3057

The Wild Farm Alliance promotes a healthy, viable agriculture that helps to protect and restore wild Nature. Visit our website.

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