Organic Certifier Criticizes USDA Regulations on Organic Food

From: Stephanie Wells <swells@abacom.com>

Please read the following press release OCIA International issued regarding
the USDA Final Rule. We strongly encourage members in the United States to
contact their federal government representatives and the USDA regarding the
Organic Rule. Your comments are definitely needed to support the
negotiations that OCIA International and the other certifiers have
undertaken with the USDA, particularly on these two points.

Every voice counts.

OCIA International will provide a more detailed analysis of the Rule and the
schedule for its implementation in the next issue of the Communicator. The
Rule and related information can be found on the Internet at
www.ams.usda.gov/nop
___________________________________________________________________________

OCIA International (A leading US & International Organic Certifier Group)
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001

OCIA¹s Response to the USDA Organic Rule
Two Bad Apples are Spoiling the Barrel

While the USDA's Final Rule for the National Organic Program seems generally
workable, it includes two provisions that threaten the integrity of organic
standards and certification. "These two provisions are a bad deal for the
many certification organizations that founded the organic industry and are
its backbone, said OCIA President Melodi Nelson, "and they threaten to spoil
the entire US organic program."

Bad Apple Number One

The Rule forbids any farmers or food processors certified by a non-profit
membership organization to hold key leadership positions in that
organization, including seats on the Board of Directors. This restriction
threatens to decimate the organizational structures of at least 20 half
USDA imposed this measure despite a host of comments from certification
organization and others urging the adoption of other control measures to
prevent potential conflicts of interest and build firewalls between the
interests of individuals and the control of certification.

This USDA prohibition goes far beyond the requirements of ISO Guide 65, the
international guidelines for the conduct of certification programs. Instead
of making all certified parties ineligible to serve their certification
organization, ISO guidelines employ the concept of including in the
certification program, "all stakeholders, with no single interest
predominating." Tossing all certified farmers and handlers out of the
process is a disservice to the cause of high quality organic certification.
It removes the core of expertise and practical knowledge from the
certification equation.

Bad Apple Number Two

The USDA says its standards are not just the minimum organic standards, but
they are also the maximum that private certifiers can require farmers and
handlers to achieve in order to use their seals. This provision is
dramatically different from any other government organic standard. All
other governmental regulations are minimum, or "baseline," standards.
Certifiers in Canada, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere have the freedom to
hold requirements of their private seals, in addition to the government
standards. OCIA supports the goals of the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act
to provide "consistent" national standards and reciprocal transactions among
certifiers. OCIA believes that "baseline" standards are consistent and
workable with these two goals.

This provision, however, will stifle the improvement of organic standards.
If certifiers cannot improve the standards over time, then who will? USDA¹s
plan for standards improvement involves a federal rulemaking process, which
can take a very long time. Decentralized certification organizations are
the best proving grounds for revised organic standards. Certification
organizations have worked for many years to build a successful organic
industry. They have developed standards setting procedures which foster
constant improvement and meet the challenges of new developments in
agriculture. These groups deserve a strong role in this arena to ensure the
best for consumers everywhere.
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