PLEASE ACT ON THIS ALERT FROM THE NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE COALITION, and from NOC TODAY, IF YOUR CONGRESS-MEMBER IS ON THE HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE (see chart below).
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 compromise small and mid-sized family farmers. If approved, certain provisions could hinder beginning, sustainable, and organic farmers’ access to markets, require expensive fees, and lead to the dismantling of important conservation practices and wildlife habitat.
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) 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?
2) 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?
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
This list is organized as follows:
Name of Representative, Phone Number, Fax Number
ALABAMA — Bobby Bright (AL-2)
202-225-2901
202-225-8913
Mike Rogers (AL-3)
202-225-3261
202-226-8485
CALIFORNIA — Joe Baca (CA-43)
202-225-6161
202-225-8671
Dennis Cardoza (CA-18)
202-225-6131
202-225-0819
Jim Costa (CA-20)
202-225-3341
202-225-9308
COLORADO — Betsy Markey (CO-4)
202-225-4676
202-225-5870
GEORGIA — David Scott (GA-13)
202-225-2939
202-225-4628
Jim Marshall (GA-8)
202-225-6531
202-225-3013
IDAHO — Walt Minnick (ID-1)
202-225-6611
202-225-3029
ILLINOIS — Deborah Halvorson (IL-11)
202-225-3635
202-225-3521
Timothy Johnson (IL-15)
202-225-2371
202-226-0791
INDIANA — Brad Ellsworth (IN-8)
202-225-4636
202-225-3284
IOWA — Leonard Boswell (IA-3)
202-225-3806
202-225-5608
Steve King (IA-5)
202-225-4426
202-225-3193
KANSAS — Jerry Moran (KS-1)
202-225-2715
202-225-5124
LOUISIANA — Bill Cassidy (LA-6)
202-225-3901
202-225-7313
MARYLAND — Frank Kratovil, Jr. (MD-1)
202-225-5311
202-225-0254
MICHIGAN — Mark Schauer (MI-7)
202-225-6276
202-225-6281
MINNESOTA — Tim Walz (MN-1)
202-225-2472
202-225-3433
MISSISSIPPI — Travis Childers (MS-1)
202-225-4306
202-225-3549
MISSOURI — Sam Graves (MO-6)
202-225-7041
202-225-8221
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9)
202-225-2956
202-225-5712
Adrian Smith (NE-3)
202-225-6435
202-225-0207
NEWYORK — Eric Massa (NY-29)
202-225-3161
202-226-6599
NORTH CAROLINA — Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
202-225-2731
202-225-5773
Larry Kissell (NC-8)
202-225-3715
202-225-4036
NORTH DAKOTA — Earl Pomeroy (ND-at large)
202-225-2611
202-226-0893
OHIO — John Boccieri (OH-16)
202-225-3876
202-225-3059
Jean Schmidt (OH-2)
202-225-3164
202-225-1992
Robert Latta (OH-5)
202-225-6405
202-225-1985
OKLAHOMA — Frank Lucas
(OK-3), Ranking Member
202-225-5565
202-225-8698
PENNSYLVANIA –Tim Holden (PA-17)
202-225-5546
202-226-0996
Kathleen Dahlkemper (PA-3)
202-225-5406
202-225-3103
Glenn Thompson (PA-5)
202-225-5121
202-225-5796
SOUTH DAKOTA — Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
(SD-at large)
202-225-2801
202-225-5823
TENNESSEE — Phil Roe (TN-1)
202-225-6356
202-225-5714
TEXAS — Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
202-225-1640
202-225-1641
Randy Neugebauer (TX-19)
202-225-4005
202-225-9615
K. Michael Conaway (TX-11)
202-225-3605
202-225-1783
VIRGINIA — Bob Goodlatte (VA-6)
202-225-5431
202-225-9681
WISCONSIN — Steve Kagen (WI-8)
202-225-5665
202-225-5729
WYOMING — Cynthia Lummis (WY-at large)
202-225-2311
202-225-3057
Contact:
Liana Hoodes
National Organic Action Plan
National Organic Coalition
3540 Route 52
Pine Bush, NY 12566
Phone and Fax: 845-744-2304
www.NationalOrganicCoalition.org
Liana@hvc.rr.com