10/03/2005

Note from OCA: As you probably know, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and its lobbyists have attempted to attach a rider to the 2006 Agricultural Appropriations Bill. The text of this rider was generated in secrecy without the input or consensus of OTA's members or the rest of the organic community.

Although the OTA has created a false sense of urgency for passing this rider, which changes federal law to weaken organic standards, USDA National Organic Standards Board members have spoken out against OTA's action and outlined methods for constructive rulemaking that contrasts OTA's rider by involving the input of the entire organic community.

In the past week, more than 100,000 American consumers and hundreds of businesses have contacted congress to oppose the OTA rider and to demand a more open rulemaking process to resolve any issues the Arthur Harvey case may have generated. (IF YOU ARE AN ORGANIC RELATED BUSINESS, SIGN ON TO SUPPORT STRONG ORGANIC STANDARDS HERE: http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd-ofpa-gld.htm)

To see a full list of businesses who have signed-on to support this campaign, click here http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/ota.cfm

Below, you will find an open letter from Eden Foods to the organic industry asking your business to sign on to support the opposition of OTA's rider. The decision on this rider will be made very soon, so PLEASE SIGN ON TO THE FOLLOWING PETITION STATEMENT TO OTA & CONGRESS IMMEDIATELY:

"We, the representatives of organic businesses, call on the OTA to stop lobbying to attach a rider to the 2006 agricultural bill and sit down and negotiate in good faith with a broad group of representatives of organic community and reach consensus on rule-making and or legislative action to address any major changes to organic legislation."

IF YOU ARE AN ORGANIC RELATED BUSINESS, SIGN ON HERE: http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd-ofpa-gld.htm

Organic Leader Eden Foods Speaks Out on Industry/OTA Sneak Attack on Organic Standards in Congress

Open Letter
3 October 2005

Communiqué on OTA's Consistent Work to Weaken Organic Standards

Eden Foods joins with consumer, farmer, and public interest groups asking Congress to reject the machinations currently led by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) to weaken and cheapen organic standards.

"While big agribusiness and some OTA members have spoken in favor of the OTA's actions, Eden Foods strongly objects," said Eden Chairman and President Michael Potter. "As the oldest and a founding member of the organic foods industry that has never employed shortcuts, we believe that the fast, cheap, and easy route is counter productive in organic food production."

"Eden Foods agrees with the Organic Consumers Association, the Center for Food Safety, the National Cooperative Grocers Association, and more than 100,000 Americans who have contacted Congress over the past weeks seeking the preservation and strengthening of organic standards."

In order to achieve strong organic standards and maintain and build the public's trust in organic food, Congress must reject OTA's proposed rider to the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill now being discussed in the House/Senate Conference Committee.

During the week of 19 September the OTA and its lobbyists attempted to attach a last minute rider to the Agricultural Bill that was developed by OTA and some of its members.

"We are deeply disturbed by the secretive and deceptive way that the OTA has gone about this," said Organic Consumers Association National Director Ronnie Cummins. "By distorting the issues, refusing to negotiate, and creating a false sense of urgency, this organization has done a great disservice to many of their members as well as to Congress and the entire organic community."

"In the broadest and most basic sense, the OTA rider takes away the organic community's leading role in setting and monitoring organic standards for processed organic foods, and instead places this power in the hands of the USDA and industry," said Mr. Cummins. "It undermines the essential authority of the organic community and the National Organic Standards Board to decide whether or not hundreds of synthetic substances can be put on the National List and used in organic production, and undermines organic integrity by allowing individual organic certifiers and the USDA to decide whether particular organic ingredients are 'commercially available' or not, without review by the NOSB."

On 21 September the Senate refused to accept the OTA's proposed rider, instead adding a new amendment that requests the USDA to study the issues within 90 days and report its findings to the Senate. Members of the Senate are encouraging the OTA to respond in writing to criticisms of the rider and sit down and negotiate in good faith with representatives of the organic community.

As the Center for Food Safety reported on 22 September, "The best case scenario: The result of these meetings will be an amendment that strengthens the organic law. Worst case scenario: OTA rejects any strengthening of the law and tries to ram through its amendment and weaken the law."

For updates visit www.centerforfoodsafety.org and www.organicconsumers.org

"We at Eden actively support the best case outcome to create the highest standards and integrity of organic food," said Mr. Potter. "We are disappointed but not surprised by the actions of the OTA. These recent actions exemplify the reasons Eden Foods has never been a member of the OTA despite urging from industry peers to join. We hope to see like-minded companies reconsider their funding of the OTA. No matter how you cut it, the OTA has worked consistently to weaken organic standards."

Based in Clinton, Michigan, Eden Foods is a 37-year family owned manufacturer of more than 240 organic, natural, and traditional foods. For more information, please call 888-424-3336, email info@edenfoods.com or visit www.edenfoods.com []