USDA Still Undermining Organic Integrity

Organic Community Celebrates Too Soon USDA still undermining organic integrity
by Mark Kastel <www.cornucopia.org>
September 2004 The Cooperative Grocer

The accolades in the press after USDA Secretary Ann Veneman withdrew a
series of highly controversial guidance documents proved to be short-lived.
The documents, prepared by the National Organic Program (NOP), would have
allowed antibiotic use on organic dairy farms, pesticides with unspecified
toxic ingredients, and the uncertified sale of organic pet food and textile
products, among other practices.

Consumers Union, the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, the
Organic Consumers Association, and the Cornucopia Institute, all
aggressively mobilized organic farmers and consumers to appeal to Secretary
Veneman to overrule the NOP. And it worked. However, "It looks like we won
the battle but have lost the war--so far," said Will Fantle, research
director for the Cornucopia Institute. "We're right back to where we were
before the guidance documents were issued." USDA officials, including
Barber Robinson who oversees the NOP, have been quoted as saying that they
had it right and that the brouhaha was caused by bad "communication." The
guidance documents are currently being interpreted as "unwritten" law.

"This looks like a cynical attempt by Bush's agriculture secretary to
deflect criticism of the USDA during an election year," says Ronnie Cummins,
Director of the Organic Consumers Association. "If you interpret the
doubletalk, all the objectionable practices that the USDA was letting
corporations and factory farms get away while still being allowed. By all
appearances, withdrawing the guidance documents was disingenuous and didn't
substantially change anything!"