Beyond Pesticides, a public interest organization founded to advocate for healthy air, water, land, and food by eliminating the use of toxic pesticides, and advance healthy practices, has announced the formation of an investigative arm, OrganicEye. The new watchdog agency will focus on defending the “time-honored philosophy and legal definition of organic farming and food production” from USDA’s systemic failure to protect the interests of organic farmers, ethical businesses, and consumers.

As organic agriculture and food marketing has grown into an over $50 billion industry, corporate agribusiness has used its influence within USDA—and many independent certification agencies it oversees—to shift primary organic production from family-scale farms to large livestock factories, massive hydroponic/soilless greenhouses, and imports that have proven less than trustworthy.

 “Certified organic production must continue to offer a viable alternative for shoppers, who want to protect the environment and provide healthier food for their family—with industry stakeholders stepping up to rein in the wholesale abuse that is an attack on the working definition and integrity of organics,” stated Jay Feldman, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides, a Washington-based public interest group.