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From: John Hammell <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: LETS FLOOD 'EM BY APRIL 30th! USDA Organic Food Labels
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 19:16:23 -0400
Please print out a copy of this letter or write your own, sign it and
mail it
to Eileen S. Sommers of the USDA regarding the "new" labeling of
so-called
organic foods. Please mail this ASAP to reach the USDA by the April 30th
deadline. Thanks!!!!
To: Eileen S. Sommers
Deputy Administrator,
USDA-ATS-TM-NOP
Room 4007 So, Ag Stop 0275
PO Box 96456
Washington, DC 20090-6456
I am extremely concerned about the USDA's proposed National Organic
Program
(NOP) now being submitted for public comment. The NOP Rules completely
disregard the long-established meaning and practices of organic
agriculture
and instead allow a huge number of injurious farming methods, synthetic
substances, chemical adulterants and toxic constituents to qualify for a
federal organic label. These include but are not limited to irradiating
food,
using toxic sewage and industrial sludge as fertilizer, allowing
genetically
manipulated organisms in crops and food, permitting confinement
factory-farm
operations and allowing synthetic food processing aids, adulterants and
additives.
In fact, none of these or some 60-plus other allowances outlined in the
NOP
Rules have EVER been considered Organic or permitted as such in the
marketplace by the existing state, national and international organic
certification organizations. This program will completely gut the
meaning of
Organic and allow spurious products in the marketplace. In addition,
USDA's
proprosed excessive fee stucture will automatically disenfranchise a
large
number of existing organically certified family farmers and will put many
of
the organic certification organizations out of business.
Further, under the bogus USDA Organic label, farmers, processors, and
retailers will be prohibited from identifying products in the store based
on
production practices. Consumers, parents, personal health supporters,
environmental advocates and many others will definitely lose their
freedom of
choice, and we are not going to be happy about it.
Finally, USDA's actions regarding the formulation and execution of the
NOP
should be investigated immediately. They have definitely pulled a
bureacratic
end run around the letter and intent of the original Organic Foods
Production
Act of 1990 (OFPA) and are in clear violation of a great number of its
precepts. USDA should be required to start over and come up with a valid
NOP
based on the OFPA mandates, accepted international standards, and the
comments
of the National Organic Standards Board, without giveaways to the special
interests.
I look forward to your response at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
******************************************
Donations Needed- Need Help to Keep Helper On
International Advocates for Health Freedom
John C. Hammell, Legislative Advocate
2411 Monroe St. Hollywood, FL 33020 USA
800-333-2553, 954-929-2905, FAX 954-929-0507,
[log in to unmask] http://www.iahf.com
HERBS ARE _NOT_ DRUGS! HELP PASS HR 2868
THE CONSUMER HEALTH FREE SPEECH ACT!!!
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