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FROM: Sustainable Ag Network Discussion SANET
Hey Everyone - Please take action and let USDA know that
this practice is unacceptable. You can click on the link below to send a
letter.
Thanks,
Kelly
ALERT
OF THE WEEK:
NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD STACKED WITH INDUSTRY REPS
The USDA, behind closed doors, recently announced several highly questionable appointees
to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). Despite calls from the organic
community to let the public know ahead of time who the nominees were, the USDA
kept the names of the nominees secret. The NOSB advises the USDA on how to
interpret and implement national organic standards. Despite federal law that
mandates that the 15-member NOSB must be broadly representative of the organic
community, the USDA's recent appointees are all notable for their past or
present ties to corporate agribusiness. For example the appointee for the seat
reserved for a "Consumer and Public Interest Group Representative"
was given to Tracy Miedema, who works for Stahlbush Island Farms, a split-farm
operation with 3/4 of its acreage non-organic. Miedema, who previously worked
for a subsidiary of General Mills (Small Planet) freely admits that Stahlbush
utilizes Monsanto's herbicide Roundup, as well as other chemical pesticides and
fungicides. The USDA's appointee for the seat reserved for a scientist is
Katrina Heinze, who works for Small Planet/General Mills, a company with a
hardball reputation for selling sugar-laden cereals to kids, supporting GMOs,
and industrial agriculture. Heinze was forced to resign from the NOSB last
year, under pressure from the OCA and the Consumer's
Learn more and take action: http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/nosb.cfm
Vicki Morrone
Organic Vegetable and Crop Outreach Specialist
Michigan State University
C.S. Mott Sustainable Food Systems
303 Natural Resources Bldg.
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-3542
517-282-3557 (cell)
517-353-3834 (fax)
http://safs.msu.edu/
http://www.mottgroup.msu.edu/
