This note came of MDA, Colleen Collier as an FYI piece. Thought you may be interested in this as I listen to unhappy farmers who have certified organic produce. >>> "Jacqueline Ostfeld" <[log in to unmask]> 4/11/2007 4:34 PM >>> <http://www.whistleblower.org/template/index.cfm> Dear Colleen M. Collier, Please find below an op-ed I recently authored in The Buffalo News titled "Blowing the Whistle on Sham 'Organics.'" As organics go mainstream and new players enter the market who value profit over principle, the danger rises that corners will be cut and organics standards driven down. If that happens, it's not only the bad actors who will suffer. Consumers will look upon everyone who flies the organics banner with suspicion and cynicism. That's not fair but it is reality. So it falls upon each of us to do what we can to protect the reputation of organics. My name is Jacqueline Ostfeld and I am the Food and Drug Safety Officer at the Government Accountability Project, a non-profit whistleblower protection organization. For 30 years, GAP has been defending the free speech rights of government and corporate employees as they disclose information relevant to the public interest. I write to you today to commend you for all of your hard work developing and maintaining a vibrant organic food production and distribution sector. As the public debate over the future of the organic label rages on, I want you to know that GAP is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the organic standards and defending the rights of people who raise their voices to hold all players, even the giants, accountable to these standards. GAP works closely with Congress, media, relevant agencies and other organizations to ensure that whistleblower disclosures (both public and anonymous) inspire positive change. If you or a colleague knows of a violation of organics standards and you want to correct it, please feel free to contact us. GAP is here to protect your rights! Please visit GAP's website <http://www.whistleblower.org/> to learn more about our work and achievements, and how you can confidentially report <http://whistleblower.org/template/page.cfm?page_id=14> a violation of organics standards and seek our guidance or assistance. Here are the highlights from this WEB site: What is a Whistleblower? reporting wrongdoing or a violation of the law to the proper authorities such as a supervisor, a hotline or an Inspector General (b) refusing to participate in workplace wrongdoing (c) testifying in a legal proceeding (d) leaking evidence of wrongdoing to the media Blowing the Whistle: Twelve Survival Strategies 1.) Before taking any irreversible steps, talk to your family of close friends about your decision to blow the whistle. 2.) Be alert and discreetly attempt to learn of any other witnesses who are upset about the wrongdoing. 3.) Before formally breaking ranks consider whether there is any reasonable way to work within the system by going to the first level of authority. If you do decide to break ranks, think carefully about whether you want to "go public" with your concerns or remain an anonymous source. Each strategy has implications: the decision depends on the quantity and quality of your evidence, your ability to camouflage your knowledge of key facts, the risks you are willing to assume and your willingness to endure intense public scrutiny. 4.) Develop a plan-such as strategically-timed release of information to government agencies-so that your employer is reacting to you, instead of vice-versa. 5.) Maintain good relations with administration and support staff. 6.) Before and after you blow the whistle, keep a careful record of events as they unfold. Try to construct a straightforward, factual log of the relevant activities and events on the job, keeping in mind that your employer will have access to your diary if there is a lawsuit. 7.) Identify and copy all necessary supporting records before drawing any suspicion to your concerns. 8.) Break the cycle of isolation research and identify and seek a support network of potential allies, such as elected officials, journalists and activists. The solidarity of key constituencies can be more powerful than the bureaucracy you are challenging. 9.) Invest the funds to obtain a legal opinion from a competent lawyer. 10.) Always be on guard not to embellish your charges. 11.) Engage in whistleblowing initiatives on your own time and with your own resources, not your employer's. 12.) Don't wear your cynicism on your sleeve when working with the authorities. To make a complaint Call Colleen M. Collier Organic Program Manager Michigan Department of Agriculture Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division P.O. Box 30017 Lansing, Michigan 48909 (517) 373-0280 [log in to unmask] Feel free to share this notice with any individual or organization you believe might be interested in learning more about GAP's commitment to protecting organics whistleblowers. Sincerely, Jacqueline Ostfeld Food and Drug Safety Officer Government Accountability Project 1612 K St. NW, Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20006 Phone: (202) 408-0034 Ext. 153 Fax: (202) 408-9855 [log in to unmask] www.whistleblower.org An abridged version of this op-ed appeared in Blowing the Whistle on Sham 'Organics' February 12, 2007 Written by GAP Food & Drug Safety Officer Jacqueline Ostfeld The organic food industry is booming. In this country alone, sales have grown from $4 to $18 billion in just ten years. The sharp rise is largely due to increased public skepticism about the conventional food supply. Last year brimmed with food safety scares and scandals. Now with the impending market arrival of cloned animal products, consumer concerns about the wholesomeness of their food are commonplace. The public is ripe for change - and big business is geared up for the challenge. Nothing could have better symbolized organic food's entry into the lives of mainstream America than when, last summer, Wal-Mart announced it would introduce organic products at affordable prices. But is that really what consumers are getting? As major retailers stock their shelves with "organic" products, underselling the existing industry, longtime organics advocates fear for the standards. Cutting costs invites cutting corners. While the vast majority of organic farmers, ranchers and retailers follow legal standards, violations by the few, combined with inadequate oversight, threaten the integrity of the entire sector. The allegations have begun. Horizon and Aurora, the country's two largest organic dairy producers, have been hit with a consumer boycott for confining their cows to feedlots rather than providing required access to pasture. Cows cramped in feedlots spend their lives wallowing in a mixture of mud and feces. Studies show that cows fattened on grass, rather than corn, are far less likely to harbor the dangerous and sometimes deadly strain of E. coli that continually threatens our food supply. Consumers expect that organic milk comes from cows grazing on pesticide-free pastures. A recent poll by the Center for Food Safety found that over 60 percent of women - primary household shoppers - who purchase organic milk, would stop if they knew that cows were confined rather than grazing. Smaller distributors have already dropped Horizon from their shelves. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soon expected to clarify guidelines detailing the level of pasture access organically raised cows must receive. Whether or not the rule change will satisfy public expectations remains to be seen. Even if it does, it will be left to USDA-sanctioned, but privately or state-employed organic certifiers, to monitor compliance. Their track record of enforcement is uninspiring. Dear Colleen M. Collier,Dear Colleen M. Collier, China has four times the amount of land in organic food production than does the US. China's organic exports, growing at a rate of 50 percent annually, now total upwards of $200 million. While most of the exports enter European markets, a significant and growing portion are reaching American dinner tables. Yet a USDA economist acknowledged that China is probably too polluted "to grow truly organic food." A Dallas Morning News investigation disclosed the discovery by a Japanese inspector of an empty herbicide bag on an "organic" soybean field in China. Could soy from this field enter the US market? Absolutely. The USDA says it would not look behind the claim that the herbicide bag was carried by the wind onto the farm. Rather, it relies on organic certifiers to make the call. The Cornucopia Institute, a farm advocacy group, discovered last September that Wal-Mart was falsely labeling conventional products with organic sales tags in its retail stores across the country. Wal-Mart has yet to clean up its act, compelling the Organic Consumers Association to call a nationwide boycott of what it calls "America's retail Death Star." Perhaps the USDA is asleep at the wheel. More generously, they are overworked, under-staffed and under-funded. The USDA's National Organic Program, still in its infancy, is unable to keep up with the galloping market growth. Last year, the Dallas Morning News revealed that the USDA has no idea to what degree organic standards are being violated. That's no wonder, as the agency has been nonchalant about following up on leads into potential misbehavior. Because of organic advocacy groups and committed journalists, some violations of the standards have been exposed, action is being taken and the public is becoming more discerning about which organic food brands and retailers they can trust. But holding appropriate parties accountable to organic standards is everyone's job. Government and corporate employees on the inside are also critical to ensuring the integrity of the industry. Let's keep organic organic. Jacqueline Ostfeld is Food & Drug Safety Officer at the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit whistleblower protection organization. For 30 years, GAP has been defending the free speech rights of government and corporate employees. If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html