'New York Times' Exposes USDA Sabotage of Organics

[Guest guest]

On August 19, the New York Times exposed the USDA for shortchanging organic

programs. Journalist Andrew Martin pointed out that the National Organic

Program, which regulates the entire organic industry, has just nine staff

members and a puny annual budget of $1.5 million. In contrast, the New York

Times went on to describe how chemical-agribusinesses have individually received

more than that in subsidies, including $1.7 million in subsidies given to a

single mega-farm in Florida. The article goes on to point out that the USDA

(whose annual budget is $100 billion) spent $28 million on organic agriculture

programs last year, which may sound like a lot, but, in comparison, the agency

spent $37 million subsidizing farmers who grew dry peas last year. As a note of

reference on those numbers, consumers spend only $83 million a year on dry peas,

whereas consumers spent almost $17 billion last year on organic food. The New

York Times noted, " It's not entirely surprising that

organics are such a low priority at the department and in Congress. Both the

agency and farm-state members of Congress are reliable cheerleaders for

industrialized agriculture, and Big Ag has often viewed organics with suspicion,

if not outright disdain. "

Learn more and get active:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_6710.cfm

 

 

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