Flawed Food Safety Bills in Congress?

[Guest guest]

Flawed Food Safety Bills in Congress?

There has been significant opposition from organic purveyors and sustainable

agriculture businesses and individuals related to HR 875, a bill before the

House which addresses food safety and handling issues. This bill, along with

HR 814, HR 759, S 425, and S 510 all purport to address food safety and food

chain issues by placing increasing regulatory powers at the Federal level.

The language and formulation of these bills seems suspect. Sponsorship and

authoring seem to trace back to agri-business interests. Language in these

bills is vague, but easily applied to almost any level of the food chain right

down to the individual.

The problem with this type of legislation is that it may be a real *Trojan

Horse*. Though language is somewhat vague, and appears to address our need to

protect the food supply, it can be seen on review that the usual power

interests will easily be able to interpret regulations to their advantage.

With the extraordinary growth in organic and sustainable food, there is

cause to worry that entrenched interests from agri-business, and those

associated

with them, will begin that process of manipulation to eventually gain

control and economic advantage.

What can we do? First, become informed. Second, express your opinion to

your legislators. Third, support CSA*s and organic / sustainable agriculture.

Call your congressman or congresswoman and express your opinion. Read Michael

Pollan’s books, *The Omnivore*s Dilemma*, and *In Defense of Food*. Get

involved in local food co-ops and with local food producers.

We have real issues at all levels, but the food chain is precarious, opaque,

and vulnerable to manipulation. Our Representatives in Washington may not be

well informed about the implications of legislation passed under the guise

of panic due to some outbreak that does not address our real problems. LET

THEM KNOW YOU DO CARE!

If you feel as we do, contact your Congressional Representative and / or

your State Senators. Email and phone is good, but good old fashioned snail

mail has more punch.

You can find the contact info for your Congressional Representative at:

_http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml_ (

http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62a & lc=QdBN & mc=f & s=JXHSy & y=M & )

You can find the contact info for your State Senators at:

_http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm_

(http://getresponse.com/click.html?x=a62a & lc=QdBB & mc=f & s=JXHSy & y=V & )