Industry-supported efforts to update organic food standards could finally move forward after being held at a standstill for years by the US Department of Agriculture if bipartisan legislation introduced in the House late last week becomes law.
The Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act (CIAO) introduced April 30 by members of the House Organic Caucus, including Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., would require USDA to issue a final rule implementing within two years recommendations passed by the National Organic Standards Board, which advises the agency on oversight of the National Organic Program.
It also would require USDA to clear a backlog of recommendations NOSB made to improve the organic program, including 20 that have been made in the past 10 years that have not been finalized through rulemaking, according to the Organic Trade Association.
Candace Krebs
The Ag Journal
Forty former members of the National Organic Standards Board sent an open letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently, which was also circulated to members of the House and Senate agriculture committees, demanding reforms to insure the integrity of the federal organic label. We are writing to share with you our concern that the integrity of the National Organic Standards has eroded significantly over the years,” the letter states. “In some cases, the Standards have devolved from the original intention, as in the example of enclosed poultry porches substituting for outdoor access. In other cases, a lack of strong enforcement of existing standards has led to well-documented cases of fraud and an economic burden on organic operators who follow the rules, versus those who do not.”
Kind, House Organic Caucus propose bill to improve oversight of standards
April 30, 2021 7:59 PM Mike Tighe
(Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WKBT) U.S. Rep. Ron Kind and other members of the House Organic Caucus joined Friday to introduce bipartisan legislation to improve federal oversight of organic food standards.
The bill aims to establish a new framework for organic standards and improve enforcement of new rules and guidance at the same time it clears regulatory red tape that has hampered innovation in the industry.
“This legislation will take necessary steps to ensure our organic farmers can continue to succeed and innovate for generations to come,” said Kind, a La Crosse Democrat who co-chairs the caucus.
Bipartisan legislation shapes the road forward for organic
Organic Trade Association applauds lawmakers and broad coalition for support of farmers, businesses, and consumers
April 30, 2021 12:37 ET | Source: Organic Trade Association Organic Trade Association Washington, District of Columbia, UNITED STATES
Washington, D.C., April 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) The Organic Trade Association on Friday applaudedthe introduction of legislation that puts in place an improved federal process for the oversight of organic that will bring the government up to speed with the modern organic sector, and will enable organic’s improvement and advancement to continue to forge ahead into the future.
Representing the most significant assessment to date of the National Organic Program’s trackrecord on advancing standards as a primary function of organic’s public-private partnership, the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic S
Take a Bow, Jordan It may not be possible to sufficiently praise Jordan Adams for his composition of [Soundbites: The Seven Rules of Concert Etiquette, April 7]. It s a shame it took a pandemic to crystallize these fundamental precepts of good manners, empathy and common sense, but no matter: The piece deserves a permanent place on the
Seven Days website, with a regular flagging perhaps at the outset of the fall arts season? Maybe even a republication in the print edition at certain intervals would be in order, as well. After all, it s worth refreshing the memory on these guidelines virtually any time any of us venture out to one of our highly anticipated events.