[SustainableTompkins] Take Action: Another Attack on Organics

[Tony Del Plato]

    *Protect Organic Standards!*

An important deadline is coming up for the organic food industry. As a
result of a lawsuit challenging the USDA's policy of allowing synthetic
substances to be used in certified organic products, after June 7, the only
non-organic ingredients allowed for use in certified organic food are those
that have been explicitly approved by the agency.

So the rush is on to finalize the list of approved non-organic substances.
USDA has put out an amendment to the list that would add 38 ingredients to
the list of substances approved for use in organic foods, ranging from plant
based colorings to intestines from conventional cattle that can be used as
casings for organic sausage.

Send the USDA<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=348293923&url_num=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democracyinaction.org%2Fdia%2ForganizationsORG%2Ffwwatch%2Fcampaign.jsp%3Fcampaign_KEY%3D11422>an
email to let them know that not all of these ingredients should make
the
list!

*Welcome to the Farm Bill!*

The Farm Bill process is officially underway, as Congress starts to work on
the various sections, or titles, of the bill. Yesterday, the chair of the
House Agriculture Committee Collin Peterson (D-MN) introduced his proposal
for the conservation section.

Peterson's proposal effectively kills the Conservation Security Program by
shifting the program's funding to another program called the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program. The Conservation Security Program is an
innovative program from the 2002 Farm Bill that provides financial and
technical assistance to farmers and ranchers for conservation systems to
protect soils, air, water, and wildlife habitat on their farms. Despite its
wide popularity with farmers and ranchers, CSP has been stunted by repeated
cuts. EQIP also provides grants for environmental projects on farms, but
much of the funding from the program is being used to subsidize the
development and expansion of large factory farms.

Members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural
Development, and Research will meet on Tuesday to debate this proposal. Tell
your member of Congress to express their disapproval of this move to gut the
Conservation Security Program to increase funding for EQIP.

Everyone should contact their member of Congress, but it's especially
important if you live in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, and Kansas,
since there are key members of the subcommittee from your state! Take Action
Now!<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=348293923&url_num=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democracyinaction.org%2Fdia%2ForganizationsORG%2Ffwwatch%2Fcampaign.jsp%3Fcampaign_KEY%3D11424>


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-- 
I am against using death as a punishment. I am also against using it as a
reward.
  - Stanislaw J. Lec