23
Sep
Last Chance This Fall to Tell the NOSB To Uphold Organic Integrity
(Beyond Pesticides, September 23-26, 2022) Comments are due 11:59 pm EDT September 29. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is receiving written comments from the public through September. This precedes the upcoming public comment webinar on October 18 and 20 and deliberative hearing October 25-27—concerning how organic food is produced. Sign up to speak at the webinar by September 29. Written comments must be submitted through Regulations.gov by 11:59 pm EDT September 29. Links to the virtual comment webinars and the public meeting will be posted on this webpage in early October.
For a complete discussion, see Keeping Organic Strong and the Fall 2022 issues page. In the spirit of “continuous improvement,” we urge you to submit comments (please feel free to use our comments on the KOS page) that contribute to an increasingly improved organic production system. Here are some high priority issues for us:
> The NOSB must take a precautionary approach in view of the unknown. Peroxylactic acid (POLA) is petitioned as an antimicrobial agent to be used in processing meat. While a comprehensive review of the needs for sanitizers and disinfectants in organic processing may reveal a need for additional materials, the existing data concerning POLA is incomplete, depending mainly on patents rather than peer-reviewed research. The petition should not be allowed.
- In its examination of ion exchange, the NOSB has learned that its application results in chemical change. Therefore, organic foods, such as apple juice or sugar, that have been processed with ion exchange are synthetic. Such synthetic “foods” must only be allowed if the NOSB has reviewed them and placed them on the National List.
> Genetic engineering is considered an “excluded method” according to organic regulations. The NOSB should continue to catalog excluded methods, and their use should be excluded at all levels of production—from crop production through inputs in processing.
> Organic Agriculture is Climate-Smart Agriculture. The NOSB draft letter to Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack is an excellent primer on how organic agriculture responds to the climate emergency. However, the letter needs to stress the need for USDA to promote conversion to organic farming. More important to addressing the climate crisis than the questions posed by NOP are questions concerning how USDA programs can assist organic producers and those seeking to convert to organic. The draft letter addresses these as well. It also points out the resiliency of organic agriculture: “Organic is the solution to mitigating climate change and responding to it.”In view of the climate benefits of organic and the incentives inherent in organic marketing, the real question is whether USDA will abandon its promotion of chemical-intensive agriculture supported by the biotech/chemical industry in favor of whole-hearted support for organic agriculture—because despite the astronomical growth in organic consumption in the U.S., conversion to organic agriculture lags behind demand. USDA could and should make adoption of organic/climate-smart practices a prerequisite for receiving the benefits of its programs.
> Biodegradable Biobased (Bioplastic) Mulch Film (BBMF) is under consideration for sunset this year. This is part of a larger issue of the use of plastic in organic production and handling. Awareness is growing about the impacts of plastic—and the microplastic particles to which it degrades—on human health and the environment. BBMF should not be relisted. Moreover, the NOSB should initiate action to eliminate all uses of plastic in organic production and handling—including packaging.
> The NOSB should use the sunset process to eliminate non-organic ingredients in processed organic foods. Materials listed in §205.606 in the organic regulations are nonorganic agricultural ingredients that are allowed to be used as ingredients as part of the 5% of organic processed foods that is not required to be organic. Materials should not remain on §205.606 if they can be supplied organically, and anything that can be grown can be grown organically. The Handling Subcommittee needs to ask the question of potential suppliers, “Could you supply the need if the organic form is required?” Two materials on §205.606 are up for sunset this year—pectin and casings. Both are made from agricultural products that can be supplied organically and thus should be sunsetted.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
NO “.–cides
September 28th, 2022 at 5:58 pmI’ve lived in toxic areas in my life and have lost both parents to the toxins. Enough of this garbage. It’s definitely time to stop using pesticides. Our bee populations have dwindled to almost nothing. What does it take to get this stopped? Worldwide starvation? Because that’s exactly where we are heading. I absolutely have to eat organic because I’d I don’t I end up with massive bouts of IBS. I am sure being stationed at Fort McClellan has something to do with that. Honestly I cannot wait to leave this planet. I do this for the grandkids. Shame on those that cower to Monsanto and Bayer. It’s a travesty.
September 28th, 2022 at 6:04 pmMany farmers are abandoning the USDA Organic standard due to its degradation as a result of corporate lobbying.
Let’s get back to the original roots of the organic standard–to produce high quality food, in a sustainable manner, absent of man-made chemical inputs.
Strengthen the standard. Eliminate all plastic. Encourage climate smart agriculture by measuring outcomes instead of mandating practices where applicable.
September 28th, 2022 at 6:11 pmPlease keep organic standards strong. Organic and wild food should be the gold standard. There needs to be integrity and objectivity. Natural food untainted by toxic pesticides is and should be a human right. Please support organic as best you can.
September 28th, 2022 at 6:16 pmThank you!!
The EU has banned 464 dangerous chemicals. The USA has banned 21. We are poisoning our population with these dangerous chemicals! We need to go organic for our health!
September 28th, 2022 at 6:24 pmNo poison… period!
September 28th, 2022 at 6:35 pmMy heart hopes that the right thing is done in our world so that ALL living can live their life.❤️❤️
September 28th, 2022 at 7:33 pmPlease support this proposal.I buy as much organic as I can due to the pesticides in regular foods. It’s very expensive,but my health is very important to me! THANK YOU,Pam
September 28th, 2022 at 9:25 pmThe NOSB should use the sunset process to eliminate non-organic ingredients in processed organic foods. Materials listed in §205.606 in the organic regulations are nonorganic agricultural ingredients that are allowed to be used as ingredients as part of the 5% of organic processed foods that is not required to be organic. Materials should not remain on §205.606 if they can be supplied organically, and anything that can be grown can be grown organically. The Handling Subcommittee needs to ask the question of potential suppliers, “Could you supply the need if the organic form is required?” Two materials on §205.606 are up for sunset this year—pectin and casings. Both are made from agricultural products that can be supplied organically and thus should be sunsetted.
September 29th, 2022 at 12:02 pm