Organic Alert: Thank You and Keep the Pressure On!

(Beyond Pesticides, September 22, 2005) Thank you! With an outpouring of public support for strong organic standards, consumers and farmers stopped, at least for a few days, an assault on organic standards. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 passed an amendment to its appropriations bill that requires the Secretary of Agriculture to deliver a report to Congress within 90 days on the impact of a recent court decision on the organic industry. While many view the measure as a win, it is expected that the assault on organic will continue when the joint appropriations committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate meets as early as the week of September 26, 2005.

Congress has asked the public interest community and the organic industry to try to negotiate a resolution to this issue in the coming week. Up until now, the Organic Trade Association, advocating a weakening of the law, has declined to negotiate.

Stay tuned for more information. For more background on this issue, please go to  http://www.beyondpesticides.org/organicfood/alerts/senateappropriations.htm

In the meantime, please deliver this simple message to your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators through http://www.contactingthecongress.org/:

Dear Member of Congress:

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE JOINT HOUSE-SENATE AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE DOES NOT WEAKEN THE ORGANIC LAW. I believe in the strong organic standards that are embodied in the Organic Foods Production Act.

Sincerely,

[Your name and address.]