Upheaval in the USDA: Call for Clarity and Consumer Protection

Rodale announces a new Regenerative Organic Certification, “a cooperative effort among a coalition of farmers, ranchers, nonprofits, scientists, and brands, led by Rodale Institute, to establish a new, high-bar standard for regenerative organic agriculture. Owned by this coalition, the NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation) is facilitating the public comments process and is open to many certification partners.”

With the latest controversy surrounding Organic Certification and the recent USDA National Organic Standards Board meetings in Tucson, it is not surprising that many people are re-examining their food-buying purchases.

To help make our decisions, there are a myriad of labels that come printed on nearly all packaged products i.e. Vegan, Gluten-Free, nonGMO, organic, etc. Yet the FDA and USDA don’t always listen to the recommendation of the National Organic Standards Board, as we just witnessed by the continuation of allowing carrageenan in organic foods, not labeling GMO’s, or permitting hydroponic growers to call their products “organic.” What good is a labeling system if it doesn’t follow the recommendations of the experts?  In 1995, the American Heart Association initiated a food certification program to appear on certain foods, warning consumers of potential risks, yet it seems that they are also subject to lobbying money just like our politicians! 

Nevertheless, in the latest news, a ‘win’ was declared by the Cornucopia Institute when a “Suspicious Organic Grain Shipment was Intercepted at a U.S. Port,” This brought to light our current system’s loop holes, which agribusiness is the beneficiary, fostering understanding and transparency to protect consumers from corruption and greed! 

Labels are important, but if we can’t trust them, then who or what is protecting us and our families when we shop at the store?

We need to take action to improve our food labeling laws. Whether or not consumers will be able to or not, having labels helps to mitigate some of the issues we as a society are faced with, including the impact of pesticides on our planet and public health.

A study published by USDA said “62 percent of interested consumers believe they would be able to access an electronic or digital food disclosure” but does not necessarily mean all those people would actually use it. Let’s also consider that 62% is only a little over half the sample, which means almost half the people believed they would not!) them then how do we know what we are buying! So, if we don’t know what we are putting into and onto our body, or how the ingredients were sourced or similarly to be disposed of, then can we sustain our planet’s resources???

This Mother’s Day You Can Plant a Seed for Change

Slow Food’s Spring campaign brings together schools, chapters and individuals across the world who are champions of Food for Change. Celebrate Mother’s Day early and buy any mom a #PlantaSeed kit; she’ll receive a free membership and you will receive free shipping!

Still Needing to Sign Up for Your Farmshare this Summer? Don’t Wait! Spots are filling up quickly. Visit LocalHarvest.org for a comprehensive list of farms, CSAs, markets and plenty more happening this Spring and all year ’round!

Soul Firm Farm announced that this year at least 14 refugee and immigrant families will receive FREE vegetable delivery, and with our support we can make that number even bigger! Please pitch in for a Solidarity Share today. Or find your local farmstand, talk to the farmer about surplus and ways they can feed that back to the community!

Stand Up and Rally for Women’s Rights and the #ConsumersRighttoKnow 

Organizations that I support:

Slow Food USA, North Shore Land Alliance, NOSB Organics, The Cornucopia Institute and many more!