New Federal Office for Climate Change, Health and Equity
Finally, the Department of Health and Human Services has an office dedicated to dealing with Climate Change and how it effects our health. The office will also look at how it disproportionately effects poorer communities, farmers and our food supply.
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Bans Chlorpyrifos in All Food Production Nationwide!
This is a long awaited victory, and I want to thank all of you who have signed the endless petitions I have shared over the years. Chlorpyrifos is a toxic pesticide, that has been linked to farm worker 
poisonings and learning disabilities in children. The fact that it took over two decades to get this neurotoxin out of our food, even though the evidence proved its toxicity, shows the power that corporations and lobbyists have over our government. We have a lot of work to do!
Food Stamps Gets Largest Increase in Its History
During the pandemic, the issue of poverty and food insecurity came to the forefront, as our country watched the disproportionate impact the virus had on poorer communities. The SNAP 
program,formally known as Food Stamps, doesn’t give families enough money to purchase healthy options. Cheap food is cheap, partially because our government subsidizes the commodities that makes up those cheap foods. I have often talked about the need to end the subsides and hold the corporations accountable for the hidden environmental and health costs that the public is burdened with, in an effort to level the playing field, but that has not happened yet. We need to make healthy foods more affordable, and cheap foods more expensive. Starting in October, 42 million SNAP recipients will benefit from a 25% increase in their monthly allowance.
Horizon Organics Abandons Northeast Organic Farmers for Larger CAFO Style Organic Farms in the Midwest
What happens to our local dairy farmers when their main market is pulled out from under them? Last week, Danone, the parent company of Horizon Organic, notified all of their Northeast farmers (almost 90 of them) that they are not renewing their contracts. This is due to the Dept. of Agriculture allowing loopholes in the regulations that permits large scale CAFO (Confined Agricultural Farming Operations) dairy farms to convert to organic by transitioning conventional cows into their organic operations. Our small family farmers who operate with integrity and transparency can’t possibly compete with the cheap milk coming out of the Midwest. When purchasing organic dairy products, remember that all dairy is not created equal. Look to the Cornucopia’s Organic Score Card or the Environmental Working Group’s Score Cards for guidance.
Which farm do you want your milk coming from?
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