An organic inspector here in Wis. asked if I'd pass this along to
y'all.
peace
misha
(the "ontological relativist" and wedge-driver--more later)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
OMFA Website: www.iquest.net/ofma
INFORMATION RELEASE: July 22, 1998
Secretary Glickman of the USDA holds a public meeting on the role of
the National Organic Standards Board. Washington DC
An invitation to meet with Secretary Glickman and staff:
Keith Jones, Director of the USDA National Organic Program invited the
National Organic Standards Board members and the public attending the
National Organic Standards Board Meeting to meet with Secretary
Glickman at the USDA's Administration Building on Independence Ave.
3:30 PM, Wednesday, July 22. Undersecretary Romminger, Assistant
Secretary for Agricultural Marketing, Mike Dunn and Regulatory
Services and Enrique Figuereo Administrator of the Agricultural
Marketing Service were present along with other USDA staff.
Secretary Glickman indicated that it is evident from the number and
wide diversity of public comments received by the Department to the
Proposed Organic Rule that organic is a mainstream concern in the US.
The USDA is prepared to view it as such.
During the meeting, Secretary Glickman indicated the USDA is not
concerned about producing more corn and soybeans, but keeping more
farmers farming.
In his statement, Secretary Glickman assured the attendees substances
will be considered by the Department for inclusion on the National
List only if they are a recommendation of the National Organic
Standards Board after proper petition, review and evaluation. This is
consistent with the language and spirit of the Organic Foods
Production Act (OFPA) passed by the US Congress in 1990.
The Organic Farmers Marketing Association is appreciative that the
USDA has publicly indicated its support for implementation of the
Organic Foods Production Act as passed by Congress.
BACKGROUND ON THE BOARD AND THE NATIONAL LIST CONTENT AND PROCEDURES:
Quoting the Senate Committee Report accompanying passage of the Act:
"The Secretary is required to appoint a 13-member National Organic
Standards Board to assist generally in the development of standards
and specifically to formulate a Proposed National List. The Committee
regards this Board as an essential advisor to the Secretary on all
issues concerning this bill and anticipates that many of the key
decisions concerning standards will result from recommendations by
this Board."
The Boards key role in the National List process: "The Board is
authorized to hire a staff director and the Secretary may detail USDA
staff or provide for the hiring of staff to work with the Board. The
Board shall convene Technical Advisory Panels to provide scientific
evaluations of the materials considered for inclusion on the Proposed
National List. Such Technical Advisory Panels should include
agronomists, entomologists, toxicologists, soil scientists, and other
scientists with appropriate expertise in the task of the Panel. The
Board is generally responsible for advising the Secretary on all
aspects of the implementation of this bill. Specifically, the Board is
responsible for evaluating substances for inclusion on the Proposed
National List."
Details of the National List, its content and procedures for inclusion
on the List are found in the Senate Report: "The National List
Most consumers believe that absolutely no synthetic substances are
used in organic production. For the most part, they are correct and
this is the basic tenet of this legislation. But there are a few
limited exceptions to the no- synthetic rule and the National List is
designed to handle these exceptions.
Organic farmers have used some synthetic substances for several good
reasons. For example, some organic farmers use certain synthetic
analogues to natural substances when those substances are difficult to
obtain. Insect pheromones a often-used biological control substance in
organic farming, are very difficult to collect in nature and are
therefore synthetically produced. The Committee does not specifically
disallow the use of pheromones in organic farming simply because they
are synthetically produced when pheromones are effective and
ecologically benign. The Committee does not intend to allow the
use of many synthetic substances. This legislation has been carefully
written to prevent widespread exceptions or "loopholes" in the organic
standards which would circumvent the intent of this legislation. The
few synthetic substances that are widely recognized as safe and
traditionally used in organic production are explicitly cited in the
bill as potential items to be included on the National List if the
Board and the Secretary approve of their use.
The Board and the Secretary may consider allowing the use of synthetic
active ingredients in the following categories only: pheromones;
copper and sulfur compounds; soaps; horticultural oils; toxins derived
from bacteria; treated seed; fish emulsions; vitamins and minerals;
livestock parasiticide and medicines; and production aids such as
machinery cleansers (including netting, tree wraps and seals, insect
traps, sticky barriers, row covers, and equipment cleansers).
Organic farmers also use substances in which the active ingredient is
known to be natural but which also contain inert ingredients that are
undisclosed as a matter of trade secret law under the Federal
Insecticide Fungicide Rodenticide Act. The Committee suspects that
many of these inert ingredients are synthetic. For example, adjuvants
would fall into this category. Until such time as FIFRA is altered to
require the full disclosure of inert ingredients, organic farmers
should be allowed to continue using compounded substances if the
active ingredient is natural and if use of the substance is
recommended by the National Organic Standards Board and approved by
the Secretary for inclusion on the National List. However, in order
for the National Organic Standards Board to evaluate whether certain
compounds should be listed, the Board will need some information about
the inert ingredients in question. The Committee directs the Board to
seek the advice of the Administrator of the EPA, who has information
on inert ingredients submitted as part of registration, as to whether
such inert material would be appropriate for organic production.
EPA's response will not limit it's regulatory responsibility for
such material. Almost all state and private organization standards
also provide for certain exceptions from the no-synthetic rule, some
more explicitly than others.
Page 299
In deciding upon an acceptable list of materials for the Organic
Standards Board and the Secretary to consider the Committee surveyed
State and private regulations to ensure that the above categories,
while more restrictive than most of the current standards, will indeed
protect the integrity of the organic product while at the same time
provide the producer a reasonable amount of flexibility on production
materials. The Committee understands that just because a substance is
natural does not mean that it is safe and appropriate for organic
production. The National List may also include natural substances
otherwise allowed under this title but which are determined to be
harmful to human health or the environment and inconsistent with
organic farming. Certain botanical pesticides may be considered by
the Organic Standards Board and the Secretary to be inappropriate for
organic production because their use poses significant harm to human
health or the environment. Whatever natural items appear on the
National List shall be prohibited from use in organic production.
Finally, the National List is designed to cover ingredients used
inprocessing. The bill allows that up to five percent of processed
food labeled "organically produced" may contain non-synthetic
ingredients which are not organically produced if those ingredients
are included on the National List. The five percent figure was
arrived at after consulting with various organic food processors as
the amount of flexibility necessary in processed food. The Committee
intends that the guideline for processed food ingredients on the
National List be that some ingredients are difficult or impossible to
obtain. An example might be certain spices that are unavailable at
this time from an organic farm It may also include items that are not
technically organically produced such as yeast. Several steps must be
taken before an item appears on the National List in any of the above
categories. First the Organic Standards Board must review the
substances in question based upon criteria cited in the bill and with
the aid off the Board's technical panels. The Board may decide what
substances require review. As well, individuals may petition the Board
to evaluate substances for inclusion on the National List. The Board
then constructs a Proposed National List which is submitted to the
Secretary as a recommendation for composition of the Final National
List.
The Secretary may not include exemptions for synthetic substances
other than those exemptions recommended by the National Organic
Standards Board. The Proposed National List represents the universe of
synthetic materials from which the Secretary may choose. Before
establishing the final National List the Secretary shall publish the
Proposed National List in the Federal Register and seek Public
comment. The same procedures are to be followed for any amendments to
the National List."
FROM THE 101 ST CONGRESS
2nd Session SENATE REPORT 101-357
FOOD, AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION, AND TRADE ACT OF 1990
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY
UNITED STATES SENATE
TO ACCOMPANY S. 2830 together with ADDITIONAL AND MINORlTY VIEWS
JULY 6, l990 0rdered to be printed
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Michele Gale-Sinex, communications manager
Center for Integrated Ag Systems
UW-Madison College of Ag and Life Sciences
Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020
http://www.wisc.edu/cias/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
If you knew what life was worth, you
would look for yours on earth. --Bob Marley
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