I fully share Sal's outrage. As an "organic consumer" I like to know that the
products I buy are indeed organic. That does not mean the farmers should have to
bleed to death in order to show that they are organic.The same thing more or
less happens here in my own country. The fees just make it impossible for small
organic producers to get their businesses from the ground. I really hope you
manage to stop this fee madness.
wytze
sal wrote:
> Fees and other charges will be assessed and collected from applicants for
> initial accreditation and accredited certifying agents submitting annual
> reports or seeking renewal of accreditation organic farmer pays
>
> When service is requested at a place away from the evaluator's headquarters,
> the fee for such service shall include a per diem charge if the employee(s)
> performing the service is paid per diem in accordance with existing travel
> regulations. Per diem charges to applicants and certifying agents will cover
> the same period of time for which the evaluator(s) receives per diem
> reimbursement
> organic farmer pays
>
> The certifying agent may require applicants for certification to pay at the
> time of application a nonrefundable fee of no more than $250.00 which must
> be applied to the applicant's fees-for-service account.
> organic farmer pays
>
> When costs, other than fees-for-service, travel charges, and per diem
> charges are associated with providing the services, the applicant or
> certifying agent will be charged for these costs. Such costs include, but
> are not limited to, equipment rental, photocopying, delivery, facsimile,
> telephone, or translation charges incurred in association with accreditation
> services. The amount of the costs charged will be determined
> administratively by the Department. Such costs will become effective for all
> applicants for initial accreditation and accredited certifying agents on the
> effective date of subpart F.
>
> the organic farmer pays
>
> ) Application and Administrative Fees. We have removed the provisions which
> required certifying agents to pay application and administrative fees. These
> fee provisions have been replaced with provisions for the assessment of fees
> for service equal as nearly as may be to the cost of the accreditation
> services rendered under these regulations. In other words, we will be
> assessing fees and charges only for activities related to accreditation.
> These fees and charges will be assessed and collected from applicants for
> initial accreditation and accredited certifying agents submitting annual
> reports or seeking renewal of accreditation.
> organic farmer pays
> We have retained the requirement, with modification, that certifying agents
> reimburse the Department for travel, per diem, and related other costs
> associated with providing accreditation services
> organic farmer pays
>
> State and private entities as accredited organic certifying agents are
> similar to those used to certify other types of product or system
> certification programs under the QSCP, we have decided to use this existing
> program and its staff in examining certifying agents' operations and
> evaluating their compliance with the Act and these regulations. Using the
> QSCP and its staff will enable the NOP to provide the necessary services
> without creating a separate bureaucracy. Hourly fees to be charged for
> services under this program will be the same as those under the QSCP,
> currently estimated at $95.00 per hour.
>
> organic farmer pay
>
> Certifying agents will be charged for accreditation service at the published
> hourly rate on the first day of the nineteenth month following the effective
> date of subpart F.
>
> Over 15,000 comments were received on fees, with
> organic farmer pays
>
> The Act provides that each State may implement a certification program for
> producers and handlers of agricultural products that have been produced and
> handled within the State, using organic methods that meet the requirements
> of this regulation
>
> Such a State may request that its more restrictive buffer zone requirements
> be established as the minimum buffer zone requirements of this regulation.
>
> the organic farmer pay
>
> Under the residue testing requirements of the NOP, we propose that all
> agricultural products sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced
> be available for inspection by the Administrator, State program's governing
> State official, or certifying agent. Organic farms and handling operations
> must be made available for inspection under proposed Subpart E,
> Certification. In addition, products from the aforementioned organic
> operations may be required by the State program's governing State official
> or certifying agent to undergo preharvest or postharvest testing when there
> is reason to believe that agricultural products to be sold or labeled as
> organically produced have come into contact with prohibited substances. The
> cost of such testing will be borne by the applicable certifying party and is
> considered a cost of doing business. Accordingly, certifying agents should
> make provisions for the cost of preharvest or postharvest residue testing
> when structuring certification fees.
>
> the organic farmer pays
>
> ) any harvested crop or plant part to be harvested that has contact with a
> prohibited substance applied as the result of a Federal or State emergency
> pest eradication or disease treatment program cannot be sold, labeled, or
> represented as "100 percent organic," "organic," or "made with organic
> (specified ingredients)"; and (2) any livestock that are treated with a
> prohibited substance applied as the result of a Federal or State emergency
> pest or disease treatment program or product derived from such treated
> livestock cannot be sold, labeled, or represented as "100 percent organic,"
> "organic," or "made with organic (specified ingredients)."
>
> State programs' governing State officials and certifying agents may test
> agricultural inputs used for organic production and require preharvest or
> postharvest testing of any agricultural product to be sold, labeled, or
> represented as "100 percent organic," "organic," or "made with organic
> (specified ingredients)" when there is reason to believe that the
> agricultural product has come into contact with prohibited substances. This
> change allows State programs' governing State officials and certifying
> agents to perform preharvest and postharvest residue testing on a
> case-by-case basis
> Drift is defined as the physical movement of prohibited substances from the
> intended target site onto an organic production operation or any portion
> thereof. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB or Board) recommended
> that agricultural products exposed to drift not be sold, labeled, or
> represented as "100 percent organic," "organic," or "made with organic
> (specified ingredients)" or fed to livestock on organic operations.
>
> the organic farmer pays and pays and pays
>
> no due process/ the organic farmer is always guilty and has to prove he is
> not guilty every year for the rest of his life. the organic farmer pays and
> pays and proves and proves and still here they come again.
> I can go on and on and don't think things like Regulatory impact assesment
> or Unfunded mandates act or Paper work reduction act or civil justice reform
> or federalism will help because they don't mean what they claim its only
> smoke and mirrors. the usda say they want to help the small grower but the
> shepherd feeds the flock and not just fleeces it. they are taking they are
> not giving us anything and they just took our word. Organic
>
> then u got your certifier and the local chapter and the inspector and the
> state and their cars and their computer and their kids need their teeth fix
> and on and on . you get the idea . a big hole a bottomless pit needs
> feeding and the organic farmer will pay and pay and pay and for what to be
> known as no safer or no better for the earth than conventional farmer.
> not a good deal= u think
>
> check out an organic farmers homepage
> http://www.rain.org/~sals/.my.html
> sals@rain.,org
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Schinnerer" <John-Schinnerer@data-dimensions.com>
> To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2000 3:49 PM
> Subject: "Organic" rip-off
>
> > Aloha,
> >
> > My hat is off to all those who worked to keep GMOs, irradiation, sludge
> and
> > so on out of the "organic" standards proposal. This is a good thing. An
> > irradiation plant is almost certain to be built on the Big Island, but
> even
> > if "organic" food goes in what comes out can't be labeled "organic."
>
> the USDA did not stop GMO and Irradiatiion and sludge we did my certifier
> and most all others did . the USDA only tried to make that stuff organic. u
> got it wrong. they are not savors of organic the people said no way and they
> for once bowed to the people and took that off for now but don't forget the
> USDA has taken over organic and that may be all back on tomorrow . they got
> our word we don't have it anymore. so lots of folks did fight and I rejoice
> but that was the big smoke screen for the takeover. those were never
> organic so don't take we will give u a inch and take a mile as a friendly
> jester. folks already have to be certified to sell abroad and folks alread
> have to be certified to sell to the big players we don't need this add pain
> and complete takeover. bussiness was and is taking care of bussiness those
> that need certification can get it those that don't are not forced into it .
> This is a game and it is the organic grower that is being gamed. already I
> am paying way to many folks don't need even more fees and even more paper
> work and even more time kissing up. read the fee part and know one thing
> every time is says pay its the farmer that is paying even when they say
> certifier pays it is the farmer that pays every time and they don't say the
> amount because all these folks get to charge what they can. the inspectors
> want another raise ok the farmer pays we don't care they want a nother
> residue test ok the farmer will pay they want a new computer ok the farmer
> will pay a we need to take a trip and have a meeting ok the farmer can pay
> we need to hire more help ok the farmer will pay we need the state to
> regester every one ok the farmer will pay we need the fed gov. in on this ok
> no big deal the farmer will pay. were im I suppose to get all this extra
> money they will not let u print it. we need barriers from folks that spray
> ok the farmer will give up his land and if we release GMO or spray the
> organic farmer will pay don't wory. the inspector has to come from tin buck
> too and needs a motel and massage don't worry the farmer will pay. and must
> pay force to pay under law if he want to tell his customers he is organic
> he will pay of get out. read the fees and tell me what will it cost . it
> is all up in the air all I know is the farmer will pay does pay and will pay
> more and more and for what . a stamp that will not mean anything in a few
> year now that the USDA owns the name. don't give them kodos for not
> allowing the big three we knew the big three were not organic all along.
> Just so No to making the farmer pay to grow organic. enough is enough .
> > And...
> >
> > A pattern I see is that the USDA/agribusiness complex (the USDA is
> > systemically wedded to agribusiness, not small growers) is doing what it
> > does as a system to make sure that "organic" as a certification will
> profit
> > "organic" agribusiness (an oxymoron if ever I heard one). The big ones
> can
> > afford the overhead of paying multiple layers of fees and/or payoffs to
> > government certification agencies and/or agents. Small growers can't, and
> > will be squeezed out. This is the dominant business model in all other
> > arenas of commodity commerce, so if one wishes to play that game there are
> > plenty of examples of what course that game will take. The details of the
> > "organic standards" rules and regulations do not significantly affect the
> > nature of the larger game. MegaOrganics, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary
> of
> > Monsanto) here we come... ;-)
> >
> > Sal offers solutions in his comment about how the food speaks for itself -
> > *if*a grower steps out of the agribusiness food-as-commodity box and does
> a
> > CSA or local direct farmer's market or alternative currency or barter or
> > other clever schemes yet to be designed. The common pattern in such
> designs
> > is that there is a close relation between food-producer and client - they
> > know each other personally as human beings and that *is* the
> > "certification." Of course there can be betrayals of trust in these
> > relations, but at least each party is taking direct responsibility for
> these
> > relations rather than wanting to place that responsibility somewhere else.
> >
> > One of the most basic pathologies here is the desire to "own" some
> > "standard" called "organic" and use it in place of actual human relatings
> > and personal responsibility for one's choices and actions.
> >
> > John Schinnerer
> >
> > ---
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