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Regional Farm & Food Project September 2005 News If you are looking for ways to restore the balance between global and local, these stories should interest you! 6 news stories:
Analysis Shows How Millions of Dollars Spent in Lobbying and Elections Has Helped Thwart Key Food Labeling Law A new Public Citizen investigation illustrates how big agribusiness used millions of dollars in lobbying expenditures and campaign contributions, and a network of Washington insiders with close connections to the Bush administration and Congress, to thwart a consumer-friendly provision mandating country-of-origin labeling, popularly known as COOL. Mandatory country-of-origin labeling would require beef, pork, lamb, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, fish, and peanuts to be labeled with where they were raised, grown or produced. Although the 2002 Farm Bill stipulated that the new program be implemented by September 2004, mandatory COOL has been postponed by Congress - where lawmakers are under intense pressure from the meat and grocery industries - for two years. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to once again delay COOL's implementation for meat until 2007. Industry is strongly lobbying the Senate to either delay the funding for the USDA to work on COOL or turn it into a "voluntary" program. "If you ask consumers, they'll tell you they want COOL, but it's apparent that Congress isn't listening. We've already watched members of the House dismiss their constituents by voting to delay this important consumer act. We urge the Senate not to follow in their footsteps," said Wenonah Hauter, director of Public Citizen's food program. "Consumers deserve to know where their meat is produced, and in light of all the problems our food system faces on a daily basis, COOL would serve as a vital precautionary measure." Among the investigation's findings:
One revealing example of the influence of money in politics lies in Arkansas, where lawmakers strongly supported country-of-origin labels for all food because of the state's catfish industry, which has suffered in recent years by an influx of a catfish-like species from Vietnam. But once the delegation got its way on fish labels, support disappeared for broader COOL legislation. All six members of the delegation are co-sponsoring a bill that would end the requirement for COOL labeling of meat. They received $338,500 from COOL foes in the last three election cycles. Also, among sponsors of the voluntary COOL legislation, the Arkansas delegation accounted for the only three Democrats among the top 30 recipients of contributions from COOL opponents: Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Reps. Marion Berry and Mike Ross. "It is easy to understand how money works against consumers' interests in politics by considering that the COOL legislation made it through Congress with a strong show of support a few years ago, only to be corralled by a strong industry lobbying effort capped by a cornucopia of campaign cash," said Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch. To read the report, "Tabled Labels: Consumers Eat Blind While Congress Feasts on Campaign Cash" go to www.citizen.org or www.sustainableagriculture.net/COOL_PubCitPressRel.php 2. Organic Standards Remain Under Attack Call the Capitol Switchboard at: 202-224-3121. TELL YOUR SENATORS NOT TO WEAKEN OUR ORGANIC LAW! A recent court decision ruled that the Organic Foods Production Act does not allow synthetic (non-natural) ingredients to be used in foods labeled "organic" and must ensure a strong standard under which dairy cows are converted to organic milk production. After rejecting efforts by members of the public interest and environmental community to reach an agreement on these issues, major food processors in the organic food industry are pushing Congress to quietly change the law to allow the use of such synthetic ingredients and potentially weaken the organic dairy standards. This industry's amendments to change the organic food law have been introduced on the floor of the U.S. Senate in the past week. More specifically the industry's amendments could permanently allow synthetic processing aids and food contact substances, including over 500 food contact substances, to be used in organic foods without any type of public review for their safety and compatibility with organic production and processing. The amendments would leave unresolved whether young dairy cows could be treated with antibiotics and then converted to organic after twelve months. And the amendments would create a serious new loophole in which organic ingredients could be substituted with non-organic ingredients without any consumer notice based upon "emergency decrees." We encourage you to take action NOW to protect organic standards. For details visit www.centerforfoodsafety.org. 3. Biodegradable Tableware Made From Ag Byproducts The Regional Farm & Food Project is partnering with Biocorp of Rogers, Minnesota, and McEnroe Organic Farm of Millerton, NY, to make their annual feast a zero waste event -- meaning that the event will not generate a waste stream. "Through Farmers' Hands -- A Country Prom" will introduce a line of 100% biodegradable tableware made from agriculture by-products, highlighting the connection between ag innovation and farm profitability, and the sustainability of our culture and community. All food waste and tableware from the feast will be composted at McEnroe Farm and returned to the soil within 180 days. No plastic will be used at the feast, and all glassware will be re-used. According to Forbes Magazine, "Some of the world's trash dumps are so big they can be seen from outer space. A swirling reef of bottles, bags and netting already spans hundreds of miles in a windless dead zone of the Pacific Ocean...Oil is the bedrock of the world's plastics industry, which uses it to produce 450 billion pounds of plastics annually for everything from houses to computers." (3/22/2005 www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/0328/108_print.html) Composting is an excellent method for managing organic residues and by-products. By removing organics from our waste stream we not only recycle but we also return to the earth a rich valuable resource capable of sustaining new and healthier plant life. Composting promotes waste reduction. Waste reduction is essential as our human population grows and the strain on our natural resources increases. Regional Farm & Food Project is using their feast to teach people the long-term benefits of reducing the waste they generate. By reducing the amount of garbage we send to the landfill we conserve natural and other resources, improve the environment, and reduce garbage collection and management costs. The McEnroe Farm enterprise works 700 acres of organic certified land, including 75 acres of vegetables. They also grow beef, pork, chicken and grains. They employ 30 people year-round and make their farm fresh food available to the public at a large farm stand that includes a commercial kitchen and a prepared foods carry-out business. Compost is a critical part of the farm business. McEnroe takes in yard waste from Westchester County and manure from other farms. Their commercial composting facility produces 40,000 lbs. of compost per year and is the main source of fertility on their farm. It is also one of their most well known farm products. McEnroe Organic Compost is sold at farm stands and nurseries throughout the region. Biocorp® is the exclusive supplier in the U.S. for a line of cutlery (fork, knife, spoon, sample spoon and spork) that is heat resistant and does not have after tastes or corn allergy concerns. It is a molded cellulose fiber/limestone product that does not contain any plastic resin, is DIN certified and biodegrades in active compost systems. It is white in color, yet distinct in appearance. The cutlery is made from a chemical compound of biopolymers (such as starch and proteins from corn), organic filling agents (primarily limestone for strength) and biologically recyclable additive agents (such as cellulose). The combination of these properties represents a perfect compromise between the opposing demands of effective biodegradability and food resistance and high thermal stability (heat resistance). The product consists of over 60% of renewable resources. Biocorp food service ware includes paper cups and plates coated with biodegradable resin. Another line of heavy-duty fiber ware (plates, trays, bowls, cups, lunch boxes and compartment trays) is made from sugar cane. Sugar cane is an annually renewable feedstock favored over tree-based products. When sugar is harvested, the stalk remains and it is this refuse that is used in the production of our fiber products along with palm fiber refuse. Biocorp's line of clear biodegradable cups/lids, clams and deli containers made from PLA (polylactic acid) which resembles the look of any clear plastic cup. More information is available at www.BiocorpAAVC.com. "Through Farmers' Hands — A Country Prom" is Monday, September 26th from 6:00 to 10:00 pm at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs, New York. The feast features farm fresh local foods prepared and served by farmers and chefs, as well as old time country music and a live art auction, all to benefit the Regional Farm & Food Project. The feast is sponsored by the Greater Berkshire Foundation funded by Berkshire Bank, and Solaqua Power & Art, an arts and science education center powered by sunlight and water in Chatham, NY (solaqua.org). Tickets may be purchased online at www.farmandfood.org. Wendell Berry Calls for Renewed Husbandry An essay by Wendell Berry that appears in the current issue of Orion Magazine says that the industrialization of agriculture has caused it to operate out of context, and against social and ecological rules. As the long-term unsustainability of industrial agriculture becomes more apparent, Berry calls for a return to farming based on the concept of husbandry; of caring for the soil and livestock in a way that conserves and sustains them. Berry's essay contrasts the concept of husbandry with the idea of agricultural science that attempts to oversimplify a complex system. www.oriononline.org/pages/om/05-5om/Berry.html 5. Common Pesticide Linked to Reduced Fertility in Women Common Pesticide May Reduce Fertility in Women Methoxychlor (MXC), a common insect pesticide used on food crops, may interfere with proper development and function of the reproductive tract, leading to reduced fertility in women, researchers at Yale School of Medicine write in the August issue of Endocrinology. The researchers found that MXC, which was manufactured as a safer replacement for the now-banned DDT, alters the estrogen-regulated gene Hoxa10 in the reproductive tract and reduces the ability of the uterus to support embryo implantation. The researchers used mice and then human cell lines to confirm their findings. MXC is a man-made pesticide used to kill flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and other insects, and is applied directly to food crops, livestock, home gardens and pets. It is one of a large number of chemicals that can mimic the action of hormones and in some instances interfere with endocrine function. Some of these endocrine disruptors bind estrogen receptors and adversely affect reproductive tract development, which is heavily influenced by estrogen. MXC and other chemicals like DDT have been shown in other studies to induce abnormalities in tissue development and function in the female reproductive tract. “MXC has an adverse effect on these mice similar to that of DES, a synthetic estrogen,” said senior author Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. “Female offspring of women exposed to DES were more likely to have an abnormally shaped cervix, were more prone to cancer of the vagina, miscarriages, early labor and other complications.” MXC is most commonly applied to a long list of crops including apples, grapes, sweet potatoes and cabbage. www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/05-09-06-02.all.html 6. 8 Artists Supporting Local Farmers These artists have donated works to the Regional Farm & Food Project to raise funds for the organization and support its work advocating for small farms. The works will be auctioned at "Through Farmers' Hands -- A Country Prom" on Monday, September 26th at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs. Details at www.farmandfood.org.
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