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8/15/03
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1. Congress Introduces
Antibiotic Phase Out Legislation
2. GMO Cross-Pollination Threatens Farmer In Iowa
3. Agribusiness Accountability Initiative Website
Launched
4. Wanted Organic Standards Expert
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1. CONGRESS
INTRODUCES ANTIBIOTIC PHASE OUT LEGISLATION
The House and Senate
have both introduced bipartisan legislation to phase out the non-therapeutic
use of antibiotics in livestock. The bills would require
Phase out of antibiotics in livestock and poultry within the
next two years, unless the Food and Drug Administration
concludes that use of a drug in livestock does not contribute to
resistance in humans.
The Senate bill also
authorizes payments to assist farmers in ending non-therapeutic
use of antibiotics and authorizes research and demonstration
projects to identify ways to accomplish this.
Approximately 70% of
antibiotics used in the U.S. are fed to livestock for
non-therapeutic purposes (i.e., to promote growth rather than to
treat an infection), and it is now commonly accepted that this
practice is a major contributor to evolving drug resistance of
bacteria that cause disease in humans, perhaps second only to
overuse of antibiotics to treat human diseases.
In 2002, the
American Medical Association and more than 300 health, consumer,
agricultural, environmental, humane, religious and other
organizations endorsed federal
legislation calling for a phase-out of the routine use of
medically important antibiotics as feed additives in animal
agriculture. The coalition is now seeking endorsements of the
House and Senate bills from signatory groups and others.
2. GMO
CROSS POLLINATION CASE IN IOWA
As reported in the AgriNews
on August 12, traces of GMO crops continue to threaten the
livelihood and future of organic producers across America. The
increasing problem of "cross-pollination" was
highlighted this week when an Iowa farmer by the name of Laura
Krouse discovered traces of GMO corn in her organic corn crop.
Krouse has been
developing an open pollinated corn seed company, one of only a
few in the country, and is devastated that the GMO crop grown
across the road from her farm can ruin her business and her
future. "I want to be certified organic by
2005," Krouse said to ArgiNews, "But if I test
positive for genetically modified corn, what's going to happen?
Most of my customers will stop buying from me."
Experts agree that GMO crops pose a potential threat to organic
production, but little has been done to regulate any reduction
of the risk. In fact, experts say that GMO genes are
already widespread.
Last year,
cornfields in Iowa and Nebraska were destroyed after it was
feared they had been contaminated by test plots of corn
varieties that had been modified to produce pharmaceuticals,
vaccines and industrial products. Read
the full story.
3.
AGRIBUSINESS ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVE WEBSITE LAUNCHED
Those interested in
learning more about the invisible hand of multi- national
corporations in global food production now have a new resource
called the Agribusiness
Accountability Initiative. The website is sponsored by
the Center of Concern and the National Catholic Rural Life
Council and seeks "to inspire collaborative responses to
corporate power in the global food system."
With a focus on vertical integration and concentration, the
website offers a well balanced overview of the many problems and
solutions. It outlines a host of impacts ranging from the
effects of current farming practices on farmers and farm
workers, to public concerns related to human health and the far
ranging environmental impacts of concentrated agriculture.
While the "data" section is still under development, a
promised "industry matrix" will offer insights into
concentration within the various food sectors. Finally,
the website takes a proactive approach with the presentation of
"global responses" to the problem and contains links
to groups working on solving specific components of this
daunting issue. Read
more.
4. WANTED:
ORGANIC STANDARDS EXPERT
The Agricultural
Marketing Service is accepting nominations for a technical
expert to serve on a peer-review panel to evaluate the National
Organic Program's (NOP) accreditation program. The
technical expert will join two assessors from the American
National Standards Institute to review accreditation procedures,
site evaluation reports, and accreditation decision documents,
and to report findings to the manager of the National Organic
Program. The Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking a
candidate with "demonstrable knowledge of organic
production and handling methods and certification
procedures" and preferably "demonstrable knowledge of
NOP guidelines." The deadline for submission of nominations
is September 12, 2003. The call
for nominations can be found under the Agricultural
Marketing Service heading.
Cultivating a vision where
rural and urban communities join together
to ensure abundant family farms, healthy critters, clean water and
a wild Earth.
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Rural Updates!
Scotty Johnson and Aimee Delach
National Rural Community Outreach Campaign
sjohnson@defenders.org
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