Even though the danger is gone, it is still worth reading some of the articles written on this subject. Organic standards will be subject to attacks like this in the future almost for sure and we should be prepared and understand what is happening.
ZNet published on May 29 The Organic Foods Movement - Led By Heinz Corporation Or We The People? by Paul Cienfuegos
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In the past few weeks, the USDA has once again attempted to weaken the federal organics standards that so many Americans have worked hard to enshrine into federal law. These changes would have allowed food labeled as "USDA Organic" to contain hormones and antibiotics in dairy cattle, pesticides on produce and potentially contaminated fishmeal as feed for livestock. As happened with a number of other outrageous recent USDA actions, citizens groups and the organic food industry rallied in opposition, and were successful in reversing the proposed changes.
The newest round of protests against such changes reminds us of the more than 200,000 letters Americans sent to the USDA back in 1997/98 pleading with the agency to not allow toxic sludge, irradiated food, and GMOs to be included in a list of allowable food growing practices for the then-new federal organic food regulations. The USDA backed down then as well, in the face of the outpouring of public opinion. It seems we have won again. Or have we?
Could it be that handing regulatory authority over to the USDA regarding organic foods creates a larger problem than it solves? And is it conceivable that this problem could have been averted entirely if we the people had thought more critically about our safe food movement's own decision-making processes?
The Organic Consumers Association run a series of articles on the issue:
Action Alert from Organic Family Farmers to USDA on Degrading Organic Standards
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It's time for organic consumers and farmers to draw a line in the sand. Now that organic agriculture is a 12 billion dollar industry, it is squarely in the crosshairs of multinational corporate sharpshooters. Some want to discredit organics and kill the hope it offers farmers. Others manufacturers prices, and endangering the integrity of organic agriculture (factory farms, nonorganic inputs, and imported ingredients with questionable certification).
Large multinational corporations like General Mills, Kelloggs, Heinz, Dean's, and Dannon are gobbling up organic concerns and contracting out to factory farms or importing their ingredients, and raising prices to the consumer while sometimes cutting what they're paying farmers.
USDA Backs Down on Attempt to Degrade Organic Standards
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Agriculture Department is dropping new organic food guidelines that allowed limited use of pesticides and antibiotics and drew criticism from some consumer groups and organic farmers.
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced the action Wednesday after critics said the guidelines made the organic label seem less meaningful. The department's Agricultural Marketing Service, which oversees the guidelines, will work with industry representatives to clarify the standards, she said.
VICTORY: USDA Reverses Weakening of Organic Standards
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Over the past few weeks America's organic standards had once again come under heavy attack. First the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) announced on April 14 that they would no longer monitor or police "organic" labels on non-food products, literally opening the door for unscrupulous companies to put bogus organic labels on products such as fish, body care products, pet foods, fertilizer, and clothing. Then on April 28 the Feds shocked everyone by announcing that pesticides, animal drugs, growth hormones, antibiotics, and tainted fishmeal would be allowed on organic farms.
