No More Organic Farming - If HR 875 Becomes Law
Organic farming could very well become a thing of the past. That is, if House Resolution 875 gets passed into law. Introduced by Ted Kennedy, Dick Durbin and others (and created by powerful lobby groups), this bill would essentially outlaw organic farming by requiring the use of chemical pesticides.
Do you like having organic options when you go to the grocery store? Foods that haven’t been treated with pesticides, beef that hasn’t been injected with hormones, and that sort of thing?
Well, you may have to say goodbye to those options in the near future. Organic farming is under attack by the factory farming giants, and as I write this blog post they are trying to get a bill passed that would essentially abolish organic farming and mandate pesticides across the board.
This One is Extra Sneaky
Lobbyists sure are sneaky. When the entire U.S. population is distracted by the economic crisis, they rush in to pass legislation related to other areas. You’d be surprised what you can pass through Congress when nobody is paying attention.
That’s exactly what is happening with the so-called Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009. The name sure sounds good. Safety and modernization — who doesn’t want that? But if you spend a few moments actually reading this proposed legislation, you’ll soon realize what lurks beneath the surface. In essence, this bill is an attempt by factory farming giants to abolish the organic farming industry by requiring the use of pesticides.
Go ahead and let that sink in for a moment. I’ll wait.
Yes, you heard right. The big factory farming companies (the ones who used all kinds of additives, pesticides, hormones, etc.) are so fed up with the organic farming movement that they are trying to abolish it. If passed, that’s what this bill would do. Oh sure, they make it sound like a move to protect consumers. That’s why I call this bill “extra sneaky.” It is cleverly disguised as a consumer protection act.
But let’s be honest here — it’s purely an attempt to eliminate organic farming by mandating the use of pesticides. Why? Because the factory farming corporations and the National Restaurant Association (i.e., lobbyists) are losing ground to the organic farming movement. So instead of welcoming the agricultural diversity and consumer options created by organic farming, these pesticide-loving giants are seeking to destroy organic farming altogether. And they’re using your congressional representatives to do it.
Does this make you angry? If not, here is some more fuel for your fire. HR 875, was introduced by Rosa DeLauro whose husband Stanley Greenburg works for Monsanto. You probably don’t know that name unless you’re a small-time farmer, in which case you’d recognize Monsanto as a corporate giant trying to crush community agriculture and organic farming efforts. Do a Google search for Monsanto and you’ll quickly learn what kind of company they are — sort of like the Enron of agriculture, if you ask me.
Still not angry? Try this one on for size. One of the key supporters of HR 875 is none other than Senator Chris Dodd from Connecticut. You know that name, don’t you? He’s the guy that wrote the clause allowing AIG to give out bonuses funded by taxpayer dollars — the ultimate lobbyist-driven politician.
Here’s What You Need to Do
If you like having organic food options at the grocery store … of if you like the idea of community-supported agricultural and farming … then send a fax or email to your congressional representative today. Americans have a way of sleeping through the passage of certain bills, and them complaining about them after they’ve become law (when it’s too late). So wake up, little snoozies! Write to your representative and tell them how much you oppose this bill.
The backers of the bill are hoping you’ll keep on snoozing and looking the other way. That’s why they are trying to rush it through. Prove them wrong. Let your voice be heard. And steer as many intelligent people to this blog post as you possibly can.
Make no mistake about it. If this bill passes, there will be no more organic farming anywhere in the country. Thousands of small businesses will be crushed, from the organic farmers themselves to the restaurants who buy from them. The fast-growing and popular concepts of community-supported agriculture (CSA) and backyard gardens will become a thing of the past. The word “organic” will disappear from you local supermarket shelves. Pesticides will be mandatory.
If you think I’m making this up simply as a scare tactic, read the bill for yourself. And read through all of the puffery about “consumer protection.”
March 21, 2009 12:59 pm
By Tracy Sullivan, March 22, 2009 @ 10:17 am
I had no idea and I wouldn’t if not for the Cornet’s I’m happy I read this and can help to do something about it by passing this along. Please Do the Same! Open more eyes and get as many as you can a write your reps and congressmen!! We all need to make a stand here!! It WON’T magically block itself!!! Do this if not for youeself then for your kids!! They’ll have a bigger monster to fight later down the line if we give this up now!
Please…WRITE ON!!
By Carol Brouwer, March 25, 2009 @ 7:30 am
Read the bill. It in no way seeks to inhibit organic farmers or mandate pesticides in any way. It is an attempt to keep us all from eating food laced with e. coli or worse. Contrary to their claim, I think the author is making this up as a scare tactic. It’s amazing they suggest you read the bill and provide the link. I guess they assume no one will.
By Brandon, March 25, 2009 @ 8:11 am
Hi Carol.
Thanks for chiming in. No, I’m not trying to scare anyone. I’m trying to help people read between the lines. Did you read this bill entirely? If you truly read the whole thing, and you still don’t get it, then you’re not the audience I’m trying to reach. I’m trying to reach politically savvy citizens who realize how sneaky lobbyists can be.
I am not trying to scare people. I am saying exactly what will happen if this bill gets passed. The people behind this bill are the ones using scare tactics. And it seems to be working, because they have scared you into thinking it’s a necessary protection. Ask yourself this. If we already have several government agencies (like the FDA) that inspect our food production, why do we need a new one with unlimited powers?
Of course they don’t use the words “outlaw organics” or “mandate pesticides” in this bill. If you are familiar with Capitol Hill, you’ll know that’s how the process works. If they said, “We are going to criminalize organic farming,” people would go bananas. Instead, they use a bill to create a regulatory body that will mandate the use of certain pesticides and food production methods (i.e., non-organic).
This bill also stipulates that the new agency can hire certain “consultants” (i.e., factory farming lobbyists) and pay them unlimited sums for their time, their travel, their expertise, their per diem expense, etc. Why does it add this unusual clause? Because those lobbyists are the ones who crafted the bill. This kind of thing is blatant money-lining, and it’s actually written right into the bill. If that doesn’t alarm you, then you have your head in the sand. Sorry, but that’s the reality of the situation.
Reading this bill for the phrase “outlawing organics” is like reading the Patriot Act for any mention of the phrase “spying on Americans.” Of course it’s not going to say that. But if you read it entirely, and you pause to reflect upon the meaning, it becomes pretty darn obvious. At least to some.
P.S. — Do a Google search for “HR 875″ and see what you come up with. Thankfully, there are thousands of people capable of understanding what is taking place here. I only hope they can make up for the legions of sleepy-minded folks out there. You’ll also find some folks who have broken down the key parts of this bill, and translated those parts into non-lobbyist language for regular folks. Who knows, you might find it enlightening. Or not.