Talking about: Farm bill, Food safety, Grassfed beef, USDA, FDA

“Politicians are fond of sticking out their chests and declaring that America’s farm policies will be written in Washington, not Geneva. That’s a good applause line, but at the same time Congress has rightly determined that it makes sense to participate in a global organization that establishes trade rules. American farmers depend upon the export market. For every two acres of wheat we grow, one is shipped abroad. The last thing we need is for our customers to quit buying because their governments are imposing tariffs with the approval of the World Trade Organization.”
(Source: New York Times, October 15, 2007)
Dean Kleckner, farmer, chairman of Truth About Trade and Technology, president of the American Farm Bureau from 1986 to 2000, in an editorial asking for a closer match between America’s farm policies and international trading standards.
>PS: Policy making ONLY in Washington? When such one-sided thinking is done in other countries, we condemn it as ultra-nationalism.

"The USDA rules for grassfed claims don't serve consumers or farmers well. Consumers of grassfed products want animals raised on pasture without growth hormones or antibiotics. Farmers need a standard that will preserve consumer trust in grassfed claims and protect the value of this important niche market. By focusing exclusively on feed, the USDA standard leaves the door open for an industrial model of agriculture that absolutely goes against public expectations for grassfed products. The USDA standard simply doesn't go far enough to make a meaningful and marketable grassfed label. This will confuse consumers and it will hurt the farmers and ranchers who pioneered grassfed."
(Source: American Grassfed Association press release, October 17, 2007)
Carrie Balkcom, AGA director, rejecting the new USDA grassfed label.
>PS: Follow the money. Widening the definition lets the more powerful players in the game and they don’t want to play by the original rules.

“It was the worst experience of my life. Every day I was just basically praying, hoping that she would get through this. Our food is supposed to be safe. Well, it’s definitely not safe enough.” Cynthia Cintura, a mother talking about the effects of E. coli on her 4 year old daughter, Lauren.
“…anyone using ground beef needs to assume that meat is contaminated and handle it accordingly. That means cooking it thoroughly and preventing cross-contamination. You, dear consumer, are the last line of defense.”
(Source: MSNBC, October 17, 2007)
Herb Weisbaum, MSNBC’s ‘Consumerman,’ talking about the recent recalls and suggesting a course of action that would have prevented Lauren’s illness.
>PS: Herb speaks a painful truth. Here’s something our grandparents knew and to many of us have forgotten - all foods are hazardous when they’re not handled and prepared correctly…beef, pork, poultry, spinach, broccoli, potato salad, etc.

"The USDA has become a toothless tiger when it comes to keeping our meat clean and safe. Ensuring the safety of our meat and poultry requires immediate action."
(Source: New Jersey Star-Ledger, October 15, 2007)
Charles Schumer, U.S. Senator, (D-N.Y.) Responding to nationwide recalls by two frozen hamburger companies by claiming he would push for legislation to improve federal oversight of meat safety.
>PS: Only when political pressure reaches critical mass does anything get done in Washington.

"There is agreement that the current system of FDA inspections at the border doesn't work, and there is agreement that FDA needs additional resources and there is a conceptual agreement that this prevention model is the way to go."
(Source: Baltimore Sun, October 18, 2007)
William Hubbard, spokesman for a coalition of groups trying to boost the agency's budget.
>PS: A major increase in food that needs to be inspected, no increase in budget? Time to spend some cash on something other than the usual Washington pork barrel politics.