Food & Agriculture Update | Winter 2009
Contents
- Summary
- Genetic Engineering
- Organic Pasture Requirements
- Green Cuisine: Organic Flavors in the Pacific Northwest
Summary
In the waning hours of the Bush administration, UCS kept an eye on last-minute regulatory changes. Thousands of UCS activists objected to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposal to weaken oversight of genetically engineered crops, particularly those grown to produce drugs and industrial chemicals. UCS supporters also played a huge role in supporting a USDA proposal to improve the integrity of the organic label on beef and dairy products. We also continued to highlight the work of farmers and chefs working together to promote food that is tasty and good for the environment in our recurring feature, Green Cuisine.
Genetic Engineering
In the waning hours of the current administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a proposal to weaken its already insufficient biotechnology regulations. Thousands of UCS activists joined UCS in objecting to this proposal, particularly regarding genetically engineered (GE) crops that produce drugs and industrial chemicals. We also worked with dozens of UCS supporters who submitted more detailed, personalized comments to the USDA. The volume of comments generated nearly guarantees that this detrimental proposal will not be finalized before January 20, and we will continue to work to protect the food supply as the next administration begins.
Meanwhile, UCS spoke out as the USDA revealed yet another failure of its current regulations to protect the U.S. food supply. The department announced that Monsanto harvested an unapproved variety of GE cottonseed and allowed it to contaminate crops subsequently fed to food animals. This event is the latest in a string of contamination incidents demonstrating the USDA's inability to contain GE crops.
Finally, UCS called on the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw and rethink its new, largely voluntary guidelines for GE animals. These guidelines are insufficient, as they rely on a drug regulation framework for oversight of the wholly different area of GE animals. In addition, these guidelines fall short by failing to require that GE animals be labeled as such.
Organic Pasture Requirements
UCS and thousands of activists cheered the release of a USDA proposal to end loopholes that have allowed some producers of organic beef and dairy to raise their animals in CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations). If the regulations are enacted, producers will be required to give cows and other ruminant animals meaningful access to pasture and guarantee that significant portions of their diet come from grazed grass and other vegetation when the weather allows. This change will restore the confidence of consumers who expect that beef and dairy labeled “organic” comes from animals that have been raised to the greatest extent possible on pasture.
Green Cuisine: Organic Flavors in the Pacific Northwest
The latest edition of Green Cuisine puts the spotlight on a thriving and interconnected food system in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle's critically acclaimed Tilth Restaurant is one of the few certified organic restaurants in the country. Here, executive chef and owner Maria Hines serves up cheeses from nearby creameries and dishes with regional ingredients like huckleberries, Walla Walla onions, and Northwest salmon and mussels. One of her local vegetable suppliers is Andrew Stout, owner of Full Circle Farm. This mid-size organic farm is succeeding commercially while also maintaining local water quality and creating healthy habitats for wildlife, including endangered native salmon. See the beautiful photo slideshow and get a FREE recipe from Hines celebrating the changing seasons!
