As a result of a larger market for organic foods with overall lower costs to consumers, many organic products today have been “industrialized” and come from large farms, other countries or huge processing plants of which many are not strictly processing organic foods. There have been more product recalls and more flaws in the system of tracking down the location of a product than ever before. The trust in our food system continues to get worse.

Now new legislation currently being discussed in Congress could put in danger some organic and local farms. This legislation is intended to “fix” our broken food system, particularly the Food Safety Modernization Act (HR875). And the FDA Globalization ACT (HR759), which offer a “one size fits all” standard approach and have industrial scale farms in mind, not the smaller organic producers, putting these at a competitive disadvantage.

The Wisconsin-based research group, the Cornucopia Institute, calls on all farmers and consumers to stand up for and protect organic and sustainable local farmers. The issue of food safety and sustainability is one in which we all have a stake. For more information and to take action, go to: www.cornucopia.org,

(Adapted from an article in OUTPOST Magazine, May, 2009)


Animal Feed: We Are What we Eat…and What they Ate!

Many of the meat and dairy products sold in the U.S. come from factory farms, very large industrial facilities where tens of thousands of animals are crowded together in tight conditions and cannot carry out normal behaviors such as grazing, rooting and pecking.
A huge amount of waste is produced in these CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations), creating huge cesspools of liquid waste, which is then sprayed on the land, causing terrible pollution problems for workers and surrounding communities. Here’s what the animals are typically fed: low doses of antibiotics (25 million pounds annually), “offal” such as brains, spinal cords and intestines, and corn and soy beans (for the last few months of their lives), causing greater probability of diseases like “mad cow”. Ruminating animals like cows are healthier and produce healthier milk when allowed to be grass-fed, and their products contain higher levels of beneficial fats.

Consumers can say NO to factory farms: know where your meat comes from; find a farm, store or restaurant near you that offers sustainably-raised meal and dairy products: consult www.eatwellguide.org. Organic meat, or meat purchased directly from a farmer, are also good choices. Go to www.foodandwaterwatch.org to check out further information and a labeling fact sheet.