Become a Member  |  Donate  |  Renew  |  Shop for Activist Wares  |  Join Our Mailing List
Action Alert - visit www.farmtoconsumer.org     
Support Non-GMOs and Farmer Freedom in Farm Bill
Support Non-GMOs in the Farm Bill!
Show Your Support and Call Your Senators

 

Having failed to pass a Farm Bill as scheduled last year, Congress is trying again. Last week, both the House and the Senate Agriculture Committees met to develop the draft bill.

 

The full U.S. Senate is debating the Farm Bill, S.954, this week. 

 

Like the last several Farm Bills, the proposed Farm Bill will generally support the large consolidated corporate agriculture system. There are several potentially significant amendments on specific topics that affect sustainable farmers and local food consumers.

 

Please take action--call your U.S. Senators about the amendments listed below!

 

Your calls really do make a difference!
Please share this alert with friends and family.

Alert
Action to Take
Call BOTH of Your U.S. Senators

  

Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, tell them your State and ask to be connected to your Senators' offices. You can also find your Senators and their contact information at www.senate.gov.  

  

When you reach the each Senator's office, ask to speak to the staffer who handles agricultural issues.   

 

Convey this Message:  

  

"I am a constituent from ____ (state) calling about the Farm Bill and I urge Senator _______ to:


1)  Vote YES on King's Amendment #1042 to clarify the exemption for small farmers under the Food Safety Modernization Act;


2) Vote YES on the Tester "Seeds & Breeds" Amendment #972 to dedicate a portion of USDA's research to classical breeding;


3) Vote YES on all of the amendments protecting farmers and consumers from GMOs:  

Merkley's Amendment #978 to repeal the biotech rider, aka "Monsanto Protection Act";  

 

Begich's Amendment #934 to ban GMO salmon;  

 

Boxer's Amendment # 1025 to support labeling of GMOs;  

 

Sanders' Amendment #965 recognizing states' right to adopt GMO labeling requirements at the state level;  

 

4) Vote YES on King's Amendment #1033 to require FDA to do an analysis of the science and costs imposed by its proposed regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act;   

 

5) Vote YES on Boxer's Amendment #1027 to protect honeybees and other pollinators;

 

6) Vote YES on Grassley's Amendment #969 to improve enforcement of antitrust laws and address consolidation of our agricultural system;   

 

7) Vote YES on Wyden's Amendment #952 to remove the prohibition on planting hemp;

 

8) Vote NO on Johanns' amendment to eliminate Country of Origin Labeling (COOL).

More
Action1
I. Support Small, Direct-Marketing Farmers
Vote YES on Senator King's Amendment #1042 to clarify the exemption for small farmers under the Food Safety Modernization Act.

 

When the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) passed Congress two years ago, it included a very important provision that exempted small-scale, direct-marketing farmers from some of the burdensome new regulations. The Tester-Hagan provision of FSMA was a vital protection for local food producers.

 

When FDA proposed regulations this year under FSMA, however, its interpretation of the Tester-Hagan provision undercut much of the intent. Among other problems, FDA's proposed regulations measure who is a small farmer based on all the food they sell, instead of based on the food they sell that is subject to FSMA. The real intention of the Tester-Hagan provision was to judge size under FSMA based on the foods subject to FSMA, and Senator King's Amendment clarifies that intention. This will bring more farmers within the protections of the Tester-Hagan provision, preventing them from being driven out of business by new federal regulations.

 

Please tell your Senators to vote YES on Senator King's Amendment #1042

 

Action2 

II. Support non-GMO seeds

Vote YES on Senator Tester's Classical Breeding Amendment #972.

More and more, agriculture research is controlled by corporations who are focused on expanding their genetically engineered crops, and every year farmers are left with fewer choices of seeds that are not genetically engineered. Farmers who want to avoid growing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) simply don't have good alternatives. And when farmers have no options, consumers have no options.

 

Classical breeding is a proven science to meeting our food and fiber needs. Classical breeding is critical to the development of varieties that are suited to the many different geographic regions and conditions in our country. The resulting genetic variety is vital to our national food security.

 

In the 2008 Farm Bill, Congress directed the USDA to make classical plant and animal breeding a priority for funding, but the agency imposed hurdles in the grant-making process that have undermined this Congressional mandate.


Senator Tester's amendment corrects problems in USDA's breeding grants by prioritizing public cultivar and breed development through classical breeding. It also removes hurdles that hinder USDA's progress toward this goal.

 

The amendment does not call for any new expenditures by the government, nor does it stop all funding for GMO research. It is a modest approach that allocates some existing research money for non-GMO research.

 

Please tell your Senators to vote YES on the Tester Classical Breeding Amendment #972.

Action3
III. Support Farmer and Consumer Choice
Vote YES on the amendments to
  • restore judicial review of GMO crops (#978),
  • ban GMO salmon (#934), and
  • support labeling at both the federal and state levels (#965 and #1025)

 

A.  Support judicial review of GMO crops -
Vote YES on Senator Merkley's Amendment #978 to repeal Section 735 from the budget continuing resolution

In the last continuing budget resolution, which funds the federal government through September of this year, pro-biotech forces successfully inserted a provision that has been dubbed the "Monsanto Protection Act." This provision allows companies like Monsanto and DuPont to continue to sell genetically modified (GMO) seeds for planting even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally.  

 

The provision forces USDA to grant temporary permits and deregulate GMO crops even if a Federal court has ruled that USDA hadn't adequately considered the environmental or economic risks to farmers. This destroys any meaningful judicial review of USDA's decisions to allow commercialization of GMO crops.

                                                                                                            

Please tell your Senators to vote YES on the Merkley Amendment #978 to restore judicial review of genetically engineered crops.

 

B.  Protect consumers from genetically engineered salmon -
Vote YES on Senator Begich's Amendment #934

 

The FDA continues to consider the application for AquaBounty's genetically engineered salmon, and appears likely to approve it.

 

The salmon has been genetically altered to produce extra growth hormones, allowing it to grow faster and bigger than natural salmon. There are no independent studies on the salmon's safety. FDA instead relied on the false assumption that GMO foods are "equivalent" to natural foods, as well as data provided by the company that created, and stands to profit from, the GE salmon. At the same time, FDA ignored the concerns raised by thousands of Americans and dozens of legislators and scientists, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

Since it will not be labeled, people will have no way of choosing to avoid genetically engineered salmon in the stores if this fish is approved. In addition, the GMO salmon poses a threat to those who wish to eat wild salmon or other seafood. If the GMO salmon escape from the fish farms, which is all too likely, they could devastate native salmon populations, as well as the fish and marine mammals that depend on salmon for their food. Scientists have predicted that escaped GMO salmon would likely wipe out wild salmon populations, which will destroy the livelihood of coastal communities that depend on fishing.

 

 Please tell your Senators to vote YES on the Begich Amendment to ban the sale of genetically engineered salmon.  

 

C.  Support labeling at the state and federal levels -
Vote YES on Senator Boxer's Amendment #1025
and YES on Senator Sanders' Amendment #965

 

Senator Boxer's Amendment expresses support for labeling of GMOs, although it does not directly mandate labeling: "It is the sense of the Senate that the United States should join the 64 other countries that have given consumers the right to know if the foods purchased to feed their families have been genetically engineered or contain genetically engineered ingredients."

 

Senator Sanders' Amendment respects state rights and state power. Last year, at least two states were threatened that Monsanto would sue their states if they passed a GMO labeling bill. Sanders' amendment simply confirms that states have the right to adopt GMO labeling laws if they choose to, protecting them from lawsuits based on federal law.

 

Please tell your Senators to vote YES on Boxer's Amendment # 1025 to support labeling of GMOs and Sanders' Amendment #965 recognizing states' right to adopt GMO labeling requirements at the state level. 

Action4
IV.  Hold FDA accountable -
Vote YES on Senator King's Amendment #1033 to the agency to do an analysis of the science and costs of its proposed food safety rules

The FDA has proposed 1,200 pages of rules for farmers and food producers that would regulate every aspect of growing, harvesting, and processing foods under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).   

 

FSMA directed FDA to issue science-based regulations. But FDA's proposed rules are not based on sound science. Instead, the FDA has written extensive, complicated new requirements that basically assume the worst of every situation and then force the farmers to find science on their own to prove that their farming methods are safe. Many traditional and sustainable methods of cultivation will be guilty until proven innocent.

 

Senator King's amendment would require the agency to do an analysis of the scientific information used to develop the proposed rules, as well as analysis of the rules' economic impacts. The analysis would specifically include the impact on local food systems and the availability of local food; and "what, if any, negative impact on the agricultural businesses and local food systems would be created, or exacerbated, by implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act."

 

Please tell your Senators to vote YES on Senator King's Amendment #1033 to ensure that the new food safety regulations are based on sound science and do not hurt local food producers.  

 

Action5
V.  Protect Our Food Supply
Vote YES on Senator Boxer's Amendment #1027 to protect honeybees and other pollinators

Senator Boxer's amendment would require the USDA, the Department of Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the long-term viability of honeybees and other pollinators. 

Honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate, and the federal agencies have been just sitting by and watching it happen.  This poses a threat to all food production and we cannot afford to let it continue.

Please tell your Senators to vote YES on the Boxer Amendment #1027.

 

Action6 

VI. Reverse the Corporate Takeover of Our Food System

Vote NO on Senator Grassley's Amendment #969 to create a USDA special counsel on consolidation 

A small handful of companies control the vast majority of our agricultural system. This unprecedented level of consolidation has gone almost entirely unchallenged, allowing these companies to squeeze out farmers. For consumers, this means lower quality food at higher prices.

Senator Grassley has filed an amendment that would create a USDA special counsel to monitor consolidation in agriculture. The counsel would coordinate antitrust enforcement and efforts to improve competition in the industry.

Please tell your Senators to vote YES on the Grassley Amendment #969.

Action7
VII.  Support Farmers Freedom
Vote YES on Senator Wyden's Amendment #952 to allow American farmers to once again grow industrial hemp to the extent that it is allowed under state laws.

                                                                                                    

Industrial hemp is the non-psychoactive, low-THC, oilseed and fiber varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant. Hemp has absolutely NO use as a recreational drug.

 

Hemp is planted in many countries, and is legal to use in the U.S. -- but illegal to plant in the U.S. The seed is known for its healthy protein and rich oil. The outer fiber from the stalk can be used for clothing, canvas and rope; the inner core fiber can used for construction and paper production. This crop provides excellent opportunities for farmers for a sustainable, profitable crop.

 

To date, thirty-one states have introduced pro-hemp legislation and nineteen have passed pro-hemp legislation; nine states (Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia) have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. Passage of the Industrial Hemp Amendment to the Farm Bill would finally allow these states to choose whether or not to let farmers grow industrial hemp.           

 

Please tell your Senators to vote YES on the Wyden Hemp Amendment #952. 

 

Action8 

VIII.  Uphold Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

Vote NO on Senator Johanns' amendment to eliminate it

 

For years, American farmers and consumers have fought to get mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for food products, so that consumers could know what country their food came from. The 2008 Farm Bill included a provision for COOL, but the regulations implementing it were struck down by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

 

The USDA has proposed revisions to the COOL regulations to address the WTO's objections. The proposed COOL regulations are better than the previous version, providing more information for consumers about where livestock and poultry were born, raised, and processed. More than 200 groups submitted comments to USDA supporting this approach.

 

The large meatpackers, however, don't like this and are trying to get COOL eliminated in the Farm Bill. Senator Johannns is expected to introduce an amendment to eliminate COOL on livestock and poultry products.

 

COOL is already the law of the land - it should NOT be reversed in this Farm Bill. The USDA's proposed changes provide honest labeling for consumers while addressing the WTO's concerns. Consumers deserve the right to know the source of their food and U.S. farmers and ranchers should be allowed to promote their products with pride.

 

Please tell your Senators to vote NO on any amendment that eliminates country of origin labeling. 

 

End
Summary

 

Amendments to Support 

  • King's Amendment #1042  
  • King's Amendment #1033  
  • Tester "Seeds & Breeds" Amendment #972   
  • Merkley's Amendment #978
  • Begich's Amendment #934  
  • Boxer's Amendment #1025  
  • Sanders' Amendment #965  
  • Wyden's Amendment #952
  • Boxer's Amendment #1027
  • Grassley's Amendment #969

Amendments to Reject 

  •  Johanns' amendment to eliminate Country of Origin Labeling (COOL).
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit [EIN 20-8605130], defends the rights and broadens the freedoms of family farms and artisan food producers while protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient-dense foods. Learn more About Us or FTCLDF 2012 Summary.

NEW! Subscribe to Food Rights News RSS Feed. 
     
Donations to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund are always appreciated though not tax-deductible. Prefer to make a tax-deductible donation? Go to www.f2cfnd.org/donate to earmark it for "public interest litigation" (PIL). Or contact us by email at [email protected] or call 703-208-FARM (3276).   

Please forward this alert to others who are concerned about protecting locally-sourced nutrient-dense foods and preserving sustainable small family farms and artisan food producers as well as defending the rights to sell and to access the foods of one's choice from the source of one's choice.