proaches to reforming the food system. In the weeks leading up to the
NOSB meeting, there was a great deal
of misinformation circulating about
the impact that some of these bills
would have on the organic industry.
Many advocacy organizations with
connections to the organic community joined these conversations to assure their members that the leading
bills will not put an end to the organic
“F“For the first time ever, the board agreed to a recommendation to
remove a significant item
from the National List .”
industry, as some critics claimed.
That’s not to say that there isn’t important food-safety work to do.
Organic certification is not, nor is it
intended to be, a substitute for compliance with the letter and the spirit
of Good Agricultural Practices and
Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure the safe food standards consumers have every right to expect.
As an industry, we have seen serious issues of fraud exposed over the
past several months, pointing out the
need for continued vigilance. We all
have a role to play in protecting the
brand value of the word organic.
Reinforcing and improving consumer
confidence in the organic food
industry is paramount.
Jeff Moyer is farm director
at the Rodale Institute
( www.rodaleinst.org) and
the 2009 chair of the
USDA’s National Organic
Standards Board. He can be
reached at jeff.moyer@rodaleinst.org.
l
In light of all this, our industry continues to shine as a beacon of
ight in an otherwise failing food system. Data from research around
the country now proves conclusively that organic production systems
not only produce high-quality food products, but through carbon
sequestration, can have a positive impact on climate change as well.
As we go into the future, it takes all our voices—heard at the
NOSB meetings, heard today in our businesses and heard tomorrow
by new audiences—to make this industry strong and credible to
consumers. ;
