Doreen HannesLast week, I had the opportunity to sit in on a web presentation by Doreen Hannes, a food rights activist, in preparation for National Small Farm and Ranch Grassroots Lobby Day in Washington today (Wed).
The title of her presentation was “Global Agreements Create Domestic Disturbance”. The thrust of her presentation was that one of the key reasons we’re running into so much resistance from regulatory, legislative, and judicial authorities with regard to raw milk, and related food rights issues, is because the United States is tied to a complex web of international agreements that impose ever-more-strict controls on agriculture, in the name of food rights.
What was especially disturbing about the presentation was her citation of specific language within the current food safety legislation pending in Congress (HR 2749 and S 510) that makes a number of explicit connections to international trade and agriculture agreements. Essentially, the food safety legislation states several times that it is consistent with international trade and treaty agreements.
One goal of stated in HR 2749 is to “facilitate global or regional harmony of standards and requirements…” What are some of these standards and requirements? The key ones seems to be good agricultural practices (GAP), traceability (read National Animal Identification System as one key component), and HACCP (hazard analysis critical control points).
The matter of international agreements and agencies is quite complex. There are any number of global agencies, beginning with the World Trade Organization, and continuing through a number of United Nations agencies, along with the International Monetary Fund, and so forth. Like good bureaucrats everywhere, they keep expanding their roles and rules.
The matter of Good Agricultural Practices has already taken hold in Colombia, she said. There, owners of family farms must regularly consult with local “technicians” before they do any irrigating, crop rotation, or fertilizing.
In connection with this regulated approach to agriculture, I received an email today from Brian Snyder, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture, about meetings going on around the country in connection with the Produce Safety Project, which involves the U.S. Food and Drug Administration setting “safety” standards for growing vegetables and fruits. According to Snyder, “I am told that the first meeting held in New York focused very heavily on composting procedures, with a comment made that federal organic standards in particular are well behind the current scientific thinking about compost and what the standards for everyone will eventually be.” Note mention in the various organizations involved about “GAP”. How does the idea of consulting a “technician” sound in connection with producing your own compost?
What all this says to me is that the international trade agreements give the Congress and President “cover” for passing the food safety legislation. When all else fails, they can say, “We may not agree with everything in this legislation, but we’re obligated under international agreements.” Of course, we understand that agribusiness supports these moves because the major food producers are global companies, and benefit from a reduction in competition from small producers.
All of which brings me back to the Colorado raw milk situation and the Raw Milk Association of Colorado. One of the key ways around (maybe the only way around) the onerous regulations closing in on us could be private arrangements between farmers and consumers. There is no guarantee, and the stiff opposition by regulators and the public health community to private arrangements or exceptions to licensing rules for small food producers in many states signifies that the authorities don’t want to see this floodgate opened too widely, if at all.
But I sense that it will be important for private organizations like the RMAC to set high standards and serve as models for what are likely to be a proliferation of such organizations, as Americans come to realize that all the “hysteria” about hyper regulation isn’t hysteria at all, but rather real warnings that the walls of food regulation are closing in more quickly than we may fully realize.
I’m currently in Washington, planning to meet with aides to my Congressman and Senators. I urge you to phone your legislators in Washington as well, and tell them about your opposition to SB 510 and HR 2749. At least they should know where many people stand.
***
Blanche Lennington, owner of Granny B’s Raw Milk Buying Group, has submitted a challenge to the recent cease-and-desist order it received from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. It objects based on the fact that the state’s dairy laws don’t prohibit consumers engaging agents to obtain their milk. Interesting reading.
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http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EB4H4O1.htm
Alaska cheese makers seeking lesser regulations.
Same old story being played out nationwide and just a part of Globalization being imposed upon us maybe?
One note to WRMC regarding a comment on the last post…the constitution was not a step backwards. The document it replaced, the articles of confederation, was the step backwards…the constitution is a step forward from that…and it has "evolved" to get better, but it has happened as it should…through amendments, not legislative action, executive branch fiat, or activist judges.
In the 1920’s law schools quit teaching constitutional law and began teaching case law. Case law is often law with no constitutional underpinnings that exists simply because no one has challenged activist judges OPINIONS high enough in the court system. Much of our law is unconstitutional, and exists only because someone it was unfairly applied to couldn’t afford the appeal, so it became "settled" law, or case law.
BH
http://www.JuicyMaters.com
The FDAs warning to the State of Oregon that it could be interfering with national food producers if voters pass a ballot measure requiring all genetically modified foods sold in the state to be labeled not to mention the fact that, Monsanto set a spending target of $6 million for the campaign against the labeling initiative is merely a reflection of the forces at work. Its mind boggling that the citizens actually voted against the ballot measure.
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews/sis27.php
From the above article the editor states, A war on food rights is being fought over GM crops with big agribusiness – supported by the US and US-friendly governments (including the Blair administration) – against the rest of the world; and it is taking place at all levels from the international arena to local communities.
An article entitled, The World Trade Organization: A Citizens Guide By Steven Shrybman states, Historically, trade agreements were concerned with the international trade of goods such as manufactured products and commodities. The WTO, however, has extended the ambit of international trade agreements to include investment measures, intellectual property rights, domestic regulations of all kinds, and servicesareas of government policy and law that have very little, if anything, to do with trade, per se. It is now difficult to identify an issue of social, cultural, economic or environmental significance that would not be covered by these new rules of "trade."
Transnational corporations working through influential countries use the world trade organization as a tool to undermine the autonomy of member countries and its citizens. I agree with David statement above that, One of the key ways around (maybe the only way around) the onerous regulations closing in on us could be private arrangements between farmers and consumers. There is no guarantee, and the stiff opposition by regulators and the public health community to private arrangements or exceptions to licensing rules for small food producers in many states signifies that the authorities dont want to see this floodgate opened too widely, if at all.
Ken
When will this dialogue ever get liberated. It boggles my brain to think that there are actually smart people with BS degrees in Biology that do not understand what an immune system is. More horrible than that….those same smart people can not and will not open their minds. It appears that their paychecks depend on their minds being closed shut and tight.
Lykke….they took callers….I did not hear any particulary bitter questions…I guess you did not call in.
The debate was voted on by the public and the radio show host anounced the winner.
It was 5 for raw milk and 1 against….RAW MILK WON THE DAY!!!
The one caller against raw milk was a dairyman.
Boy….were they lost in dairyland.
Mark
http://www.jsonline.com/business/87234707.html
Bob-
Many of the most radical leaders of the American Revolution (such as Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry) were fierce opponents of the constitution, because it was a major consolidation of state power. The constitutional convention itself was a response to FARMER REBELLIONS and the inability of the new American ruling class to pay off war debts.
Further, do really believe that the civil war was constitutional, or was really fought for the purpose of ending slavery? I don’t.
One of the best defenses against GMO’s is simply to buy organic, which prohibits GMO’s. Or, if the label says No GMO (if not organic) that’s good too. No GMO was the fastest-growing ad/label in grocery stores in 2009.
If customers walk away from GMO’s, it won’t matter what the damn laws say. And if only 5-10% of customers do this, it will be enough to stop GMO marketing by the food companies. This what happened in Europe. GMO’s are legal in the EU – the customers just won’t buy them, and as a result, the stores won’t stock them. Like rBST/rBGH – gone because people wouldn’t buy them.
You are so right….dollar voting works. It will bankrupt GMO and the PMO as well. It worked in CA with the BST hormone when DFA made their members stop using it….it helped two problems right away. It reduced the mega dairy over supply issue and it made friends with the consumers.
The way forward is paved with farmers connected closely to consumers.
David…nice post….great topic. I really believe that the World Trade Issues will become much less of an issue if we create local power in the educated grass roots. Unless the WTO comes to our back doors they do not matter.
It is impossible to deny the fact that when you drink pasteurized milk you get gas and or diarrhea. The pasteurization century is done….fake just got exposed.
A CA state Assemblymans chief of staff told me today that CA is at the brink of eminent dairy collapse. There are bills in legislative play to rework the CA dairy systems because they serve the processor and not the dairy the cows or the people.
Pasteurization has had its 100 years of fake glory. Now back to immune system building real food. Those that are too brain dead to eat real foods will have their immune systems and sick bodies served up to them in the obesity ward or morgue. They will learn or they will be sickened further and die off…it is a world of Darwin and nature. Denial of immune system function is a fools folly. MRSA is killing 18,000 people per year and it is getting worse.
Wisconsin needs to hurry up and catch up to California. We have raw milk in 400 stores and 65,000 drink milk out in public….no black market hide and seek.
I am so proud of the raw milk activists in Wisconsin today….they did not stay home…500 took a stand and made a difference. Awesome!!!!
Keep on fighting…it is our country and our childrens lives we are fighting for.
Mark
The judge’s language in this case is as powerful, in the state NAIS context (remember, although Federal NAIS is dead, the state versions still live, and this case is therefore important for that reason), because he went on at some length concerning how the statute basically fails of its purpose.
Link will be available shortly.
BH
http://www.JuicyMaters.com
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/honeybeePesticideBan.php
The first article above states, Monsanto and Dow are predicting that SmartStax will be the largest commercial launch of a single GM corn because it will replace a lot of the existing GM corn varieties on the market.
The USDA provided a premium reduction in the cost of crop insurance for farmers growing Smartstax maize while the US EPA granted a reduction in the size of the refuge area set aside from 20 percent to 5 percent, which constitutes substantial government financial incentives for growing Smartstax maize
The USDA crop insurance program covers organic farmers too, but fails to protect the organic premium on price and will not consider the crop loss from pollen contamination from GM crops. Organic and conventional growers are placed at a clear disadvantage in comparison to growers of Smartstax corn.
The use of your dollar to vote against GMOs is countered by your governments use of your dollar to subsidize companies such as Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences to promote it.
Due to the pervasive nature of GMOs an organic label is no guarantee of its absence. The regulatory framework in place does not adequately protect organic farm products from GMO contamination, nor does it protect the non GMO farmer from being sued by the company claiming ownership of the technology. My status as an organic farmer is compromised by neighboring farmers who chose to use government endorsed GMO’s in their farming practices. It seems to me that the farmer who chooses not to use the above technology is a slave to those that do.
Governments are pushing organic farmers into a corner by giving companies such as Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences a license to pollute and at some point in time we are going to have to come out kicking or else die.
Ken Conrad
BH
This Decision represents a very detailed and considered legal analysis (I’d guess in anticipation of possible appeal?) not only of the the freedom of religion and conscience issue, but the serious shortcomings of mandatory premises registration. This decision, when available, will be well worth reading as we continue to move foreward.
Regarding Bob’s question. When you read the decision you will note the Judge spent considerable time assessing the serious shortcomings of the premises registration system in Wisconsin. His analysis of these shortcomings have application to more than just freedom of religion and conscience at issue. The State’s testimony in this case is an interesting read.
Many thanks to Judith McGeary.
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/1-11-the-solution/cecb604cab61fa77c54ececb604cab61fa77c54e-1688480973667
Liberty, Freedom of Choise and more all Peacefully and all Lawfully. Voluntary Common Law courts functioning in America per the 7th Amendment everyone benefits and no one gos broke defending themselves.
I had no understanding of the 7th Ammendment prior to watching these videos. I would be interested to hear some legal opinions for it almost sounds to good to be true but the 7th Amendment is about Common Law. Perhaps it could solve a whole host of our legal problems?
The challenge is we only have until April 22nd to get the bill thru both committees and houses. WIn or loss we still sent a strong message. Don’t forget about the International Raw Milk Symposium on April 10th in Madison. Come feel the energy!!!
http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/files/Miller%20Decision.pdf
As Ron Klein points out, the decision is specific as to the Amish, but the bulk of the logic is devoted to explaining why the DATCP rules, and the NAIS numbering system, simply does not effectuate its purpose. Very broad language.
I know it’s complicated, but the solution is fairly simple. Get your state to pass legislation allowing people to buy and ingest food from whomever they want. I think we’re smart enough to feed ourselves if they would just get out of the way. I think it would be a slam dunk argument to make from the floor that one rep’s constituency is smart enough to decide what they want to eat without instruction from a bureaucrat.
An excellent of history of corporations. An explanation of their constant attack of the rights of people through the Supreme Court. Many of the inequities between corporations and people are clearly explained.
David, I suggest you get a copy as it will give you weeks and weeks of material to share with us.
Brian Wickert