[OKC] bill's intention not to heap millions of fines on small farms and food vendors

[Shauna Struby]

>From Treehugger.com today, an article addressing HR 875 :::
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/law-farmers-market-vendor-million-fi
ne.php?dcitc=daily_nl 

A ' <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875> Food Safety
Modernization' bill was recently introduced to the House of
Representatives-and as it stands, a new government organization could fine
food vendors, manufacturers, distributors, and farmers up to $1 million
dollars for violating "food safety law." Per violation. It's created a minor
uproar in the small and organic farm community, as some worry that the
massive fee could hit our friendly neighborhood
<http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/take-a-trip-to-the-farmers-mar
.html> farmers' market vendors and local farmers. So if the bill passes,
will your favorite produce seller be hit with a $1,000,000 fine? 

Technically, he could. But he most certainly won't. Yet conspiracy theory
websites are already heralding the  <http://cryptogon.com/?p=7362> end of
farmers' markets, and bloggers are melodramatically bidding farewell to
<http://www.opednews.com/articles/Goodbye-farmers-markets-C-by-Linn-Cohen-Co
le-090303-287.html> CSAs and roadside stands. This is what you'd call an
overreaction. 

What the Bill Actually Does 
The bill's intention is not to heap millions in dollars of fines on small
farms and food vendors. In fact, it's instead a much needed, long overdue
piece of legislation that will streamline the government's food safety and
inspection system. As I've noted before, the current food regulation system
is a big fat mess-the USDA and FDA (and dozens of agencies within both) each
inspect different kind of foods and have little inter-organization
communication. And we end up with
<http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/dont_blame_just.php> peanut butter
poisoned with salmonella. 

Hence, the creation of a
<http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/us-department-food-safety.php> Food
Safety Administration: a single, streamlined department charged with
regulating food that would cut out the bureaucratic tangle that allows for
miscommunication and sloppy inspecting. 

The Law Will Not Fine Small Farm Owners $1 Million
Thus, the bill now targets all food manufacturers and distributors, and yes,
under the current wording, that includes small farmers. But it also includes
<http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/walmart-largest-buyer-locally-grown
-produce.php> Wal-Mart. Which do you think would be the recipient of a
million dollar fine for selling unsafe foodstuffs? The massive fine is an
attempt to discourage companies for engaging in unsafe food production-how
much attention do you think big corporations would pay if the fine were
$250? Granted, some distinction should be made in the legislation's
wording-but the bill has only been introduced. It's still has to pass
through the House and the Senate, where such technicalities could be
hammered out.

Other things that bother the small farm community about the bill include a
proposed registration process that would force anyone who produces food for
retail to sign up with the government and agree to allow inspectors on their
grounds. Again, these are blanket rules-the bill's drafters attempted to
include all food retailers, from
<http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/community-supported-agricultur
e.html> CSA farmers to McDonald's beef distribution centers, under the same
umbrella. While this is certainly an overreaching way to go about food
regulation, it's still a step in the right direction. 

The Real Effect on Small Farms
I can't imagine this resulting in anything more than a little paperwork and
a brief headache for small farmers-they have no reason to worry about a
seven figure fine. That amount is intended to account for corporate ne'er
food-do-wells, and is therefore a pretty damn good incentive to keep
factories and meat packing plants clean. So, especially if that blanket,
one-rule-fits-all wording gets clarified, this is one bill very much worth
supporting.

Read the  <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875> Food
Safety Modernization Act for yourself, and see if you think it'll kill the
farmers' market as we know it. 

More on Farmers' Markets:
 <http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/farmers_markets_not_perfect.php>
Farmers Markets : Great, But Still Not Perfect
 
<http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/farmers-market-best-strategies.php>
5 Strategies for Getting the Most from Your Farmers ' Market ...
 <http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/greenleaf_market.php> GreenLeaf
Market : An Online Farmer's Market

Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:

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fe=1&dcitc=daylife-article> US to Create a Department of Food Safety? 

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<http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/legalize-marijuana-california-envir
onment.php?daylife=1&dcitc=daylife-article> Legalizing Marijuana in
California Could Be Good for the Environment 

.
<http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/local-artisan-products.html?ca
mpaign=daylife-article> How to Find Local Artisanal Food Products 

.
<http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/25-percent-reduction-global-food-su
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e-article> 25% Reduction in Global Food Production by 2050: Organic
Agriculture Part of the Solution, UN Says

 

 

::: shauna lawyer struby

 

 

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