Need Your Help With the Food Safety Bill

24 HOURS URGENT CALL TO ACTION! STOP YOUR HUMAN FREEDOM FROM BEING TAKEN OVER! GO TO POPCAMPAIGN.ORG
Greetings Everyone! Here we go!

Tuesday Nov. 17th is the day to take action! Please call and fax Members of the Senate HELP Committee, (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions), and circulate this alert to your networks, facebook pages, twitter, etc today!! Phone and fax numbers and instructions are listed below and at www.popcampaign.org.
S 510 (the Food Safety Bill) is scheduled for mark-up, final discussion and vote in the subcommittee on Wednesday, November 18th at 10:00 AM – (watch it live http://www.swiftpage1.com/SpeClicks.aspx?X=2T0OA59KHR2J7EE000Y3WK).
This Food Safety Modernization Act seeks to decrease food-borne illnesses by strengthening the FDA’s food safety oversight and enforcement, including provisions that would extend authority to on-farm production and processing. Unfortunately, the bill as it stands, poses a serious threat to family farm value, local food systems, and sustainable organic agriculture. In short, it threatens our inherent right to grow, sell, buy, and eat the pure quality of organic food we are used to within the US.

Bad News: In the Chairman’s mark-up version received this Monday afternoon, this bill still has CODEX harmonization language in it with an added section at the end stating: “Nothing in this Act… shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization or any other treaty or international agreement to which the United States is a party.” This also means the World Health Organization. We all must be aware that such language allows the WTO to trump this bill, and other US laws, if there is a determined need – seeing beyond any amendments for organic. We seek to keep the toxins, irradiation, pasteurization, and any other post harvest sterilization away from our organic food under any circumstance!

Good News: There has been some updated general language inserted in the Chairman’s mark-up copy that instructs the FDA to “take into consideration” organics in its policies and instructs it to report back in two years of the impact of guidelines on organic farming. Also, vitamins clearly are exempt in this bill. (See our website for the full text of changes). We’ll take the small victories, these are important; however, we stand on guard and need to act fast on the CODEX issue!
Thank you for acting now,
Rudi Leonardi and Mikaële Holzer, Green Your SPIRIT
Brian Clement, Hippocrates Health Institute


PLEASE CALL OR FAX SENATORS NOW EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT IN THEIR DISTRICT. HERE’S HOW TO DO IT (#'s Listed Below):

(Instructions are also at http://www.swiftpage1.com/SpeClicks.aspx?X=2T0OA59KHR2J7EE001Y3WK. Click the “Act Now” tab for examples of what to say, what we said, and the Senate Committee Members information).
Say, for example: “Hello, I am___________ and a constituent of Senator________ and I am calling to ask him/her to support the proposals for amendments to S 510 offered by The POP Campaign. (Emphasize that organic food grown and consumer in the US should be exempt from harmonization with CODEX – our last recommendation).

This is what we sent to Senators - The POP Campaign Position:

We suggested the following language:
· That the FDA develop in its guidelines clear language that protects and preserves consumer rights to grow, sell, buy and eat organic produce, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and herbs within the boundaries of the United States without compromising pure organic quality.
· That the FDA, in its guidelines, insert clear language that exempts organic foods grown and consumed in the United States (produce, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and herbs) from the use of toxins, pesticides, preservatives, fertilization, irradiation, artificial ingredients, GMO’s or any other post harvest method that compromises organic quality. Minimally, consistency with the Organic Food Act is a must. (Note: that this exemption implies that special attention be directed to organics that cross state lines also not being subject to these methods.)
· (To go the extra mile.) That the FDA is instructed to exempt from their guidelines personal gardens, small farms, farmers markets, health institutes, fruit stands, and Indigenous Nations, for growing, selling, buying, and consuming organics within the United States.
· Pertaining to Section 306: (b) and (c) (5) Building Capacity of Foreign Governments with Respect to Food: “ Recommendations to harmonize requirements under the CODEX Alementarius.”
· That clear language be inserted that instructs ALL “consultation” agencies involved in “developing the plan”, (Secretary of State, Treasury, Commerce, Agriculture, etc.) including the FDA to exempt from harmonization in any manner with CODEX all organic produce, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and herbs grown or processed in the United States for purposes of consumption within the United States.

SENATE COMMITTEE MEMBERS CONTACTS AND INFO
DEMOCRATS
Senator Phone ----Fax
Tom Harkin (IA) 202-224-3254 202-224-5128 OR

SEND FAX TO HELP COMMITTEE STAFF FAX : 202-224-3533
Committee
Chris Dodd (CT) 202-224-2823---- 202-224-1083
Barbara Mikulski (MD) 202-224-4654 ----202-224-8858
Jeff Bingaman (NM) 202-224-5521---- No fax
Patty Murray (WA) 202-224-2621---- 202-224-0238
Jack Reed (RI) 202-224-4642---- 202-224-4680
Bernie Sanders (VT) 202-224-5141 ----202-228-0776
Sherrod Brown (OH) 202-224-2315---- 202-228-6321
Bob Casey (PA) 202-224-6324---- 202-228-0604
Kay Hagan (NC) 202-224-6342 ----202-228-2563
Jeff Merkley (OR) 202-224-3753---- 202-228-3997
Al Franken (MN) 202-224-5641---- No fax
Michael Bennet (CO) 202-224-5852---- 202-228-5036
REPUBLICANS
Senator Phone---- Fax
Mike Enzi (WY) 202-224-3424 ----202-228-0359 (F)
Ranking Republican
Judd Gregg (NH) 202-224-3324---- No fax
Lamar Alexander (TN) 202-224-4944---- 202-228-3398
Richard Burr (NC) 202-224-3154---- 202-228-2981`
Johnny Isakson (GA) 202-224-3643---- 202-228-0724
Orrin Hatch (UT) 202-224-5251---- 202-224-6331
Pat Roberts (KS) 202-224-4774---- 202-224-3514
Tom Coburn (OK) 202-224-5754---- 202-224-6008
Lisa Murkowski (AK) 202-224-6665---- 202-224-5301