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La Vida Locavore is the blog for anyone whose crazy life includes planting, growing, weeding, fertilizing, raising, picking, harvesting, processing, cooking, baking, making, serving, buying, selling, distributing, transporting, composting, organizing around, lobbying about, writing about, thinking about, talking about, playing with, and eating food!

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USDA

Senate

Agriculture
Chair: Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
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- Michael Bennet (D-CO)
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- John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
- Mike Johanns (R-NE)
- Dick Lugar (R-IN)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- John R. Thune (R-SD)

Appropriations
Chair: Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: Herb Kohl (D-WI)
- Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Tom Harkin (D-IA)
- Tim Johnson (D-SD)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Robert Bennett (R-UT)
- Christopher Bond (R-MO)
- Sam Brownback (R-KS)
- Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Arlen Specter (R-PA)

Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions
- Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Senate Hunger Caucus

House

Agriculture
Chair: B Collin Peterson (D-MN)
V. Chair: B Tim Holden (D-PA)
B Joe Baca (D-CA)
- John Boccieri (D-OH)
B* Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
- Bobby Bright (D-AL)
B* Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)
- Travis Childers (D-MS)
B Jim Costa (D-CA)
- Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
- Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA)
B Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
- Debbie Halvorson (D-IL)
B Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD)
- Steve Kagen (D-WI)
- Larry Kissell (D-NC)
B Frank Kratovil (D-MD)
- Betsy Markey (D-CO)
B Jim Marshall (D-GA)
P Eric Massa (D-NY)
B Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
- Walt Minnick (D-ID)
B Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
- Mark Schauer (D-MI)
- Kurt Schrader (D-OR)
B David Scott (D-GA)
B Zachary Space (D-OH)
- Timothy Walz (D-MN)
- Frank Lucas (R-OK)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)
- Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
- Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
- Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Sam Graves (R-MO)
- Timothy Johnson (R-IL)
- Steve King (R-IA)
- Robert Latta (R-OH)
- Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
- Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
- Jerry Moran (R-KS)
- Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Mike Rogers (R-AL)
- Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
- Adrian Smith (R-NE)
- Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
*=House Organic Caucus member
B=Blue Dog Democrat

Appropriations
Chair: Dave Obey (D-WI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: P Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
- Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
* Allen Boyd (D-FL)
- Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
*P Sam Farr (D-CA)
*P Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY)
P Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
P Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
- Jack Kingston (R-GA)
- Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
- Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
* Tom Latham (R-IA)
*=House Organic Caucus member

P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

Education and Labor
P Chair: George Miller (D-CA)
- Jason Altmire (D-PA)
- Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
- Timothy Bishop (D-NY)
P Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
- Joe Courtney (D-CT)
- Susan Davis (D-CA)
P Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
P Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
P Phil Hare (D-IL)
- Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX)
P Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
- Rush Holt (D-NJ)
- Dale Kildee (D-MI)
P Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
P Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
- Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
P Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Jared Polis (D-CO)
- Robert Scott (D-VA)
- Joe Sestak (D-PA)
- Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
P John Tierney (D-MA)
- Dina Titus (D-NV)
- Paul Tonko (D-NY)
P Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
- David Wu (D-OR)
- Buck McKeon (R-CA)
- Judy Biggert (R-IL)
- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Michael Castle (R-DE)
- Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
- Luis F Fortuno (R-PR)
- Brett Guthrie (R-KY)
- Peter Hoekstra (R-MI)
- Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA)
- John Kline (R-MN)
- Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
- Tom McClintock (R-CA)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
- Thomas Petri (R-WI)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)
- Tom Price (R-GA)
- Mark Souder (R-IN)
- GT Thompson (R-PA)
- Joe Wilson (R-SC)
P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

House Organic Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus

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Looking for Food From China? Here's How to Find It

by: Jill Richardson

Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 06:00:00 AM PDT

Food and Water Watch wrote up a fantastic report (The Poisoned Fruit of American Trade Policy) that tells us all about our imported food.

According to the report, in 2007 China was the #3 country that we imported food from - third after Mexico and Canada. What are the major foods did we get from China?
60.9% of our apple juice
51.4% of garlic
42.3% of processed mushrooms
15% of frozen spinach
11.4% of canned peaches
10.6% of frozen cauliflower
7.9% of canned pears
3.8% of fresh pears
1.7% of processed green peas
1.6% of frozen snap beans
1.2% of fresh mushrooms

Under new COOL rules, you might see a label telling you that your garlic or fresh pears are from China, but the rest of those foods will be unlabeled.

From the report:

China's farm and food processing sectors are plagued with problems that contribute to safety concerns for consumers. China has banned far fewer pesticides than the United States or Europe, meaning that pesticides that are banned in America may be immigrating to the United States on Chinese crops. The USDA reported that produce from China presents significant risks, noting, "Chinese fruits and vegetables often have high levels of pesticide residues, heavy metals and other contaminants. Water, soil, and air are dangerously polluted in many rural areas as a result of heavy industrialization and lax environmental regulation."

Below, I've listed a table from the report that tells what food comes from where as well as a second chart that tells you the odds of whether each food is imported.

Jill Richardson :: Looking for Food From China? Here's How to Find It

Top 20 Produce Exporters to United States Exporter 2007 Imports
1. Mexico: Tomatoes, watermelons, limes, orange juice, squash
2. Canada: Frozen potatoes, fresh potatoes,
processed tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, carrots
3. China: Apple juice, garlic, processed
mushrooms, canned peaches, processed tomatoes.
4. Brazil: Orange juice, apple juice, grapes, onions, watermelon
5. Chile: Grapes, apples, avocados, apple juice, peaches/nectarines
6. Argentina: Apple juice, pears, raisins, garlic, blueberries
7. Guatemala: Cantaloupe, processed mushrooms, frozen broccoli, watermelon, fresh snap beans
8. Costa Rica: Orange juice, cantaloupe, squash, carrot, watermelon
9. Peru: Asparagus, onion, artichokes, tangerines/tangelos, grapes
10. Honduras: Cantaloupes, watermelon, eggplant, orange juice, squash
11. Spain: Tangerines/tangelos, oranges, canned olives, lemons, artichokes
12. Italy: Processed tomatoes, kiwifruit,
oranges, apples, artichokes
13. New Zealand: Apples, kiwifruits, onions, apple juice, pears
14. Ecuador: Processed mushrooms, frozen
broccoli, processed peas, onions, artichokes
15. Turkey: Apple juice, processed tomatoes, processed mushrooms, lemons, canned olives
16. Thailand: Processed tomatoes, canned peaches, canned pears, processed peas, processed mushrooms
17. South Africa: Oranges, raisins, tangerines/tangelos, orange juice, apple juice
18. Belize: Orange juice, processed tomatoes
19. Dominican Republic: Avocados, processed tomatoes, orange juice, bell peppers, tomatoes
20. India: Pickles, processed mushrooms,
processed tomatoes, processed peas, apple juice

What are the Odds It is Imported?
(Top Chinese imports are in bold)
100%: Limes
80%: Frozen Broccoli
75%: Apple juice, asparagus, frozen cauliflower, processed mushrooms, kiwifruit
60%: Artichoke, canned olives, avocado
50%: Grapes, garlic, cucumbers, grape juice
40%: Blueberry, eggplant, squash
33%: Tomato, bell pepper, cantaloupe
25%: Tangerine, honeydew melon, orange juice
20%: Frozen spinach, pear, frozen potato, frozen snap (string) beans
17%: Watermelon, apricot
14: Raspberry
13%: Onion
11%: Raisin, canned peach, lemon
10%: Snap (string) bean, processed pea, peach or nectarine, broccoli
9%: Mushroom
8%: Pickle, canned pear, carrot, cherry, strawberry, processed tomato, potato
6%: Apple, orange
5%: Grapefruit, frozen sweet corn

Tags: China, Food and Water Watch, (All Tags)

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Looking for Food From China? Here's How to Find It | 9 comments

Just a note (4.00 / 3)

While COOL doesn't cover processed foods, or even frozen vegetables that are mixed, there are country of origin labels on some processed foods. The key is to look at the package. For instance, I'm looking right now at a can of bamboo shoots that says Product of China, but the spices I buy through Fred Meyer (store brand) just list the distributor, no country of origin.

I don't know whether the country of origin label is mandatory for some processed products or not, but it has been on some of them for quite some time.

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

by: Joanne Rigutto @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 10:21:28 AM CDT

by: you @ soon

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so, i'm wondering (4.00 / 2)

what a "processed" mushroom is? My mushrooms usually come from the monterey area. And I only buy TJ's apple cider, which I believe is a product of washington. Other than that, looks like i'm pretty safe on the imported from china.

Geez. could they make it any harder?

by: chicklet @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 12:12:44 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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I would think... (4.00 / 3)

...the pre-cut ones in a package?

That list is crazy, though. Just serves to illustrate the insanity of the whole system. Which of those items don't grow somewhere in the US? Do we really need peas from India, garlic from China, apples from New Zealand, artichokes from Italy or mushrooms from Thailand?

The United Nations can be a good model for diplomacy, but not for the dinner table or the lunchbox...

"Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization." - Eugene V. Debs

by: JayinPortland @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 14:33:24 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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From Food & Water Watch (4.00 / 1)

Yes, all the types of produce in the report were chosen for inclusion based on the fact that they are (or were) commonly produced AND eaten in the US. (Now, many farmers are undercut by import prices and can no longer compete... not to mention health risks to consumers!)

by: EricaAtFoodandWaterWatch @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 17:04:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

From Food & Water Watch... (4.00 / 1)

The definition of processed food is very broad under country-of-origin labeling rules--they exempt the majority of all frozen produce, and anything that has more than one ingredient (e.g., fruit salad, salad mixes, a bag of frozen peas and carrots), and anything roasted, smoked, or cured (most nuts, 60% of pork, etc). Food & Water Watch's Executive Director, Wenonah Hauter, says it this way: "Apparently, USDA wants us to believe that food processors can identify the origin of nuts when they are raw, but forget where they are from as soon as they roast them."

by: EricaAtFoodandWaterWatch @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 17:02:40 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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Heh. (4.00 / 1)

Still, it's a start. I'm going to take a month to enjoy that we have COOL at all. :-)

Is there any practical way that we can politely but firmly change the regulations so that food from China cannot be labeled organic without better oversight?

As it was, he did a deal with a blancmange, and the blancmange ate his wife.

by: elfling @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 17:47:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Now wait just a minute (4.00 / 3)

I live in Washington. The apple is practically our state's logo. Why should my apple juice come from China?

I have succumbed to the Twitter craze. @Omir55

by: Omir the Storyteller @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 16:08:13 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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the view from China (4.00 / 1)

I am in China studying food and agriculture for my PhD. I focus more on grains than produce, but every new person I meet wants to talk with asks me about trade opportunities (assuming I work in trade). Even though restrictions on grain trade are high, people are constantly looking for the most efficient way to make profits. Production costs here are extremely low compared to the US and since economic reforms began in the early 1980s, individuals have adopted the market mindset and will take any step to get the most for their goods. I know that doesn't say much, but just wanted to add that in there that even Chinese farmers are linked into the system of global capitalism.

And processed mushrooms most likely refer to dried, packaged mushrooms.

by: amyinchina @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 19:20:05 PM CDT

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From Food & Water Watch (4.00 / 2)

Thanks for posting and reading!

Look out for more coming from FWW on this topic VERY SOON...

by: EricaAtFoodandWaterWatch @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 17:05:03 PM CDT

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