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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)
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B Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
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B Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD)
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B Frank Kratovil (D-MD)
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B Jim Marshall (D-GA)
P Eric Massa (D-NY)
B Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
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B Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
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B David Scott (D-GA)
B Zachary Space (D-OH)
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- 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

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Education and Labor
P Chair: George Miller (D-CA)
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- Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
- Timothy Bishop (D-NY)
P Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
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P Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
P Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
P Phil Hare (D-IL)
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P Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
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P Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
P Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
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P Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Jared Polis (D-CO)
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- Joe Sestak (D-PA)
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P John Tierney (D-MA)
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- Paul Tonko (D-NY)
P Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
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- Buck McKeon (R-CA)
- Judy Biggert (R-IL)
- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
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- 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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Why Is Industrial Organic Trashing Advocates of Real Organic?

by: Jill Richardson

Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 23:22:11 PM PST

There are now two dueling sites by two very different (but similarly named) organizations. Organic Consumers Association has launched Stop Vilsack, and Organic Trade Association (and others, including a top Vilsack aid) replied with Support Vilsack... and included a page trashing OCA. What's going on here?

Let me first admit some bias. I'm a longtime fan of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) and a more recent friend of their director, Ronnie Cummins (read an interview I did with him here). More importantly, over the years I've subscribed to OCA's newsletter and followed their work. I've seen a consistent commitment to do what is in the best interest of organic consumers - people who want to buy food that was produced in the best way for the environment, for people, for animals, and for health and flavor.

So if that's OCA's mission, what's OTA for? They are for organic producers, and while they may represent some of the "little guys" they appear to mostly represent Industrial Organic - the big guys. OTA has even tried to weaken organic standards. As you may have read in The Omnivore's Dilemma, Industrial Organic may follow the letter of the law but it does not always respect the earth or the animals involved. You can raise a chicken that is technically organic, but has a life little better than a conventional, factory farmed chicken. You can grow crops on an enormous farm that is technically organic, but where the soil is no better off than on a conventional farm. OTA might support that. OCA doesn't.

Jill Richardson :: Why Is Industrial Organic Trashing Advocates of Real Organic?

Who set up the Support Vilsack site? It's not much of a mystery:

Who's behind the site?
This site was conceived and organized by Walter Robb, Peter Roy, Gary Hirshberg, and Sharon Egan, with feedback from the contributors listed in the sidebar to the right. Technical help was provided by Kerry and Ted Robb. Kerry operates a graphic design business, and Ted owns and operates InHouse Creative Studios.
Who paid for the site?
The total cost of the site was paid for equally and collectively by Walter Robb, Peter Roy, Gary Hirshberg, Drake Sadler, and Steve Demos as individuals. There is no corporate money involved, nor was any solicited.

Walter Robb is co-President of Whole Foods Market. Peter Roy also served as president of Whole Foods Market. Gary Hirshberg is CEO of Stonyfield Farm yogurt. Sharon Egan is President/CEO of Sun Valley Bar. Industrial Organic.

These guys are using the good reputation of truly sustainable agriculture to enrich themselves with their "organic" and "natural" businesses and to make it appear that the sustainable food community supports Vilsack. Yes, there may be some good points about Vilsack that we should appreciate, but the say-so of Industrial Organic executives does NOT mean that sustainable food and ag advocates support Vilsack and what he stands for. OCA speaks for sustainable food and ag, not OTA.

Furthermore, the new Support Vilsack site has some incorrect information:

TRUTH: The emergence of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in Iowa brought along a multitude of challenges. Governor Vilsack continually pushed for local control over siting of large livestock confinements and called for local control in his annual condition of the state address before the legislature. He believed local elected officials should have a say in where facilities should and should not be built.

Actually, in the state senate, Vilsack voted FOR a bill that would prevent counties from zoning where CAFOs (factory farms) would be located, giving that power instead to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The bill also expanded tax exemptions for CAFOs and gave CAFOs immunity from nuisance lawsuits if they met minimum standards set by the DNR.

Tags: Organic Consumers Association, Organic Trade Association, Tom Vilsack, (All Tags)

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Why Is Industrial Organic Trashing Advocates of Real Organic? | 2 comments

Mind if we call you "Papa Bear," Mr. Secretary? (4.00 / 3)

Awesome post. What I read in that site is that Big Organic is down with Vilsack because he'll bring an industrial, agribusiness mindset to organics. The defense of Vilsack on their OCA page contains this sentence: "He led trade missions to specifically market organic products to other countries in an attempt to open up the organics market to Iowa producers," with a link to a Corn & Soybean magazine article, where Vilsack is promoting, yup, organic soybeans.

Supply is a key vulnerability for Industrial Organics and Vilsack is a big daddy ag-corporatist compared to the likes of smaller corporate players like those behind supportvilsack.com. He can help make sure the organic soybeans, corn, and livestock feed flow.

So if Vilsack suddenly says he now enthusiastically supports organics in the coming months, I hope no one pictures eggplants and zucchini. He's talking about food manufacturing and massive livestock operations, not farmers markets.

We won't throw the first punch, but...okay, maybe we'll throw the first punch.

by: El Dragón @ Tue Jan 06, 2009 at 08:23:44 AM CST

OTA Supports Stringent Standards and Timely Enforcement (0.00 / 0)

The Organic Trade Association (OTA), which represents small and large businesses from all parts of the supply chain for organic agriculture and products, strongly supports both stringent standards for organic production and timely enforcement of those standards. For years, OTA has fought for proper funding at the federal level for those activities, and OTA's record shows this through the public comment process as well (see OTA's most recent public comment on the proposed pasture rule).

In regards to President-elect Obama's nomination of Gov. Vilsack to the post of Secretary of Agriculture, it is correct that OTA sent the Secretary-designate a congratulatory letter. The letter speaks for itself, and we invite you to read it at http://www.ota.com/pics/docume... . OTA's board has a no-endorsement policy and is committed to working with all regulatory appointees and staff as well as elected officials to further the organic agenda for the good of the public, farmers, the environment and the organic business community.

Organic Trade Association

by: Organic Trade @ Thu Jan 08, 2009 at 10:12:42 AM CST