With the Organic Trade Associations (OTA) language to enable an organic check-off in both the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill, there is no leverage to advocate to Congress about changing or dropping the language. If the 2013 Farm Bill passes either attached to budget legislation or as a stand-alone bill, then the OTA language will be the law. If the Farm Bill doesn’t pass then you can be sure that OTA will attach their language as an amendment on another piece of legislation. Having spent many hundreds of thousands of dollars they are unlikely to let it drop.
OTA is urging folks to participate in their survey about what an organic check-off will look like. Unfortunately they fail to have as a first question whether you want an organic check-off. Rather than accept that the check-off will happen and participate in the OTA survey, we urge everyone (whether producer or consumer) to sign our petition against an organic check-off. With over 600 signatures at present, you can register your disapproval of both the way that OTA has conducted the process and the content of their proposal, by signing the petition. Unfortunately, we have no drawing for a laptop or an IPad for your participation; just the knowledge that you will be doing the right thing.
Posted: to Policy in the News on Mon, Nov 18, 2013
Updated: Tue, Oct 16, 2018
