Center for Food Safety

CFS Victory! 🎊 Organic Stakeholders’ Statement on District Court’s Decision’s Ruling Denying Challenge to Organic “Grower Group” Certification 🌱 Early this week, the United States District Court for the District of Oregon ruled against a pending legal challenge to organic “grower group” certification, a longstanding practice codified in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) 2023 revisions to its rules applying the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). OFPA is the law governing organic farming standards and organic food labeling. The federal district court held that the plaintiff, a U.S. organic hazelnut grower, had failed to show how the lawful application of the challenged USDA grower group certification rule had injured his business and thus lacked standing. The organic stakeholders’ amicus brief explained how and why the certification system is a critical element supporting organic practices globally and for the inclusion of millions of smallholder farmers in the organic marketplace. The “grower group” organic farming certification system has been in operation for decades and is widely recognized internationally, enabling millions of low-income small farmers around the world to grow organically certified crops, which would otherwise not be financially or logistically viable. “Smallholder farmers play a vital role in our organic global supply chain, and this decision is a significant step in safeguarding their contributions. It ensures that these farmers can continue to participate in the organic global food system, safeguarding their livelihoods and the future of sustainable agriculture in rural farming communities around the world,” said Tony Bedard, CEO of Frontier Co-op, an amici in the case. SIGN UP for our email list to receive updates like this on our work 🔗: https://lnkd.in/ec47in6r #organic #organicfood #organicfarmers #organicfarming #regenag #organicleaders

Besides longer ingredient lists and the proliferation of food additives, now up to 70% of genetically modified food in the supermarket is not labeled AT ALL 🚨🛒 thanks to a loophole that allows ‘highly refined’ foods that contain GMO ingredients to skip the labels! To stop corporations from hiding GMO ingredients from their customers, CFS filed a lawsuit to force USDA to require labeling of all GMO foods on the package. This lawsuit is our best hope to ensure we know when we’re buying GMO products, but we’ll need all the support we can get in our long fight ahead! ✍️ Add your name to our petition to spot GMOs in the grocery store. 🏷️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e9As9hXx 🎥: #intelligentwellbeing #GMOfree #nongmo #savesoil #regenag #toxicfree #toxicfreeliving #righttoknow #gmolabeling

🚨A shocking number of pesticides were just found in 100% of Target-brand baby food tested — including chemicals linked to learning disorders, ADHD & autism. Target needs to get toxic pesticides out of its supply chain! ☠️ Since January, CFS has joined in with #FriendsOfTheEarthActionInc and a coalition of more than 40 other environmental and public health organizations across the country to call on Target to address pesticide use in its supply chain. Target has not responded to these calls. #ToxicTarget

EPA only evaluates "active" #pesticide ingredients, which can be less than 1% of the whole formula. We just filed a new case to force EPA to tell us how it evaluates non-active ingredients so we can ensure the public has access to this vital info! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e-gcrHrm

The climate crisis is a global health emergency 🏭⚠️🌎 Via #Green4Ema ‘According to the article: “Increased exposure to air pollution reduces the average life expectancy by two years, according to a study published late last month by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). The Air Quality Life Index AQLI) study conducted in India, where the PM2.5 (particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter) is 40 ug/m° on average annually, discovered that 40% of the local population breathes air that exceeds the standard of polluted air.”’

We brought the buzZz to @newtopianow and had a bee-autiful time! 🙌 🐝 Feeling so inspired and grateful for the opportunity to connect with such amazing folks and educate on our mission. 🍎 Together we will continue to shape a brighter, more sustainable food future together! 🌱 #MonarchsNotMonsanto #NewtopiaNow 🦋

NOC is hosting a "Pre-NOSB meeting" for organic community members on Monday, October 21, at the Ecotrust Building in Portland, OR! Join us to: 👩🌾 hear directly from regional farmers, 🧐 discuss NOSB agenda items, 🏦 talk about how to advance organic agriculture with Congress and USDA after the fall elections, 🌱 hear abour organic seed challenges & opportunities AND MORE! This meeting is held in connection with the Fall 2024 National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting. We hope you can join us! Learn more & register here >> https://lnkd.in/egfUDMZ3 We are so grateful for our organizational co-sponsors who are helping make this meeting happen: Center for Food Safety Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) Organic Farmers Association Organically Grown Company Organic Seed Alliance Oregon Organic Coalition Oregon Tilth

We're excited to be at Newtopia Now from August 25-28th in Denver, CO! You can find us at Booth #622 on the floor. We’d love to connect while we're in Denver! If you'll be in town, come enjoy drinks, snacks, and great conversations with our Co-Executive Director Sylvia Wu and Senior Attorney Amy van Saun. Event Details: Date: Monday, August 26 Time: 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM Location: Harry's at Hotel Magnolia, 818 17th St, Denver, CO 80202 RSVP HERE: https://lnkd.in/givqfcKb The work we do at the Center for Food Safety is essential to defend and protect the meaning of organic and regenerative foods. We’re fighting to ensure proper regulation of our food supply, monitoring it closely, and working tirelessly to ban harmful pesticides and unsustainable food production methods. CFS is what makes cleaner, healthier food products possible, and we’re excited to share more about our impact with you!

CFS successfully pushed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to order an emergency suspension of the deadly pesticide DCPA. Via Grist -- 'The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an emergency order this week suspending all use of an herbicide known to cause irreversible developmental damage to human fetuses. The now-banned pesticide — dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA, marketed under the trade name Dacthal — stops the growth of certain annual grasses and weeds, and was registered for use with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions, among other crops, as well as turf. But mounting evidence has shown the chemical is dangerous to people — ”so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately,” as Michael Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said in a statement. Amy van Saun, a senior attorney for the nonprofit Center for Food Safety, commended the EPA’s decision to no only stop the sale of DCPA but order companies not to use the Dacthal they already have on hand: “No more sale or transport unless you’re giving it back to the manufacturer to dispose of,” she said. “If the EPA does a good job of telling everybody that this is happening, that you can no longer use this, then farmworkers who are working around [DCPA] will immediately not have to be exposed anymore.” She added that farmworkers represent the “backbone” of the United States’ agricultural system but have historically “been treated extremely unfairly.”' Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gBV3bv-C EPA Emergency Order link: https://lnkd.in/eApSGuZ7 EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Statement link: https://lnkd.in/er9EFwqH

Wisconsin-based salmon and leafy greens producer Superior Fresh has agreed to buy AquaBounty’s land-based salmon farm in Albany, Indiana, for $9.5 million! 🎊 This is a major victory, as this facility will now be sold to be used for non-GE purposes! 🙌 🐟 Hopefully another step toward ultimate victory in the GE Salmon fight (going on 20+ years now). ✊ ‘Superior Fresh, situated near Northfield, around 100 miles east of Minnesota, uses an aquaponics system that utilises nutrients from its land-based salmon farm as fertiliser for salad greens grown with their roots in water. The process cleanses the water which can then be returned to the fish tanks. Unlike AquaBounty, the company doesn’t see the advantage of genetic engineering, even in plants, and states on its website that its fish east a non-GMO, organic diet. It says its fish contain twice the omega-3 content of other salmon, and “ are not fed like most farmed fish, which are too often fed with formaldehyde, pesticides, antibiotics, and GMOs”. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ezPPPVC4