FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act Could Squash Local, Sustainable Food, Unless YOU Help!

The proposed Produce Standards and Protective Controls Rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act could squash local, sustainable food, unless you help by sending your comment to the federal Food and Drug Administration. Take action and pass this message along to your members and supporters.

Sustainable, small and mid-scale family farmers across the country have been innovating with new, creative approaches to get these kinds of fresh, healthy foods to people affordably, wherever they shop and eat, and ? even better ? do it using sustainable and organic growing practices. Innovations like direct marketing, aggregation, food hubs, multi-farm CSAs, and on-farm, value added processing are getting more good, clean, and fair food to more eaters than ever before!

STAND WITH FARMERS, SEND YOUR COMMENT TO THE FDA BY DECEMBER 14!

It’s Easy:? cut and paste the below paragraph to add your voice to TWO places:

Preventive Controls Rule: FDA-2011-N-0920-1533

Produce Standards Rule: FDA-2011-N-0921-0973

To whom it may concern;
I am a supporter of Slow Food USA – a non-profit organization dedicated to good, clean, and fair food and farming – and a consumer who is very concerned about the impact that the FDA’s proposed FSMA rules will have on the farms that I buy food from and my family’s ability to find local food.? Of course, I’m also concerned about the impact that these rules will have on the environment. I ask you to let a family farm be a farm ? and to treat it like one, not like an industrial factory or corporate mega-farm!
I value safe food and family farms and want to be able to choose food for my family based on its sustainable production, where it’s grown, and free of pesticides and pharmaceuticals.? I get all of my food from my farmers’ market, CSA, and local health food store, and I want to continue to be able to find the food I love there. These proposed new rules can’t subject family farmers to rules intended for massive, industrial agriculture and be so expensive to follow that they put small and mid-scale sustainable family farmers out of business.
Please modify the proposed new FSMA rules to reflect the realities of sustainable farming:
– Farms innovate. Don’t let the rules squash local food. The rules need to ensure that local food and farms can grow and thrive. The final rules must provide a clear definition of what FDA considers a farm, and must take a risk-based approach to regulating farms. FDA must clarify the difference between a farm and a facility using common sense and risk-based distinctions that have clear connections to promoting food safety.
– Farms work with nature. Don’t let the rules undermine sustainability. The rules need to allow farmers to use sustainable farming practices. FDA should incorporate stronger incentives into the rule for on-farm conservation that supports food safety and protects our soil, water, and wildlife habitat.
– Farms deserve fair treatment. Don’t let the rules raise costs for farmers, food businesses, and consumers by imposing unclear, inconsistent, and unfair rules. The rules need to provide options that treat family farms fairly without unnecessary, excessive costs. FDA should find ways to decrease the costs of compliance with the new rules, especially for small and very small farms.
Thank you for your consideration,

Tell EPA:? Take Nuclear Support Out of Proposed Carbon Rule

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new rule to reduce carbon emissions from electric power plants.? We need to let the EPA know that we support a major reduction in carbon emission, despite doubters in Congress. The proposed rule, however, also includes unnecessary and counterproductive support for existing and uneconomic nuclear reactors and provides encouragement for construction of new reactors as well. Sign the petition now.