4/26/04

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1.  Creekstone Farms Appeals BSE Decision 
2.  Disappointing Organic Guidance Released 
3.  WTO Talks In Geneva End In Ag Stalemate 
4.  Ducks Unlimited Mourns Loss of Wetlands

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1.  CREEKSTONE FARMS APPEALS BSE DECISION 

Creekstone Farms Beef Company announced on April 9 that "they will aggressively challenge USDA's decision yesterday not to allow the company to voluntarily test all of the cattle they process for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.”  The company had filed in February for a permit to BSE test every animal to allow continued exporting of beef to Japan, which requires testing of every animal meant for human consumption.  

The USDA denied the request saying testing was not scientifically justified.  Creekstone maintains that it is simply trying to please their customers who "are willing to pay for the cost of the testing."  The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, on the other hand, praised the USDA's decision, saying, “This unwarranted testing would become the standard for doing business, and the cost will be born by U.S. cattle producers." Read more. 

2.  DISSAPOINTING ORGANIC GUIDANCE RELEASED 

The USDA's National Organic Program issued new guidance this week on what products it will and will not consider for "USDA Organic" certification.  According to the guidance, the National Organic Program intends to publish organic certification standards for apiculture, mushrooms, greenhouses and aquatic animals.  

The notice also states that a number of products will not be eligible for certification, including: 1) personal care products, body care products and cosmetics; 2) dietary supplements, over the counter medicines and health aids; 3) fertilizers, soil amendments and manure; 4) pet foods, and; 5) farm-raised or wild-caught fish or seafood.  Items 1 through 4 on the list are ineligible because they are products not normally regulated by the USDA. Seafoods were deemed eligible for certification under the Organic Foods Production Act, but the USDA has not developed any standards for seafood.  

3.  WTO TALKS IN GENEVA END IN AG STALEMATE 

Since the collapse of the "Cancun" negotiations last September, World Trade Organization leaders have been scrambling to resolve differences between developed and "developing" nations over agricultural trade issues.  Last Friday, the WTO ended four days of talks in Geneva on reforming farm trade with no progress. 

According to Reuters, trade and diplomatic sources said the talks "failed to narrow deep differences between the blocs, notably on how far countries should open their markets to the farm produce of others.”  The discussions to date have focused on three key areas of farm trade -- domestic support programs, export subsidies and market access.  Trade sources said that one closed-door session indicated "some shape" was emerging in the discussions on subsidies and support programs, there was "still no shape" on market access." Little progress is expected this year due to a presidential election in the U.S. and upcoming changes in the European Union's executive body. Read more.

4.  DUCKS UNLIMITED MOURNS LOSS OF WETLANDS 

In a statement issued by Ducks Unlimited (DU) last Thursday on Earth Day, data from the most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife report shows that "freshwater vegetated wetlands continue to disappear at a net rate of more than 100,000 acres every year."  DU says that about 105.5 million acres of wetlands remain in the lower 48 states, which is less than half of the 221 million acres estimated to have existed when the Europeans started settling America.  

Don Young, executive vice president of Ducks Unlimited, said his organization is committed to restoring wetlands and protecting those that remain.  

"With the help of our partners we have restored and protected more than 11 million acres of wetlands and other habitat in North America," Young said.  "But, we're fighting an uphill battle in the U.S., and we continue to lose more than we're able to put back." Read more.

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Scotty Johnson and Aimee Delach
National Rural Community Outreach Campaign
sjohnson@defenders.org