Farm Bill Must Support Organic Farmers and Pollinators (Our precious Bees), Safeguard Public Health and Environment

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On the heels of yesterday’s first public meeting of the 2013 farm bill conference committee, today Center for Food Safety (CFS) sent a letter to the conferees reiterating its policy recommendations for a full 5-YEAR FARM BILL.

As the committee now begins to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of THE FARM BILL, CFS strongly encourages final legislation that supports organic farmers, our vital pollinators and our ability to safeguard public health and the environment.

In its letter, CFS specifically called on the conferees to:

• Support the House provision to PROTECT HONEY BEES and other pollinators (Sec. 11315)
• Support the Senate’s critical investments in ORGANIC FARMING (Sec. 11034 and 10005).
• Support a nation-wide “Sodsaver” provision and the coupling of crop insurance subsidies with conservation compliance
• Oppose the King amendment seeking to negate state and local protection laws (Sec. 11312)
• Oppose the House provision to REMOVE OVERSIGHT OF HAZARDOUS PESTICIDES (Sec. 9014)
• Oppose the Benishek amendment to delay lifesaving food safety reforms (Sec. 11321)
• Oppose any efforts to undermine Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) and any policy riders that would negatively impact family farms, food safety, consumer rights or the environment

“This is going to be a conference of competing priorities,” said Colin O’Neil, director of government affairs for Center for Food Safety.

“We need to remain ever vigilant that Congress does not roll back vital regulations protecting family farms, food safety, animal welfare, consumer rights, or the environment.

Now more than ever we need a farm bill that supports, not erodes, a model of agriculture that is local, appropriately scaled, socially just, humane and biodiverse.”

To view the full description of CFS farm bill priorities, read the letter to conferees here.