Biotech Industry Delivers Critical Blow To Organic Farmers And Customers

by Long Island Attorney Paul A. Lauto, Esq.

The Biotech Industry in the United States is an extremely powerful multi-billion dollar industry, with a clandestine strike force arguably second to none. Like a master puppeteer, Biotech giants such as Monsanto and friends, seemingly work the strings of many governmental agencies and bodies with crafty precision.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) is one governmental agency, that has a debatable history of providing a revolving employment door for many of Monsanto's top officials. So perhaps the FDA's latest move against organic farmers comes as no surprise. As part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011, the FDA is ready to implement a new "Produce Rule."  The Produce Rule, under the veil of containing food borne illness, requires farmers using raw animal manure as fertilizer to wait a full 9 months before harvesting a crop from that field. Noteworthy, is that federal standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), requires only a 4 month waiting period between such manure application and harvest.

The 9 month waiting period to be required by the FDA, effectively delivers a decisive and crippling blow to the livelihood of all organic farmers. A 4 month waiting period provides for up to 3 harvest yields per year, while a 9 month waiting period would reduce the organic farmer's harvest yield to a mere once per year. A two third reduction in yield may easily result in a two third increase in price, putting organics out of the financial reach of millions of people.

Read the full post at www.liattorney.com/scales-of-justice.html.