[compost_tea] Re: USNOP & Compost Tea - a survey and comment

From: Kirk Leonard <kirkleon_at_open.org>
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2005 10:54:20 -0800
Digest number 1006!  Love it.

In receiving today's digest, I realized I'd used some acronyms that might
not be clear to all.

USNOP is the US National Organic Program, authorized with the Organic Foods
Production Act of 1990, officially open for business in October 2002.  Much
more work to do, though.... (vermicompost is still not officially
certifiable!?)

NOSB is the National Organic Standards Board, a board of 15 private people,
well-informed about organics, who "adivise the Secretary" of USDA (US
Department of Agriculture...) on organic standards.

NOP is a small staff (7-8?) of people under the Agricultural Marketing
Service of USDA.  I've wondered for some time why the marketing service, but
ultimately NOP is a labeling program, not really oriented toward growing
standards, seems.  I rue that they're actually in charge and thank goodness
for NOSB and their recommendations.

There is extensive information about USNOP at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.

I assume everyone knows what US is besides Ultra Secret these days. We gotta
bulldog these buggers on compost teas. It is effectively on the list of 28
"sensitive issue" things USDA staff (especially scientists) must get higher
political clearance to say anything about, hmm?

Kirk

* If you're curious about "sensitive" issues, the Union of Concerned
Scientists published a paper, "Scientific Integrity in Policymaking" in Feb
2004, including a Feb 2002 internal USDA memo detailing them (a pretty
amazing chemhead agenda, actually;).  There's also an eye-opening graphic
look at global warming there that was good enough to be suppressed by this
administration.  I don't have the link anymore but if you poke around at
www.ucsusa.org you should be able to find it.  Tea is made suspect under
#13.  The clue is in OFPA law, the problem in NOP's interpretations.


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Received on Sun Feb 20 2005 - 14:47:33 EST

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