USDA Tactic to Block Release of Organic Agriculture Records Ruled Illegal
February 09, 2005
Share this:
https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/logolg_58328.png
In a clear victory for advocates of organic agriculture, a federal district court judge ruled a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stalling tactic illegal, clearing the way for the Center for Food Safety (CFS) to gain documents detailing the qualifications and background of the organic food certifiers that USDA allows to participate in the national organic food program. Theruling by District Judge Ricardo Urbina came as the result of a lawsuit filed by CFS in August 2004 after USDA had stalled for nearly two years in releasing documents sought by CFS under the Freedom of Information Act.
CFS is seeking the documents to address a growing threat to the integrity of the national organic food standards. Appropriate certification of organic farms is the fundamental enforcement mechanism of organic food standards. Fueling public concern over a reduction in the integrity of the new “organic” label is the appearance of numerous new, previously unknown certifying agents applying to the USDA for accreditation. Since 2000, the number of organic certifying agents has jumped from 49 to over 120. This unexpected increase in the number of accreditation applicants raises troubling questions about the USDA’s oversight and assessment of the qualifications of new certifiers seeking accreditation and raises the specter of possible “sham” certifiers being allowed into the program.
View Decision
Share this:
https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/logolg_58328.png
