US: Protect fresh leafy greens and family farms - (Sustainable Agriculture Network )
November 28, 2007 – 8:24 pm Discussion Group
*Federal Regulations Would Harm Sustainable Farmers and Biodiversity*
We need your help in another battle to stop the *slippery slope toward a sterilized and industrialized food system* that threatens biodiversity and the very existence of family-scale farms that grow food in a safe, healthy, and environmentally sustainable way.
In response to the E. coli 0157 outbreaks last year in bagged spinach, the USDA is considering a change in the federal regulations that could potentially require growers of *_all_ fresh leafy green vegetables* to follow specified guidelines in the fields and during post-harvest handling. The federal rules would be similar to the California guidelines that were set by large-scale operations after the outbreaks.
The _guidelines include growing practices that discourage biodiversity and sustainable/organic farming practices_, deplete soil fertility, and create sterile fieldsmethods that have not been scientifically proven to actually reduce E. coli 0157 bacteria but are certain to *reduce biodiversity, harm […]
MORE:
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/news/fsnews.cfm?newsid=22866
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