From Hardin’s River Mercantile Newsletter. Forward this to anyone you know who might be interested.

ALERT: Congress Passes Provision Removing Local Rights to Regulate Food and Farms

Since 1988 the biotech industry and industrial food corporations have unsuccessfully tried to take away local and states’ rights to ban or regulate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and other controversial foods and crops. For example, OCA and other public interest groups successfully generated a mass outcry in 2006 that blocked the passage of the National Uniformity for Food Act. This highly unpopular bill would have nullified 200 food safety and food labeling laws across the U.S.

Failing to suppress grassroots control over food safety laws and labels in the last session of Congress, industry has now called on their friends in the House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry to slip a similar poison pill into an obscure section of the voluminous 2007-2012 Farm Bill. The provision would give the White House appointed Secretary of Agriculture the power to eliminate local or state food and farming laws, such as those in four California counties banning genetically engineered crops, and set an ominous precedent undermining states’ rights. Tell Congress to repeal this provision before it becomes law:

If you have time to voice your opinion on a local food issue, click over. Our right to govern our local food laws is about to be taken away. Click here:

Tell Congress to Repeal Provision Removing Local Rights to Regulate Food and Crops

If you want to know, our local food movement is powered by these two questions and answers:

Why should I support local farmers?
Most produce sold in the U.S. is picked up to a week before landing on supermarket shelves and is shipped an average of 1,500 miles (or more if imported) in the process. According to one study, as much as 91 cents on the dollar goes to suppliers, processors, middlemen and marketers. By buying directly from farmers, as much as 80 cents on the dollar goes back to the farm and back into local communities. The food is fresher and you can be sure you know where it comes from.

What is happening to the family farm?
In the 1930s there were almost 7 million farms in the United States. In 2005, just over 2 million farms remained. While the number of acres in farmland continues to decline every year, the average size of the American farm is rising. Large industrial farms have priced the small family farmer out of the business. Marketing directly to consumers who value local food has helped many family farmers stay afloat.

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