Make Sure Food Safety Legislation Does Not Shut Down Local Foods

The Senate will soon consider far reaching, new federal food safety legislation that threatens to overwhelm small direct market farms and processors. The legislation, spurred by dangerous foodborne pathogens in long industrial food chains that have proven difficult to trace and remedy, fails to take into account the inherent accountability of the existing local and state regulatory framework that governs local food producers.

Contact your Senators and ask them to vote for amendments to fix the FDA Federal Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510) so it does not take away one of the bright emerging spots in wholesome, healthy food and local jobs and income.

Ask them to support amendments to remove direct market farms and direct market processors from S. 510.

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You can send the letter below to your Senators. Feel free to change the letter and add your own comments.

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Background
Pending food safety legislation in the U.S. Senate threatens to overwhelm small local foods businesses primarily engaged in direct marketing to their consumers. This healthy, fresh food alternative has been heartily embraced by Americans.

A “one-size-fits-all” regulatory regime in S. 510 will call on small local processors processing local foods for local markets to meet the same complex and expensive regulatory framework that it is putting into place for large industrial food plants commingling produce from multiple producers.

In addition, S. 510 would bring Food and Drug Administration rules onto the farms of small direct market growers. These regulations have been particularly problematic for practitioners of traditional farms that combine the synergies of grass, livestock and crops to minimize chemical inputs and maximize building soils and recycling nutrients.

Longstanding state and local health and sanitation laws are in place and continue to provide oversight for the small processors and local farmers market vendors. The emergence of deadly pathogens that are difficult to trace are a function of a long and complex industrial food chain, which should be the focus of this legislation, not small local food.

Direct market sales are inherently transparent, accountable, and traceable and do not need a federal agency to enforce these values.

WORC fact sheet
Background briefing on proposed S. 510 amendments

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