Center for Rural Affairs
President-elect Barack Obama launched his campaign in Iowa with a promise to create genuine opportunity for rural people and family farmers. Obama proposed changing the failed rural policy of Washington by capping payments to megafarms and enforcing rules against unfair practices by meat packers to strengthen family farms. To revitalize rural communities, [...]

Posted in Action Alerts |

Consumers and Farmers Join Together to Rein in Factory Farms and Protect the Livelihoods of Ethical Farm Families
Since the organic community first appealed to the USDA for better clarification and enforcement of regulations requiring organic dairy producers to graze their cattle, nearly 9 years ago, the number of giant industrial dairy operations, with as many [...]

Posted in Action Alerts, Reports |

Take Action: New Rules Could Force Organic Family Livestock Farmers Out of Business
After eight years of political debate, legal wrangling and protests within the organic community the USDA on October 23 finally published a draft rule intended to clamp down on giant factory farms milking thousands of cows that have been abusing the spirit [...]

Posted in Action Alerts |

Little-known food ingredient takes center stage in precedent-setting vote
Public Comments due Monday, November 3rd
Take a look at the bar of organic chocolate in your desk drawer or the carton of organic ice cream in your freezer, and you’ll likely see a little-known but very common food ingredient: lecithin.
Unless the ingredients list specifically states “organic [...]

Posted in Action Alerts |

Infant Formula Warning Labels Needed
“How traumatic for my child to have to experience a time that should be of comfort and closeness to me, to be so disturbing and painful,” a mother wrote to the FDA. Her 4-month old infant daughter experienced severe gastrointestinal distress and stomach cramping from infant formula supplemented with DHA and [...]

Posted in Action Alerts |