Rep John Dingle's so-called "Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009" recently passed by the House of Representatives is an insidious piece of legislation that threatens the very existence of organic food in the United States.  And if we don't act fast, your health and the health of future generations could be permanently compromised.

Typical of recent legislation, this act was hurried through Congress too quickly for lawmakers to read it. Taking full advantage of fears of potential terrorist threats and recent regulatory breakdowns in the peanut and other industries, the farm controls mandated by this law would usher in complete government control of the food supply, and ultimately the end of organic foods.

If enacted as is, this draconian law would give the FDA complete power to impose one-size-fits-all regulations on ALL food producers - including independent, family owned farms and organic farmers. And because this bill also limits the amount of legal recourse food producers have, the FDA will effectively eradicate these sources of truly health giving foods with total impunity.

That's right: in one fell swoop, the Obama Administration is poised to do away with all of the state waged battles against organic farms and dairies, and win the war with one colossal, fascist law. In the name of food safety, all of the best, most nutritious food sources. raw milk, hormone-free meat, and organic vegetables will disappear.

Of course, the bill doesn't spell that out in so many words, but according to Dr. William Douglass, "since it would impose all manner of standards that would be impossible or unaffordable for small, organic farms to meet, the bill sentences organic farmers to death by paper cuts".

In a recent newsletter, Dr. Douglass added "and those farmers guilty of even the most minor infraction of the many new regulations will feel the entire weight of the federal government crashing down upon them -- fines in the millions of dollars, and prison terms up to a staggering eight years."

While the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 has already passed the House, there's still time to be sure it doesn't get past the Senate. at least in its current form. There's still hope if you act NOW!  Contact your Senators in writing and by phone.

Small farmers have long been the backbone of our nation.  ACT NOW to protect their right to exist, and your future access to organic foods.  We certainly need to protect the integrity of our commercial food sources from internal and external threats and maintain adherence to safety and quality standards, but lets not 'throw the baby out with the washwater". 

Tell your Senators that as their version of HR 2749 moves through the process of becoming law, they must take measures to protect independent and organic farmers from extinction and to protect our freedom to eat the kind of foods we deem most healthy for our families.