It's not just private banks, auto companies, and insurance companies that need to be worried about the agenda of President Obama and his congressional pals. Farmers, more specifically local and small farms, need to be worried about recent powers granted to the FDA. Before leaving D.C. for the August recess, the House of Representatives passed a bill granting expanding power and authority to the FDA that will hit small and local farms the most. The Washington Post highlights some of the more controversial provisions of the bill. Under the House bill:
-Food processors, importers and other food handlers must register annually with the FDA and pay a yearly fee of $500 for each food facility.
This will just add further burdens to small farmers who continue to find it hard to compete against large corporate (and federally funded) farms.
-For the first time, the FDA could set standards for safe production of food on farms, as well as require food manufacturers to meet safety standards.
The San Fransisco Chronicle points out that this provision "Organic growers fear food-safety rules that could mandate production techniques banned in organic agriculture or duplicate rules they already follow."
Other provisions included in the bill, also known as the Waxman-Dingell bill (why are these two always associated with crappy laws??) includes provisions that give the FDA power to:
-order a qurantine of an entire geographic area (!!!!)
-perform warantless record searches of farms and restaurants
So let's get this straight, the FDA now has the power to take control of an entire geographic area, perform warantless searches, impose economic burdens that will effect small farms, and control the way farmers farm. Don't you just love the way the government is increasing freedom and liberty? Oh wait...silly me, here I have been operating on the basis that that is a major tenant of our country. I guess I haven't learned my Obama lesson yet...
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