Earth Equity News

New Federal Food Safety Regs Threaten Community Agriculture. By Lynn Byczynski, Yes!, September 20, 2009. "When the spinach contamination epidemic was happening in the fall of 2006, and supermarkets were pulling spinach from their shelves under order from the FDA, many local produce growers experienced a sharp increase in sales. Customers didn't stop eating spinach and other leafy greens --instead, many went to their farmers' market to buy local... As the local food trend has gained momentum in recent years, it has become apparent that consumers want local food not just because it's fresher and tastes better, but because they believe it's safer and more wholesome than industrial food. And so it is ironic and disturbing to know that the federal government's current push to improve food safety could threaten the viability of America's small farms. Farmers are in danger of being overwhelmed by recordkeeping, fees, inspections, and infrastructure requirements -- unless Congress, the USDA, and the FDA pay attention to the least powerful (though most popular) members of our agriculture community: local farmers."